12 Aug / The Case of the Reincarnated Client: A Vish Puri Mystery by Tarquin Hall [in Booklist]
*STARRED REVIEW
Nearly seven long, long years have passed since the eminent Vish Puri, India’s most private investigator, has had a high-profile case. Utmost gratitude gushes, not only for his return, but for Sam Dastor’s in the fifth title in Tarquin Hall’s delectable Delhi-based mystery series.
This time, marriage seems to be the targeted theme: Puri’s own matrimonial bliss with Rumpi notwithstanding, three other troubled unions loom – his youngest daughter dares to want a love match with a Bengali, a recently arranged pairing impeccably vetted by Puri has gone asunder because of the newlywed husband’s unbearable snoring, and a decades-old murderous pairing that stumped even his own esteemed late father seems to be … well … in the process of being reincarnated. The latter will require the unwanted expertise only Mummy-ji seems capable of, as she bursts (again) without warning into Puri’s office, insisting that the assumed-to-be-murdered wife is now a young woman ready to talk.
With pitch-perfect aplomb, Dastor expertly commands the colorful cast, navigating comedic twists and solemn tragedies. From the opening credits to the closing author’s note, the gleeful relief of savoring Dastor’s performance never wanes, until the very last second, when you’ll have to face the unavoidable, undeniable hunger for more.
Review: “Media,” Booklist, July 2020
Readers: Adult
Published: 2019 (UK), 2020 (United States)