The Case of the Missing Servant (2009)

Imagine Sherlock Holmes in modern-day India, and you've got a good feel for what this book is like. The Case of the Missing Servant is written in such a way that it was as if I was listening to the characters voices speaking (in English of course) with Indian accents. I was very impressed by this writing which was so easy to read, yet captured the grammatical idiosyncrasies of Indians speaking English.

Vish Puri is an intelligent private investigator who is famous for solving crimes, yet also does a brisk business spying on potential spouses to make sure their histories are clean. Filled with offbeat humor and a fast-paced plot, the reader follows along on his search for the true killer of a servant girl named Mary.

This was a very good murder mystery (more in the tone of Sherlock Holmes, not so much a thriller - although there is suspense) with a decent amount of Indian cultural information thrown in. The story itself is not really offensive, but there are some swear words that are written in the local dialect, and I was surprised at some of the meanings when I looked them up in the glossary at the end of the book. Some were silly, but others were pretty crude, then again you'd never know it unless you used the glossary.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery or enjoys stories set in India. ( )

This was an interesting way to learn a little bit about domestic India. Mr. Hall is not hesitant about critiquing the social systems of India and its flaws. ( )

Having heard so much about the book, I was eager to read the book. However, I was rather disappointed. To be fair, let us just say, it was nothing out of ordinary for me.

Vish Puri (pun on Hindi phrase for your wish comes true)is 51-year old Punjabi, pot-bellied private detective. (He is being India's Poirot.) But the book more reminded me of Mma Ramotswe for its sheer draggy quality.

However, don't get me wrong, my perspective is biased, since Delhi is home - this stereotyped peculiarity that Punjabis display is no longer exotic. I am used to their amusing manner of speaking and conservative line of thought. Vish Puri (and his clan) is guilty of both.

The book is full of instance when English language is so innocently butchered by Punjabis. Even the notices on Gynkhana club seem to be written incorrectly and sometimes they are outright hilarious. Sample a few of these snatches of conversations:
"I am not having the foggiest." (I have no idea.)
"He’s knowing Bunty Bannerjee."
"Everyone's doing gossip."

Then there is a sequence that emulates Holmes' deduction methods. Mr. Hall, I am sure, had fun writing that. Btw, Vish Puri, is never flattered by the reference 'Sherlock Homes of India' since in his mind Chanakya devised those deduction tricks and tactics centuries ago and Holmes just copied those without crediting him.

I would have been happier if the mystery story in the book was shorter and crisper, however, I have to admit that the author has interesting writing style that is full of amusing observations about city that is Delhi and people who are Indians. Sample:

"Her (secretary) job required her to keep her Boss’s diary, answer the phones, manage the files, and make sure Door Stop, the office peon didn’t steal milk and sugar."

While describing vehicles on road "..cars and occasional unworthy hybrid vehicle that defied description".

I will read second book if I have time to spare (from other books, of course). :P
( )

Vish Puri is one of the best PI in Dehli and most probably in all of the subcontinent of India. Or at least he thinks so. He is diligent, successful and discrete. One of his motto is " Confidence is my watch word."

A well known lawyer comes to Puri and tells him that he is being accused of murdering a maid that had left his employ a few months ago. He denies any guilt and indeed has an alibi. But this is India after all and he doesn't want to divulge it in order to protect his family. He is a family man even though he likes a little take out on the side.

The very morning that Puri is beginning his investigation he takes his usual trip to the roof where he communes with his plants and he is almost killed by a sniper. Vish Puri becaomes a very busy man but his operatives with such nicknames as Facecream, Tubelight, Handbrake help him keep many irons in the fire.

Hall gives use a wonderful view of the panoply that is Dehli. His characters transmit the cadence of the language that is distinctly Indian and it is very easy for the reader to take a vicarious trip to this amazing country.


( )

I’ve found my new favourite detective. This time they are from India in the guise of portly, persistent and unmistakably Punjabi, private detective Vish Puri.

The Case of the Missing Servant is our first introduction to this ‘Indian Poriot.’ An established detective, with an web of contracts and employees, Puri is very much a conductor and ring master, though even he has problems with an interfering mother. As an introduction it works well. Hall gives us several threads to follow. Not only do we have the ‘missing servant’ we also have assassination attempts, unsuitable suitors and other case name dropping.

The thing that Hall captures most is the colour. The characters are lively and background is vibrant. Good crime authors present the solving of the crime in an engaging way but great ones also make their manor a character in its own right. I enjoyed seeing how Puri works. His employees make a great supporting cast. Their characters are all as different as the jobs they do, which makes their interactions with Puri delightful to read.

What’s different for me is that Puri has a loving and happy family life and after seeing his mother you can tell where Puri gets his nose from. It’s unusual to have such a happy detective and that makes The Case of the Missing Servant such a joy to read. Yes, the crime is serious and seriously handled but the nature of a cosy crime novel is that it isn’t disturbing. His idiosyncratic ways make it fun.

As with Sherlock Holmes he names previous cases to wet our appetite for further adventures though there are no worries on that score with The Case of the Man who Died Laughing and The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken already out and on my shelf waiting. ( )