The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, India's 'Most Private Investigator' (Vish Puri 1) [Hardcover]

Tarquin Hall (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2009 | Series: Vish Puri 1

Meet Vish Puri, India's most private investigator. Portly, persistent and unmistakably Punjabi, he cuts a determined swathe through modern India's swindlers, cheats and murderers. In hot and dusty Delhi, where call centers and malls are changing the ancient fabric of Indian life, Puri's main work comes from screening prospective marriage partners, a job once the preserve of aunties and family priests. But when an honest public litigator is accused of murdering his maidservant, it takes all of Puri's resources to investigate.How will he trace the fate of the girl, known only as Mary, in a population of more than one billion? Who is taking pot shots at him and his prize chilli plants? And why is his widowed 'Mummy-ji' attempting to play sleuth when everyone knows Mummies are not detectives? With his team of undercover operatives - Tubelight, Flush and Facecream - Puri ingeniously combines modern techniques with principles of detection established in India more than two thousand years ago - long before 'that Johnny-come-lately' Sherlock Holmes donned his Deerstalker. The search for Mary takes him to the desert oasis of Jaipur and the remote mines of Jharkhand. From his well-heeled Gymkhana Club to the slums where the servant classes live, Puri's adventures reveal modern India in all its seething complexity.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Tarquin Hall is a writer and journalist who has lived and worked in much of South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and the US. He is the author of Mercenaries, Missionaries and Misfits: Adventures of an Under-age Journalist; To the Elephant Graveyard; and Salaam Brick Lane: A Year in the New East End. He is married to the journalist Anu Anand and lives in Delhi and London.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Hutchinson Radius; First Edition edition (June 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0091925630
• ISBN-13: 978-0091925635
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 1.2 x 8.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,530,108 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Tarquin Hall is the author of the Vish Puri mysteries, set in India. The first in the series, 'The Case of the Missing Servant', was named by the New York Times as a Notable Crime Book and given starred reviews by Kirkus, Library Journal and Booklist. Hall divides his times between London and Delhi with his wife, Indian-born journalist Anu Anand, and their young son.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars glossary?, January 10, 2011

By 

maryzeus "maryzzz" (Michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Case of the Missing Servant (Paperback)

While I am still reading the book, I am annoyed with the extensive glossary. Instead of the author using the definition at least when it first appears in the book, (if it is a single one) we have to go to the glossary for every one of the foreign words or terms. This detracts from the story, the interruptions are a bother. Puri seems to be a poor combination of The Belgian Poirot and The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith) So far I am not impressed with this book and will probably not get his others.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun mystery, great characters, wonderful depiction of life in Delhi, August 15, 2010

By 

Fellow Seeker (Livermore, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Case of the Missing Servant (Paperback)

Mr. Hall has created a great character in his detective, and I can't wait to read the other books in the series. The plot is believable and fun to follow. (I would compare Mr. Hall to Agatha Christie but his character would take offense to that. :) ) I particularly enjoyed the details because Mr. Hall captures so well all the sights, sounds and smells of Delhi to bring the book alive. After living in Delhi for a year, the book provided a fun trip down memory lane.