What do you think?
Rate this book
Vish Puri #6
The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck: From the Files of Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator
Portly, perceptive and spectacularly moustachioed, India’s finest private detective, Vish Puri, tackles his most difficult case to date in the long-awaited return of Tarquin Hall’s delightful humorous whodunit series set in New Delhi.
“Vish Puri is the Indian Poirot” Financial Times
“A wonderfully engaging PI” The Times
“Vish Puri [is] a Punjabi Sherlock Holmes” The Guardian
When Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective, learns he’s won the long-coveted International Detective of the Year award, it’s supposed to be a secret. But within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – and his indomitable Mummy-ji announces she’ll be coming with him to the ceremony in London, never mind that she’s not been invited.
To add to his woes, a senior government bureaucrat gives him an undercover mission he can’t refuse. Puri is tasked with tracking down India’s most-wanted fugitive: a billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster codenamed Bombay Duck, who’s rumoured to be hiding in the British capital.
Puri’s only spending a week in London . . . and he’s already promised his wife he won’t work during their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
In desperation, he enlists the help of his reluctant nephew Jags and dives headfirst into the case. But can Puri hook the Bombay Duck and bring him to justice – all the while keeping his investigations secret from his wife and meddling mother?
Packed with the sights, sounds and flavours of both New Delhi and London, author Tarquin Hall – who divides his time between India and the UK – delivers an irresistible read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Harini Nagendra and Jesse Sutanto.>b>
“Vish Puri is the Indian Poirot” Financial Times
“A wonderfully engaging PI” The Times
“Vish Puri [is] a Punjabi Sherlock Holmes” The Guardian
When Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective, learns he’s won the long-coveted International Detective of the Year award, it’s supposed to be a secret. But within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – and his indomitable Mummy-ji announces she’ll be coming with him to the ceremony in London, never mind that she’s not been invited.
To add to his woes, a senior government bureaucrat gives him an undercover mission he can’t refuse. Puri is tasked with tracking down India’s most-wanted fugitive: a billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster codenamed Bombay Duck, who’s rumoured to be hiding in the British capital.
Puri’s only spending a week in London . . . and he’s already promised his wife he won’t work during their once-in-a-lifetime trip.
In desperation, he enlists the help of his reluctant nephew Jags and dives headfirst into the case. But can Puri hook the Bombay Duck and bring him to justice – all the while keeping his investigations secret from his wife and meddling mother?
Packed with the sights, sounds and flavours of both New Delhi and London, author Tarquin Hall – who divides his time between India and the UK – delivers an irresistible read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Harini Nagendra and Jesse Sutanto.>b>
1 pages, Audio CD
Published March 4, 2025
73 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Tarquin Hall
15 books653 followersTarquin Hall is a British author and journalist who has lived and worked throughout South Asia, the Middle East and Africa. He is the author of The Case of the Missing Servant, dozens of articles, and three works of non-fiction, including the highly acclaimed Salaam Brick Lane, an account of a year spent above a Bangladeshi sweat shop in London’s notorious East End. He is married to Indian-born journalist, Anu Anand. They have a young son and divide their time between London and Delhi.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
March 2, 2025
Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective, has to travel from his home in New Delhi to London to collect the International Detective of the Year award. He has promised his wife that their trip to London will be strictly a vacation, but a government official forces him to accept a mission. Puri has to track down the Bombay Duck, who has defrauded (and killed) people with a pharmaceutical scam. And he has to do this without his wife and mother catching on that he is working.
I rarely read cozy mysteries, but I’ve enjoyed this series. Puri and his family members are all extremely likable, the books have humor, the plots are interesting and they proceed at a fast pace (They really have to since the books are short.). In this case, the search for the Bombay Duck turns into a different sort of investigation with a twist. There is also a side plot that didn’t really interest me.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was excellent. He even did a good job with the female voices. However, the audiobook does not include the Glossary of terms used in the book. So if you want to know the meaning of such terms as “Bombay Duck”, “Achaar”, and “Goonda”, you need to get another book format.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I rarely read cozy mysteries, but I’ve enjoyed this series. Puri and his family members are all extremely likable, the books have humor, the plots are interesting and they proceed at a fast pace (They really have to since the books are short.). In this case, the search for the Bombay Duck turns into a different sort of investigation with a twist. There is also a side plot that didn’t really interest me.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was excellent. He even did a good job with the female voices. However, the audiobook does not include the Glossary of terms used in the book. So if you want to know the meaning of such terms as “Bombay Duck”, “Achaar”, and “Goonda”, you need to get another book format.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
December 25, 2024
Author Tarquin Hall had not released a Vish Puri novel in five years, so I had given up hope. How thrilled I am to discover the release of No. 6 in the series featuring the rotund, self-admiring head of Most Private Investigators in New Delhi. In The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck, Puri’s ego is further inflated by a summons to receive the 2021 Private Detective of the Year by the International Private Detectives Ltd. in London. Puri’s wife Rumpi and his mother accompany him to England.
But while Puri’s there, an Indian bigwig insists that Puri partner with Scotland Yard to track down a fugitive pharmaceutical CEO. At the same time, Rumpi and Mummy-ji conduct their own investigation into an Indian ex-pat servant being cheated of her wages and benefits. Readers will adore both cases, each of which has plenty of surprises. But it’s Vish Puri’s Chav but clever nephew Jagat (better known as “Jags”) that steals every scene he’s in. This first-generation Londoner taking a gap year is trying to find himself — and, thanks to Puri, he might just have found his calling. Highly, highly recommended.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Severn House in exchange for an honest review.
But while Puri’s there, an Indian bigwig insists that Puri partner with Scotland Yard to track down a fugitive pharmaceutical CEO. At the same time, Rumpi and Mummy-ji conduct their own investigation into an Indian ex-pat servant being cheated of her wages and benefits. Readers will adore both cases, each of which has plenty of surprises. But it’s Vish Puri’s Chav but clever nephew Jagat (better known as “Jags”) that steals every scene he’s in. This first-generation Londoner taking a gap year is trying to find himself — and, thanks to Puri, he might just have found his calling. Highly, highly recommended.
In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Severn House in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2025
3.5
This is the first of Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series that I've read (leaving me way behind everyone else I assume).
The story follows Puri as he heads to London, ostensibly to pick up a prestigious award but, as appears to be normal, taking on the case of Harilal Bhatt, a dodgy businessman who has - so far - eluded Scotland Yard. It's a wild ride with poisonings, chases and lots of disguises being the order coffee the day.
The character I really enjoyed was Puri's Mummy who, I gather, has just as much expertise in catching criminals as Puri himself. She's incredibly entertaining and far more forthright than Vish.
My scoring may seem a little mean but the writing felt a little unpolished to me and the dialogue somewhat clunky at times.
I did, however, enjoy the book and I'd suggest fans of Vaseem Khan or Richard Osman would also enjoy these books. I'll certainly read the previous ones in the series - for no other reason than to increase my enjoyment of Mummy.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Severn House for the advance review copy.
This is the first of Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series that I've read (leaving me way behind everyone else I assume).
The story follows Puri as he heads to London, ostensibly to pick up a prestigious award but, as appears to be normal, taking on the case of Harilal Bhatt, a dodgy businessman who has - so far - eluded Scotland Yard. It's a wild ride with poisonings, chases and lots of disguises being the order coffee the day.
