Bold, stylish and deceptively witty, Manu Joseph’s gripping new novel poses searching questions about political forces and religious division—with an ingenious twist.

 

Manu Joseph is one of the finest authors writing in English in India today. His previous books, Serious Men and The Illicit Happiness of Other People, published by HarperCollins India, pushed the envelope in the genre of literary fiction in terms of both structure and content, garnered rave reviews, and won and were nominated for several national and international awards.

 

“Absolutely nothing escapes the sharp wit of Manu Joseph in this intelligent and entertaining thriller. Miss Laila, Armed and Dangerous is jam-packed with ideas and reads as smoothly as the best page turners do. The writing is beautiful, insightful and elegant. This is a truly original and important novel. One that is also an awful lot of fun to read.” -- The Nudge
“Laila is a wonderful creation. She spirited, clever, funny, industrious… This is Manu Joseph’s most all-encompassing novel yet, a startlingly angry portrait of contemporary India… [It is] a romping satirical thriller that recognises no sacred cows but scorches a path through the corridors of political power.” -- Mariella Frostrup on BBC Radio 4’s Open Book
“It has the breathless pace of a Hollywood car chase, a dry, clever humour worthy of Aaron Sorkin, and the heavy heart and soul of Márquez. A thrilling novelistic entry point to the hierarchies, power-plays, comedies and tragedies of contemporary India.” -- The Big Issue