Penguin Random House Books
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My debut novel from 2001. Thins the original cover.
Set partly in the UK and partly in the Punjab region of India, this is a fresh, bitingly perceptive and totally up-to-the-minute look at one young man's fight to free himself from family expectations and to be himself, free to dance to his own tune.
Reissued in Penguin's ORIGINALS series of powerful teenage fiction.
Ellie, Jas, Della, Will and Billy live in what they call the Ghetto - the estates round the city centre where everyone is skint and it's important to stick together. No-one has a go once you're part of a gang. Except, sometimes, the older gangs who can be really dangerous.
"A jewel of a book"
Nicholas Tucker, Independent
A powerful and gripping novel that sweeps the reader from modern-day Britain to the Punjab in the 1960s and back again in a ceaseless cycle of tragedy and conflict.
Simran likes Tyrone from the moment she spots him in the crowd. He's gorgeous and he won't take no for an answer. There's just one problem. Tyrone is black and Simran's not sure how her family will react. Like her cousin Ruby says, it's the last taboo.
When the hatred they encounter escalates into violence, Simran and Tyrone are forced to fight for what they believe in.
The Crew didn't think things could ever get that bad again. They were seriously wrong.
Bali Rai's mixture of third and first-person narrative serves to heighten tension while the city scene depictions are sordid and threatening . . . a well paced thriller
Lesley Agnew, The Bookseller
It's 1919 and Amritsar is a city on the brink of rebellion. Riots, violence and tension spill onto the streets . . .
An epic story of love and life, war and death from multi-award-winning author Bali Rai.
"A heart-rending tale from a talented author"
Amanda Craig, The Times
'Honour,' I repeated, wondering how such a small word could have caused so much trouble.
A powerful, hard-hitting teen thriller on the controversial topic of honour killing, by multi-award-winning author Bali Rai.
"Rai never shies away from difficult topics, and here tackles the controversial issue of honour killings. It's utterly compelling, and will be much-debated"
Fiona Noble, The Bookseller
Within the crumbling walls of Fire City, fifteen-year-old Martha is fighting for freedom in a lawless and horrifying new world. Amidst the chaos of battle arrives Jonah, a stranger with a thirst for revenge.
An epic story of catastrophe, survival and the power of humanity.
Sophie went missing from a music festival in the summer after her GCSEs. Jit, Sophie's best friend and soulmate, desperate to find out what happened to her.
Eventually the search takes Jit to a remote farmhouse in Scotland. But, as everything falls into place, a horrific and unimaginable truth comes to light . . .
"A tense and demanding thriller that has authenticity and emotional truth and bette
How many "friends" do you have online? Do you know who they really are?
Lily needs someone to confide in more than ever as a spate of suicides rocks her school. Benedict, her new online friend, is there for her. Lily finds herself opening up to him, telling him things she wouldn't tell anybody else.
But who is Benedict really...?
