You Beneath Your Skin Crime Fiction At It’s Best!
‘Biswas’s masterful You Beneath Your Skin is an intelligent page-turner that mixes a thrilling murder case with a profound psychological and sociological study of contemporary India.’ – David Corbett, award-winning author of The Art of Character
You Beneath Your Skin Damyanti Biswas Blurb:
It’s a dark, smog-choked new Delhi winter. Indian American single mother Anjali Morgan juggles her job as a psychiatrist with caring for her autistic teenage son. She is in a long-standing affair with ambitious police commissioner Jatin Bhatt – an irresistible attraction that could destroy both their lives.
Jatin’s home life is falling apart: his handsome and charming son is not all he appears to be, and his wife has too much on her plate to pay attention to either husband or son. But Jatin refuses to listen to anyone, not even the sister to whom he is deeply attached. Across the city there is a crime spree: slum women found stuffed in trash bags, faces and bodies disfigured by acid. And as events spiral out of control Anjali is horrifyingly at the centre of it all …
In a sordid world of poverty, misogyny, and political corruption, Jatin must make some hard choices. But what he unearths is only the tip of the iceberg. Together with Anjali he must confront old wounds and uncover long-held secrets before it is too late.
All the author proceeds will go to Project WHY and Stop Acid Attacks.
Book links:
Net galley: http://netgal.ly/fZfa9s
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47634028-you-beneath-your-skin
Outside India: https://buff.ly/2LSv3vw
India: https://buff.ly/2KMXlXN
You Beneath Your Skin is a crime novel about the investigation of an acid attack on a woman from Delhi’s upper class, set against the backdrop of crimes against underprivileged women. They are assaulted, disfigured with acid, and murdered.
While the framework is that of a thriller, the novel threads together different narrative strands. The author tackles various social issues: crimes against women and why they occur, the nexus between political corruption, police and big money; the abuse of the underprivileged, be it adults or children.
Of these the issue of crimes against women is the strongest—why do men attack women? Why do they gang together? What happens when a woman tries to break the glass ceiling? Can toxic masculinity masquerade as benevolent patriarchy?
Parents would also find this novel fascinating: how do you bring up a good human being in today’s troubled times? How much do you know of your teenager’s life? If you’re the parent of a special child, what challenges do you face and what sort of support can you expect?
It is a whodunnit, but also a whydunnit, because violent crime unravels those affected: the people, the relationships, the very fabric of society, and we get a glimpse of what lies beneath. That’s why the title, You Beneath Your Skin.
The narrative of the book was researched and shaped during the author’s work with Project WHY, and some of the experiences generously shared by acid attack survivors from the non-profit Stop Acid Attacks. To return this debt of gratitude, all author proceeds from the book will go to these two non-profits.
Social media and site links:
- Link to Project WHY: https://projectwhy.org/
- Link to Chhanv Foundation: https://www.chhanv.org/ (Their social media name is StopAcidAttacks)
- Author website: https://www.damyantiwrites.com/
- Pls use the hashtag: #YouBeneathYourSkin for all social media shares—you could customise tweets for the share links as well, you only need to change the first line of the sample tweet below.
You Beneath Your Skin Damyanti Biswas
The book has already received a fantastic early praise:
‘You Beneath Your Skin is a gripping tale of murder, corruption and power and their terrifying effects in New Delhi. Highly recommended.’ – Alice Clark-Platts, bestselling author of The Flower Girls
‘Suspenseful and sensitive, with characters negotiating serious issues of society, this crime novel will keep you awake at night!’ – Jo Furniss, bestselling author of All the Little Children and The Trailing Spouse
‘Gripping…crime fiction with a difference. This is a novel full of layers and depth, focusing on class and corruption in India with compassion and complexity.’ – Sanjida Kay, Author of psychological thrillers, Bone by Bone, The Stolen Child, My Mother’s Secret and One Year Later
‘You Beneath Your Skin – beautiful writing, strong characters and a story that will stay with me for a long time. Set in New Delhi, this novel tackles important issues as well as providing a tension-filled read.’- Jacqueline Ward, Bestselling author of Perfect Ten
You Beneath Your Skin Damyanti Biswas
On Goodreads
About Damyanti
Damyanti Biswas lives in Singapore, and works with Delhi’s underprivileged children as part of Project Why, a charity that promotes education and social enhancement in underprivileged communities. Her short stories have been published in magazines in the US, UK, and Asia, and she helps edit the Forge Literary Magazine. You can find her on her blog and twitter.
Social media and site links:
- Link to Project WHY: https://projectwhy.org/
- Link to Chhanv Foundation: https://www.chhanv.org/ (Their social media name is StopAcidAttacks)
- Author website: https://www.damyantiwrites.com/
- Pls use the hashtag: #YouBeneathYourSkin for all social media shares—you could customise tweets for the share links as well, you only need to change the first line of the sample tweet below.
Elizabeth Seckman
October 11, 2019 @ 21:14
A definite must read!
Damyanti
October 19, 2019 @ 08:48
Thank You so much, Elizabeth
Jacqui Murray
October 11, 2019 @ 11:18
What can I say other than excellent. And a lot of readers seem to agree!
Damyanti
October 19, 2019 @ 08:49
Thank You so much, Jacqui
Pat Hatt
October 10, 2019 @ 17:01
Always great when you find a gripping read.
admin2
October 10, 2019 @ 18:01
Yes it is.
Damyanti
October 19, 2019 @ 08:50
Thank You Pat. Hope you will take a chance with it.