The Invitation

Kamil Rahman #3.5

by Ajay Chowdhury

A MYSTERY IS UNFOLDING

*A Detective Kamil Rahman short story*

'Thrilling...a terrific series' Sunday Times

Someone's put murder on the menu...

Kamil Rahman is working as a waiter at an Indian restaurant when his boss Anjoli receives a strange email titled Invitation to a Beheading . It claims to be a celebration of Anne Boleyn's 500th anniversary of her imprisonment and death, but when the pair arrive at the Bloody Tower, things take a sinister turn. Anjoli discovers an old friend has been kidnapped, and the only way to save her is to solve a series of clues leading them across London to her whereabouts.

In a race against the clock, can Kamil and Anjoli find the missing woman before time runs out?

*This is a digital-exclusive free short story, set in the world of the beloved Detective Kamil Rahman series.*

If you enjoyed this short story, the novels are available
The Waiter
The Cook
The Detective
Coming in 2024: The Spy

**

Ajay Chowdhury has partnered with Google's Pixel Fold to launch a first of its kind interactive eBook of The Invitation , which is also available to download for free. It offers a fun and interactive read, ideal for filling the average commute. Embedded with puzzles designed to stimulate and challenge, the eBook is optimised for the Pixel Fold - Google's first foldable phone.

**

Praise for the Detective Kamil Rahman

'Hugely entertaining' ANN CLEEVES

'The Detective has all the ingredients for a great crime series' SUN

'[Kamil is a] likeable inspector . . . We shall hear much more of him' DAILY MAIL

'An elegantly constructed thriller' THE TIMES

'Outstanding' SUNDAY TIMES

Genres: Fiction, Crime, Short Stories, Thriller

41 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2023

Reviews

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery listening 🎶🔰

This is a free novella e-book from Amazon. Oh how I love 💘 those free books 📚!

The ex detective is working as a waiter at his ex lovers restaurant when they are invited to a beheading. The fun begins as they race to save a friend from being beheaded.

I would recommend this novella and author to 👍 readers of mystery novels 👍🔰. 2023 👒😀😡😮

[Surjit Parekh · Rating 5 out of 5]

My thoughts about Ajay Chowdhury’s The Invitation is quick short story book, that is engaging, and a well-written thriller. It works well as a standalone, and writer Ajay Chowdhury has done a fabulous job by creating excitement for creating short stories with a difference. Ajay Chowdhury’s The Invitation is set between the events of the first book The Waiter and the 2nd book The Cook which is brilliantly well written. Ajay Chowdhury’s The Invitation mystery is wider in scope and told in a more compelling way. Ajay Chowdhury’s book is a captivating thriller from beginning to end. The story of Ajay Chowdhury’s story begins with Kamil Rahman is working as a waiter at an Indian restaurant when his boss Anjoli receives a strange email titled Invitation to a Beheading. It claims to be a celebration of Anne Boleyn’s 500th anniversary of her imprisonment and death, but when the pair arrive at the Bloody Tower, things take a sinister turn. Anjoli discovers an old friend has been kidnapped, and the only way to save her is to solve a series of clues leading theM across London to her whereabouts. In a race against the clock, can Kamil and Anjoli find the missing woman before time runs out. Overall Ajay Chowdhury’s The Invitation is a non-stop ride of suspense and intrigue and succeeds in how the investigation unfolds in a riveting way and how solving this mystery has a few fascinating surprises. I would like to say a big thank you to author Ajay Chowdhury and publishers Vintage books for inviting me to read and review this brilliant book. I’m hoping there will be many more short stories like this to come. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥

[Ming · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not satisfied with this rather simplistic short story. The writing and the activities to address a murder threat were very plain and appeared flat in tone. Mossimo is a caricature of an Italian man, crudely crafted.

This is my first time Chowdhury; and I am not moved to read more from him.

