Murder at the Patel Motel

by Maulik Pancholy, Zackary Grady, Achilles Stamatelaky

When Milan Patel, a high-end event planner in New York City, visits his parents at their family-run motel in Montana, he’s already expecting the usual drama. But shortly after he arrives, Milan’s father mysteriously drowns in the motel pool. Now everyone’s a suspect. What was meant to be a quick trip becomes Milan’s worst reconnecting with his past so he can solve his father’s murder. Murder at the Patel Motel is a comedic, Agatha Christie-style mystery about a complicated Indian-American family, the gay son who vowed to never return home, and a town that prefers its secrets stay buried.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Humor, LGBT, Thriller, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

Published June 5, 2025

About the author

Maulik Pancholy was born on January 18, 1974 in the USA as Maulik Navin Pancholy. His parents immigrated to the United States from Gujarat, India, in the 1960s. Born in Dayton, Ohio, and grew up in Ohio, Indiana, Texas and Florida. He attended junior high and high school in Tampa, Florida. Pancholy was named one of OUT Magazine's 100 most influential gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender people for 2013.
He married his partner of 10 years, Ryan Corvaia, in 2014, nine months after they were engaged at the Taj Mahal.

He is an actor, known for 30 Rock (2006), Weeds (2005) and 27 Dresses (2008).

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks)]

Amazing narration !

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The mystery of the death of Milan's father was good and the narration in this Audible Original was fantastic.
Murder at the Patel Motel is described as a darkly funny Agatha Christie-style mystery and that's a perfect description for it.

All the narrators were great from Maulik Pancholy, Poorna Jagannathan, Murray Bartlett, Richard Kind to many others.
In fact, Richard Kind made me bust up laughing one time!

After the big revelation of the murderer, I can see how they can make this into a series. This was a fun mystery to listen to while toiling away at work.

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked all the characters, very well done as an audible. The story and such was somewhat silly.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Incredible narration, by a full cast.

The story was fun, silly, quick and so entertaining.

3.5 stars

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an entertaining listen! Full cast of AWESOME narrators! Found it in the Audible plus catalog and I’m hoping there will be a book two. It was four hours, I think. Well done! 👏👏

[Marlana Opsitnik · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not expecting this to be as good as it was. This was so well narrated and I found myself laughing quite a bit.

[Mia Cobell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 ⭐️

"Murder at the Patel Motel," an Audible Original audiobook featuring a full cast of characters, delivers an engaging blend of comedy and mystery with a distinct Agatha Christie flair. The story follows Milan Patel, a high-end event planner in New York, as he returns to Montana to visit his parents at their family-run motel. During a party at the motel, Milan’s father mysteriously drowns in the pool. While the police attribute the death to an allergic reaction, Milan suspects foul play and begins his own investigation, uncovering a web of secrets and surprises along the way.

The audiobook's format, with a full cast of voices, adds depth and vibrancy to the storytelling, immersing listeners in the quirky and dramatic world of Milan Patel. The plot is well-paced, balancing moments of humor and suspense, and keeps the audience guessing until the end. Milan’s determination and colorful personality drive the narrative forward, even if his hysterical tendencies become slightly grating at times.

Overall, "Murder at the Patel Motel" is an entertaining and cleverly constructed mystery that will appeal to fans of classic whodunits and lighthearted humor. Though Milan’s melodrama may test patience occasionally, the charm of the story and its delightful twists make it a worthy listen.

[Chrissie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun listen.

[Mitzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a new listen and I was in the mood for something funny. Boy did this meet my needs. It was a great little mystery and it made me laugh out loud so many times. To me it was a combination between a Vera Wong mystery (but with an Indian family rather than Asian) and a Guncle book and the narration was superb!

[Cherry Cola Disco Diva · Rating 2 out of 5]

The narration and production was a delight! Disappointing ending :/

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 stars

What a hilariously well written audiobook.

The voice actors were amazing and the story was laugh out loud funny.

I’ll be there for next story in the series.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

As this was included in the Audible subscription I thought I would give it a go! It wasn’t horrific, but it also wasn’t great. It tried a little too hard to be modern and with the current times, which just made it feel a little cringe. The characters were okay, and the outcome did come with a few twists, but overall I wouldn’t rush to listen to it again.

I liked how it featured a full cast and sound effects. Most of the narrators were decent, with a few dodgy accents here and there.

[Elizabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

The blurb sounded like a premise with promise, but I found all of the characters unlikable, the plot, superficial, and the writing, horrible. I even disliked the voice actors chosen for the various roles, although this seemed like a case where they really had very little to work with. Would recommend to no one.

[Heather Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Definitely something different.

[Stephanie Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short audiobook with lots of charm and humour (despite being about solving a murder). The best part was the voice-acting, as each character was voiced by a different person!

[Chriss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so it was campy. It was reminiscent of those old time radio shows, with a complete cast of actors playing the various characters, a narrator, and sound effects. It’s free on Audible right now, well worth the 4+ hour listen.

[Akp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew through this, it was hilarious! Not only is it well written but the performers really bring this heartwarming story and quirky characters to life. I would love to see more stories with Milan or even a tv series! Maulik- from one guju to another I need more of the Patel Cartel asap!!

