Serial Killers, Sherlock, and the Truth About Empire: Arvind Ethan David's The Great Game

In this episode, I talk with Arvind Ethan David about his historical mystery thriller The Great Game!

Listen to hear all about:

• How Arvind Ethan David reimagined classic literary icons by pairing Sherlock Holmes with gentleman thief A.J. Raffles and Balvinder Singh, an Indian veteran whose perspective reshapes Edwardian-era mysteries.
• The real history that shaped the thriller, including the Boer War, the British Empire, and the often-overlooked presence of Indian soldiers and immigrants in early 1900s London.
• How historical fiction can be propulsive, as Arvind blends grisly serial murders, conspiracy, humor, and literary Easter eggs into a fast-paced mystery.
• The surprising process of writing a first novel after years in television and theater, including what he had to unlearn about dialogue, pacing, and building scenes on the page.
• How Arvind wove real historical figures with fictional legends, from J.M. Barrie and Winston Churchill to Sherlock Holmes, while staying faithful to the historical timeline.

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