At Valorhouse International, an elite boarding school shrouded in the mist-drenched hills of Sikkim, secrets do not stay buried. They fester.
A boy goes missing. And when a chilling confession crackles through the school’s underground radio-a witness swears they saw the missing boy return the night he vanished-the campus erupts in paranoia. Was it a hoax? A ghost story? Or something far more dangerous?
For Angad Sandhu, a freshman hungry for recognition, this is his chance to resurrect the forgotten radio club and uncover the truth. But as he and a ragtag crew of outcasts peel back the lies, they awaken something dark, hungry and vengeful.
Strange whispers echo in empty halls. Shadows move where they shouldn’t. Students start vanishing-first in secret, then in plain sight.
The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes: Valorhouse does not want its secrets found. And if Angad isn’t careful, he will be the next to disappear.
The truth is out there. But will it kill them first?
Filmmaker, visual storyteller and political strategist, Bishhal Paull makes his literary debut with ‘The Liar Among Us’ (Bloomsbury Publishing), a fast-paced thriller set in a Sikkim boarding school where secrets fester, shadows whisper, and truth itself could prove fatal.
A perfect pick for readers hungry for mystery, suspense, and supernatural twists. In the misty hills of Sikkim, Valorhouse International hides secrets that refuse to stay buried—and one freshman is about to pay the price for uncovering them.
‘The Liar Among Us’ is a chilling blend of mystery, suspense, and supernatural intrigue—perfect for readers who love page-turners that blur the line between reality and the unknown.
Bishhal Paull brings his storytelling experience from filmmaking, media, and politics, giving the novel cinematic intensity, sharp insights, and compelling narrative arcs. Its universal themes of courage, curiosity, and facing the unknown make it appealing to young adults and adults alike.
Beyond entertainment, the book explores secrets, trust, and morality, making it a great choice for book clubs and discussion circles.
Bishhal Paull is a personal branding coach, political strategist, filmmaker & a media entrepreneur.
He is the Founder & Group CEO of Little Monk Network, one of Bollywood’s premiere digital marketing companies. He is also Founder CEO of Kautilya Impact, country’s foremost political consultancy firm. In 2023, he fuelled his creative ambitions and started Kamrup Studios that is involved in creating quality content in the Indian cinema landscape.
Bishhal is also known for shaping public opinion through his columns which has featured in publications like Huffington Post India, The Quint & East Mojo, and has worked as an election strategist for many current and former members of parliament and state assemblies.
In 2014, he directed the feature length documentary, The Gujarat Promise, followed by in 2017, he directed his second feature length documentary, Nirbhoy based in Sundarbans, produced by Drishyam Films.
Under his leaderships, Little Monk has managed digital mandates of some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, including Prabhas, Kartik Aaryan, Vidya Balan, Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha, Ali Fazal, Boman Irani, Emraan Hashmi, Kolkata Knight Riders, Junglee Pictures, Sony Pictures Networks, TSeries, Nadiadwala Grandsons, Netflix, Amazon Prime, JioHotstar and movie campaigns for over 135+ films like Mubarakan, Badhaai Ho, RRR, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2&3, Fighter, Yodha amongst many others.
In 2018, Bishhal delivered his maiden Tedx Talk at PDPU, Gandhinagar, becoming one of the youngest to achieve this feat in the country.
He is a much in demand image makeover coach in the corridors of power and also a much sought after digital consultant in the entertainment sector. Additionally, in his capacity as a writer-producer & the creative honcho in his content studio, he’s involved in the development of multiple web series & movies. His debut web show as a creator and showrunner ‘Raisina’ has been acquired by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s Pushing Buttons Studio. He hosts The Indian Podcast which is very popular on the internet.
‘The Liar Among Us’ Author Bishhal Paull
Speaking with Sonakshi Datta of GoaChronicle on his debut novel, Bishhal answered a few questions posed to him.
How did you come up with a background as unique as a boarding school in Sikkim for your literary debut?
Coming from the North East myself, the hills have always fascinated me. Their silence carries both serenity and secrets. I wanted a setting that was visually stunning yet psychologically charged. Sikkim, with its monasteries, folklore, and unpredictable weather, felt like the perfect place to anchor a story where truth and illusion constantly intertwine. The boarding school became a metaphor for society itself: contained, competitive, and full of quiet tensions that slowly unravel.
What made you choose the thriller genre to write your book?
Thrillers demand both emotion and intellect as they keep readers alert but also make them feel. For me, the genre was a way to explore deeper ideas about truth, morality, and identity without losing pace or excitement. The book is as much a psychological study as it is a mystery. Beneath the twists and turns, it asks a simple question: why do we lie to others, and often, to ourselves?
What were the challenges that you faced while maneuvering through the world of fictional thriller? How did you manage to showcase glimpses of the real world despite creating a mysterious fictional world?
The greatest challenge was balance. Making sure the supernatural never drowned out the emotional core. I didn’t want the book to rely on spectacle; I wanted it to feel human. Every eerie moment had to be anchored in emotion. The boarding school, though fictional, reflects very real worlds: ambition, isolation, friendship, caste discrimination and fear. The mystery works because it is built on recognisable human
truths.
What makes The Liar Among Us a must-read for all, across different age groups?
Because it resonates differently with every reader. For young audiences, it is a fast- paced mystery that mirrors their own dilemmas. For adults, it is nostalgia tinged with unease and a glimpse into the world of today’s youth. The highlight will definitely be the folklore of North East India which I have tried to bring into the mainstream.
Ultimately, it is a reflection on our young adults’ ambition, guilt, and memory; and on the lies the society tells to survive, and the courage it takes for us to face what’s real.