[Nicole Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great listen. I love audio books with a full cast. Funny and lively. If you like the "Everyone in My Family Has Murdered Someone " series, this book is for you.

[Audrey Dunn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3

[Sukhmani's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know why, but this book was a perfect blend of charming and cheesy. It’s definitely a production alright!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick and fun (but often infuriating) whodunnit. I also thought the voice acting and audio production were superb.

HOWEVER, the main character really, REALLY got on my nerves. I found him insufferably selfish and I almost DNF’d at the part when he was on the phone with his fiancé and SPOILER! he just kept rattling on and on and on about his theories while ignoring that his partner is on the other line panicking about losing a finger! And every time he went to look for clues made me cringe at the thought of screwing up possible evidence.

Sigh. Just thinking about him irritates me.

[Tara Mealy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was really hard for me to finish this book; had it not been an Audible (and that I had a 4hr drive to make), I do not think I would have. It just was not engaging to me. The story was so dull that the big revelation at the end stirred no shock or interest to me; nor did the unexpected plot twists. There was no character that excited me enough to be interested in their story; and, Milan started to really grate my nerves. Though I love the actors, the overall performances were too over the top, too buffoonish, IMO.

[Uttara Makker · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story was exciting and engaging. Must have headphones to enjoy the sound effects, music, and narration. Looking forward to more of Milan Patel’s detective work!!

[Ramona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fun audible book!

[E.M. Jeanmougin]

Milan Patel has never seen eye-to-eye with his hotelier father, but when he dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances, every single person in Milan's eyeline becomes a suspect, including his own mother and his hot, English boyfriend.

I listened to this while I worked on a big illustration. Got quite a few laughs out of me. Audio performances and sound mixing are great. The characters were distinct enough, I could easily tell their voices apart. This can be a big problem in these sorts of audioplays and this one seemed to do it effortlessly.

Maulik Pancholy has a very expressive voice and did well as the lead. My favorite character was probably Garrett- I adore Murray Bartlett! As always, Margo Martindale is a treasure.

The stuff with the gender reveal party was extra funny.

WARNING: This audioplay is Extra Cheesy. Your milage may vary.

[Maulin Amin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder at the Patel Motel is exactly what it promises to be — fast-paced, funny, and wildly addictive. I flew through this one (okay, listened through it — is it an audiobook or a podcast? Who knows. Who cares. It slaps either way).

Maulik Pancholy has done something special here: delivered a murder mystery that’s not only laugh-out-loud clever but also packed with heart. The South Asian representation made me feel seen in a way I didn’t even realize I was craving. The references, the dynamics, the warmth, the aunty energy — chef’s kiss.

The characters are charmingly chaotic, with just the right amount of depth and drama. The emotional beats land well, and there are enough twists and red herrings to keep you guessing. (I was switching my prime suspect every 20 minutes, no notes.)

Also, not to be biased, but Maulik and I share very Gujarati-adjacent names… so let’s just say there’s some ancestral favoritism happening.

[Hunter Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 2.5 stars. Most of the characters were good, but sometimes when the voices were supposed to be on the phone or something it was hard to hear or understand. I am not sure the writer knew what he wanted to get across here? The main character was absolutely possessed to find who the murderer was and did absolutely absurd things. Overall not really a comedy but some mildly humorous adjacent times, not really a serious who-dun-it, not really a learning/character development or deeply moving audible book, and definitely wants to let you know it is progressive. The ending was absurd but I guess no less absurd than a lot of this slap in the face to reality.

[Erica Amad · Rating 5 out of 5]

fucking delightful and hilarious god i love it when books make me cackle
the music for the chapter intros goes so hard
two things
one, the ozempic has to be kept in tje fridge so would it be in his pocket? i don’t think so
two, do all fingers have the same fingerprints? cuz if she used the pinky to frame him wouldn’t tjey be like oh he’s missing a pinky and the fingerprint matched w his pinky
she gonna kill the baby????

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really fun, but short novella. I really hope it becomes a series, on audible or elsewhere. I would listen to it right away. It is really well done.

The narrators include Maulik Pancholy, Murray Bartlett, Poorna Jagannathan, Karan Soni, Anna Camp, Adam Pally, Margo Martindale, Richard Kind, Conrad Ricamora, Iqbal Theba, Julian Shapiro-Barnum, and Padma Lakshmi.
There is also a very, VERY long list of additional narrators at the end of this audiobook, but as I was positive I was mangling the names of at least half of them, I gave up and stopped trying to list them here. I looked online at quite a few places, and didn’t see the additional help listed there, either. Sorry, people….. I tried. But I could handle the thought of mangling all your names, and leaving them here to find.

Anyway, 3.5 stars, and recommended.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun, campy little story, and I really enjoyed it. But I definitely don't think it should count as an audiobook. Maybe I'm a purist, but I don't think something that is essentially a TV show without a visual component and absolutely no option to read the book instead of listening to it should count as a "book" of any sort. Can we bring back the concept of a radio play? Because that's what it is.