Shantaram: A Novel

Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts

Gregory David Roberts delivers an instant best-seller with his debut novel. The story takes place in modern-day Bombay, and Lin, the main character of Shantaram, is a convicted felon who managed to escape from a max-security prison in Australia. So, why did he come to India? Because it's the perfect city to lay low and disappear from the radars.

Lin is not alone in the streets of Bombay - he's got his most trusted friend by his side, and together they'll have to face the city's underworld that's dominated by criminals, beggars, hookers, soldiers, and priests. This is the place to be when you've got nowhere else to go. Lin is a hunted man, and he's got no home and/or family, which means he doesn't have to worry about anybody else but himself. He moves into one of the poorest slums in Bombay and starts working in a clinic, hoping to find love and peace.

But, he ends up being dragged into a world of war, murder, betrayals, and bloody massacres. In order to figure it all out, Lin will have to deal with Khan, a mafia boss and the man who becomes his mentor in this new reality. Next, there's Karla - a gorgeous woman who's both dangerous and skilled, and she's got a whole bunch of her own secrets that follow her on every step of the way.

Gregory David Roberts created a breath-taking world that's based on Bombay but has its own soul. It combines 5-star hotels with horrible slums, true love with betrayal and torture, gang wars with spiritual gurus. Shantaram is exciting, thrilling and suspenseful, and, given the fact that it's partially based on the author's own life experience, you can expect at least half of all the craziness that happens in the book to be true!