The character I really enjoyed was Puri's Mummy who, I gather, has just as much expertise in catching criminals as Puri himself. She's incredibly entertaining and far more forthright than Vish.
My scoring may seem a little mean but the writing felt a little unpolished to me and the dialogue somewhat clunky at times.
I did, however, enjoy the book and I'd suggest fans of Vaseem Khan or Richard Osman would also enjoy these books. I'll certainly read the previous ones in the series - for no other reason than to increase my enjoyment of Mummy.
Thankyou to Netgalley and Severn House for the advance review copy.
February 27, 2025
3.5 stars. I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the digital ARC for The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck by Taquin Hall. I had enjoyed all the earlier books featuring Private Detective Vish Puri, based in New Delhi. These books were cozy character-based mysteries, and filled with humour.
This book was more complex, with investigations in India and London, and numerous characters to follow in both locations. It lacked the laugh-out-loud humour in the previous books. I was pleased to follow the new adventures of Puri, his wife Rumpi, and his delightful, forthright, and interfering mother, Mummy-ji, an unofficial skilled detective.
When Puri learns that the International Federation of Detectives has chosen him as Private Detective of the Year, he is proud and thrilled to attend the award ceremony in London. He plans to stay in London for a week and take his wife on a sightseeing holiday. His mother has arranged to accompany them, although uninvited.
A prominent Indian official, on learning of his upcoming London visit, orders him to look for a pharmaceutical manager wanted for deaths, and fraud for a diabetes medication. He is nicknamed the Bombay Duck, and is believed to have fled to England and is hiding in London. Scotland Yard has been unsuccessful in locating him.
Puri promised his wife he would not work on the trip and kept the assignment secret from his wife and mother. He tries to juggle the assignment with sightseeing. Fortunately, he has assistants in both countries. Puri relies on his intuition and reasoning; his helpers have technical skills. Since he lacks the time, he enlists his nephew, Jags, to investigate in London. Jags is a street-smart, clever young man, and a first generation Londoner. He is initially reluctant to help, but soon shows promising detective skills.
The case involving the elusive Bombay Duck becomes increasingly difficult. It included murders by poison using ingredients from India, disguises and possible involvement of Bombay Duck's wife in India.. Puri consults with an old friend in Scotland Yard. Suspects are trying to find and kill the fugitive. Both Scotland Yard and Puri are conflicted about the guilty party. The investigation becomes more complicated by cultural differences and misunderstandings. Can Puri and associates find the Bombay Duck?
Mummy-ji learns that a maid from India is being mistreated and locked in her room when she is not being overworked. The maid is denied the promised salary and benefits. Mummy-ji is anxious to help her.
Recommended for readers who enjoy complex mysteries. Fans of Detective Puri, his friends and relatives, will be pleased to follow their newest adventures. Publication is set for March 04/ 2025.
This book was more complex, with investigations in India and London, and numerous characters to follow in both locations. It lacked the laugh-out-loud humour in the previous books. I was pleased to follow the new adventures of Puri, his wife Rumpi, and his delightful, forthright, and interfering mother, Mummy-ji, an unofficial skilled detective.
When Puri learns that the International Federation of Detectives has chosen him as Private Detective of the Year, he is proud and thrilled to attend the award ceremony in London. He plans to stay in London for a week and take his wife on a sightseeing holiday. His mother has arranged to accompany them, although uninvited.
A prominent Indian official, on learning of his upcoming London visit, orders him to look for a pharmaceutical manager wanted for deaths, and fraud for a diabetes medication. He is nicknamed the Bombay Duck, and is believed to have fled to England and is hiding in London. Scotland Yard has been unsuccessful in locating him.
Puri promised his wife he would not work on the trip and kept the assignment secret from his wife and mother. He tries to juggle the assignment with sightseeing. Fortunately, he has assistants in both countries. Puri relies on his intuition and reasoning; his helpers have technical skills. Since he lacks the time, he enlists his nephew, Jags, to investigate in London. Jags is a street-smart, clever young man, and a first generation Londoner. He is initially reluctant to help, but soon shows promising detective skills.
The case involving the elusive Bombay Duck becomes increasingly difficult. It included murders by poison using ingredients from India, disguises and possible involvement of Bombay Duck's wife in India.. Puri consults with an old friend in Scotland Yard. Suspects are trying to find and kill the fugitive. Both Scotland Yard and Puri are conflicted about the guilty party. The investigation becomes more complicated by cultural differences and misunderstandings. Can Puri and associates find the Bombay Duck?
Mummy-ji learns that a maid from India is being mistreated and locked in her room when she is not being overworked. The maid is denied the promised salary and benefits. Mummy-ji is anxious to help her.
Recommended for readers who enjoy complex mysteries. Fans of Detective Puri, his friends and relatives, will be pleased to follow their newest adventures. Publication is set for March 04/ 2025.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2025
The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck is the sixth book in the Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator series by British journalist and author, Tarquin Hall. The audio version is narrated by Vikas Adam. The best day in Vish Puri’s life, when he learns he is to be crowned the 2021 Private Detective of the Year by the International Federation of Private Detectives, ends less happily when this confidential news spreads over Delhi at the lightning-fast speed of gossip. Suddenly reporters want interviews, gifts and flowers turn up, and he’s in demand for social functions.
The meter-down week with Rumpi in London for the award ceremony will be less intimate with Mummy insisting on coming along. His long-time friend, Rinku expects an invitation and Puri dreads just how inappropriate he will likely be. But even more alarming, an assistant in the Ministry of Finance expects him to track down India’s most wanted man. And he’ll have to do it on the quiet to avoid Rumpi’s ire at always having vacations hijacked by work.
Dr Harilal Bhatt, CEO of Bio Solutions, absconded to London four months ago, after his new diabetes drug caused the death of at least three hundred patients. The research was funded by unsecured loans in the billions: everyone wants his head, but not everyone wants him on a witness stand, naming names. Luckily, Inspector Simon Bromley of Scotland Yard is on the case, and he owes Puri a favour or two.
They are staying with family and Rumpi and Mummy have a full agenda of sightseeing planned, but Puri is excused to visit Bates for the purchase of new Sandown caps, and have a tour of Scotland Yard. Young Jagat, on a gap year and driving for Deliveroo, guides Puri through the Underground, and tags along when Bromley takes him to examine the site of Bhatt’s almost-capture.
Back in Delhi, Tubelight, Flash and Cheti keep an eye on the Bhatt McMansion where his former-model wife, Shweta is holed up. They do the necessary research on Bhatt and, during his shift of covert surveillance, Flush falls in love with Savita, the Bhatt maid who walks the dog and goes to market. Might this stop his mother's alarming foray into Tinder on his behalf?
Puri co-opts a reluctant Jags to help out, and spots a tail; ever-observant, Mummy has spotted a different tail; both will be a problem. Visiting the family of prospective husband for a friend’s daughter, Mummy’s suspicions are raised and, together with Rumpi and cousin Nina, finds herself trying to rescue an Indian servant from a bad situation.
