A nail-biting thriller set in corporate India

Namburi started a unique format in the numbers series which probably has not been attempted before. The three books in the numbers series are timelines, 31 Days, 60 Minutes and 8 Hours. “In each of the books, there is an urgency, within which the characters need to act and operate, which heightens the suspense and drama for the reader,” said Namburi. 

“In 31 Days, the story is again in a unique format, with 31 chapters for 31 days in March with a firing list that is scheduled to emerge on March 31. In fact, 60 Minutes is possibly the first time ever in which an entire story is set in such a short time span,” the author said.

His new book 8 Hours, published by Westland, is set in a period of eight hours, commencing at 1 am and concluding at 9 am. The main protagonist is Aratrika Reddy, the CEO of ARYA Holdings Ltd, a family-run multi-billion dollar conglomerate with interests in liquor, hotels, real-estate, mining and steel. With the newly-appointed chairman of a bank threatening to call in the loans, the organisation may go bankrupt or be taken over by a rival family by 9 am. 

The author said the book is inspired by a host of family-run organisations in India, which have flourished and perished with the shifting sands of political largesse. “Aratrika has evolved from a list of accomplished women who have led and successfully managed large companies in contemporary India. The entire setting is reflective of present day corporate India portraying the role and influence of bankers, investment funds and politicians,” he said.

He described 8 Hours as an intense saga with deep rooted inter-familial conflicts between two dynastic families and also which portrays how blood and relationships can be vulnerable to the desire for accumulating wealth. “Most people today would either be working in or with corporates. 8 Hours offers them glimpses into certain echelons of corporate India, the ploys, the schemes and tactics in corporate India. The corporate, is after all, the new battlefield.” 

When researching for 8 Hours, Namburi examined and followed the growth, struggles and decline of many leading brands which had captured the imagination of India. 

“There have been several instances of corporate mismanagement and even fraud in India. Satyam and Kingfisher have caught the public imagination with their scale and intensity. There have also been several other enterprises which have grown with influences and favours and then vanquished with the changing powers,” he added.