Flushing author’s book series keeps readers guessing
BY TAMMY SCILEPPI
A new international
mystery thriller book series
by an Indian-American author
takes readers into an imagined
criminal underworld that
strikingly mirrors some of our
contemporary realities.
At once timely and
exciting, Tejas Desai’s “The
Brotherhood Chronicle,” is a
must-read and will keep you
guessing.
“In the essence of
Queens, I wanted to write
a genuinely multicultural
crime trilogy that moves at
a breathtaking pace. It takes
on contemporary issues like
religious fundamentalism,
political corruption, the
relationship between
individual and community,
as well as ethnic, cultural
and gender identity,” said
Desai, who was born and
raised in Flushing, where he
has lived most of his life.
“The characters are very
ethnically, culturally, and
socioeconomically diverse,
and the books teach the
reader a lot about Hinduism
and Buddhism even as you’re
engaged in a riveting mystery
thriller that never stops
entertaining,” he added.
And, you’ll also learn about
Thai and Australian cultures.
“The Brotherhood
Chronicle” features a fastpaced,
action-filled plot that
overflows with mysteries
and surprises, entertaining
dialogue and fascinating
characters. And, while much
of it is set in Queens, you’ll
find that the other settings
are also “amazingly rich in
culture, like the lush beaches
of Thailand, the gritty streets
of India, the sleepy towns
of the American South,”
Desai noted.
“So, if you like gritty crime
thrillers that make you think,
then this trilogy is up your
alley,” he added.
The books even have
Glossaries of Terms to
help you along, including
definitions of Indian, Thai and
Australian cultural words
and slang. It’s no wonder
because Desai, a supervising
librarian, has been working
for the Queens Library for
more than 11 years.
In the first book, “The
Brotherhood,” the reader
meets the main character,
Niral Solanke, a down on his
luck private investigator living
in New York City. Solanke
tries to solve a baffling crime
while navigating through a
complex underworld where
many strong personalities
are vying to influence him.
While he ultimately solves
this crime, its complications
lead him toward a
personal downfall.
The two sequels, “The Run
and Hide,” and “The Dance
Towards Death,” branch out
to exotic settings in southeast
Asia and the American
South, where Solanke now
finds himself embroiled in
international and domestic
adventures and intrigue. In the
second book, we find him living
in Thailand and working for a
criminal organization called
The Dragons. But a special
interest brings him back to
The Brotherhood in India.
While being drawn into
an exotic netherworld of
corruption and decadence,
Flushing native Tejas Desai
wrote volumes 1 and 2 of the
must-read trilogy.
the reader encounters further
mysteries and crimes. And
you’ll come across a plethora
of diverse characters involved
in personal dramas and
political intrigue.
“Tying them the books
together is a mysterious
Hindu religious organization
called The Brotherhood,
as well as a wide criminal
network which comes more
into focus as the trilogy goes
along,” Desai said.
The two sequels will be
published in September 2019
and September 2020. “The
Brotherhood” is available on
Amazon in paperback and
Kindle Edition.
In 2012, the author
founded The New Wei
literary movement, which
seeks to promote provocative
and meaningful narrative
artists. Through his New Wei
publishing company, he also
released “Good Americans,” a
collection of six stories (one of
which is told in three-parts) as
the first volume of his “Human
Tragedy” series (on Amazon).
His articles on
literature have been
published in HuffPost and
other publications.
But Desai, who holds a
MFA in Creative Writing and
Literary Translation from
Queens College, said his
greatest education has been
“on the streets of Queens and
during my frequent worldwide
travels, where I’ve interacted
with, listened to and observed
people of all types.”
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