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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
Enjoyed this though it was not as funny as the book jacket and reviews had led me to believe.
Recommended for fans of cozie and mysteries in exotic places.
I will dwfinitely try the next one before making up my mind about the series
Recommended for fans of cozie and mysteries in exotic places.
I will dwfinitely try the next one before making up my mind about the series
Just arrived from Tunisia through BM.
This is the first book of the series Vish Puri which meaning is "granter of wishes". He is the founder and director of Most Private Investigators Ltd.
The plot tells the story of a murder investigation in which a public litigator is accused of murdering his maidservant.
This is the first book of the series Vish Puri which meaning is "granter of wishes". He is the founder and director of Most Private Investigators Ltd.
The plot tells the story of a murder investigation in which a public litigator is accused of murdering his maidservant.
This is an old-fashioned kind of mystery. Detective Puri is one of the line of detectives in the tradition of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. It takes a considerable amount of time to follow the detective as he works on two cases. Readers looking for a lot of action, quick payoffs and gritty procedural elements should look elsewhere. This is a book that relies primarily on character, situation, and the gradual building up of clues for its substance.
It took me a while to warm up to the main character but I eventually succumbed to his charms. Yes, he is a bit pompous, but his eccentricities are ultimately endearing. It doesn't hurt that he is balanced by many capable supporting characters.
More than anything, I enjoyed the setting of the book. Tarquin Hall gives readers a lively depiction of India. The food, the language, the dialects, the culture, the landscape: it all is on the page. The description is vivid and engaging. I especially liked how the author managed to show the incredible diversity of the place, especially through his use of words, syntax, slang, and language. The thoughtful and playful glossary is a welcome addition. There was a harmony of elements in the book. The attention to detail worked well with this kind of story.
I didn't rush through the book and felt no real sense of urgency about the mystery itself but I did enjoy the book as a whole. Now, what to do about this sudden craving for Indian food...
It took me a while to warm up to the main character but I eventually succumbed to his charms. Yes, he is a bit pompous, but his eccentricities are ultimately endearing. It doesn't hurt that he is balanced by many capable supporting characters.
More than anything, I enjoyed the setting of the book. Tarquin Hall gives readers a lively depiction of India. The food, the language, the dialects, the culture, the landscape: it all is on the page. The description is vivid and engaging. I especially liked how the author managed to show the incredible diversity of the place, especially through his use of words, syntax, slang, and language. The thoughtful and playful glossary is a welcome addition. There was a harmony of elements in the book. The attention to detail worked well with this kind of story.
I didn't rush through the book and felt no real sense of urgency about the mystery itself but I did enjoy the book as a whole. Now, what to do about this sudden craving for Indian food...
I practically never work out who the murderer is in murder mysteries - this mystery is rather obvious in that regard.
You get some sense of modern India from this (and its many problems). The main characters are a little bit too much like caricatures, although having them that way is clearly the author's intent.
You get some sense of modern India from this (and its many problems). The main characters are a little bit too much like caricatures, although having them that way is clearly the author's intent.
The mystery was wrapped up a little abruptly, it seemed, but I liked the story and I really enjoyed the narration. I would definitely listen to other books in the series.
Disclosure: I received this book as a Firstreads giveaway on the premise that I would review it.
This is the first of a series about Vish Puri, owner and operator of the Most Private Investigations office of New Dehli in India. He's already built a successful business, and bills himself as India's top private detective. While his bread-and-butter is investigating prospective bridegrooms in arranged marriages to determine if they're really suitable (and one of these investigations is a major subplot), he often has more interesting/dangerous cases.
In the present instance, a reform-minded lawyer's servant has gone missing, and the lawyer is being accused of murdering her to cover up an affair. Shortly after Vish Puri takes the case, someone tries to murder him. Can he and his agents figure out what's really going on?
There's lots of local color, including an extensive glossary, but how authentic the book is to the reality of India I will leave to other reviewers. The clash between ancient poverty and new money, the multiplicity of India's religions and languages, and the endemic corruption in the legal system all play strong roles in the story.
I should note that Vish Puri is extremely quirky in addition to being exotic to American and British readers, in much the same fashion as Hercule Poirot. This may come off as excessive to some readers. Also, there are what appear to be prophetic dreams (or heavily intutive ones), which may strike some as not "fair play."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of eccentric detectives.
For more mystery reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/mystery/
This is the first of a series about Vish Puri, owner and operator of the Most Private Investigations office of New Dehli in India. He's already built a successful business, and bills himself as India's top private detective. While his bread-and-butter is investigating prospective bridegrooms in arranged marriages to determine if they're really suitable (and one of these investigations is a major subplot), he often has more interesting/dangerous cases.
In the present instance, a reform-minded lawyer's servant has gone missing, and the lawyer is being accused of murdering her to cover up an affair. Shortly after Vish Puri takes the case, someone tries to murder him. Can he and his agents figure out what's really going on?
There's lots of local color, including an extensive glossary, but how authentic the book is to the reality of India I will leave to other reviewers. The clash between ancient poverty and new money, the multiplicity of India's religions and languages, and the endemic corruption in the legal system all play strong roles in the story.
I should note that Vish Puri is extremely quirky in addition to being exotic to American and British readers, in much the same fashion as Hercule Poirot. This may come off as excessive to some readers. Also, there are what appear to be prophetic dreams (or heavily intutive ones), which may strike some as not "fair play."
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of eccentric detectives.
For more mystery reviews, see http://www.skjam.com/tag/mystery/
I really wish I liked this more because the idea of a detective series set in India had me really excited. I just felt it was a tad childish/racist/simplistic at times, like it was written by somebody who was trying to prove that he understood Indian culture but who obviously wasn't Indian.