"The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck" by Tarquin Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck" by Tarquin Hall is the sixth installment in the delightful Vish Puri series, featuring India’s Most Private Investigator. As a long-time fan of the series, I was thrilled to see a new addition. And it is just as good as the other books!

The hero of the piece is Vish Puri, a brilliant private detective and owner of a detective agency who is offended when people dare to compare him to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Unlike other classic detectives, he does not work alone and has a host of colorful agents at his disposal: Handbrake, Tubelight, Flush, to name a few. Also, there is Madam Rani, his secretary and the recorder of his exploits.

Vish is 59 years old, smart, patriotic, a master of disguise, and a passionate lover of everything fried and spicy (even if he's not allowed to). He is a detective in the old-fashioned sense. His main tools are common sense and intuition, combined with the technological skills and daring of his assistants.

When he wins the International Detective of the Year award, he is asked to keep it a secret. Within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – including his indomitable Mummy-ji, who announces she will come with him and his wife Rumpy to the ceremony in London, much to their dismay. The plot thickens when a senior government bureaucrat asks him to track down India’s most-wanted fugitive, billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster code-named Bombay Duck, rumored to hide in London, a request he can't refuse.

Vish’s predicament is both humorous and chaotic as he juggles keeping the investigation secret from Rumpy - who would not approve of him working during their much-anticipated vacation - and from Mummy-ji, who has her own ways of meddling. Alongside his nephew Jags and Bromley, an English police detective, Vish dives into the case while his mother pursues an investigation of her own.

I absolutely loved the book! It’s brimming with humor, clever wordplay, mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food, and comparisons between the Indian and British cultures. Mummy-ji is a sharp, hilarious force of nature, and her adventures were a highlight. The story seamlessly weaves between London and New Delhi, juggling multiple plotlines that all tie together brilliantly.

While the book can be enjoyed on its own, I recommend reading the earlier installments to fully appreciate the characters and their dynamics. The chapters include helpful explanations of cultural concepts, and a glossary of Indian words and terms at the end enhances the experience.

Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read that captures the essence of its settings and cultures. I found myself smiling at Vish’s struggles to find non-vegetarian food while staying with his vegetarian hosts, or when he failed to catch the irony of Inspector Bromley. If you’re a fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s series, you’ll adore this book even more - it delivers a richer mystery, vivid characters, and plenty of substance. Highly recommended!

* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc.  All opinions are my own.

* For more info about the book: "The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck" by Tarquin Hall