On the HahaFiction shelf
The Case of the Missing Servant
Vish Puri · Book 1 · 2009
Delhi private investigator Vish Puri usually checks the backgrounds of prospective spouses. A lawyer accused of killing his maid gives him a more demanding job: find the missing woman. Puri deploys his undercover team while his mother pursues whoever has been shooting at her son.
From the publisher’s blurb
“Meet Vish Puri, India’s most private investigator.”Read the full description at Simon & Schuster publisher description
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What makes it funny?
Puri attacks a forbidden box of pakoras, then removes the grease, chutney and suspicious breath that could betray him to his wife. He gives concealing a snack the care of a surveillance operation.
The comedy at work
Puri's professional dignity is easy to puncture. His employees must call him Boss; his family calls him Chubby. Even during a stakeout, he finds time to admire his tailored safari suit.
Try this if…
A good match for readers who enjoy a capable detective with conspicuous vanities and an ensemble of undercover operatives. Delhi's changing social hierarchies and corrupt bureaucracy give the investigation a setting with more to consider than the puzzle.
Good to know
Murder and an attempt on Puri's life sit alongside the domestic jokes. His mother's investigation also carries on against his instructions.
Keep reading
More in Vish Puri
The series continues with one more book on our shelf.
Book 2The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing
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A few distinguishing details
- An investigator who specializes in prospective marriage partners
- A mother who refuses to leave detection to her son
More funny cozy mystery
Sources & further reading
- The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall at Simon & Schuster
Publisher
- Bibliographic record
Book information
- Kirkus review
Review
- Publisher and opening chapter
Publisher
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