By Robyn Rossit
Content warning: Murder, drug abuse, abortion, sexual violence
Deepti Kapoor’s novel Age of Vice caught my eye the moment I saw it described as a blend of crime thriller and family saga. The story begins with a speeding Mercedes killing five people in New Delhi after it jumps the curb. The driver cannot explain the events that led to this deadly crime. Ajay, born into poverty, will do anything to rise above it. His life is forever changed when he meets Sunny, playboy and heir to the Wadia mobster family business, and begins working for him. Love them or hate them, the Wadia family is feared by all. Caught in the middle of the path of destruction that follows Sunny, Neda, a curious journalist is drawn in by his charm.
Age of Vice was the kind of engrossing book that, despite its length, ended up being a binge-read. The level of greed and corruption going on had me needing to know more. Deepti is a wonderful storyteller and managed to not only tell a direct story about greed and corruption but also touched on the impacts it has on the greater community.
While the characters were all interesting, Ajay certainly stood out the most. His difficult upbringing and desire to better himself made him a sympathetic character caught in some very dangerous situations. He is a hard worker who is loyal to a fault. He grew a lot over the course of the story. I also really enjoyed Nada’s perspective. The journalist angle was really interesting. She is naive and wants to make a name for herself professionally while also drawn into the glamorous lifestyle that Sunny lives. Of course, I do also have to mention Sunny. He is probably the most complex character; an outsider in his violent family who also wants to win their approval by succeeding on his own.
The most interesting theme of Age of Vice was definitely the deep dive into India’s social class system, as well as the extreme ends of wealth and poverty. Each character is drawn into a life of corruption for very different reasons, yet all end up facing similar challenges. The intoxicatingly glamorous lifestyle looks a lot different once you are closer and able to peek behind the curtains.
My one critique for Age of Vice is that I didn’t really find it to be much of a crime thriller per se. The story does kick off with a Mercedes jumping the curb, killing five people, but the plot itself didn’t really center too much on that event. However, the promise of eventually learning more about what happened that fateful morning kept the pages turning, as did the interesting cast of characters.
Overall, Age of Vice was an enjoyable read. It was a different type of story than what I would normally pick up, so I am thankful that the description caught my eye. If you’re looking for a captivating and raw family saga full of corruption and greed, I would certainly recommend Age of Vice!
Thank you HarperCollins Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.