Shut the Lights: A Gripping and Addictive Suspense Novel about a Twisted Family and Terrible Secrets

Smita Bhattacharya

Aug 2022 · Pixie Dust

About this ebook

A dark and unpredictable tale of family secrets... and the lengths we go to, to save the ones we love. For lovers of non-formulaic domestic noir.

For this family, the lockdown came as a blessing.

On 24 March 2020, with merely a four-hour notice, the Indian government declared a three-week lockdown as a containment measure for COVID-19. In terms of scale and severity, this lockdown was unparalleled worldwide. However, quite unexpectedly, for a family of four, cooped up in a plush Mumbai apartment, it came as a blessing. 

On the face of it, Suvini, Mridul, Damien, and Tara belonged to an upper-middle-class family, with its typical privileges and pressures. But inwardly, each of them held a dark secret that threatened to derail their very existence. And the shutting down of everything had given them the unique opportunity to get away with it. 

Or not.

Inspired by actual events.

Readers of Herman Koch, Elizabeth Haynes, and Leila Slimani will enjoy the book.

Ratings and reviews

Shut the Lights by Smita Bhattacharya is the tale of a family from Mumbai's upper middle class and the secrets every member has hidden. The writer has captured the essence of the lockdown and what Suvini, a mother and wife is going through. The tension, the exhaustion, the part where it just feels like she is unwanted, not at all appreciated and utterly disrespected due to her presence and work in the household not being acknowledged.

My rating: 4.3/5 Suvini and Mridul are parents to Damien, and Tara. They belong to the upper middle class and reside in a posh residential complex in Mumbai. When the lockdown hits, the kids refuse to come out of their bedroom except for meal times, which sows seeds of suspicion in Suvini's mind. Mridul however is sure that there's nothing to be worried about. When Suvini takes ill and all responsibilities befall Mridual, a lot of the things she suspected turn out to be true.

What happened in Golden heron apartment 33 stays in apartment 33 which belongs to Mridul Kakkar and Suvini Perez. Their children Damien and Tara are brats, a common speciality of rich kids. It was March 2020 when the world was facing the novel SARS-CoV-2 and many people's lives got affected by it but it was proven good for the Kakkar. This family has a dark and unpredictable tale of secrets and the lengths they would go to save their family are immense. So back to the book, it felt so real reading it, but I think it was slow in the beginning, every time I came to any conclusion the story changed. But half of the story was pretty interesting and had me gripped. I want to say that I don't like the ending that left me hanging, that's not how the story should be ended. Overall I think it is a good thriller book, the language used is lucid, i like the cover. If you are a beginner in this genre then this book is perfect.

About the author

SMITA BHATTACHARYA is an author and management consultant from Mumbai. She writes atmospheric thrillers with strong female protagonists and unusual storylines. Smita is an avid traveller and blogger and has solo travelled to over 40 countries. She has worked in multiple jobs: as a banker, a television anchor, in a library, in a school, in a vineyard, in a tech start-up. She has too many stories to tell, and not enough time. Learn more about her: www.smitabhattacharya.com