Witness the Night - Softcover

WINNER OF THE 2010 COSTA FIRST NOVEL AWARD

A highly atmospheric mystery set in India, with the controversial subject of female foeticide at the fore. Longlisted for the ManAsian Literary Prize. In a small town in the heart of India, a young girl is found tied to a bed inside a townhouse where 13 people lie dead. The girl is alive, but only just. She is arrested for the murders she is believed to have committed. Visiting social worker Simran attempts to break through the girl's mute trance to discover the truth. Hauntingly real, and beautifully atmospheric, this ia a major debut.

''Very important themes [and a] very appealing central character.'' - Jane Garvey, BBC Radio 4 Woman s Hour

''Essential reading.'' - Nihal, BBC Asian Network
''A thought-provoking tale [that] is certainly worth the read.'' The Guardian
''Desai has an easy-going style of writing and the ability to make a point using the fewest of words. Although the book addresses numerous social evils, they do not weigh the book down mainly because the author does not appear to preach or sermonise.'' - Deccan Herald
''Highly readable. It is skilfully crafted and written in lucid, compelling prose.'' Khushwant Singh, author of The History of the Sikhs
''The most significant achievement of the novel is that it revisits some of the darkest areas of our country s moral being. It is a harsh, dark tragedy with a final sliver of promise.'' India Today
''Fast-paced debut [which] hits hard, given the extreme skewing of the gender ratio in some parts of India.'' Financial Express
''Engaging, intelligent murder mystery.'' Indian Express
''Desai is to be commended for documenting a major social ugliness in unflinching detail and producing a fluent page-turner in the process.'' Outlook Magazine

Kishwar Desai lives in London. She has previously written one book of non-fiction. This is her first novel.