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The Case of the Missing Servant
The Case of the Missing Servant: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator | Tarquin Hall
The first in a detective series that immediately joins the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency as representing the best in international cozies (Booklist, starred review). Meet Vish Puri, Indias most private investigator. Portly, persistent, and unmistakably Punjabi, he cuts a determined swath through modern Indias swindlers, cheats, and murderers. In hot and dusty Delhi, where call centers and malls are changing the ancient fabric of Indian life, Puris 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 Puris resources to investigate. With his team of undercover operativesTubelight, Flush, and FacecreamPuri combines modern techniques with principles of detection established in India more than two thousand years ago, and reveals modern India in all its seething complexity.
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Susanita
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This was an interesting read. The main character is…a character! A little arrogant, a thorough investigator who uses his own skills and also employs many “irregulars,” a creative bestower of nicknames, and a somewhat cynical commenter on the state of India in the early aughts. While I certainly enjoyed this first book in the series, I don‘t expect to read further. #temptingtitles #withfivepluswords

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Perfect 📚🙌🏻 2y
Eggs Sounds good 👌🏼 2y
38 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Smarkies
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Pickpick

A #cozymystery set in #India with the detective Vish Puri. I enjoyed the setting and the characters - especially the mother, who was a hoot. The author really managed to capture the streets / social norms of India.
Especially good in audio.

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BookishMarginalia
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#CurrentlyListening to the first in this #cozymystery series — I‘m enjoying the narrator. I might not have stuck with it (lots of local Indian color and a meandering plot line) if it weren‘t for the audiobook narrator‘s performance.

82 likes1 stack add
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mhillis
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Mehso-so

Finished my first book for #cozyinthesun ☀️
The Case of the Missing Servant has lots of interesting details but the overall story wasn‘t very engaging for me. Think I‘ll try a different series for my next read!

Librarybelle I really like the cover on this one! 5y
ferskner I LOVE diverse cozies! 5y
58 likes2 comments
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JoyBlue
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Mehso-so

This is the first of a series. I read the second quite a few years ago (which I think I liked more). It's a decent enough, if somewhat uneven, mystery. I'll consider reading more of the series in the future.

Two cases in this installment: 1. Client, a prominent lawyer, accused of the murder of one of his servants. 2. Woman's family wants a background check on her fiancée. Detective Vish Puri is on the case.

keys_on_fire Funny what your eyes/brain does at first glance. I thought the title of this was The Case of the Missing Savant 😳 6y
55 likes2 comments
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AllTheWords
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Pickpick

I was a bit apprehensive to read this book at first because it‘s written by a non-Indian about a Punjabi Indian detective, Vish Puri. As soon as I dismissed my preconceptions, I really got into the story and could visualize the characters, feel the hot dust of the road & taste the Chai. Yummy read!!! I wish I‘d savored it more.

Dragon I enjoyed this mystery and I really enjoyed the glossary at the end. 6y
AllTheWords @Dragon Yes! I loved all the little details of daily life too! :) 6y
13 likes2 comments
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BookishMe
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#Marchmadness it's futile for me to choose One Favourite Detective ;p

I have read the entire Vish Puri series and need to resume with the sassy Miss Fisher

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Dragon
Pickpick

Finished my book for the #slaythatseriesreadathon and I have a few mixed feelings about the book. I enjoyed getting a look into middle class India and the mystery was cozy. But, I didn't realize Tarquin Hall is British, his wife is Indian born and he does live part time in Delhi and I'm not sure what my friends of South Asian descent would think. Let's just say I felt uncomfortable so a pick but with reservations.

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Dragon
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Went out to Chuck's for a turkey burger 🍔 and poutine, thinking of starting this cozy mystery series set in India #slaythatseriesreadathon

Melissa_J I love the Vish Puri series. It is so much fun! 7y
BookishBrooklyn Sounds interesting 😊 7y
Hoopiefoot I love turkey burgers! This one looks delicious 7y
See All 10 Comments
BibliophileMomma 🤤🤤 7y
Megabooks Yum!!!! 7y
Dragon Thanks @Melissa_J glad to hear it! It sounds fun 👍 7y
Dragon Thanks @BookishBrooklyn the cover is cute and the blurbs are fun 😀🐉 7y
Dragon Thanks @Hoopiefoot @Tiffy_Reads @Booksandcooks the burger was yummy and the coleslaw had a hint of hot sauce. I will definitely eat there again! 7y
Izai.Amorim Never had a turkey burger 😞Think I'm missing something.,, 7y
Dragon Thanks @Izai.Amorim it was served with cranberry mayo, fried onions, tomatoes, cucumber, pea shoots. A real treat 👍 7y
65 likes3 stack adds10 comments
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Dragon
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#slaythatseriesreadathon. Three alternatives for this weekend. I'm in the middle of The Republic of Thieves but I'm thinking of starting one of these books. Never read just one book 😀

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BrownGirlReading
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Some pink books from shelves... Special mention to The case of the Missing Servant. It's delectably entertaining. You'll want to go have Indian food when the book is over. 😋

17 likes3 stack adds
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aa_guer2021
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Pickpick

