Slumdog author writes again

Vikas Swarup, who wrote Q&A—the book that inspired Slumdog Millionaire—is ready for his next challenge. Although Swarup told CNN that he does not want his writing to interfere with his job as a diplomat, he’s just signed a deal with Thomas Dunne books for a murder mystery, Six Suspects. The book has already been published in the U.K., and is due out in the states by late 2009. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Swarup reflects on the successes and surprises of his debut novel-that-could. "Configuring those questions and ensuring a coherent story wasn't as easy as it looks," he said of Slumdog's intricate plot. And Swarup says he found some parts of the movie to be a big departure from his original: Salim’s descent into Mumbai's underworld, for example, was "inexplicable" to the author. And Swarup says a Slumdog sequel is out of the question. Final answer.