Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
Publisher: Riverhead
Pub Date: 1/3/2023

Thank you to Riverhead for the free advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

GoodReads Synopsis: This is the age of vice, where money, pleasure, and power are everything,
and the family ties that bind can also kill.

New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye, five people are dead. It’s a rich man’s car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold.

Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family — loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.

In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family’s ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss, pleasure, greed, yearning, violence and revenge, will these characters’ connections become a path to escape, or a trigger of further destruction?

Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best.

Review: Age of Vice is the first book I’ve read from Deepti Kapoor. This literary fiction/ crime thriller dives into power, family, social class, and revenge. Wow! What an intense action-packed book! I loved that the story sucked me in from page one. The book is told in multiple POVs and is written in a style where each character is deeply complex and each of their voices are very distinct. I loved the combination of family saga/drama, thriller, suspense, and forbidden drama. There were a few parts that were a bit graphic but I understand that was part of the storytelling experience. As for the audio, I thought the audiobook narrator chosen did an amazing job and loved the way he did various accents. I do think they should have had multiple narrators since there were multiple POVs. Also that ending had my mind blown and now I can’t wait hear news about the sequel. I can definitely see this book becoming popular next year. Highly recommend picking it up!