Puri’s observations of England are certainly a source of humour: everything DIY and no wallahs for menial tasks; bland food and tasteless tea; unintelligible English slang; rules that are meant to be followed, not broken; and, to his utter dismay, vegan food and no alcohol at the cousin’s place. Puri has never been so hungry for real food!
In this latest instalment, Hall gives the reader a plot with look-alikes, a hitman, false passports, poison, tickets to Grand Cayman, corrupt officials, dodgy medical research, lunch with royalty, and a yo-yo or two. Twists, red herrings, surprises and, of course, delightful dialogue make this another very enjoyable Indian cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.
The meter-down week with Rumpi in London for the award ceremony will be less intimate with Mummy insisting on coming along. His long-time friend, Rinku expects an invitation and Puri dreads just how inappropriate he will likely be. But even more alarming, an assistant in the Ministry of Finance expects him to track down India’s most wanted man. And he’ll have to do it on the quiet to avoid Rumpi’s ire at always having vacations hijacked by work.
Dr Harilal Bhatt, CEO of Bio Solutions, absconded to London four months ago, after his new diabetes drug caused the death of at least three hundred patients. The research was funded by unsecured loans in the billions: everyone wants his head, but not everyone wants him on a witness stand, naming names. Luckily, Inspector Simon Bromley of Scotland Yard is on the case, and he owes Puri a favour or two.
They are staying with family and Rumpi and Mummy have a full agenda of sightseeing planned, but Puri is excused to visit Bates for the purchase of new Sandown caps, and have a tour of Scotland Yard. Young Jagat, on a gap year and driving for Deliveroo, guides Puri through the Underground, and tags along when Bromley takes him to examine the site of Bhatt’s almost-capture.
Back in Delhi, Tubelight, Flash and Cheti keep an eye on the Bhatt McMansion where his former-model wife, Shweta is holed up. They do the necessary research on Bhatt and, during his shift of covert surveillance, Flush falls in love with Savita, the Bhatt maid who walks the dog and goes to market. Might this stop his mother's alarming foray into Tinder on his behalf?
Puri co-opts a reluctant Jags to help out, and spots a tail; ever-observant, Mummy has spotted a different tail; both will be a problem. Visiting the family of prospective husband for a friend’s daughter, Mummy’s suspicions are raised and, together with Rumpi and cousin Nina, finds herself trying to rescue an Indian servant from a bad situation.
Puri’s observations of England are certainly a source of humour: everything DIY and no wallahs for menial tasks; bland food and tasteless tea; unintelligible English slang; rules that are meant to be followed, not broken; and, to his utter dismay, vegan food and no alcohol at the cousin’s place. Puri has never been so hungry for real food!
In this latest instalment, Hall gives the reader a plot with look-alikes, a hitman, false passports, poison, tickets to Grand Cayman, corrupt officials, dodgy medical research, lunch with royalty, and a yo-yo or two. Twists, red herrings, surprises and, of course, delightful dialogue make this another very enjoyable Indian cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing.
February 8, 2025
enjoyable
Interesting plot, but not as funny as previous books. Puri in India with his various cronies are the best combo for solving crimes!
Interesting plot, but not as funny as previous books. Puri in India with his various cronies are the best combo for solving crimes!
March 16, 2025
It’s been about six years since we last met Vish Puri, India’s most lovable portly food-loving private investigator created by author Tarquin Hall, so I was eager to accompany the detective on a jaunt to London, where he is to receive the International Detective of the Year award. But of course, how could Mr. Puri not get embroiled in a mystery case even when he’s not in his home court? He’s been asked to go undercover to track down an Indian pharmaceutical fraudster hiding in London who has been dubbed “Bombay Duck,” (hilarious, especially for those who know what a Bombay Duck is). In London he teams up with his old friend from Scotland Yard and his reluctant nephew Jags who becomes an assistant, while his team on the ground in New Delhi covers the India angle. The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck is yet another hilarious mystery romp with Vish Puri and his personal idiosyncrasies and cultural penchants that Tarquin Hall reflect so well, down to the use of the English language and unique phrasing that someone who has lived in India is familiar with and can capture - kudos to the author. I read the ARC of this book, so hopefully a couple of references I mention here have been fixed in the published edition - “typhoon off the Bay of Bengal” in chapter 5 should be “cyclone off the Bay of Bengal” - cyclones are what they’re called in that part of the world. Also, in the Glossary section, besides the spiced tamarind water mentioned, Golgappas must include a mixture of potato, chickpeas, onions, cucumbers and spices, otherwise it’s not a golgappa! Overall, this book kept me highly entertained with its storyline, characters, and dialogue. It was lovely to hang out once again with the irreplaceable Vish Puri. This was a solid 3.5 read, rounded up to 4. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 26, 2025
I ended up skimming this, as the library wanted it back. 3.5 stars
So nice to have Vish Puri back after a gap of several years.
As usual this book was good fun, with a tricky bit of mystery. I loved seeing Puri in England on holiday with his wife and mother. He's trying to keep his investigation from his wife, but ends up (reluctantly) working with his mother. I must say I love Mummy-ji. It was also fun to see Puri's regular Delhi crew in action, as they worked the Indian side of the case.
His interactions with Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard were also delightful to read. Poor Bromley! He got his reward at the end, however, for working with Puri and Mummy-ji. So, all is well that ends well.
So nice to have Vish Puri back after a gap of several years.
As usual this book was good fun, with a tricky bit of mystery. I loved seeing Puri in England on holiday with his wife and mother. He's trying to keep his investigation from his wife, but ends up (reluctantly) working with his mother. I must say I love Mummy-ji. It was also fun to see Puri's regular Delhi crew in action, as they worked the Indian side of the case.
His interactions with Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard were also delightful to read. Poor Bromley! He got his reward at the end, however, for working with Puri and Mummy-ji. So, all is well that ends well.
July 6, 2025
Ah, Vish Puri has reached the pinnacle of his career. He has been awarded the International Private Detective of the Year Award with the ceremony taking place in London. It will be a holiday for he and his wife, Rumpi. No business. Except, he receives political pressure to look for a billionaire who committed fraud in India and is thought to be hiding in London. Okay, he can handle that. But soon Mummy-Ji is on the phone. She's not going to miss sharing in her son's achievements. So the happy couple has company. Honestly Mummy-Ji is the absolute best character in this series so it would have been a shame to leave her behind.
Although I enjoyed this entry, I prefer the setting in India where readers are immersed into another culture. Vish Puri is at his best navigating the backstreets of Dehli and the descriptions of the food are scrumptious. If you like cozier mysteries with a strong family element, check this series out.
Although I enjoyed this entry, I prefer the setting in India where readers are immersed into another culture. Vish Puri is at his best navigating the backstreets of Dehli and the descriptions of the food are scrumptious. If you like cozier mysteries with a strong family element, check this series out.
May 24, 2025
What I liked:
* Mummy-ji. She is the best [and I always love her storylines] and Vish deserves everything she deals out to him.
* Being in London and seeing the two dramatically different outlooks/lifestyles, even amongst their London-dwelling relatives.
* The mystery/story/side story [that is all about Mummy-ji, Rhumpi, and their relative/host Nina and their shenanigans as they try and solve their own mystery and help someone in the process]. It was a very good mystery [though I so should have seen the end coming but totally missed it] and as always, good writing.