Eccentric, self-centered, and arrogant, HE wouldn't like this comparison, but he did remind me of the Indian Sherlock Holmes. The story was fascinating, and although I anticipated the ending, watching his deductions finally be explained was very satisfying. The book is set in India, and the author does use a lot of strange words (there is even a glossary) which might be a challenge for some. Overall, it was enjoyable. #diversedetectives

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aa_guer2021
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I can appreciate an author that can paint a picture in a few descriptive words. Ah, the price of urban development... #currentlyreading

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aa_guer2021
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This storm has gotten me completely discombobulated. 😕😷😴 Stayed home from work again, and decided to start something a little more lighthearted. One of the other titles was what really caught my eye, but I made a rule to read a series from the beginning. #currentlyreading #diversedetectives

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slhbooks
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Pickpick

Started a new mystery series set in India. Definitely a lighter mystery more along the lines of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. There's a good cast of characters from Vish Puri, the portly private investigator who likes his treats to his crazy-named assistants like Facecream to his mother who likes to do a little detective work of her own😉😉You get a good sense of place too. I'll read more of the series.

Today's studious kitty: Teddy

Melissa_J I enjoy this series. I ❤️ Vish's mother. 8y
Mimi28 Cute!! 😻😻 8y
DebinHawaii I have this book on my e-reader but haven't started it yet. Sweet kitty. 🐱❤️ 8y
42 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Shemac77
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Panpan

Was not into this book at all. Frustrating as hell.

#readeverydayeverywhere
#readingissexy
#nslitten

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writerlibrarian
Pickpick

Interesting for the culture and the characters. It's definitely in the same family as cozy mystery but set in India. The family of characters, I especially liked the lead character's mother, a woman after my own heart, is fun to discover even if the lead character is a bit too pompous and full of himself for my taste much like Holmes as Puri fancies himself to be.

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Shemac77
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LeahBergen That's a fun series. 😀 8y
Shemac77 Good to know! @LeahBergen 8y
52 likes1 stack add2 comments
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gaming4justice
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A jab at Sherlock Holmes ripping off of deduction techniques of Chanakya without giving credit. #DiverseDetectives #DiverseBooks

whatthelog Brilliant!! 8y
WOCreads Ahahaha nooo he is the Indian Poirot!😂 Got my mom to read it too, so she's unofficially participating in #DiverseDetectives! 8y
11 likes2 comments
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LeahBergen
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Pickpick

#FunFridayPhoto . Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator, is pretty much an overweight, pakora-munching, Indian Poirot. This is the first of the series, but a later book has one of the best mystery titles ever ... The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken. They are very much of the "cozy genre" but good, light fun.

rabbitprincess Nom nom butter chicken 😋 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I love this series! 😀 8y
slhbooks Sounds kinda fun! I'll have to track this down📚 8y
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erzascarletbookgasm Book 2 in the series is The Case of The Man Who Died Laughing! Imagine that! 😅 8y
Seshat Have you read Colin Cotterill's Siri Paiboun books? Coroner's Lunch is the first. 8y
LeahBergen @Seshat No, but it sounds good! 8y
LeahBergen @rabbitprincess Oh yeah. I LOVE butter chicken!! 8y
Seshat They are, @LeahBergen They are set in Laos and Dr. Siri is wonderfully sarcastic. 8y
LeahBergen @Seshat I will definitely hunt them down. Thank you! 😀 8y
59 likes5 stack adds9 comments
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RealLifeReading
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Pickpick

I'm not much of a crime/mystery reader but when I do read them, I like my crimesolvers to be a bit unusual. Like Flavia de Luce (11yo with a passion for poisons). Or Dr Siri Paiboun (chief coroner of Laos). In this series, Vish Puri is a detective in Delhi (India's Most Private Investigator) and his cases include not just missing people and murders but also screening bridegrooms for arranged marriages. An amusing read. 🌶🌶🌶 (3.5 chilies)

Laura317 Check out the new Darko Dawson series. Wife of the Gods is the first novel. Darko is a inspector in Ghana. I found it to be a fabulous read. 8y
MrBook Mmmm... 8y
[DELETED] 2232195534 I can recommend both the Vish Puri series and the Darko Dawson series already mentioned. Both have unusual sleuths and very interesting settings. 😀 8y
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LeahBergen This series gets better with each book. 8y
PurpleyPumpkin Thanks for the recs @RealLifeReading, @Laura317 and @kaysreadinglife. I am ALWAYS on the lookout for new mystery series! 😬☠⚰🔮🔎 8y
moranadatter I love Flavia! 8y
Procrastireader Yes to The Coroner's Lunch! 8y
RealLifeReading @Laura317 sounds great! I will definitely have to go see if I can find that! 8y
RealLifeReading @kaysreadinglife that Darko Dawson ones does sound good! 8y
RealLifeReading @LeahBergen glad to hear it!! 8y
RealLifeReading @PurpleyPumpkin you're welcome! Hope you like Vish Puri! 8y
RealLifeReading @kmdartist at first I was doubtful about an 11yo sleuth but it's so fun to read 8y
RealLifeReading @Procrastireader I really need to get caught up with that series. Hear there's a new one out 8y
moranadatter @RealLifeReading I had similar reservations. She's so much fun though. 8y
110 likes13 stack adds14 comments