The Case of the Reincarnated Client

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

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

A client claiming she was murdered in a past life is a novel dilemma even for Vish Puri, India’s most private investigator.

When a young woman comes forward saying she’s the reincarnation of Riya Kaur, a wife and mother who vanished during the bloody 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Puri is dismissive. He’s busy enough dealing with an irate matrimonial client whose daughter is complaining about her groom’s thunderous snoring. Puri’s indomitable Mummy-ji, however, is adamant the client is genuine. How else could she so accurately describe under hypnosis Riya Kaur’s life and final hours?

Driven by a sense of duty - the original case was his late father’s - Puri manages to acquire the police file only to find that someone powerful has orchestrated a cover-up. Forced into an alliance with his mother that tests his beliefs and high blood pressure as never before, it’s only by delving into the past the help of his reincarnated client that Puri can hope to unlock the truth.

©2019 Sacred Cow Media, Ltd. (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Fantastic thriller with humour, insight & intrigue

Another Hall masterpiece which moves with the times and gives us an in-depth tour of Indian society, culture and food (yum yum) while keeping us spellbound with the twists and turns of the plot. It is very brave of Tarquin Hall to mention so clearly and specifically all the iniquities and corruption that go on in India, on a daily basis, as it must create ripples in high places.
He also reveals all the wonderful, caring and positive aspects of this vibrant and amazing country. I am just sad that I have come to the end of this particular story and must "do patience na" until Hall comes up with more Vish Pury adventures. I will undoubtedly listen to The Case of the Reincarnated Client again though, as I have to all the Vish Puri books. Great narration by Sam Dastor who lends such a nuanced, yet totally clear Indian accent that adds to the authenticity.

Gotta give this a 5

For one thing it IS a cozy mystery in the sense that the story is set in the warmth of mutually supportive colleagues and family. -- but without getting sticky sweet. It's wonderfully human, showing the characters' foibles as they bump along together - which is where the HUMOR ;) comes in, delightful - also insightful to human nature and how we have to, and CAN, put up with each other ;) ;) ultimately with love and humor instead of shut downs, lifelong grudges, hostilities etc. It also gives tremendous and current insight into East Indian culture, also politics without ever getting heavy handed with it. Rather, these mentionings are flawlessly embedded in the story's flow. And the book is refreshingly INTELLIGENT. Nobody uses big words -- the intelligence is in the construction of the novel, its relationships, humor and plots. Oh yeah! The reader is also fantastic. He "gets" the humor and the subtleties so his reading does the book justice. I clap all of my hands ;) for all of Tarquin Hall's Dectective Puri books! I think this is the 3rd one.

Wonderful return for Vish Puri!

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest episode in the wonderful Vishi Puri series. The writing has the same hilarious yet serious tone of the previous four installments. Sam Dastor is marvelous as the narrator who can capture the interesting relationships among the many and varied characters. All the great characters are back including Mummy-ji and Rumpi. Without his nuanced performance, much would be lost. There are several story lines which reveal not only the complex culture of Indian society but also introduce some historical notes. I hope that Tarquin Hall will not make us wait too long for the next book in the series. Highly recommended. Not only is the story highly entertaining with never a dull moment, but the background of the story is highly relevant to the current state of India as ethnic tensions again threaten to mar the tragic history of this fascinating and complex country.

Brilliant, Intriguing, Entertaining, Funny!!!

Loved this 5th book. Sherlock Holmes meets Dickens meets Shantaram. Hall and Dastor back in their groove. Chubby and Mummy are cracking impossible crime cases. Very thought provoking, current, and funny. This book explores a little bit of psychology, hypnosis, reincarnation, etc. Looking forward to more books by Tarquin Hall and brilliant narrator Sam Dastor.

Just lovely, generally believable and feel-good!

Loved the story, the humor, the narrator. It gives an unvarnished but very real feel of India - of its great and not-so-great moments, just like in any country.

Vish Puri Back again

Love the Vish Puri series wish has the right mix of humor and seriousness as it delves into Indian society and culture. Vish himself is a fun character and while Mommy Ji is a little too stereotypical the characters generally flow through nicely.

I love this series

I speak as a non Indian person and respectfully acknowledge that my observations are from that perspective and may well stand to be corrected by an Indian national. That being said, I have spent a lot of time in India, and the the images portrayed here, the sights, sounds, smells, the language spoken and the food eaten made me terribly nostalgic for that lovely country. Each book has at its core observations about a single large historical and cultural issue, but intertwined with that is a rollicking good adventure with characters I have grown to love. I miss them now and can't wait for the next book.

Some things never change

The good part is that Vish, India's Most Private Investigator, Mummy, and the rest of the gang are back with another great story. The unfortunate part is that a central aspect of the story--1984 riots in which Hindus killed and tortured Sikhs--appears to be replaying with the Hindu persecution of Muslims in India right now. Makes this book more relevant than we would like. Evil and prejudice are constantly reincarnating.

Brilliant narrator of a lovely story

The person who reads this novel is absolutely brilliant, taking on the voices of men and women of different accents and ages.
The story is witty and engaging, greatly enhanced by the narration.

More Vish Puri please

I was so excited to finally see a new Vish Puri mystery and it didn't disappoint. Same great twists and turns. Lots of humor too.

Sam Dastor's performance is wonderful as usual.

If you enjoyed the previous Vish Puri mysteries, you'll like this one too. Looking forward to the next one...