My guest today is debut thriller author Rupa Mahadevan. Rupa is going to talk to us about her writing journey and her new book. So grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy and let’s get chatting to Rupa.
Bio:
Rupa Mahadevan is an acclaimed author of psychological thrillers. Her debut novel won the Joffe Books Prize in 2024 and is set to be published in September 2025. She grew up on the south-eastern coast of India and has lived on the south-eastern coast of Scotland for over 15 years. She now resides in Edinburgh with her husband and two children. When she isn’t working on Excel in her day job, she enjoys reading and imagining her own stories.
Welcome to my blog, Rupa. Can you tell us about your writing journey?
I’ve always been passionate about stories—how they transcend centuries, cultures, and languages. Growing up in India, I remember borrowing books from a mobile library that visited sporadically. We were only allowed one book at a time, and when I ran out of stories before the next visit… I simply made up my own.
I practically grew up on Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie, losing myself for hours in their beautifully crafted worlds.
Looking back, I think I knew—even then—that storytelling was my calling. There’s something deeply moving about creating something that can outlive you, something that becomes part of your legacy. That idea has always inspired me.
But life had other plans. One international move and two children later, I finally gave myself permission to imagine again.
The real turning point came at a local book launch, where I met author Caron McKinlay. I shared an idea I’d loosely imagined (what I now fondly call Book Zero—a story I’ll probably never write!). Her belief in the concept—and in me—was the spark I needed to take my writing seriously.
Then came a milestone birthday, and with it, a promise to myself: Two years to get published, or move on.
As that deadline loomed, a friend told me about the Joffe Books Prize, a competition created to support underrepresented voices. I’d just finished a draft that August, but I wasn’t sure it was ready. Fate intervened again when I attended a panel at Bloody Scotland featuring author A.A. Chaudhuri, one of the prize judges. She was warm, generous, and incredibly encouraging when I told her I was thinking of submitting.
With a last-minute burst of courage, I sent my entry—just in time. And to my complete shock… I won.
As a writer of colour and someone for whom English is a second language, it’s easy to listen to that quiet voice whispering, “I’m not good enough—my story isn’t good enough.” Winning the Joffe Books Prize silenced that voice. It shredded my self-doubt and gave me the biggest validation I’ve ever received in my writing life.
Fast forward three years, and I now have a two-book deal with Joffe Books. My debut novel, Nine Dolls, is officially published—and the audiobook is now available on Audible.
I’m deeply grateful to Joffe Books, Audible, and to everyone who believed in me—my friends, my family, and the incredible writing community—long before I fully believed in myself.
Thank you for sharing your story with us, Rupa. Congratulations on winning the Joffe Books Prize and for never giving up on your dream. Wishing you lots of writing success.
Contact Rupa
Website : https://rupamahadevan.com/
Rupa’s Latest Book
Blurb:
My first holiday with my husband’s friends. A remote Scottish manor. Nine sacred dolls. One brutal murder.
We find the doll shattered on the floor, its broken pieces scattered like a warning. That’s when everything starts to fall apart.
Now the power is out. A storm has trapped us here. And someone is dead.
We’ve only been married three months. And our first holiday as man and wife is spending ten days in a secluded Scottish manor with my husband’s old friends. I’ve never met them before.
From the moment I arrive, I feel like an outsider.
And it’s not just his friends. Things haven’t been normal since the first day, when someone moved the dolls.
I told them not to — never move the dolls before the tenth day of Navaratri, the Hindu Festival of Dolls. They’re not toys. They’re part of a sacred tradition.
But no one listened. Even Dhruv — my husband — told me to stop being silly.
I know they’re hiding something. I can’t trust any of them — not even the man I married.
Now one of us is dead. One of us is a killer. Am I going to make it out of here alive
A brilliantly twisty page-turner packed with nail-biting tension. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Shalini Boland, Valerie Keogh, Renita D’Silva, and Shari Lapena.
Available for Preorder from 4th September. Published on 265 September.
NINE DOLLS – an award-winning psychological thriller – is almost here.
Dark. Addictive. Chilling to the core.
Every day unveils another secret.
Every lie pulls you deeper into the nightmare.
Every doll hides a truth you’re not ready to face…
Nine days that will change everything.
Nine Dolls.
Karen King 