What's in a name?

A former executive from a multi-billion dollar organisation used a pseudonym to release their debut crime fiction novel, which explores the underbelly of big finance

You stumble on a book titled The Billionaire's Funeral (HarperCollins India). You then learn that the author, a former senior executive from a multi-billion dollar financial organisation, is hiding behind a pseudonym called Elijah Brahms. And it seems like the book's title is a perfect metaphor. Besides all this information, which amounts to nothing really, there is zilch on the Internet. The author, though, has made a website that answers why he wanted to tell the story of Chad Cohen, a billionaire accused of travelling on a stolen passport — before his world and company is in absolute shambles. The visual representation of the author is a painting by Belgian surrealist René Magritte, although Brahms writes, "Thankfully, I also wear better fitting clothes." So, naturally we're curious and approach the publishers, who remain tight-lipped about the author's identity, for an interview. The responses come in a couple of hours, which leads us to believe that Brahms has a knack of doing the unexpected.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

What inspired the book?
Having worked in technology and finance, The Billionaire's Funeral presents a very real kind of story that can happen to anyone. It is based on research and real cases of identity theft and hacking.

Why use a pen-name rather than your real name for writing fiction? Did you have any second thoughts about opting for a pseudonym?
I felt using a pen-name will do greater justice to my readers who are used to reading books in a different genre from mine. Plus, I wanted this piece of writing to stand on its own two legs and wanted to see whether readers like it even if they don't know the author. Honestly, from the moment I started writing this story, I always wanted to tell it under a pseudonym.

You've authored more than 10 books under your real name. Did your writing process differ with this one?
No publisher deadlines on this one! I wrote this book and only then shared with my publisher that I had something like this with me. In all other cases, from my second book onwards, my publishers would push me to write something.

How closely does Chad Cohen's personality mirror your own?
Chad Cohen's a billionaire. I am not. The whole book is based on very real possibilities. No one character mirrors me as such. But I have been in enough boardrooms to have met and picked the brains of the likes of Chad Cohen, Michael Cole and the other characters.

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