How is twelve-year-old Nandita's disappearance connected to the murder of a well-known lawyer? What services has college student Rekha been persuaded to perform by her 'boyfriend'? Who is the mysterious crime lord lurking just out of sight? And who, just who, is Krishna?It begins as a search for a missing girl, but the case takes a more sinister turn when Inspector Gowda finds himself embroiled in Bangalore's child-trafficking racket. Negotiating insensitive laws, indifferent officials, uncooperative witnesses, not to mention wife, son and lover on the home front, Gowda must race against time to a finish line he can't yet see.

Praise for A Cut-Like Wound "I loved this book and was constantly gripped. Anita Nair's writing in some moments has photographic qualities, in others the precision of surgeon's scalpel; and always the great inner warmth of the human heart. Truly astounding writing."- Peter James, author of 'Dead Simple' In this exceptional police procedural, Nair immerses her readers in Bangalore's alluring and sinister melange of Hindu and Moslem cultures, revealing a people afflicted by the inability to allow unqualified praise for anything or anyone. Complex, psychologically deep characters are a plus. PW Starred Those who enjoy international settings will surely enjoy the well-drawn tension between modern and traditional Indian culture, Gowda s steady confidence, and the heady immersion in Bangalore s hidden recesses. Booklist Anita Nair is a feminist and highly regarded Indian novelist. As startling a debut crime novel as you are likely to read. This is a troubling novel about men and sexual identity, ending with a shattering and unexpected revelation. Sunday Times Nair captures the seedy side of shiny new India vividly, and Inspector Gowda with his weary self-knowledge; his secret, his stagnating marriage and his confusion when an old flame re-enters his life is a welcome addition to the ranks of flawed-but-lovable fictional cops. Guardian "

Anita Nair lives in Bangalore and is a prize winning, internationally acclaimed author, playwright, and essayist. Her novel 'Ladies Coupe', first published in the US by St. Martin's Press, is a feminist classic. SMP also published 'The Lilac House' by her. 'A Cut-Like Wound'and 'Chain of Custody' are part of the Inspector Gowda Series.