The 86th Village, a novel by Sena Desai Gopal
Throughout Southern India, eighty-six villages are set to completely submerge due to a government-sanctioned dam across the Krishna river. Nilgi, one such village on the banks of the Krishna, has so far escaped unscathed from the illegal iron-ore mining and floods that have ravaged the rest of the district for decades. The village believes itself to be indestructible and incorruptible despite warnings of impending doom. With whole mountains disappearing from the mining around Nilgi over time, the threat of a big flood submerging the entire village is imminent.
One night, Reshma, a young orphan girl appears in the village, alone and without any possessions. The villagers, not knowing what else to do, take her to Raj Nayak―the patriarch of the leading family in the village who has been organizing and leading anti-dam movements. For several years he’s been lobbying the corrupt government for fair compensation to be paid to the people who will lose their livelihoods and property to the mines and the flood. But Reshma’s presence, and the mystery of her origins, sets off a chain of events threatening the protests, the family, and Nilgi itself. Soon, secrets and corruption flood the village along with the waters.
Praise
“Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022”
by Criminal Element: “A moving debut.”
“This atmospheric and extremely poignant debut is beautifully told and heart-rending on many levels.”
—Booklist
“Will keep you up at night.”
—Popsugar
“Sena Desai Gopal’s sensitive eye for human frailties and the power of nature make THE 86TH VILLAGE a novel that is beautiful and suspenseful, haunting and socially relevant. I was spellbound by this moving and original mystery.”
—Sujata Massey, award-winning author of the Perveen Mistry and Rei Shimura mysteries
“One of the ‘Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2022.'”
―CrimeReads
“A powerful indictment of graft and corruption, as well as a comparison of poverty and wealth.”
—Library Journal
“Gopal casts an unflinching eye on the many ways power can be corrupted and trust can be betrayed in this intricate, heartbreaking, and searing account of shattered lives.”
—Sumi Hahn, THE MERMAID FROM JEJU
“One of the ‘Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2022.'”
―Criminal Element
