Warning: prepare plenty of snack foods before reading. This book will make you desperately hungry, as our hero Vish Puri loves to eat - so much so that his family & close friends affectionately call him Chubby! Puri is a private investigator with a storied past and, currently, a set of difficult mysteries to solve. A friend's maid has gone missing, and the friend is suspected of her murder - then Puri is shot at while tending his prized chilis on his own rooftop! All the while he is also dealing with bread-and-butter (sorry, chapatti-and-ghee) cases such as a mysterious matrimonial prospect for a prominent military veteran's daughter.

A cast of thousands rotates through the chapters, variously helping and hindering Puri's efforts. His wife Rumpi keeps Puri's diet in line, while mother Mummy-ji is determined to quietly solve the attack on Puri's life. Agency associates operate under their codenames (Tubelight, Facecream, and Handbrake are my favorites) both openly and undercover using bugs & earpieces. Lovers of a great mystery story will find the cases juicy enough to be satisfied, while those more interested in the exotic Indian setting will be equally delighted. Puri himself is just as quirky and distinct as readers expect their detectives to be (his Sandown caps are a great touch) but this is no cozy mystery! Stock up on pakoras or popcorn and tuck in for a nice read in this solid first novel from Tarquin Hall.