Which facet of life does the crime in this book revolve around?
It’s a thriller about truth in relationships—how much is revealed and concealed.
How is the title related to Raphael’s Sistine Madonna?
It’s about a print of Raphael’s Sistine Madonna, but in my book, it’s all in one colour that makes it mysterious.
How does detective Lalli evolve in this book?
Lalli is more into crime happening in the four walls of the house. This time she investigates a very puzzling case which she calls ‘pure crime’—a crime without motive.
Your books reveal different facets of Bombay. What about this one?
The Gardener’s Song and The Page Three Murders engaged more with this. Though the story is set in Bombay, the Monochrome Madonna does not deal with a particular aspect.
How does the crime scenario and thus crime fiction vary across the world?
The crime profile in Indian cities is very different from western cities. The domesticities are peculiar and this is where my interest lies.
Why is crime fiction still a niche in Indian English writing?
English publishing in India is barely 25 years old.
What characterises detective fiction today?
Irrespective of time, every work is ultimately defined by the skill with which it is written.
Your favourite crime fiction author?
Almost everyone I’ve read. Every writer has something new to say. The police procedurals described by a Swedish crime writer is different from those in English country house set-ups.
Your take on the chicklit gaining popularity.
Chicklit cannot be defined by the new books we see today. Even Jane Austen is chicklit. The current authors are young but their competition is almost 200 years old.
What’s Lalli going to engage in next?
The answer lies in the book’s last chapter.
