Vish Dhamija
Vish Dhamija is an , British Indian, crime-fiction writer. He is the to win the prestigious at Festival Polar de Cognac for his novel, Le Magnat in 2024. The French Press celebrated him as . The Mogul's translation in French was also the Finalist for ‘Discovery of the Year’ Prize at Noir Charbon.
According to the Indian Press he is India's Best Page-Turner and one of the ten most popular Indian thriller authors. He is the only writer of Indian origin listed among the major legal thriller authors of the world. He is also known for his psychological thrillers.
In August 2015, at the release of his first legal fiction Déjà Karma, Glimpse Magazine called him India's John Grisham for stimulating the genre of legal fiction in India which was almost non-existent before his arrival on the scene. In a survey by eBooks India website, Vish Dhamija was listed along the top 51 Indian authors you must follow. The Asian Age and The Times of India have cited him as the only legal fiction writer in India.
Dhamija's stories have been published in India, in the United States and in France.
In March 2024, Amazon India announced that Bhumi Pedenkar would play Vish Dhamija's fictional DCP Rita Ferreira, based on his bestselling book, Bhendi Bazaar in the OTT series titled, .
Early life
Dhamija grew up in Ajmer, Rajasthan, where he spent the first twenty years of his life. He attended St. Anselm's School, a convent school in Ajmer. He earned his B.Com. from Government College, Ajmer. Dhamija dropped out of law school after his first year, and then attended Jodhpur University for a degree in management. After a few years of working in the corporate world in India, he left for Manchester Business School in the UK for an MBA in Marketing and Strategy.In school, Dhamija was very active in literary and stage activities. He was the President of the school's Literary Society.
Writing career
Dhamija's first book, Nothing Lasts Forever, a crime thriller was published in 2010 by Srishti Publishers; it was long-listed for "Vodafone-Crossword Book Award 2011".Bhendi Bazaar and tells the story of a serial killer and the police officer who attempts to identify the pattern behind the killer's murders before she becomes the next victim. The book spent over a year in India's Top 100 list for 'Crime, Thriller, and Mystery', and has been noted for its ingenious plot and rich characters.
Dhamija has said in interviews that crime fiction, which is mainly what he reads, is the only genre in which he can imagine himself writing for the time being.
In August 2015, Déjà Karma became a bestseller and was featured on both The Financial Express and Crossword Bookstores lists for two consecutive weeks.
His next book, Doosra – The Other One* was released in Feb 2016, and Business Standard featured it in March, calling it a "…must read.". Dhamija's fifth book - Nothing Else Matters was launched at the Kumaon Literary Festival in October. In November it reached number 6 on WH Smith charts on both, domestic and international airports in New Delhi. Bloggers rated it as one of the top 10 books by Indian authors in 2016 and top 10 romance novels of 2016 by Indian authors. HarperCollins India released Dhamija's sixth book, Unlawful Justice in June 2017, which The Times of India called: "a gripping legal thriller". Unlawful Justice was recognized by Amazon India as one of the Memorable Books of 2017, and The Asian Age included it in its annual listing of the Best Books of 2017.
Dhamija's seventh book, The Mogul was released in July 2018 by HarperCollins. "Gripping", said The Times of India. The Indian Express, in its review, called out that "Dhamija has set the sky as the limit, figuratively and literally." The Telegraph praised, The Heist Artist saying: “It’s difficult to find a single dull moment in this book...”. The Heist Artist was the only Indian author/publication to be included in The Times of India list of "Crime fiction and thrillers you should read in 2019" and is listed as one of the eight crime fiction novels that other crime writers must read.
In June 2019, Abundantia Entertainment announced that it had acquired the rights to Dhamija's much sought-after "Rita Ferreira" series to adapt the books into a multi-season, premium original digital series.
Dhamija's second psychological thriller, Prisoner's Dilemma, was published by Pan Macmillan in April 2021. It had a slow start due to COVID-19, but it has been on the WH Smith charts even a year after launch.
Cold Justice, Dhamija's fourth legal thriller, released on July 4, 2022, and The Times of India called it: "A gripping, heart-stopping novel… a must-read recommendation for thriller lovers."
Déjà Karma was republished by Pan Macmillan India in 2023. It was called, "" by Deccan Chronicle.
Le Magnat was published in French by in April 2024.
The Secret Diary of a Conman, Dhamija's twelfth book, published by Pan Macmillan India, was launched in July 2024. Written in epistolary form, it was one of the first books that featured a playlist that worked in tandem with the story. By August, the book was a bestseller in Amazon Crime and at W H Smith and Relay bookstores. Dhamija's next book, a psychological thriller, titled was released by Bloomsbury India in July 2025. Dhamija is a popular author in France, and his title: Unlawful Justice was published in France as in January 2026, along with the release of his previous title in a different format by