Age of Vice opens in New Delhi, India, with a car accident involving a speeding Mercedes that jumps the curb, killing five itinerant workers who sleep in the streets, including a pregnant woman. When the police arrive, it is not a rich person that they find behind the wheel of the Mercedes, but rather a rich person’s servant. But is the servant really the one responsible for the horrific accident? If not, then who is he protecting? Age of Vice is an Indian mob story about the great divide between the ultra-rich and the working poor. It is not really my type of story with its crime and violence, but I found its Indian setting to be fascinating.

The novel centers itself around three main characters, with a powerful family at its heart that uses wealth, intimidation, and violence to bend the law to its will. The first of the three main characters is Ajay, a poor, lower caste boy who is sold into slavery by his own mother. When he is a teenager, he crosses paths with another of the main characters, Sunny, a playboy businessman who is part of the extremely wealthy and infamous Wadia family. Sunny likes Ajay ingratiating manner and offers him a job as a servant, which Ajay decides to take. The third main character is Neda, who is from an upper caste family that is asset rich and cash poor. She is a journalist who decides to get close to Sunny to see if she can get a news story out of him. Instead, she ends up falling in love with him.

Each of these characters play a role in allowing the rich to continue to thrive in a world of great inequity. Ajay, the obedient servant, becomes a weapon to be wielded by the Wadia family. Sunny and Neda both struggle with their lack of conviction and courage to stand up against injustice and to do good in the world. Age of Vice is an interesting examination of the influence of western culture on India, for better and for worse, as well as the extremely oppressive and discriminatory caste system in India. Kapoor’s staccato writing style propels the novel along. It actually is an entertaining read, if you can stomach the violence.