New novel coming soon

 My new novel will be published this summer 2026. It is the 2nd Police Inspector Ajay Shaktawat thriller, set in Mumbai. Details to follow soon. The first Shaktawat novel was The LOST WOMAN OF SANTACRUZ, and it was well received with interest from a film studio. I hope the second novel in series is also appreciated. 

Inspector Ajay Shaktawat will go up against a formidable and ruthless adversary in this new novel.

The UK has been going through a heatwave, we are not used to 37 C temperatures and all this continuous sunshine!

Retired English teacher signs first deal

 You know when you're feeling a little flat, and thinking this writing life is hard, you hear news like this and it is inspiring. 

Peter Grainger, a retired English teacher has just signed his first publishing deal at 72, with Hutchinson Heinmann. He has self published his first 16 novels and won an army of fans, selling over a million copies of his detective series set in the UK.

You have to keep writing and getting your stories out to the public, and it's the readers who ultimately decide. The publishers will take note sooner rather than later.

CWA dagger award longlist 2026

 Congratulations to the writers. Going to read some of these fine novels.

Crime Writers’ Association Announces 2026 Dagger Awards Longlists

The Crime Writers' Association (CWA) reveal the longlists for the prestigious 2026 Dagger Awards, celebrating the very best in crime writing.

Created in 1955, the world-famous CWA Daggers are the oldest awards in the genre and have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over half a century.

This year’s longlists showcase the breadth of talent from internationally bestselling authors to emerging debuts.

Nadine Matheson, Chair of the CWA, said: “Congratulations to every author who appears on this year’s Dagger Awards longlist. A longlist recognition is no small thing and speaks to the dedication, craft, and ambition that goes into every book. This year's longlist also reflects something that excites me deeply as Chair of the CWA; the extraordinary range and evolution of crime writing today. The genre continues to grow in breadth, in voice, and in ambition, and this longlist is a testament to that.”

The coveted KAA Gold Dagger, sponsored by Kevin Anderson & Associates, is awarded for the best crime novel of the year. The longlist includes Abigail Dean, longlisted for The Death of Us, a powerful psychological novel also longlisted in the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger and Twisted Dagger categories.

Also longlisted are British crime writers Vaseem Khan with Quantum of Menace, and Laura Shepherd-Robinson for The Art of a Lie, alongside international authors, James Lee Burke, and the late Martin Cruz Smith.

The Ian Fleming Steel Dagger honours the best thriller of the year. The longlist includes global bestseller Karin Slaughter, alongside Robert Crais and Julie Clark. The Historical Dagger features acclaimed writers such as Graeme Macrae Burnet and Ariel Lawhon on the 2026 longlist.

New Reviews for novel Oct 2025

 Received good reviews for Ring Twice for Mrs Naren. 

https://pressnewstime.wordpress.com/2025/09/27/books-in-news-new-romantic-crime-thriller-ring-twice-for-mrs-naren-captivates-readers/

https://www.keveinbooksnreviews.in/2025/09/book-review-ring-twice-for-mrs-naren-by.html

https://ibooksta.wordpress.com/2025/09/28/book-review-ring-twice-for-mrs-naren-vijay-medtia/

Good review in Asian Review

 I received a good review in the Asian review of books. The link is below. 

https://asian-reviews.com/2025/09/27/a-gripping-noir-thriller-ring-twice-for-mrs-naren-by-vijay-medtia/

CWA author September

 I'm happy to be selected by the Crime Writers Association website, as the featured author for September. 

Hopefully, this will increase the exposure for my novel, RING TWICE for MRS NAREN. 

Here is the link.

https://thecwa.co.uk/crime-readers/

DesiBlitz Interview

 I am pleased to be interviewed in a leading British Asian magazine, Desiblitz.

They interviewed about my new novel, Ring Twice for Mrs Naren and my inspiration for writing the story along with my thoughts on writing. 

The interview link: https://www.desiblitz.com/content/vijay-medtia-on-love-crime-delhi-in-ring-twice-for-mrs-naren

Vijay Medtia on Love, Crime & Delhi in ‘Ring Twice for Mrs Naren’

Vijay Medtia discusses ‘Ring Twice for Mrs Naren’, a noir tale of lust, guilt, and betrayal set in 1998 Delhi.

 August 11, 2025

By Ravinder Kaur

"Love has the tremendous power to purify."

Set against the backdrop of 1998 Delhi, Ring Twice for Mrs Naren by Vijay Medtia is a sultry noir tale steeped in desire, secrecy, and danger.

The novel reimagines the classic love-triangle-gone-wrong through a distinctly South Asian lens, tapping into a richly atmospheric world where ambition and morality collide.

Medtia’s story follows Anand Sinha, a struggling lawyer drawn into a web of passion and betrayal by the enigmatic Leela Naren.

The novel explores how far people will go when lust, greed, and guilt take hold, challenging readers to question their moral boundaries.

From dimly lit rooms and landline calls to covert meetings under the veil of cultural conservatism, the Delhi of the late 90s becomes a character in itself, echoing the novel’s tensions between modernity and tradition.