The Story of my Assassins

DETAILS : 

• Author: By Tarun J Tejpal
  
• Publisher: ‎ Speaking Tiger Books
  
• Publication date: ‎ 25 November 2025
  
• Language: ‎ English
  
• Print length:‎ 100 pages
  
• ISBN-10: ‎ 9363361268
  
• ISBN-13: ‎ 978-9363361263
  
• Item Weight: ‎ 650 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Story of My Assassins by Tarun J. Tejpal is a sprawling, gritty political thriller and socio-cultural crime novel set in contemporary India. inspired by real events—specifically a foiled plot against the author's own life during his investigative journalism career—the novel begins with a Delhi-based investigative journalist learning that police have arrested five hitmen hired to assassinate him. Driven by journalistic obsession, the protagonist delves deep into the backstories of his five prospective killers (Hathoda Tyagi, Chini, Kabir, Kali, and Billa). The core philosophy of the narrative centers on exploring how structural violence, rural poverty, caste oppression, and institutional corruption birth crime, transforming ordinary marginalized men into brutal enforcers. As the journalist pieces together their pasts, the novel unveils a dark, panoramic portrait of modern India's socio-economic underbelly, culminating in the popular Amazon Prime Video series adaptation Paatal Lok.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tarun J. Tejpal is an Indian journalist, publisher, and novelist who was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Tehelka, an influential news magazine known for pioneering sting operations and investigative journalism in India. Writing with a hyper-vivid, visceral, and unapologetic literary style, Tejpal uses rich prose to dissect political power dynamics, urban-rural divides, and systemic injustice. His debut novel The Alchemy of Desire and his follow-up The Story of My Assassins earned wide critical acclaim internationally for their raw, sweeping scope of contemporary South Asian life.