by Indra Soundar Rajan
translated from the Tamil by Nirmal Rajagopalan
When intrepid young journalist Rajendran first arrives in Aayakudi to investigate a curious tip about a ghost, the place seems like an ordinary, traditional farming village. Enlisting the help of a police inspector and a retired Tamil teacher, he sets out to catch an escaped convict who's using local superstitions as a cover for criminal activity.
Soon, though, Rajendran finds himself entangled in a head-spinning mystery involving ancient treasure, spirit possession, and a series of grisly killings. There's also the beautiful, troubled daughter of the village panchayat president... and the notorious evil sorcerer who wants her dead.
Indra Soundar Rajan (1958-2024) was one of the most famous and most prolific authors on the Tamil pulp fiction scene, publishing hundreds of supernatural mystery thrillers in a career spanning nearly 40 years. He was also known for his television screenplays, such as the long-running superhit serial Marmadesam ("Land of Mystery").
Translator Nirmal Rajagopalan works in construction and runs a data management startup. He spends his spare time scrolling through Reddit, watching cricket , playing frisbee and quizzing. He has previously translated stories for The Blaft Anthology of Tamil Pulp Fiction Vol. 3. Nirmal lives in Chennai with his wife and four dogs.
Also available in Print.
This project was funded in part by a grant from the Shuttleworth Foundation.