* Vish's dislike of English food. It IS hilarious how he goes on about it, and how he longs for his spicy food.
* Vish and his nephew. THIS part of the story is absolutely fantastic.
What didn't work for me:
* The pacing was a bit slow in parts and I found myself struggling with how slow it was in parts.
* The dual locations; I loved that Vish and his family was in London, but trying to also keep track of his team and their investigations in India was confusing to me at times.
* The narration. NOW, I must say this; it is ABSOLUTELY no fault of the narrator at all [who I typically really enjoy and love when I see his name on a book I am going to read]; he did the best he could given the circumstances and I give him full marks for that. THAT said, after 5 books with one narrator [the brilliant Mr. Sam Dastor], switching to a new one was V E R Y jarring and again, even though this is not the narrator's fault, it still really affected how I responded to this book. Should there be more books and Mr. Adams continues to narrate them, I know I will settle in to them and start enjoying his narration, because he TRULY is a very good narrator.
Overall, this was a good read, and I really enjoyed spending time with Vish and Co. again. I can only hope this series continues.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tarquin Hall, and Severn House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
* Mummy-ji. She is the best [and I always love her storylines] and Vish deserves everything she deals out to him.
* Being in London and seeing the two dramatically different outlooks/lifestyles, even amongst their London-dwelling relatives.
* The mystery/story/side story [that is all about Mummy-ji, Rhumpi, and their relative/host Nina and their shenanigans as they try and solve their own mystery and help someone in the process]. It was a very good mystery [though I so should have seen the end coming but totally missed it] and as always, good writing.
* Vish's dislike of English food. It IS hilarious how he goes on about it, and how he longs for his spicy food.
* Vish and his nephew. THIS part of the story is absolutely fantastic.
What didn't work for me:
* The pacing was a bit slow in parts and I found myself struggling with how slow it was in parts.
* The dual locations; I loved that Vish and his family was in London, but trying to also keep track of his team and their investigations in India was confusing to me at times.
* The narration. NOW, I must say this; it is ABSOLUTELY no fault of the narrator at all [who I typically really enjoy and love when I see his name on a book I am going to read]; he did the best he could given the circumstances and I give him full marks for that. THAT said, after 5 books with one narrator [the brilliant Mr. Sam Dastor], switching to a new one was V E R Y jarring and again, even though this is not the narrator's fault, it still really affected how I responded to this book. Should there be more books and Mr. Adams continues to narrate them, I know I will settle in to them and start enjoying his narration, because he TRULY is a very good narrator.
Overall, this was a good read, and I really enjoyed spending time with Vish and Co. again. I can only hope this series continues.
Thank you to NetGalley, Tarquin Hall, and Severn House for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 17, 2025
Delightful,warm and witty.
December 17, 2024
Let me whine a bit because the ebook is Not TTS enabled and my vision is not working well. I could only read part of it, but enough for me to go ahead and preorder the audio so I could laugh my way through another Vishi Puri mystery with that incredibly delightful cast of characters.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected reader's proof from Severn House via NetGalley.
Avail Mar 04, 2025 #TheCaseoftheElusiveBombayDuck by Tarquin Hall #VishiPuriMysteriesBk6 @SevernHouse #NetGalley #CozyMystery #MurderMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected reader's proof from Severn House via NetGalley.
Avail Mar 04, 2025 #TheCaseoftheElusiveBombayDuck by Tarquin Hall #VishiPuriMysteriesBk6 @SevernHouse #NetGalley #CozyMystery #MurderMystery @goodreads @bookbub @librarythingofficial @barnesandnoble @waterstones ***** #Review @booksamillion @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk
November 29, 2025
The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck is the sixth book in the Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator series by British journalist and author, Tarquin Hall. The best day in Vish Puri’s life, when he learns he is to be crowned the 2021 Private Detective of the Year by the International Federation of Private Detectives, ends less happily when this confidential news spreads over Delhi at the lightning-fast speed of gossip. Suddenly reporters want interviews, gifts and flowers turn up, and he’s in demand for social functions.
The meter-down week with Rumpi in London for the award ceremony will be less intimate with Mummy insisting on coming along. His long-time friend, Rinku expects an invitation and Puri dreads just how inappropriate he will likely be. But even more alarming, an assistant in the Ministry of Finance expects him to track down India’s most wanted man. And he’ll have to do it on the quiet to avoid Rumpi’s ire at always having vacations hijacked by work.
Dr Harilal Bhatt, CEO of Bio Solutions, absconded to London four months ago, after his new diabetes drug caused the death of at least three hundred patients. The research was funded by unsecured loans in the billions: everyone wants his head, but not everyone wants him on a witness stand, naming names. Luckily, Inspector Simon Bromley of Scotland Yard is on the case, and he owes Puri a favour or two.
They are staying with family and Rumpi and Mummy have a full agenda of sightseeing planned, but Puri is excused to visit Bates for the purchase of new Sandown caps, and have a tour of Scotland Yard. Young Jagat, on a gap year and driving for Deliveroo, guides Puri through the Underground, and tags along when Bromley takes him to examine the site of Bhatt’s almost-capture.
Back in Delhi, Tubelight, Flash and Cheti keep an eye on the Bhatt McMansion where his former-model wife, Shweta is holed up. They do the necessary research on Bhatt and, during his shift of covert surveillance, Flush falls in love with Savita, the Bhatt maid who walks the dog and goes to market. Might this stop his mother's alarming foray into Tinder on his behalf?
Puri co-opts a reluctant Jags to help out, and spots a tail; ever-observant, Mummy has spotted a different tail; both will be a problem. Visiting the family of prospective husband for a friend’s daughter, Mummy’s suspicions are raised and, together with Rumpi and cousin Nina, finds herself trying to rescue an Indian servant from a bad situation.
Puri’s observations of England are certainly a source of humour: everything DIY and no wallahs for menial tasks; bland food and tasteless tea; unintelligible English slang; rules that are meant to be followed, not broken; and, to his utter dismay, vegan food and no alcohol at the cousin’s place. Puri has never been so hungry for real food!
In this latest instalment, Hall gives the reader a plot with look-alikes, a hitman, false passports, poison, tickets to Grand Cayman, corrupt officials, dodgy medical research, lunch with royalty, and a yo-yo or two. Twists, red herrings, surprises and, of course, delightful dialogue make this another very enjoyable Indian cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Severn House
The meter-down week with Rumpi in London for the award ceremony will be less intimate with Mummy insisting on coming along. His long-time friend, Rinku expects an invitation and Puri dreads just how inappropriate he will likely be. But even more alarming, an assistant in the Ministry of Finance expects him to track down India’s most wanted man. And he’ll have to do it on the quiet to avoid Rumpi’s ire at always having vacations hijacked by work.
Dr Harilal Bhatt, CEO of Bio Solutions, absconded to London four months ago, after his new diabetes drug caused the death of at least three hundred patients. The research was funded by unsecured loans in the billions: everyone wants his head, but not everyone wants him on a witness stand, naming names. Luckily, Inspector Simon Bromley of Scotland Yard is on the case, and he owes Puri a favour or two.
