Publisher's Synopsis
The Kolam Killer - Patterns of Death and Devotion
A sacred art form becomes a killer's signature. A detective's heritage becomes her greatest weapon.
When Inspector Priya Lakshmi discovers the body of a respected Tamil scholar surrounded by an intricate kolam-traditional rice flour patterns-she knows this is no ordinary murder. The geometric designs that once blessed doorsteps each dawn have been twisted into something sinister, a calling card left by a killer who understands Tamil culture's deepest traditions.
As bodies pile up across Chennai, each victim positioned in the same ritualistic manner, Priya realizes she's hunting more than a serial killer. The murders target progressive academics, and the kolam patterns contain hidden messages in ancient Tamil script-warnings that tradition will be preserved at any cost.
With Sub-Inspector Arjun Shankar, Priya follows a trail that leads from university halls to government offices, from cultural institutions to shadowy organizations claiming to protect Tamil heritage. But when threatening calls escalate to direct attacks, she discovers the investigation itself may have been orchestrated by forces far more dangerous than academic extremists.
In a city where ancient traditions clash with modern ideas, where rice flour patterns hold mathematical secrets, and where cultural preservation masks political conspiracy, Priya must use her knowledge of Tamil heritage to unmask killers who claim to protect it.
Can she stop the murders before Tamil Nadu's intellectual freedom becomes the ultimate casualty?
The first book in the Priya Lakshmi Crime Thriller Series-where culture, crime, and courage collide in modern India.
