The Case of the Love Commandos

From the Files of Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

In this contemporary Romeo and Juliet story set within India's caste system, private investigator Vish Puri faces his most difficult challenge to date - a high-stakes mystery involving one of India's most controversial commodities: love.

When Ram and Tulsi fall in love, the young woman's parents are dead set against the union. She's from a high-caste family, but her boyfriend is an untouchable from the lowest strata of Indian society. Young Tulsi's father locks her up and promises to hunt down and kill the "lover boydog." Fortunately, India's Love Commandos, a real-life group of volunteers dedicated to helping mixed-caste couples, come to the rescue. They successfully free Tulsi, but Ram has gone missing.

The task of finding him falls to India's "most private investigator." Unfortunately, Vish Puri is not having a good month. He's already failed to recover the millions stolen from the First National Bank of Punjab; his wallet has been stolen; and worst of all, his arch rival, investigator Hari Kumar, is also trying to locate Ram. To solve the case and reunite the star-crossed lovers, Puri and his team of misfit assistants must infiltrate Ram's village and navigate the caste politics shaped by millennia-old prejudices.

Critics hailed the The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken, the last installment in the Vish Puri Mysteries, as Tarquin Hall's best yet, saying that each audiobook is "more complicated and dangerous than the one before." (HuffingtonPost). Now, with The Case of the Love Commandos, Hall keeps raising the stakes, delivering more twists, turns, and surprises than ever before.

©2013 Tarquin Hall (P)2013 AudioGO

What fun!

Just that: What fun!
Great narration, good story, wonderful characters.
I need five more words for it to accept the review ...

I guess on audible

Well written and very entertaining

I love how this author!!! I can't wait to hear more cases (stories) from India's #1 Detective. Tarquin Hall's vivid descriptions of the many characters makes me laugh and at times shake my head. Throughly Entertaining!!

Entertaining and inspiring

One of the best book in the series. The book discusses some of the hottest topics in India, cast, marriage, corruption, foreign exploitation. But it is also entertaining and fun.

Complicated

If you could sum up The Case of the Love Commandos in three words, what would they be?

Too many storylines

Would you recommend The Case of the Love Commandos to your friends? Why or why not?

Yes. I love the private detective and his different situations he gets into.

Which scene was your favorite?

When the plot was resolved.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh out loud in places.

Any additional comments?

This story had too many story lines to follow. I like it for its simplicity and this particular story was very complicated. Lots of different things happening in different places.

I would love for the author to simplify and give us more about Vish in his own life; the chilis, his mother (but don't switch between feeble and strong old lady), his staff and their interactions, etc. I want to know more about him!

This Series Is Incredible!!

This series is so so good, I don't think I can explain how much I love it. The mystery is interesting and fun, the characters are so compelling, and best of all the sense of place is unparalleled. I feel like I have learned so much about India from the series. The author talks about a lot of extremely important social issues, but despite the heavy topics, I don't find it depressing. The narration is also excellent. I hope this author never stops writing.

Enjoyed earlier books in series better

Well, the publisher's summary points out that each of the Vish Puri novels has become more complicated and dangerous. Yes, I agree--but what it has accomplished with that end in sight, it has done by sacrificing the rather delightful combination of quirky characters that amused as much as impressed--in the service of trying to make a more serious mystery I suppose.

I am saddened that Mr. Hall has chosen to depart (to some degree) from what was originally a charming set of stories that, read by Sam Dastor, were among my all-time favorites from Audible. I have no idea why Mr. Hall decided to move from the earlier, more amusing, stories. Others may feel this was a natural progression, a good conclusion to the series, but I regret that he didn't just keep with the approach that was so much fun to read.

This is good--if you enjoy mysteries, you will enjoy it. But I really missed something of the delight that went with the first of the books. Recommend, but with that caveat.

Wonderful narrator and story

This is a thoroughly entertaining listen. I wish this author wrote more about this detective and this narrator brought the characters to life brilliantly.

Best yet!

A wonderful series with fabulous characters - I especially like Mamagee, Vish Puri's mother, with her ability to uncannily outshine her son

Excellent

The characters in this story go beyond the lovable lead private detective to include the street food, the complexities of Indian society, and the many layers of Delhi life. I loved it.

Excellent

Several mysteries and many likable characters. A fun read and learned a bit of the Indian culture and history.