Baptism by Fire: The College Street Case
By Saumya Chaki
()
About this ebook
Set in different locales, our new age detective duo crack some complex and nerve-wracking cases. From being called upon to solve the disappearance of a labour leader in the tea gardens near Darjeeling to the mysterious death of a regular hiker in the Table Mountains of Cape Town, or searching for a missing island in the exotic Andaman and Nicobar, to investigating the murder of a management school student – they’ve done it all.
The College Street Case starts with a gruesome murder of a management student and it sets the duo on a wild chase for potential culprits and motives from former business partners to race course bookies.
Read more from Saumya Chaki
Baptism by Fire: Outdoor in Indore Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaptism by Fire: Death on the Table Mountain Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBaptism by Fire: Darjeeling Days, Darjeeling Nights Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Baptism by Fire
Related ebooks
Jab I Met . . . Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCan I have a Chocolate Milkshake? Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Poisoned Heart Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe View from Kollam: A Day in the Life of a Sub-collector Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I, Harshavardhana Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Framed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKanpur Khoofiya Pvt. Ltd Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Hyderabad: Book 2 of The Partition Trilogy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHidden Women: The Ruling Women of the Rana Dynasty Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe History Of The Mahrattas - Vol III Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBombay, Decoded Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Ship Bird Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Godaan: Screenplays by Gulzar Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKeepers of the Kalachakra: Bharat Series 5 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Raj on the Move Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIndia Fortunes: A Novel of Rajasthan and Northern India through Past Centuries Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMarriages Are Made In India Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDay of Reckoning: Stories Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIndia's Historic Battles: Lucknow, 1857 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeven Lives Together-The Mughal Warrior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Forty-One Years In India - From Subaltern To Commander-In-Chief [Illustrated Edition] Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSoiled Clothes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe House of Scindias: A Saga of Power, Politics and Intrigue Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPrison Days Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rat Eater Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Ardeshir and Pirojsha Godrej Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeera, Sanga and Mewar: The Remarkable Story of A Brave Rajput Princess and Her Legendary Devotion Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTales from my Island: Stories of Friendship – and a Sri Lankan Childhood Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Afternoon Girl: My Khushwant Memoir Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Mystery For You
The Paris Apartment: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5False Witness: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone: A Murdery Mystery Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hunting Party: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5None of This Is True: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life We Bury Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pretty Girls: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Last Flight: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summit Lake Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Finlay Donovan Is Killing It: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Staircase: Nancy Drew #2 Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Club: A Reese's Book Club Pick Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Complete Short Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kept Woman: A Will Trent Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Pharmacist Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5"A" is for Alibi: A Kinsey Millhone Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Pieces of Her: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Good Daughter: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Did I Kill You?: A Thriller Novel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Big Lies in a Small Town: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The ABC Murders: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Word Is Murder: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Going Rogue: Rise and Shine Twenty-Nine Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Murder Under a Red Moon: A 1920s Bangalore Mystery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sydney Rye Mysteries Box Set Books 10-12: Sydney Rye Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Pale Blue Eye: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The People Next Door Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Baptism by Fire
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Baptism by Fire - Saumya Chaki
light.
Acknowledgements
Baptism by Fire is my debut into fiction. Writing is a journey that I embarked on in 2014, when I worked on my debut book A Journey Through 100 Years of Indian Cinema, a quiz book on the centenary journey of Indian Cinema.
I have been toying with the idea of writing fiction for some time and this is truly my ‘Baptism by Fire’. I would like to thank my friends who believed in my writing and encouraged me to write. My mother, sister and daughter have been a source of constant encouragement for me to venture into investigative fiction. They kept pushing me and I finally started to write the first story of this book ‘Darjeeling Days, Darjeeling Nights’ in the summer of 2016. Around 55,000 words later, and two years hence, is the finished product that has been a roller coaster ride.
Having read detective fiction from the likes of Sherlock Holmes to Miss Marple to our desi Feluda and Byomkesh, I felt there is a need for new-age sleuths who the younger generation can connect to. This is my humble effort to create a new-age detective duo of Samrat Sanyal and Aveek Gupta, who work tirelessly from the tea gardens of Darjeeling in Bengal to the windy cliffs of Devil’s Peak on the Table Mountains in Cape Town.
Writing is a creative process that requires a lot of freshness and energy and given my work and travel commitments, it has been a constant challenge to complete what I started two years back! The journey has been worth it as I have learned about myself and my writing in the process.
I would like to thank Arup Bose and the editorial team, including Stuti and Neha at Srishti Publishers & Distributors, for having faith in my writing and providing valuable feedback and suggestions. We are truly a team that brings Baptism by Fire to you, the reader. Last but not the least, I would like to thank my cover designer, Wasim Helal for producing a fascinating cover that reflects the pace and energy of the book.
Hope you enjoy the journey of reading this book. Trust me, there is more to come.
Saumya Chaki
July 2018
Introduction
He has a piercing glance and an elephant’s memory. If you saw him in a public place, he would stand out in a crowd. He was born as Samrat Sanyal. Standing at over six feet, his lean frame made him look taller. We studied Geology in college together (Presidency College, Kolkata) and became good friends. Little did we know what life had in store for us. Samrat was talented and excelled in college at both academics and sports. He was a natural leader, when it came to organising student activities or the annual excursions. What set him apart from an early age, was his voracious reading and keen sense of observation about almost everything around him.
Samrat joined the Central Bureau of Investigation after completing his master’s degree in Geology. I went to study computer applications as my master major. After completing my masters, I joined IT Security Consultants, a security consulting firm and moved to the US.
Ten years later we met at our annual alumni steamer party. We connected and promised to be in touch. In the meantime I moved back to India to work with a small start-up firm in Bangalore. Samrat had also chucked his government job to work with a travel magazine in Kolkata. He was bored of investigating corruption cases in state governments and public