Hussain Zaidi's new novel a tribute to men in uniform

Crime writer Hussain Zaidi pays tribute to the men in uniform in his new novel "Eleventh Hour".

The book is inspired by and derived from real-life events - a vast stash of RDX that has remained undiscovered since the Mumbai serial blasts of 1993 and the agencies totally clueless about it; the jailbreak in Bhopal of five men; the hijacking of an Indian ship and a commercial vessel by Somali pirates and Pakistan's designs to spread terror in India.

"Since childhood, I was fascinated by men in uniform. At that time, I used to think that we could sleep peacefully because of all these heroes I would read about - men like Shahwaz Ali Mirza and Vikrant Singh," says Zaidi.

Soon after 26/11, Superintendent of Police Singh was transferred to the Intelligence Bureau on deputation, something he had always wanted. He threw himself into the world of surveillance and monitoring like a man possessed, using all his source-building and investigation skills with the sole motive of preventing another 26/11.

He found a mentor in his reporting head, Inspector General of Police Mirza, who was not only an intelligence pro but also had keen insight into the way the mind of a radicalised Muslim youth worked.

The novel is published by HarperCollins India.

Zaidi, who has done investigative, crime and terror reporting in various newspapers, is the author of several books including "Black Friday", "Dongri to Dubai", "Mafia Queens of Mumbai" and "Byculla to Bangkok".

Several of his books have been adapted into movies including the eponymous "Black Friday", directed by Anurag Kashyap; "Shootout at Wadala", based on "Dongri to Dubai", directed by Sanjay Gupta; and "Phantom", based on "Mumbai Avengers", directed by Kabir Khan.