[Wil Carpenter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have wanted to dive in to Ajay Chowdhury's series starring disgraced detective Kamil Rahman for a while now. I have all the books in the series so far, but for whatever reason they keep being pushed further down by TBR. That will be something to rectify in 2024 having blasted through Chowdhury's (admittedly 40-page long) digital novella "The Invitation."

Originally published via Google as an interactive story, Chowdhury has now released "The Invitation" as a full blown prose tale and while it is extremely short, there are hints of how good this series can be. Dealing with beheaded corpses and a seemingly ghostly spectre of revenge, this is a short and sharp adventure for Kamil Rahman that wraps up quickly.

There is some controversy over Chowdhury's support of AI to write stories which goes against the majority consensus regarding the use of technology in media, but this was a satisfying, if overall fairly simple, tale.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to get my rear in gear and read The Waiter. I mean, I liked this short story so if it doesn’t make me read this series, I am a lost cause!

RTC

[what.heather.loves · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'It's an emailed titled 'Invitation to a Beheading'. How gruesome'. She gave a pleasurable shiver. 'Bloody hell, look at this!'... 'Please bring friends. Bloody Tower. 0900. Friday, November 3'"


This is a Detective Kamil Rahman short story, free to download on Amazon UK. I spotted it, having read and reviewed the rest of the regular series. It features former Kolkata police detective, now Brick Lane waiter Kamil and his friend (and love interest) Anjoli and her restaurant, Tandoori Knights. The pair are always finding themselves involved in a mystery, which along with delicious food, are the hallmarks of this great, crime fiction series.


This short story sees Anjoli, new Italian boyfriend Massimo and Kamil digging into Anjoli's university days, when they're 'invited' to save the life of an old friend of hers. A race against time means they are under pressure to decode the messages and follow the clues around London. There's plenty of drama and mystery and, if you haven't read any of the main series, this is a great introduction to the characters, their rapport and the setting.


A great addition to this Anglo-Indian, amateur detective and cuisine series, that serves as a taster (see what I did there?! 🤣) for the rest of the series. It's well-worth downloading and reading, if you have a Kindle. I read it in about half an hour.

[A J HOOPER · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free short story for Chowdhury fans. Kamil, former Kolkata policeman and presently waiter in a Brick Lane restaurant, gets caught up in his friend Anjoli's panic. She is sent a series of clues which she had to work out in order to progress to the next stage of a murder detective narrative. As the reader you are intended to play a part therefore in this interactive account. Good fun. I love Kamil

[Christine Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Invitation by Ajay Chowdhury

The Invitation by Ajay Chowdhury is a short story with the two main characters of his books involved in a murder mystery with a time limit.
Will they get there in time to save the day?
Highly recommended

[Craig Sisterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice wee short story from Ajay Chowdhury, whose Kamil Rahman series (THE WAITER, THE DETECTIVE, THE SPY, etc) is truly wonderful. The short story - whether read in text only or the interactive version via Ajay's website - is a fun wee tale. While it doesn't have the character depth etc of his novels, there's a nice zest to it, as a life-or-death scavenger hunt unfolds across London.

3.5 stars, rounded up.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Invitation (Kamil Rahman, #3.5) By Ajay Chowdhury

A delightful interactive story well worth your time.

[Ned Frederick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silliness plotted like an over-caffeinated scavenger hunt. Imagine an episode of the Amazing Race written by middle schoolers.

[Ingo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good read! Nice short story in the Kamil-universe. Sadly, the interactive website did not work, so we had to finish it as the e-book. Nice story anyways!

[Ruth Matheson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great short story about the main characters of this series and sits nicely between the main stories.

[Rachel McSorley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light snack - not enough time to have fun with the characters and deaths taken a tad too lightly

[Maryann Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short and very captivating thriller. Read it in entirely one sitting.

[Alex Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read quick and basic addition to a decent series

[Lisa K Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but a fun hunt

Good. Short story with a bit of a cat and mouse twist. Any longer would be monotonous and very boring

[Ruchika Pahwa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a simple thriller holding nice clues, though the suspense is subdued. The introduction of characters could also be made with more clarity.