They are staying with family and Rumpi and Mummy have a full agenda of sightseeing planned, but Puri is excused to visit Bates for the purchase of new Sandown caps, and have a tour of Scotland Yard. Young Jagat, on a gap year and driving for Deliveroo, guides Puri through the Underground, and tags along when Bromley takes him to examine the site of Bhatt’s almost-capture.
Back in Delhi, Tubelight, Flash and Cheti keep an eye on the Bhatt McMansion where his former-model wife, Shweta is holed up. They do the necessary research on Bhatt and, during his shift of covert surveillance, Flush falls in love with Savita, the Bhatt maid who walks the dog and goes to market. Might this stop his mother's alarming foray into Tinder on his behalf?
Puri co-opts a reluctant Jags to help out, and spots a tail; ever-observant, Mummy has spotted a different tail; both will be a problem. Visiting the family of prospective husband for a friend’s daughter, Mummy’s suspicions are raised and, together with Rumpi and cousin Nina, finds herself trying to rescue an Indian servant from a bad situation.
Puri’s observations of England are certainly a source of humour: everything DIY and no wallahs for menial tasks; bland food and tasteless tea; unintelligible English slang; rules that are meant to be followed, not broken; and, to his utter dismay, vegan food and no alcohol at the cousin’s place. Puri has never been so hungry for real food!
In this latest instalment, Hall gives the reader a plot with look-alikes, a hitman, false passports, poison, tickets to Grand Cayman, corrupt officials, dodgy medical research, lunch with royalty, and a yo-yo or two. Twists, red herrings, surprises and, of course, delightful dialogue make this another very enjoyable Indian cosy mystery.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Severn House
February 14, 2025
Spoilers ahead. Vish Puri is one of my favorites. I like the characters and I like the setting and the writing is often fairly humorous. I wasn't as much of a fan of this one perhaps because too much was going on.
Vish Puri has been crowned the 2021 Private Detective of the Year by the International Federation of Private Detectives and he has to fly to London with his wife (and mother) to accept the award. They also mean to make a short vacation out of it as he has never been there.
Despite trying to keep his trip a secret he is summoned by Dilip Shrivastava, an official with the Ministry of Finance to help them look for Dr. Harilal Bhatt. Blatt was the founder of an Indian biotech company who had promised a cure for diabetes. He had secured millions in loans on the promise and premise, unfortunately the side effects had killed hundreds of people (apparently he had known but kept it a secret), and he was now on the run in London.
In short order Puri arrives in London and they all stay with his wife's cousin. He has decided not to tell his wife Rumpi about the mission and all during the book he juggles his investigation with visits to various tourist spots with his family. He also meets with and asks for help from Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard who he got to know a few years ago in India.
There's always a second mystery in the books and the second plot has to do with the Dhillons, an Indian family living in Wanstead. Vish's mom Mummy has been tasked with meeting the Dhillons as their son is planning to marry Mummy's good friend's daughter Amber and they want to know more about the Dhillon family. It turns out that this family has been mistreating their hired help (from India) and also has bad intentions towards Amber.
Going back to the main plot Vish Puri is able to track Blatt down with the help of Rumpi's nephew Jags. Unfortunately it seems that other parties are also trying to find and kill him and Vish isn't able to stop it.
As I mentioned, a lot is going on in this short book. There is another POV where Vish's team are back in India monitoring Blatt's wife and household. And we've got the main plot, side plot and the touristy things. For characters we have Vish and his family, his wife's cousin's family, Dhillon's family, Vish's team in India as well as his childhood friend and the inspector.
Overall, it wasn't too bad but I was never able to really latch on and focus on the main investigation itself. Apart from that, the author did manage to touch on real life events. The biotech part did remind me of one of the biotech scandals in the US (Theranos), no murder but the company did manage to secure a lot of money on false findings. He also touched on the predatory maid scandals which happens not only in England but in the US and Middle East. The London setting was well done and interesting.
Vish Puri has been crowned the 2021 Private Detective of the Year by the International Federation of Private Detectives and he has to fly to London with his wife (and mother) to accept the award. They also mean to make a short vacation out of it as he has never been there.
Despite trying to keep his trip a secret he is summoned by Dilip Shrivastava, an official with the Ministry of Finance to help them look for Dr. Harilal Bhatt. Blatt was the founder of an Indian biotech company who had promised a cure for diabetes. He had secured millions in loans on the promise and premise, unfortunately the side effects had killed hundreds of people (apparently he had known but kept it a secret), and he was now on the run in London.
In short order Puri arrives in London and they all stay with his wife's cousin. He has decided not to tell his wife Rumpi about the mission and all during the book he juggles his investigation with visits to various tourist spots with his family. He also meets with and asks for help from Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard who he got to know a few years ago in India.
There's always a second mystery in the books and the second plot has to do with the Dhillons, an Indian family living in Wanstead. Vish's mom Mummy has been tasked with meeting the Dhillons as their son is planning to marry Mummy's good friend's daughter Amber and they want to know more about the Dhillon family. It turns out that this family has been mistreating their hired help (from India) and also has bad intentions towards Amber.
Going back to the main plot Vish Puri is able to track Blatt down with the help of Rumpi's nephew Jags. Unfortunately it seems that other parties are also trying to find and kill him and Vish isn't able to stop it.
As I mentioned, a lot is going on in this short book. There is another POV where Vish's team are back in India monitoring Blatt's wife and household. And we've got the main plot, side plot and the touristy things. For characters we have Vish and his family, his wife's cousin's family, Dhillon's family, Vish's team in India as well as his childhood friend and the inspector.
Overall, it wasn't too bad but I was never able to really latch on and focus on the main investigation itself. Apart from that, the author did manage to touch on real life events. The biotech part did remind me of one of the biotech scandals in the US (Theranos), no murder but the company did manage to secure a lot of money on false findings. He also touched on the predatory maid scandals which happens not only in England but in the US and Middle East. The London setting was well done and interesting.
February 24, 2025
Tarquin Hall's sixth book in the Vish Puri series was a surprise as it comes after a considerable time gap. This time, the action of the book takes place in London where detective Vish Puri is going to attend his felicitation as detective of the year. What is supposed to be a sight-seeing, enjoyable time for Puri and his wife Rumpi begins going badly for Puri even before he can start. To begin with, mummy ji, his mother who is no less hawk-eyed than Puri himself makes herself a part of the trip. To add to it, Puri is given the task (unofficially) of tracing Dr Bhargava, a fugitive who is believed to be hiding in London. The novel features the usual quirks and characteristic fumblings on the part of the detective alongside his firm determination and keen intelligence that help solve the case. This time, to keep him company is Jags, his nephew based in London with whom Puri forms and unlikely but profitable partnership while sleuthing.
While the book is entertaining enough, I felt that the humour part of this entry was way lighter than the previous ones. I have enjoyed the Puri novels as much for the fun and humorous take of Hall on Puri as much as for the central mystery. I have laughed out loud reading the previous books in the series and have been glued to them till I turned the last page. Perhaps this time, the humour was very light because of its setting. Overall, a fairly decent book.
While the book is entertaining enough, I felt that the humour part of this entry was way lighter than the previous ones. I have enjoyed the Puri novels as much for the fun and humorous take of Hall on Puri as much as for the central mystery. I have laughed out loud reading the previous books in the series and have been glued to them till I turned the last page. Perhaps this time, the humour was very light because of its setting. Overall, a fairly decent book.
