Award-winning author Rupa Mahadevan is quickly becoming a powerful new voice in psychological thrillers. In an engaging conversation with Writer’s Melon, Mahadevan spoke about her debut novel Nine Dolls, the inspiration behind its haunting setting, her writing process, and why crime writers may actually be happier people.
Based in Edinburgh, Mahadevan balances a full-time corporate career, motherhood, and writing. Her debut novel has already received major recognition, winning the prestigious Joffe Books Prize for Crime Fiction 2024 — one of the UK’s biggest awards for underrepresented crime writers — before being published by Joffe Books and Audible.
Mahadevan admitted that becoming an author was never part of her original plan. Although she grew up as an avid reader, she only seriously considered writing a few years ago after attending literary events post-pandemic.
Her reading habits naturally shaped her writing journey. Raised on the works of Agatha Christie alongside Indian literature and historical fiction, Mahadevan always gravitated toward crime, mystery, and psychological thrillers.
As thrillers like Gone Girl and modern suspense fiction became part of her reading life, writing a psychological thriller felt like a natural progression.
One of the most striking aspects of Nine Dolls is its atmospheric setting. The novel takes place in a remote Scottish manor house in the Highlands, where a group of friends reunites during Navaratri, the Hindu festival of dolls.
What begins as a joyful celebration slowly turns terrifying as dolls mysteriously move, buried secrets emerge, and tensions rise between friends and couples.
Mahadevan explained that settings are never an afterthought in her writing. She intentionally chose the haunting beauty of the Scottish Highlands because of its dramatic weather, isolated landscapes, mountains, lakes, and coastline.
While researching locations, she discovered Maiden Island near Oban — a place tied to an eerie local legend. According to folklore, a young woman accused of witchcraft was tied to a rock and drowned. Her spirit is still believed to haunt the island.
That folklore became central to the mood and mythology of Nine Dolls.
What makes Nine Dolls unique is its fusion of Indian traditions with Scottish folklore.
The novel prominently features Navaratri and the South Indian tradition of displaying dolls during the festival. Mahadevan described the book as deeply personal — reflecting her own identity as someone raised in India who later made Scotland her home.
By combining Indian family dynamics, festival rituals, and emotional relationships with the eerie atmosphere of Scottish folklore, she created a thriller that feels culturally layered and distinctive.
The central premise of the novel is simple yet chilling:
A group of friends gathers for nine nights of celebration in a remote manor house. Each night reveals a new secret. As relationships fracture and fear spreads, one question remains:
Which secret is worth killing for?
Mahadevan describes herself as a “pantser” rather than a detailed planner. Instead of outlining every plot twist beforehand, she starts with an idea and lets the characters guide the story naturally.
For Nine Dolls, she initially only knew that the story would unfold over the nine nights of Navaratri and that each night would expose another secret. She did not know who the killer would be — or even who would die — until much later in the writing process.
The voices of the characters shaped the novel organically. She particularly connected with the character Leela, whose traditional beliefs and superstitions helped anchor the emotional depth of the story.
According to Mahadevan, the best psychological thrillers are driven not just by suspense, but by emotionally believable characters. She believes readers connect most strongly with flawed, relatable people rather than perfect heroes or villains.
Small details — arguments about household chores, cultural habits, and everyday frustrations — help make the characters feel authentic and human.
One of the most interesting parts of the interview explored whether writing dark crime fiction emotionally affects authors.
Mahadevan offered a surprisingly optimistic perspective. She believes crime writers are often some of the warmest and most supportive people because they channel darkness into their stories instead of carrying it internally.
For her, writing psychological thrillers feels almost therapeutic.
By transferring fear, conflict, and emotional intensity onto the page, she believes writers release those darker emotions rather than absorb them.
She even suggested that writers focused on comedy or romance may sometimes carry more sadness internally, while thriller writers often feel emotionally lighter after exploring darkness through fiction.
Despite creating richly atmospheric fiction, Mahadevan’s writing routine is far from glamorous.
As a working mother with two children, she writes whenever she can — in buses, cafés, car parks, and while waiting during children’s activities. Instead of relying on strict rituals, she simply uses every spare moment available to write.
That determination and authenticity are part of what makes Nine Dolls such a compelling debut.
With its blend of psychological suspense, cultural depth, folklore, and emotional complexity, Nine Dolls marks Rupa Mahadevan as an exciting new voice in modern crime fiction.
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