In It Was a Cold Night, Author Somesh Verma takes readers on a thrilling journey where friendship, loyalty, and unresolved pasts collide with mystery, betrayal, and justice. Inspired by real experiences from college hostel life, the novel explores how old bonds and haunting memories resurface when tragedy strikes. Blending suspense, emotional depth, and rich world-building, this modern murder mystery captivates readers from the first page to the last.
Perfect for fans of suspense, thriller, and contemporary fiction, the book invites readers to uncover hidden truths and confront the shadows of the past.
Q1: What inspired you to write this book, and how did the story take shape?
The story germinated while I was sailing from Japan to Panama as a Master Mariner. The solitude of the ocean gave me space to reflect on my college days and four close friends from BIT Mesra. I imagined weaving their lives into a high-voltage story of friendship, betrayal, revenge, and ultimately, a murder mystery that would need to be solved years later.
Q2: Can you share your writing process? Any unique routines?
I don’t follow a rigid schedule. I write at my leisure, often while spanning oceans. I start with a strong scene or character and let the story unfold naturally, layer by layer. My flow usually comes late at night in silence, when imagination takes over and the words come like waves.
Q3: Are the characters based on real people?
The four protagonists are inspired by real friends from BIT Mesra. Carol, however, is a fictional character created to tie the story together. Blending reality with imagination resulted in characters who feel authentic, flawed, and deeply human.
Q4: Why did you choose suspense and mystery as the theme?
The novel explores friendship, loyalty, and unresolved pasts, along with betrayal, revenge, and justice. I wanted to show how time changes people but also how old bonds pull them back together when confronted with a haunting mystery. Readers are encouraged to reflect on how truth eventually surfaces, no matter how deeply buried.
Q5: How did you create the immersive world in the book?
Many settings are inspired by real places—college campuses, hostel life, and small towns I’ve experienced. Blending these with fictional elements gave the novel an authentic and immersive backdrop that feels both familiar and suspenseful.
Q6: How do you balance originality with genre expectations?
Murder mysteries come with certain expectations—suspense, clues, red herrings. I respected those conventions but added personal elements: real friendships, authentic hostel life, and the passage of decades before the mystery is solved. This mix of reality and genre conventions gave the story a unique voice.
Q7: How do you maintain tension and momentum throughout the narrative?
Tension should rise in waves. I alternate between fast-paced, dramatic scenes and slower, emotional moments that allow characters to breathe and suspense to deepen. Cliffhangers, revelations, and hidden connections keep readers engaged and eager to turn the next page.
Q8: How does your book resonate with contemporary readers?
Stories are timeless. While consumption patterns may change, humans always crave suspense, drama, and resolution. I keep the prose crisp, the twists engaging, and root the narrative in emotion and human connection to make it resonate across generations.
Order your copy of It Was a Cold Night now and experience a story where secrets of the past collide with a chilling present.
