Nikhil Mantha

Nikhil Mantha, a character in the Most Wanted book, is the forensic specialist for the L.A.P.D Major Crimes Unit. He is first seen in Book 1, Chapter 2.

Appearance
Nikhil has short, black hair, black eyes and dark skin. He wears a light blue shirt under a blue cardigan with white stripes. He also wears black framed glasses. On his forearm he has a tattoo of compass arrows. His ear is pierced and accessorized by a small earring

Personality
As resident hipster of the L.A.P.D., Nikhil is well immersed in Los Angeles' cultural scene, thriving on any movements made against current trends and convention.

Book 1

 * Chapter 2: New Blood
 * Chapter 4: Hack Job
 * Chapter 5: Devil in the Dark
 * Chapter 9: Sunk Cost
 * Chapter 10: LARA (Mentioned)
 * Chapter 12: Old Wounds
 * Chapter 13: Outlaw
 * Chapter 15: Arrivals and Departures

Book 1

 * Chapter 3: 3 SF Spots to Visit Before You Die

Book 2

 * Chapter 17: Starry Nights  (Determinant)

Reza Fassihi
Reza is one of Nikhil's coworkers in the Major Crimes Unit. Along with Mirasol, they constantly bicker and heckle but can nonetheless work seamlessly when required.

Mirasol Bautista
Mirasol is one of Nikhil's coworkers in the Major Crimes Unit. Along with Reza, they constantly bicker and heckle but can nonetheless work seamlessly when required.

Dave Reyes
Dave is one of Nikhil's coworkers in the Major Crimes Unit. Alongside Reza and Mirasol, Dave collectively refers to them as the 'Three Stooges'.

Samantha Massey
Sam is Reza's temporary coworker during the John Tull case. He greatly enjoys how her stereotypical Texan aesthetic conflicts with the culture of Los Angeles.

Cole
Cole and Nikhil meet in a nightclub and flirt in LoveHacks, Book 1, but because of Nikhil's dedication to his job, he turns down the opportunity to take things further with Cole. He does however tell Cole to call him if he's ever in Los Angeles.

Trivia

 * Nikhil makes a cameo appearance in LoveHacks, Book 1, Chapter 3, where while playing as Cole, you and him can flirt. He tells Cole that he's "married to his job", but tells Cole to call if he's ever in Los Angeles.
 * This subsequently confirms he is LGBT.
 * He bears a resemblance to Utkarsh Ambudkar (specifically his role in the movie Pitch Perfect).
 * He makes a cameo appearance in a premium scene in Rules of Engagement, Book 2, Chapter 17.
 * The name Nikhil is of Sanskrit origin, which means, "complete", "entire", "whole", "universal" and "resilient".
 * He shares the same forename as Nikhil Banderjee from Bloodbound.