"My god, what a book. I love the way that the characters fit together like a jigsaw puzzle and their stories fall into place, piece by piece. I love the way that violence and politics and terror are woven into the plot without sacrificing any of the other threads, and the way that Bombay becomes the central character. I can't wait to sell it."
--Janet Brown, Elliott Bay Books, Seattle
"Want to get lost in a big, sprawling hardcore mystery? Pick up the delicious new novel by Vikram Chandra and revel in outsized gangsters, jaded policemen and a story that ranges in history from the separation of India and Pakistan to modern terrorism. This is a police procedural like none encountered in American or British writing. Chandra's subcontinent teems with all of the complexities of modern and ancient societies, wealth and poverty, crime and justice. Read long and enjoy!
--Jane Jacobs, Porter Square Books
"Sacred Games has changed the way I view the world. For one thing there is almost no mention of the USA--a corrective to the assumption that "it's all about us." For another, when I watch the news I now see it as floating on top of what's really going on--a great roiling stew of gun-running, drug and money smuggling, and an underworld that is far more influential than I want to believe. Oh, and did I mention it has a riveting plot and characters you can't forget?"
-- Lilla Weinberger, Reader's Books
"This intense epic from India will inevitably be compared to The Godfather, but I think the comparisons can only be made on the surface level. Yes, this is a story about a criminal overlord in Mumbai and the policeman who brings him down. But aside from these two great characters, Chandra has included a vast array of fascinating characters including gangsters, prostitutes, movie stars, and everyday families, as well as a gripping storyline. Told in alternating chapters from the two main characters' perspectives, we're thrown into the streets of India with vivid descriptions that call to mind Charles Dickens. Don't let the length intimidate you either---you'll be pulled in so quickly that by the time you reach the 900th page, you'll wish there more."
-- Megan Sullivan, Harvard Bookshop
"It has been a long time since a novel has gripped me from the first sentence. It is Victorian in scope and also surreal in description. Chandra's prose leaves me with a quiet presence. It is great storytelling transcended by both universal and very contemporary concerns."
--Micheal Fraser, Joseph Beth Books, Cincinnati
"This majestic sprawling novel India verifies the brilliance of Vikram Chandra. While the plot revolves around a policeman and a gangster, the book both defies and transcends genre as its lush evocative prose create a novel that is sublime."- Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor "With a gorgeous prose style, completely engaging characters and a twisting, suspenseful plot, this is a novel that seems short at 900 pages! After the lives of a Sikh policeman and a Mumbai gangster intersect in an unexpected way, we hear the gangster's story in his own words, while following the policeman's life forward through surprising events. An absolutely wonderful book!"
--Carol Schneck, Schuler Books, Grand Rapids
"A lush, sprawling novel of lives both large and small...beautifully written and constructed, this exceptional novel is both fast moving and profound. It is an impressive work of surprising and sublime resonance which will remains with the reader long after the last page is turned"
--Tova Beisner, Brown U. Bookstore, Providence
"The story is told with such richness and complexity of character that I didn't want it to ever end."
--Mark Laframbroise, Politics &Prose Bookstore, Wash., DC
"Historical detail sometimes overwhelms a novel and leaves you bored. Not so with Sacred Games. The story was riveting and the history of the culture informative. The characters were so well drawn, I had trouble letting them go."
--Sue Tircuit, Cody's, Berkeley
"A sprawling, exuberant, old-fashioned story, detailing the intertwined lives of the gangsters of modern Mumbai. Chandra peppers his narrative with Hindi words that give one a sense of closeness with the characters. Detailing the dectectives and criminals, schemers and observers of this world, he has created an engaging novel that searches for moral warmth in a time of betrayal and greed."
--Lara Whitney, City Lights, San Francisco
"Fabulous! Wwhat a great reading experience, intimate and over-the-top at the same time. This is going to be a lot of fun to sell, and perfect for those long nights in January."
--Tobias Cox, Three Lives , NY
"Sacred Games is a brilliant crime epic which impressively balances a literary detective and gangster story with a cinematically violent tale of contemporary Bombay. One of Chandra's most remarkable achievements amidst this novel of marvels is his ability to turn mundane moments into extraordinary ones, as a father's lovingly ritualized inquiries of his sons' hygiene is just as compelling as far higher octane scenes of crime and gang wars. The overall effect for the reader is to have the breadth and depth of Bombay's peoples exposed and made immediate, highlighting the manner in which the city's impressive violence touches all in Chandra's perfect circle."
-- Jason Picone, Powell's Books
"Incredibly engaging and rich … It will appeal to men, women and readers of literary fiction as well as of good crime novelists."
--Tim Huggins, Newtonville Books, MA
"Chandra grants his reader a voyeuristic peak into the thoughts of a policeman and the gangster he pursues, while he reveals the histories and motivations of the members of his supporting cast. Set in the richly complex world of modern day India, this is a masterfully-crafted tale of intrigue where no one is purely innocent, and no one is without virtue."
-- Jennifer McPheeters, Sarasota News & Books
"One of the best novels I've read in a long time."
-- Karl Pohrt, Shaman Drum, Ann Arbor
"I loved, loved, and loved it. What a fabulous opening it has! …The good, the bad and the ugly are all through the book, but Chandra writes about them with such affection and regard that it's impossible not to care about them. In that way it was so much like Suitable Boy…Thank you for bringing it to me!"
--Felice Farrell, Bookstream, NY
"Sacred Games far surpassed my expectations. The mafia angle always sells well, but Chandra's prose elevates it to a literary masterpiece. Chandra has captured that gritty, sickeningly sweet, perspiration soaked, electrifying addictive quality of India. Chandra has managed to weave the best and worst parts of Mumbai into an utterly spellbinding novel. It will appeal to those who have been and loved it, those that hate it will question their motives for doing so, and those that have never been will buy it for the opportunity to do so without the expense and lengthy flight. If this book doesn't skyrocket to the top of every bestseller list I need to find a new line of work, because that will prove I know nothing about books."
-- Julie Welter, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Chartlotte
"A marvelous book. Vikram Chandra is a weaver. He has created an intricately layered tapestry of post-colonial life in India. Inside of a skillfully wrought plot and thoroughly genuine characters, he has managed a masterful examination of India's culture, society and the injustice the vast majority of the people there suffer. For anyone who needs a crash course in the partition of India and Pakistan, the first of Chandra's "insets" is a brilliant account of this tragic event, seen through the eyes of a ten year old girl; it was at this point in the book that I truly became riveted. I had entertained the notion that Chandra had been holding back somewhat until he reached this point, and then just unleashed his considerable skill on the reader. This is a suspense and intrigue-filled cops and gangster story of great substance."
-- Patrick Gaffey, Maria's Bookshop