Age of Vice

A Novel

By: Deepti Kapoor

Narrated by: Vidish Athavale

Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's summary

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

Named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Oprah Daily and NPR!

“Dazzling...Finally free from the book’s grip, now all I want to do is get others hooked.”—The Washington Post

“A page-turning social novel…It stirs the pulse while digging into the entrenched and evolving structures and contradictions of modern India.”—NPR

“Cinematic…As a storyteller, Kapoor is a natural.”—The New York Times

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 listeners 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.

©2023 Deepti Kapoor (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Aspiring novelists should read [Age of Vice]. The narrative is clean and lean, the story unputdownable. Every word counts. This is how it's done when it's done exactly right."—Stephen King

“Questions of guilt, complicity, idealism and disillusion arise as the story moves into the glamorous milieu of penthouse apartments and fortified rural compounds… Ms. Kapoor effortlessly changes settings from Delhi markets to prisons to remote forests on the Nepalese border to the beaches of Goa, and she’s equally comfortable writing about servants, politicians and assassins…Recommended.”—Wall Street Journal

“A luxe thriller, set in New Delhi, that rides the line between commercial and literary fiction so adroitly ...The book has echoes of Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather,” in terms of its mobbed-up apex predators, and Vikas Swarup’s “Q & A,” the 2005 novel that was the basis for Danny Boyle’s film “Slumdog Millionaire....It’s easy to see why attention has been paid. As a storyteller, Kapoor is a natural.”—The New York Times

Could’ve been a 5-er :(

Started off SO good I was convinced I’d found a new favorite but then 1) it moved its attention away from its most interesting character, ajay (sp?), and his motivations 2) seemed to severely lack editing toward the latter half or so, as it included way more dull, unnecessary detail than needed. I literally took a nap with an hour left in this audiobook, woke up to it still playing and realized I’d missed nothing. I’d rather a book be boring from the get go than do this to me, ugh

Fast paced, Indian mafia crime thriller

I loved this book and really enjoyed the narrator. Skillfully written with a unique plot and characters. I can’t wait for the sequel and the FX series. This book is going to be amazing on screen!

Captivating!

Excellent storyline and very captivating. I found myself wanting to listen straight through. Story is filled with some surprising twist.

Sadly, loses focus and drifts into mediocrity

Great story, very evocative for the first 3/5ths. Last part turgid and boring. Lost interest in characters.

Expressive, visceral, and effortlessly intellectual

Oh my gosh, I devoured this title. I heard about it on Dan Harris’s Ten Percent Happier podcast and by chance downloaded it for my next listen. The story is SO engrossing that I could barely think about anything else until I had finished it. The detail is just immense, I felt like I was there. I love the beautiful exposure of human relationships in the midst of impeccable storytelling, for which the author commands so much admiration. The narrator is just incredible, too. I just learned this is part of a planned trilogy, and I’m salivating for the next.

Dark story with lots to contemplate

Loved the performance on this book. It is long but you know that going into it- a perfect listen for someone who does other things while listening. I loved the characters and how paths wind together throughout and the depravity. This is not the book you turn to for easy listening/happy endings. But that’s what I personally liked about it.

All Downhill After a Rousing Start

Chaotically constructed, chronologically bewildering, psychologically unconvincing. BUT, interesting insight into Indian corruption. The author's background in journalism is telling. A pulpy but timely book, in view of the current Adani Enterprises situation.

Good but too long

This is a compelling book and worth the effort but it does require effort to get through.
The fact that this is the first book of a trilogy hopefully accounts for the dangling story threads.
I agree with reviewers who say it’s too long. An example of this is the sudden introduction of a character who proceeds to tell their life story. No context, just narrative which left me wondering how does this move the story forward?
Maybe this is a clunky effort to introduce a character for later in the story. There are a few instances in the book like this which had me thinking, “wait, what?”
The performance is excellent.

Amazing Narration, Fascinating Plot!

Age Of Vice by Deepti Kapoor

Crime Gangster/Mafia Fiction, Family Drama, Literary Fiction

Non-linear Timeline
400+ pages
Glamorous
International

5 Stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

One-Liner: Seductive wealth, power, and drugs; deepening corruption and shocking violence.

The Plot: Ajay is a servant that has gone through heartache after heartache. A loyal good and dedicated man with focus. He wants to save his family from the pain they have endured. Neda, an investigative journalist who digs too deep into the corruption surrounding India’s pressing issues and has become trapped in the controlling corruption by her heart. Sunny is eager to live up to his powerful father’s name. He is willing to do anything to get it, even sacrificing what he holds most dear to him. These three character’s lives are intertwined and with each decision, affects the others’.

What I Thought and Felt: I loved this book! Ok, so it’s a long like most people say and they’re right when they say the story could be written in half as many pages BUT if that were done, the atmosphere, the well fleshed out characters, the pacing, and the character arches would all be LOST. If the book was as half as long, it wouldn’t be as interesting and detailed. I loved the deep well thought out characters. The setting was so alive, I felt as if I had travelled to India myself and could smell the street food, see the wild sun setting, the many hues of colors.

The plot was deeper than I originally expected and I’m glad for it. I felt so concerned for these characters. I was rooting for some and crying for others. Even though I did not relate 100% with these characters, that’s the beauty of diversity, right? None of us are 100% exact. So even though I have never been through what these characters went through or relate with their personalities, I still found myself caring deeply for them.

The pacing was slow but it was meant to be that way. A slow burn. But in that slow burn, you find treasures of intimate details that shoot back later in the story like Easter eggs.

Overall, the book was a fantastic read! I loved all of it. It does have a LOT of drugs, alcoholism, smoking, etc, but what do you expect from a crime fiction?? Duh!

Conclusion: I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next in the trilogy! The narration was spot on! If you live a deep, intimate, slow-burn, character focused, crime thriller, you’ll find it in Deepti Kapoor’s: Age of Vice.

Good long listen

Excellent reader. Like many other reviewers I found the first third an absorbing Dickensian tale. But the next third a little less compelling and the last section about Sunny, the thug and his familial machinations and descent not very clear or interesting.