On a winter morning Ray Bhullar arrives at the gates of an Indian village. She is here to make a film. But this will be no ordinary tale about India - for this is no ordinary village. It is an open prison, inhabited by murderers. An apparent innocent among the guilty, Ray tries hard to be accepted.

The Village by Nikita Lalwani is a disturbing and utterly gripping modern morality tale set in contemporary India. On a winter morning Ray Bhullar arrives at the gates of an Indian village. She is here to make a film. But this will be no ordinary tale about India - for this is no ordinary village. It is an open prison inhabited by murderers. An apparent innocent among the guilty Ray tries hard to be accepted. But the longer she and the rest of the crew stay the more the need for drama increases. Soon the fragile peace of the village will be shattered and despite Ray's seemingly good intentions the motives of the visitors and the lives of the inhabitants will be terrifyingly brutally exposed. Praise for The Village: 'A thoughtful novel that envelops us in the oppression and beauty of the rural prison . . . each voice is distinct believable and stubborn in its refusal to be easily known. Touchingly evocative' Financial Times 'Thoughtful beautifully written. A candid exploration of journalistic ethics' Observer 'A masterclass. The inmates' stories evoke larger questions about justice and privacy power and powerlessness' Guardian Nikita Lalwani was born in Rajasthan and raised in Cardiff. Her first novel Gifted was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and won the Desmond Elliott Prize. She lives in London.