July 11, 2025
3.5/5
Compared the previous ones, this seemed a bit contrived at places.. But enjoyed nevertheless.. I was just wandering who would fit into the character of Vish Puri amongst the present day actors if it were ever to be made into a TV series!
Compared the previous ones, this seemed a bit contrived at places.. But enjoyed nevertheless.. I was just wandering who would fit into the character of Vish Puri amongst the present day actors if it were ever to be made into a TV series!
March 24, 2025
I have loved this mystery series
August 18, 2025
Really enjoyed it, things happening both in London and in Delhi. Vish Puri unable to sleep in "too quiet" London and being tortured with non-spicy vegan food. I loved his Mummy and her great observation skills. They make a great team!
Puri's nephew's vernacular, it was like listening to my North London friends. Or the Trotter brothers. (So this is East Ham, still "all the same to me". ;))
The ending for the enslaved servant girl was a little too abrupt perhaps.
Absolutely HAD to re-watch "Bend it like Beckham" after this, innit?
Puri's nephew's vernacular, it was like listening to my North London friends. Or the Trotter brothers. (So this is East Ham, still "all the same to me". ;))
The ending for the enslaved servant girl was a little too abrupt perhaps.
Absolutely HAD to re-watch "Bend it like Beckham" after this, innit?
February 9, 2025
The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck by Tarquin Hall is another fun and charming addition to the Vish Puri series. This time, India’s top detective heads to London to track down a fugitive—all while dealing with his hilarious, meddling mother, Mummy-ji.
The book is packed with humor, cultural tidbits, and mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food. Mummy-ji steals the show, and Vish’s quirky team makes the story even more entertaining.
You can jump in without reading the previous books, but starting from the beginning makes it even better. A light, witty mystery perfect for fans of character-driven stories!
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the EARC—these thoughts are my own!
The book is packed with humor, cultural tidbits, and mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food. Mummy-ji steals the show, and Vish’s quirky team makes the story even more entertaining.
You can jump in without reading the previous books, but starting from the beginning makes it even better. A light, witty mystery perfect for fans of character-driven stories!
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for the EARC—these thoughts are my own!
February 14, 2025
Always a Delight
I have enjoyed every book in this series and was thrilled to see a new title available.
Simply another great read in a great series.
Please keep them coming!!!!!!
I have enjoyed every book in this series and was thrilled to see a new title available.
Simply another great read in a great series.
Please keep them coming!!!!!!
April 22, 2025
Another fun adventure of the Indian detective. This time in London. Vish puri has some interesting observations on British customs and of corse British food. There’s a reason you don’t find British restaurants across the world but you find Indian restaurants everywhere !!
July 14, 2025
Comfort series
December 12, 2024
I hadn't read a Tarquin Hall mystery in so long, but was excited to reconnect with this cast of characters and see what they were up to! My favorite character by far is Tarquin's mother, who is unstoppable and such an entertaining and lovable read.
This book actually takes place mostly in London, which was a fun change. The description of the Desi community in London seemed accurate to me (or at least close enough for someone who has only visited), and the cultural differences and misunderstandings were funny but not too contrived or trite.
The mystery itself was two fold as Tarquin's wife and mother in law were involved with a mystery of their own, and we still got to hear about some of the other wonderful characters from past books as they did investigative work and research back in India.
I highly recommend this book to any mystery fans - it is a compelling read with fun and well developed characters. It would work as a stand alone read even though it is part of a series, and the mysteries are layered and complex so the resolution will be a surprise (or at least was for me).
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book actually takes place mostly in London, which was a fun change. The description of the Desi community in London seemed accurate to me (or at least close enough for someone who has only visited), and the cultural differences and misunderstandings were funny but not too contrived or trite.
The mystery itself was two fold as Tarquin's wife and mother in law were involved with a mystery of their own, and we still got to hear about some of the other wonderful characters from past books as they did investigative work and research back in India.
I highly recommend this book to any mystery fans - it is a compelling read with fun and well developed characters. It would work as a stand alone read even though it is part of a series, and the mysteries are layered and complex so the resolution will be a surprise (or at least was for me).
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 21, 2024
"The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck" by Tarquin Hall is the sixth installment in the delightful Vish Puri series, featuring India’s Most Private Investigator. As a long-time fan of the series, I was thrilled to see a new addition. And it is just as good as the other books!
The hero of the piece is Vish Puri, a brilliant private detective and owner of a detective agency who is offended when people dare to compare him to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Unlike other classic detectives, he does not work alone and has a host of colorful agents at his disposal: Handbrake, Tubelight, Flush, to name a few. Also, there is Madam Rani, his secretary and the recorder of his exploits.
Vish is 59 years old, smart, patriotic, a master of disguise, and a passionate lover of everything fried and spicy (even if he's not allowed to). He is a detective in the old-fashioned sense. His main tools are common sense and intuition, combined with the technological skills and daring of his assistants.
When he wins the International Detective of the Year award, he is asked to keep it a secret. Within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – including his indomitable Mummy-ji, who announces she will come with him and his wife Rumpy to the ceremony in London, much to their dismay. The plot thickens when a senior government bureaucrat asks him to track down India’s most-wanted fugitive, billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster code-named Bombay Duck, rumored to hide in London, a request he can't refuse.
Vish’s predicament is both humorous and chaotic as he juggles keeping the investigation secret from Rumpy - who would not approve of him working during their much-anticipated vacation - and from Mummy-ji, who has her own ways of meddling. Alongside his nephew Jags and Bromley, an English police detective, Vish dives into the case while his mother pursues an investigation of her own.
I absolutely loved the book! It’s brimming with humor, clever wordplay, mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food, and comparisons between the Indian and British cultures. Mummy-ji is a sharp, hilarious force of nature, and her adventures were a highlight. The story seamlessly weaves between London and New Delhi, juggling multiple plotlines that all tie together brilliantly.
While the book can be enjoyed on its own, I recommend reading the earlier installments to fully appreciate the characters and their dynamics. The chapters include helpful explanations of cultural concepts, and a glossary of Indian words and terms at the end enhances the experience.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read that captures the essence of its settings and cultures. I found myself smiling at Vish’s struggles to find non-vegetarian food while staying with his vegetarian hosts, or when he failed to catch the irony of Inspector Bromley. If you’re a fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s series, you’ll adore this book even more - it delivers a richer mystery, vivid characters, and plenty of substance. Highly recommended!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
The hero of the piece is Vish Puri, a brilliant private detective and owner of a detective agency who is offended when people dare to compare him to the fictional Sherlock Holmes. Unlike other classic detectives, he does not work alone and has a host of colorful agents at his disposal: Handbrake, Tubelight, Flush, to name a few. Also, there is Madam Rani, his secretary and the recorder of his exploits.
Vish is 59 years old, smart, patriotic, a master of disguise, and a passionate lover of everything fried and spicy (even if he's not allowed to). He is a detective in the old-fashioned sense. His main tools are common sense and intuition, combined with the technological skills and daring of his assistants.
