I Am on the Hit List

“Romig makes for a powerful, effective chronicler of this bleak moment in Indian politics.”—The New York Times

“I Am on the Hit List probes the capacity of the state and state-adjacent actors—working on behalf of a virulent ideology—to commit murder. . . Romig’s focus on Lankesh’s killing is written with an eye toward the question of political executions and is meant to draw our attention to a bigger story than just the life of Lankesh . . . Thus, Romig asks us to think about India as a whole.”—Los Angeles Review of Books

“Relentless…. an obituary of a complicated woman and a portrait of a country’s descent into chaos.”—BookPage

“A riveting true crime narrative and an insightful and ominous forecast of India’s political direction.”—Publishers Weekly *starred review*

“Romig forms undeniably dark linkages between a single deplorable and deadly act and the larger forces behind it.”—Book List *starred review*

“Compelling, sometimes chilling . . . A sharp, captivating, penetrating inquiry that evolves into something more profound than just a true-crime book . . . Each time the narrative twists and turns between past and present, with militant groups, former colleagues, and acts of corruption and inefficiency beginning to bleed together, Romig smoothly, steadily reminds readers of the enormity of what is at stake . . . [I Am on the Hit List] serves as a powerful vehicle for exploring India’s precarious position.”—Kirkus Reviews *starred review*

“If you want to understand the grave threat to democracy in present-day India, and South India in particular, you could do no better than to read Rollo Romig’s gripping book of reportage. It’s a murder mystery, travelogue, and deeply felt homage to Romig’s adopted country. Reading it will inform and outrage you. (It will also make you crave a dosa).”—Suketu Mehta, author of Maximum City

“Rollo Romig expertly crafts this tale of an awful murder and its ramifications while bringing alive the dark underbelly of India’s Silicon City, Bangalore. You may never have heard of Gauri Lankesh but her assassination has serious ramifications for everyone everywhere who fears escalating political violence.”—Paul French, author of Midnight in Peking

“Rollo Romig is a powerful storyteller. I Am on the Hit List, he charts India’s strident march towards autocracy by telling the remarkable story of Gauri Lankesh —her life, death, and the ideas that made her dangerous. Romig writes with lyricism and empathy, fear and hope in equal measure, telling stories within stories that meander across three southern states.”—Suchitra Vijayan, author of Midnight’s Borders

“Romig’s fascinating book carries the beguiling title of a Bollywood potboiler, but I Am on the Hit List is much more than that. It is a gripping, multifaceted inquiry into the nature of India itself — an exploration of its mythologies, its faiths, and of the battle currently being lost by secularists in the face of rising Hindu nationalism in the era of Narendra Modi. Along the way, readers meet a cast of characters that include bluntly-spoken journalists, philosophical mobsters, and mystical preachers of violence. What emerges is a portrait of an India caught in the grip of rapid change and a scarily uncertain future.”—Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara