The Case of the Missing Servant

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

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, 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 2000 years ago - long before "that Johnny-come-lately" Sherlock Holmes donned his Deerstalker.

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.

©2009 Sacred Cow Media Ltd. (P)2009 BBC Audio

Entertaining and keeps you hooked.

What did you love best about The Case of the Missing Servant?

the characters!!! They're painted so vivid and given such distinct personalities, it was easy to follow and enjoy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love the main character. I like how he nicknames all his operatives. He gives the impression that he's not too smart, but he sneaks up on them with all of the answers.

What does Sam Dastor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

It's difficult to get all the different accents and voices in your head when you read. I like how they didn't all sound the same.

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

it made me laugh off and on.

Any additional comments?

loved it

Excellent.

Great story. Twists and turns keep it moving. The characters and very entertaining. Fantastic narratiom. An all around good read.

Delhi Chatter

Vish Puri is a private detective in Delhi juggling several cases -- the missing servant girl of the title, a judge accused of murder, potential political corruption, and the suitability of a prospective groom, as well as an attempt on his own life. Helping him are an array of characters, including (under his perpetual protest) his mother. All set to the sights and sounds, tastes and smells, people and places, morals and mores, and social and religious diversity of modern India.

But what sets this IMFL (Indian-Made Foreign Literature) apart, especially in audio, is author Tarquin Hall's masterful use of Indian English. Though born in London to American and English parents, the former journalist now lives in Delhi with his Indian wife. Clearly reveling in the charming (as he calls it) way Indians have appropriated (malappropriated) the English language, Hall has created a series of novels that allow us to listen in.

"English is a mongrel language and the English themselves have had no qualms about looting tens of thousands of words from other languages (and often changed the meanings) so why shouldn’t others do the same," Hall writes in introducing his Indian-English glossary. We are the beneficiaries of his golden ear for how English has evolved in his adopted land in this first entry in the Vish Puri mystery series.

As much as I have come to appreciate audiobooks set in India or about Indians (far more than in print), as I have previously remarked in reviewing Q&A (Slumdog Millionaire), A Son of the Circus, Life of Pi, and The 100-Foot Journey, there has to be more to it than just their lilting present tense manner of speaking. There has to be a good story. Hall's story is in the mystery format, with a complex plot that has all the hallmarks of ultimately coming together in a manner essential to a good mystery -- at once anticipated and unanticipated.

But... it didn't come together in the way I anticipated, and the unanticipated elements were not satisfying (for me). I don't want to get into details that would be spoilers. Stylistically, the story rushes too hurriedly to its denouement, leaving a lot of plot potential on the table. My understanding is that the Puri series gets better with each entry, so I will definitely be giving it another go. Whether this works for you, however, depends on how interested you think you would be in the landscape and language -- without that, this is just another mystery novel.

fans of inspector ghote will probably love this

If you’ve listened to books by Tarquin Hall before, how does this one compare?

this is my first book by tarquin hall, and while i cannot imagine tearing through the whole series back to back, i do find myself still thinking about vish puri and the employees of the "most private detective agency", so i will probably listen to the next one eventually. i loved the modern-day delhi setting, the mystery was just the right-level of complicated to keep me guessing, and sam dastor made every character come alive.

Any additional comments?

i liked vish puri, but i *LOVED* the character of mummy-ji... a series based on her adventures would be irresistible! :)

Interesting Setting

While the mystery itself was fairly obvious, I enjoyed the characters and the plot. What made this different from many other similar stories was the setting in India; I enjoyed learning about the culture and the caste system.

Eccentric and Charming Characters Abound

This book conjures the atmosphere of modern New Delhi and the social milieu in which the story occurs. Satirical glimpses of the burgeoning nouveaux riches are hilarious. A great yarn that also provides an insight into the level of corruption in the red-tape-drowned bureaucracy. I just loved the weaving of the various cases that were pursued and how the conclusions were neatly written. Above all this is an amusing and light novel with lovable and droll characters drawn against a backdrop of systemic corruption. I loved it and couldn't put it down. The narrator is a perfect choice and he evokes the characters brilliantly. A lovely marriage of story and performance.

The perfect voice for an excellent book

What did you love best about The Case of the Missing Servant?

It has the smells, the noises and the characters of India. Travel in your armchair! It is a mystery, good clean fun and entertaining. For once, here comes a PI who is a good family man. It is almost unheard of in literature.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

The hero is a PI of modern times in India, so he can use scientific tools when needed. However, he prefers to use his own contacts and spies rather than DNA. It allows the reader to meet a multitude of fascinating characters. The book is a lot of fun.

What does Sam Dastor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

There are of course Indian names of people and meal courses. I bought the audio because I was curious to hear the pronunciation. Dastor, however, proved to be much more: a delight. He changes voice with the different characters, he reads extremely well, the rhythm is perfect. The Indo-British accent he produces is wonderful within the book, and you will want to cook your own curry while listening to this. I intend to buy the audio of everything he is willing to read.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

It is a long book. It will take a long week-end of leisure.

Okay, now, this is good!

What fun to hear. Good mystery, wonderful narration and different from anything I have ever heard. "Mama G" and family help with the detective agency as they try to live up to its humble reputation as best in India ( or the world).

Listened to it again

After listening again, I raised my rating to 5. I like that the novel weaves much of the origin story of the detective into the telling of the story as opposed to burdening the reader with a disjointed look back sequence. I do wish some more clarity was provided in this book or one of the subsequent books about the incident that caused him to leave the military.

India's Sherlock Holmes

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I am currently working in the Middle East and many of the characters seemed very authentic (as well as entertaining).

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Case of the Missing Servant?

The relationships portrayed in the book were spot on.

Any additional comments?

I am planning on purchasing the other books in this series. A very nice listen on the way to work.