When he wins the International Detective of the Year award, he is asked to keep it a secret. Within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – including his indomitable Mummy-ji, who announces she will come with him and his wife Rumpy to the ceremony in London, much to their dismay. The plot thickens when a senior government bureaucrat asks him to track down India’s most-wanted fugitive, billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster code-named Bombay Duck, rumored to hide in London, a request he can't refuse.
Vish’s predicament is both humorous and chaotic as he juggles keeping the investigation secret from Rumpy - who would not approve of him working during their much-anticipated vacation - and from Mummy-ji, who has her own ways of meddling. Alongside his nephew Jags and Bromley, an English police detective, Vish dives into the case while his mother pursues an investigation of her own.
I absolutely loved the book! It’s brimming with humor, clever wordplay, mouthwatering descriptions of Indian food, and comparisons between the Indian and British cultures. Mummy-ji is a sharp, hilarious force of nature, and her adventures were a highlight. The story seamlessly weaves between London and New Delhi, juggling multiple plotlines that all tie together brilliantly.
While the book can be enjoyed on its own, I recommend reading the earlier installments to fully appreciate the characters and their dynamics. The chapters include helpful explanations of cultural concepts, and a glossary of Indian words and terms at the end enhances the experience.
Overall, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read that captures the essence of its settings and cultures. I found myself smiling at Vish’s struggles to find non-vegetarian food while staying with his vegetarian hosts, or when he failed to catch the irony of Inspector Bromley. If you’re a fan of Alexander McCall Smith’s series, you’ll adore this book even more - it delivers a richer mystery, vivid characters, and plenty of substance. Highly recommended!
* Thank you NetGalley and (publisher) for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are my own.
* Review in my blog: https://galibookish.blogspot.com/2024...
February 13, 2025
This sweetly funny story of the world’s greatest detective, Delhi based Vish Puri, is so charming you will be completely drawn into his family and work life. As the book opens, he’s just been named “International Detective of the Year.” Unfortunately, the “secret” news has leaked out, and his office is deluged with congratulatory phone calls and sweets. Even worse, his mother calls and lets him know she’ll be accompanying he and his wife to London when they go for the award ceremony.
It comes with other minuses as well – an unwelcome associate has pledged to attend the ceremony, and Puri is summoned by a high up bureaucrat and instructed to find a notorious missing businessman who has fled to London with his millions, leaving in his wake victims of a medication that caused deaths rather than a cure. It seems like a lot to pile on, and what’s more, he’s instructed to investigate without the knowledge of the diplomats in London.
It’s with this on his mind that he boards the plane for London, his wife having to secretly drug him to overcome his fear of flying. When they land he’s irritated by the long line at customs and by the fact that he’ll apparently have to shlep his own luggage (a friend had warned him that the West is “DIY”). They arrive at a cousin’s where they are to stay and to Puri’s dismay, he discovers she’s not only vegan, she’s a terrible cook.
Puri, however, soldiers on and reaches out to an old friend at Scotland Yard to share information on the whereabouts of the missing man, dubbed by his friend the “Bombay Duck.” Puri also has operatives back in Delhi watching the wife, and they’re sure she’s planning to make a run for it. Meanwhile, Puri’s wife is delighted to be in London and wants to see all the sights there are to see. My favorite scene may have been high tea at the Savoy that Puri somehow ends up paying for the in the hopes of spotting his quarry.
As Puri works his investigation while also trying to accompany his wife when he can, he’s assisted in his task by his young cousin, who speaks and behaves like a Londoner but has some impressive tech skills and street smarts. Every character here is lovingly delineated – Hall obviously loves these people and if there were any kind of condescension on his part, it would have made the characters wooden on the page. Instead, they are fully alive, and while Puri can indeed be a bit ridiculous, he gets his man through some very smart investigating.
He’s also ably assisted by his mother who sees through him at every turn and is incredibly observant. Even his young cousin tells Puri to give her a break – she may irritate him (she’s his mother, after all) but she knows what she’s talking about. This concisely told tale was stuffed full of plot and wonderful characters. I didn’t mind starting with book six, but I now feel somewhat compelled to seek out the earlier books, with the worry that the delicious food described so vividly by Hall made me want to order up some Butter Chicken ASAP.
It comes with other minuses as well – an unwelcome associate has pledged to attend the ceremony, and Puri is summoned by a high up bureaucrat and instructed to find a notorious missing businessman who has fled to London with his millions, leaving in his wake victims of a medication that caused deaths rather than a cure. It seems like a lot to pile on, and what’s more, he’s instructed to investigate without the knowledge of the diplomats in London.
It’s with this on his mind that he boards the plane for London, his wife having to secretly drug him to overcome his fear of flying. When they land he’s irritated by the long line at customs and by the fact that he’ll apparently have to shlep his own luggage (a friend had warned him that the West is “DIY”). They arrive at a cousin’s where they are to stay and to Puri’s dismay, he discovers she’s not only vegan, she’s a terrible cook.
Puri, however, soldiers on and reaches out to an old friend at Scotland Yard to share information on the whereabouts of the missing man, dubbed by his friend the “Bombay Duck.” Puri also has operatives back in Delhi watching the wife, and they’re sure she’s planning to make a run for it. Meanwhile, Puri’s wife is delighted to be in London and wants to see all the sights there are to see. My favorite scene may have been high tea at the Savoy that Puri somehow ends up paying for the in the hopes of spotting his quarry.
As Puri works his investigation while also trying to accompany his wife when he can, he’s assisted in his task by his young cousin, who speaks and behaves like a Londoner but has some impressive tech skills and street smarts. Every character here is lovingly delineated – Hall obviously loves these people and if there were any kind of condescension on his part, it would have made the characters wooden on the page. Instead, they are fully alive, and while Puri can indeed be a bit ridiculous, he gets his man through some very smart investigating.
He’s also ably assisted by his mother who sees through him at every turn and is incredibly observant. Even his young cousin tells Puri to give her a break – she may irritate him (she’s his mother, after all) but she knows what she’s talking about. This concisely told tale was stuffed full of plot and wonderful characters. I didn’t mind starting with book six, but I now feel somewhat compelled to seek out the earlier books, with the worry that the delicious food described so vividly by Hall made me want to order up some Butter Chicken ASAP.
April 16, 2025
I have an admiration for professional reviewers who can switch off between books. OK, it was an exception for me to read eight books of a series one after the other, but I was left feeling I needed more of the same.
A few years ago I remembered reading books by Tarquin Hall and enjoying them, his latest seemed a good choice to refocus my reading.
This author is the kind who takes time over) his books. Not for him the two or three books a year, in fact this series of six has taken 16 years. His knowledge of India and its people is undoubted and his main characters, maybe ringing bells from memory, are easily pictured.
It is a devious plot surrounding Vish Puri, head of Most Private Investigators Ltd, and his visit to London to receive his award for 2021 Private Detective of the Year. Plenty of clues nicely mixed in with the various threads of the story. I had an idea about one of the killers but didn't follow it through.
If I had read this shortly after the previous stories, I may have followed it better. After such an absence however , I struggled. I was not helped by the number of Indian words that were used . A favourite author, Bruce Beckham, with his Skelgill series set in wildest Cumbria, has an appendix of 'foreign' words at the beginning. In my edition of this read, I only discovered there was an appendix, at the end of the epilogue by which time it was too late.
