In my first India-set mystery, Tarquin Hall has provided the sights, sounds, flavors and smells of the country in building the story of Vish Puri’s MoIn my first India-set mystery, Tarquin Hall has provided the sights, sounds, flavors and smells of the country in building the story of Vish Puri’s Most Private Investigators’ latest case, or rather, cases. Mr Puri does not really work on one case at a time. Nor does he work alone. He has undercover associates with nom de plume such as “Facecream” and “Flush” ready to assist. And then there is the always present, completely unofficial member of his team, Mummy-ji. His mother is always ready to help, wanted or not, but with a history of some success.
In this episode, The Case of the Reincarnated Client, Puri learns of a young woman who may in some unusual way be linked to the presumed death of a young Sikh wife and mother during riots after the assassination of Indira Ghandi. Can this be a reincarnation? What happened in this unsolved case? Other cases involve a marriage disturbed by horrific and unexpected snoring and a possible case of money laundering.
After a slow beginning, the story took off, with plots and subplots, providing close up pictures on life in India today, the crush and noise of traffic, the uncertainty of everyday life when government changes money values in attempts to disrupt corruption; the specter of homelessness; the sheer bustle of life. All in all, a satisfying story with a well-earned conclusion.
4*
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review....more
Heaven in this story is one of the thrown-together slums of Bangalore, India, a place populated with the lowest ranks of Indian life. There are some fHeaven in this story is one of the thrown-together slums of Bangalore, India, a place populated with the lowest ranks of Indian life. There are some full families, with both parents and children, but more commonly there are women alone or with children and grandchildren. Sometimes primarily female children for they are the less important and less powerful in life. All girls and women enter life here with a mark against them.
When we enter Heaven, we meet a varied group of girls and their families and friends. We see their daily lives and frequent frustrations. The major group issue is the threat to their threadbare homes. The city has been sending bulldozers out to demolish the slums, one by one, in order to build new roads and malls, and Heaven’s turn is coming soon. There is no place for these people to go. And this group of girls has become so close that they become each other’s support. Inspired by the head of their school, several in this group are learning to strive for college, for true jobs, an escape from the slums altogether.
The author has written a novel with realistic, often difficult, aspects of Indian life. Most of what we see are the city problems of the poor, especially those faced by women and cultural and social minorities. But she also provides us with moments of romance, humor and magic as this group of girls discover who they are and what they want. Subramanian taught me while I was reading about Heaven and all of these girls. I wish I could meet Deepa, Padma, Banu, everyone and that we could speak each other’s language. I recommend this book for a look at one part of India and some very strong girls and women.
Thank you to Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill/Workman Publishing for providing an ARC. Thanks in particular to Andrew....more
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