We chat with author Suja Sukumar about When Mimi Went Missing, which is a dark, twisty YA mystery that follows a splintered relationship between two Indian American cousins—perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.
Hi, Suja! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there, I’m an author who writes YA suspense featuring main characters from the South Asian diaspora in Michigan. My debut is a YA thriller titled WHEN MIMI WENT MISSING, and it comes out November 19, 2024, from Soho Press. I’m also a senior staff physician at a major health system in suburban Detroit, where I live with my family and an elderly cat. I spend my downtime haunting coffee shops and Indian restaurants and enjoy long walks and gardening.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
So long ago I barely remember 😊 I’m the youngest of three and my siblings are voracious readers. I read pretty much everything I could get my hands on and developed a love for mysteries by about middle school.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Famous Five mysteries (Enid Blyton)
- The one that made you want to become an author: The A.B.C murders (Agatha Christie)
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Sadie (Courtney Summers)
Your debut novel, When Mimi Went Missing, is out November 19th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Dark, twisty, suspenseful, heartbreaking mystery
What can readers expect?
Here’s a brief blurb: TW: mention of murder, suicide, bullying.
The main character, Tanvi, moved in with her cousin and aunt when she was 8 y.o after her parents’ murder-suicide (where her mom killed her dad and then herself). Tanvi was mercilessly bullied at her new school but her cousin, Mimi, protected her, and the two formed a strong sisterly bond that continued into high school. Mimi, who’s now a senior, befriends the leader of the popular clique, Beth, who offers her the chance to be popular, something Mimi had found elusive so far. Blinded by newfound fame, Mimi joins Beth in tormenting Tanvi.
Tanvi now fears the bullying will start all over again, with Beth leading it. Seeking to stave it off, she snaps an incriminating photo of Beth using drugs at a party. Her plan to post it on social media is derailed when she unintentionally captures Mimi in that photo. So, she deletes it.
The morning after the party she wakes up bruised but with no memory of how she got injured. She also finds that Mimi has vanished. While she’s trying to piece together the gaps in her memory, the official missing-person search for Mimi turns into a murder investigation. Now Tanvi must return to the worst night of her life and the dark parts of her past to discover if she’s capable of murder and the truth of what happened to Mimi.
Where did the inspiration for When Mimi Went Missing come from?
It came largely from the dearth of main characters from the South Asian diaspora in YA suspense. I noticed this when my kids went looking for BIPOC books in their libraries. But I also wanted to include the intersectional identities within the Indian American community, which was the main reason I wrote a character (and story) that doesn’t fit into the stereotypical mould. And I’ve always rooted for the underdog, which was why I had my main character go on a voyage of self-discovery as she learned to trust her own strength and fight back against her bullies.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I enjoyed exploring Tanvi’s character arc—the low point where she starts from at the beginning of the story and the way she changes and grows in confidence and strength. I also enjoyed writing about the strong bonds within families which stand the test of unavoidable negative circumstances. But the main key element I enjoyed was the mystery writing itself—the red herrings, the tension building up, the breakneck speed at the end.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
This story started as an idea about ten years ago, and I wrote it between work and my kids’ extracurriculars. I was lucky enough to get into a mentorship program called Author Mentor Match where Dana Mele, author of People Like Us, mentored me. Dana is an awesome writer, and she not only helped edit but also supported me through the querying process. In 2018, I took part in #DVPit and that was how I found my agent. We started the submission process in late 2019, but then Covid hit, and everything shut down. My editor from Soho Teen had initially passed on the story because they were closed, but in late 2021 she emailed with an offer saying she couldn’t get the story out of her mind. I signed my contract mid-2022 for a fall 2024 release.
What’s next for you?
A YA horror where an Indian American teen returns to her ancestral home in India to prove her mother’s innocence in a decades-old murder—and finds the house haunted by an undead creature who happens to be the murder victim.
It’s based on folklore from Kerala, my native state in India, and is about Yakshis, who are bloodthirsty vampires driven by vengeance.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on in 2025?
She Is a Haunting by Trang Thang Tran & Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett. Also have Megan Lally’s books on my TBR and Chelsea Ichaso’s. I also want to read Heart-shaped Lies by Elizabeth Agyemang and Don’t Eat The Pie by Monique Asher. Too many awesome books & too little time!