Is it my imagination or was the earlier version of Vish Puri a lighter and more amusing version of the character. My wife who has also read all of the series and I agree that in his visit to London he has become quite overbearing about our capital city, our food and our life style. (Or is it that he is just voicing our own unspoken feelings? )
But afterall, it is all fiction as was proved early on when after a black cab ride across London avoiding a tail, "The driver had even seen fit to waive the fare and wished him the best of luck".Yes, only in fiction.
15th Apr 2025
April 29, 2025
While you obviously will get more out of each book, if you read the whole series – Hall doesn’t leave you floundering if you’ve never before picked up one of his previous offerings. It was interesting to see Vish’s take on London and our food. Given how fond he is of the spicier side of Indian cuisine, you won’t be surprised to find that most of our takeaway and fast food leaves him utterly underwhelmed. Nor is he all that impressed at the vegan recipes his host serves up. While there is never anything overly gory or too disturbing, Hall doesn’t flinch from exposing the corruption afflicting the Indian way of life so Vish’s preoccupation with food throughout the series helps to leaven some of the sharper aspects of these stories – a common trope in cosy crime.
Food aside, the case goes on getting ever twistier as even his very effective operatives back home seem to be hitting a brick wall. Once more, I loved the Indian setting and the sheer vibrancy of the scene setting achieved by Hall, who gives me not only a vivid description of the backdrop but the sounds and smells. And while we do spend time back there – I did miss seeing Puri in his natural environment. A major bonus is that Mummy-ji accompanies Vish to London. I love her character – and the final twist at the end of the story had me laughing aloud. All in all, this is another thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable addition to a wonderful series. The ebook arc copy of The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10
Food aside, the case goes on getting ever twistier as even his very effective operatives back home seem to be hitting a brick wall. Once more, I loved the Indian setting and the sheer vibrancy of the scene setting achieved by Hall, who gives me not only a vivid description of the backdrop but the sounds and smells. And while we do spend time back there – I did miss seeing Puri in his natural environment. A major bonus is that Mummy-ji accompanies Vish to London. I love her character – and the final twist at the end of the story had me laughing aloud. All in all, this is another thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable addition to a wonderful series. The ebook arc copy of The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest opinion of the book.
9/10
February 24, 2025
Finally we see Puri recognized as he deserves when he travels to England to receive a top international detective award. However, he is out of his depth because nothing in London is what he expects. The food is tasteless (beginning with his hostess's vegan fare), the city is too silent at night so he can't sleep, the weather is freezing, the white people all seem to be hiding (he's staying with relatives in the Indian part of town), and his nephew seems to have turned into a youthful British slacker.
What IS familiar though are all the things that we love — Rumpi and Mummy-Ji are investigating a mystery, Puri has been coopted to serve his country by locating India's most wanted fugitive, his operatives back in Delhi are on a stakeout with all the chaos and noise that Puri is missing in London, and Rumpi wants him to use this as a vacation.
Tarquin Hall manages to keep the series lively and interesting while showing us a completely different side of Indian life — in England. Yet, the more things change, the more they are the same.
I especially loved Puri's nephew Jag who is learning there is more to life than driving for Deliveroo. Seeing these two come to respect each other as they chase the villain was both fun and heartwarming.
What IS familiar though are all the things that we love — Rumpi and Mummy-Ji are investigating a mystery, Puri has been coopted to serve his country by locating India's most wanted fugitive, his operatives back in Delhi are on a stakeout with all the chaos and noise that Puri is missing in London, and Rumpi wants him to use this as a vacation.
Tarquin Hall manages to keep the series lively and interesting while showing us a completely different side of Indian life — in England. Yet, the more things change, the more they are the same.
I especially loved Puri's nephew Jag who is learning there is more to life than driving for Deliveroo. Seeing these two come to respect each other as they chase the villain was both fun and heartwarming.
March 13, 2025
Though this was my first foray into the cases of Vish Puri and his humorous antics, I do think I will be looking into some of the other "cases" now I've completed this one. They do seem to be independent of each other and not require the reader to read them in order, but there are probably references which I did not catch alluding to cases which may have been previously solved. Good thing I didn't get any spoilers for those.
I did find the story a bit campy at times, and not very serious with regards to solving the case. However, let's dive into the case a little bit. Vish is the anticipated recipient of a prestigious detective award and is winging his way to London with his wife and mother. But before he heads out, a bureaucrat from India pulls him into a secretive meeting to ask him to also try and hunt down an elusive fraudster who is suspected of being in London. He only has a week and he really wanted to enjoy some well deserved time off instead of working.
It was an enjoyable cozy mystery though I would argue it's a bit more focused on family and wandering around London in what feels like an aimless sort of way. I did have the audiobook which was well done and very engaging. I also want to thank Netgalley for the the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
I did find the story a bit campy at times, and not very serious with regards to solving the case. However, let's dive into the case a little bit. Vish is the anticipated recipient of a prestigious detective award and is winging his way to London with his wife and mother. But before he heads out, a bureaucrat from India pulls him into a secretive meeting to ask him to also try and hunt down an elusive fraudster who is suspected of being in London. He only has a week and he really wanted to enjoy some well deserved time off instead of working.
It was an enjoyable cozy mystery though I would argue it's a bit more focused on family and wandering around London in what feels like an aimless sort of way. I did have the audiobook which was well done and very engaging. I also want to thank Netgalley for the the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
September 23, 2025
So glad Vish is back - this time in London.
Our favorite Indian detective has won a big award and heads to London with wife Rhumpi and Mummy-ji to accept it. Indian authorities request he make this a working vacation, helping Scotland Yard track down an Indian doctor who founded a company that sold a diabetes cure. Unfortunately, his cure killed hundreds - after he’d made a fortune and lived the high life. He absconded and has been hiding out in London.
Vish doesn’t want his wife to know he’s working a case, so alternates the tourist outings she was so excited about with tracking down clues. He’s assisted by Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard (the 2 worked together on a case in Delhi), and ‘Jags’, his London-born young relative on a gap year, rather adrift about his plans.
This one was a bit uneven, probably because action is split between London and Vish’s case, while his team back in Delhi followed the case there; and Mummy, Rhumpi and the cousin hosting them are following their own investigation about an unrelated matter, which wasn’t really holding my interest. I hope there will be another book soon, set back in India.
Our favorite Indian detective has won a big award and heads to London with wife Rhumpi and Mummy-ji to accept it. Indian authorities request he make this a working vacation, helping Scotland Yard track down an Indian doctor who founded a company that sold a diabetes cure. Unfortunately, his cure killed hundreds - after he’d made a fortune and lived the high life. He absconded and has been hiding out in London.
Vish doesn’t want his wife to know he’s working a case, so alternates the tourist outings she was so excited about with tracking down clues. He’s assisted by Inspector Bromley of Scotland Yard (the 2 worked together on a case in Delhi), and ‘Jags’, his London-born young relative on a gap year, rather adrift about his plans.
This one was a bit uneven, probably because action is split between London and Vish’s case, while his team back in Delhi followed the case there; and Mummy, Rhumpi and the cousin hosting them are following their own investigation about an unrelated matter, which wasn’t really holding my interest. I hope there will be another book soon, set back in India.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews