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Home > The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator (Vish Puri Mysteries)
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The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator (Vish Puri Mysteries)
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By Tarquin Hall
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 (32 Reviews)
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Publisher:
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Schuster
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Edition:
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First Edition
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Published:
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December 31, 1969 |
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Binding:
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Hardcover
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Pages:
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320
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Murder is no laughing matter. Yet a prominent Indian scientist dies in a fit of giggles when a Hindu goddess appears from a mist and plunges a sword into his chest. The only one laughing now is the main suspect, a powerful guru named Maharaj Swami, who seems to have done away with his most vocal critic. Vish Puri, India?s Most Private Investigator, master of disguise and lover of all things fried and spicy, doesn?t believe the murder is a supernatural occurrence, and proving who really killed Dr. Suresh Jha will require all the detective?s earthly faculties. To get at the truth, he and his team of undercover operatives?Facecream, Tubelight, and Flush?travel from the slum where India?s hereditary magicians must be persuaded to reveal their secrets to the holy city of Haridwar on the Ganges. How did the murder weapon miraculously crumble into ash? Will Maharaj Swami have the last laugh? And perhaps more important, why is Puri?s wife, Rumpi, chasing petty criminals with his Mummy-ji when she should be at home making his rotis? Stopping only to indulge his ample Punjabi appetite, Puri uncovers a web of spirituality, science, and sin unique in the annals of crime.
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Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator, is hot on the trail of a killer in this second book in Tarquin Hall's winning new detective series. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing is the perfect dog day novel for readers who like their murder mysteries spiced with unforgettable characters and a good dose of humor. As endearingly idiosyncratic as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Hall's Vish Puri pursues the murderer of a scientist who made it his business to expose high-profile charlatan gurus, yet died in a spectacularly supernatural fashion. Along with his quirky investigative team, Puri works overtime to solve this baffling crime and keep readers laughing all the way through to the case's satisfying conclusion. Embrace the heat this summer in this vibrant (and flavorful) new murder mystery series set in New Delhi, India. --Lauren Nemroff
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Customer Reviews:
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 For a reader interested in India..., June 19, 2010
By Jill Meyer (United States)
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Tarquin Hall's new "cozy", is a great read for those interested in India, its people, and its customs. "Died Laughing" is Hall's second mystery, and again features Vish Puri, a 50-something detective in Delhi who bills himself as India's "Most Private Investigator". He's often called on by public officials to look into crimes, as well as investigating for private clients. Puri also has a large family; wife, children, mother, and siblings as well as a large cast of "operatives", who often figure into Puri's cases. In both books, so far, Puri's mother, "Mummy" and his wife, "Rumpi" team up to solve a more home-grown crime among their friends. Vish, who wishes his wife and mother would just stop trying to do what he does, thankfully never learns about their crime-busting.
"Died Laughing" is a somewhat complicated story that involves magic, murder, and fake Swamis. Operatives "Face Cream", "Handbrake", and "Tubelight" join Vish as he follows it all to a curious end.
Hall writes in detail about Indian society. Reading his books is almost a learning experience. His plots are almost incidental to character development. I'm looking forward to number three in his Vish Puri series.
32 of 33 people found the above review helpful.
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 "The wool is being pulled over our eyes.", June 17, 2010
By booklover10 (NY United States)
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It is infernally hot and humid in New Delhi--44 degrees Celsius. Most Private Investigator Vish Puri hates heat and humidity; he prefers to remain in an air conditioned room or car whenever possible. Work, however, forces him to endure the sweltering weather in Tarquin Hall's "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing." The author places us in the chaotic streets of New Delhi, in which "everywhere commerce flourished." "Dilli wallahs," as inhabitants of New Delhi are known, "went about their lives, seemingly resigned to the capital's harsh and, for most, worsening conditions."
Although he hates the comparison, many regard Puri as the Sherlock Holmes of India. It is the rare miscreant who can outsmart Puri, a shrewd and imaginative man who is as resourceful as he is tenacious. Vish Puri is ably assisted by his team of undercover operatives, without whom he would not be able to conduct surveillance, do background checks, or carry on other covert operations. In the course of this novel, Vish will tackle cases ranging from extortion to a bizarre murder. In addition, his mother, Mummy-ji, and wife, Rumpi, get in the act, undertaking some amateur sleuthing of their own.
Some critics have compared Tarquin Hall to Alexander McCall Smith, who created "The Number One Ladies Detective Agency." There are parallels between the two series, such as their whimsical humor, offbeat criminals, emphasis on the oddities of human nature, and exploration of the social and cultural mores of the countries where they are set. However, Hall is not as impressive as Alexander McCall Smith, whose light touch, engaging and concise writing style, and careful delineation of character make the Precious Ramotswe mysteries so consistently excellent. The characters in "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" are not as memorable. They include Dr. Suresh Jha, a retired mathematician, known as the "Guru Buster," because of his determination to unmask spiritual con men; Jha's arch enemy, Maharaj Swami, "revered as a living saint by more than thirty million followers," who presides over the Abode of Eternal Love; Professor Pandey, leader of the Rajpath Laughing Club; and Inspector Jagat Prakash Singh of the Delhi police, who routinely turns to his good friend, Puri, to help him solve particularly sophisticated crimes. When a prominent individual appears to have been struck down by the writhing and hideous goddess Kali, Singh calls on Puri for advice. Did a miracle actually occur or has the public been duped by a clever charlatan?
One irksome aspect of this talky narrative is the author's use of Hindi phrases throughout the book, forcing the reader to turn to the glossary in the back. It would have been simpler to insert the definitions either in the text or at the bottom of the page in footnotes. In addition, as the narrative progresses, the plot becomes increasingly complicated, the dialogue long-winded, and the humor more forced. Nor is it helpful that Hall recounts, in great detail, every single food consumed by Puri and his acquaintances. By the time the numerous threads of the mystery are unraveled, some readers may be struggling to stay awake.
26 of 33 people found the above review helpful.
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Pukka story, June 22, 2010
By BurmaBaby (Towson, MD USA)
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I loved this book, the second in the Vish Puri series by Tarquin Hall, as much as Hall's first book in the series, "The Case of the Missing Servant". Both mysteries are set in India and the sights, sounds, and smells of India are immediate on every page. Vish Puri, nicknamed "Chubby" by his wife, loves to eat, and so lots of great Indian food is described as Vish falls often off the diet wagon. Vish Puri is a smart, funny and lovable character whose Indian/English dialog is spot on. The book includes a glossary of Indian words that I've enjoyed reading to expand my Indian vocabulary, but one can skip the glossary and just get the general meaning of the words from contextual cues. If you've enjoyed the "Ladies Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall Smith and the "Marriage Bureau for Rich People" series by Farahad Zama, you'll love Tarquin Hall's delightful Vish Puri books.
8 of 8 people found the above review helpful.
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Vish Puri is Back., June 30, 2010
By Dick Johnson (Oklahoma USA)
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And, our Most Private Investigator is still in his unique form (and size). Day-to-day life in India is still astoundingly different from that in America.
This is a murder mystery, so we have at least one body; at least one murderer; at least half-a-dozen suspects; and a variety of interesting people and places. Most of all, though, we have Puri and his cast of helpers in the search for the solution.
As in The Case of the Missing Servant, we also have Puri's multi-generational family members involved in their own investigation.
Hall's writing is so smooth that you never notice it. Not once does it get in the way of the story being told. That alone is worth five stars. The humor, red herrings and setting are great, too. But, as with his first Puri book, it's the characters that makes this so much fun.
The eleven page glossary was a very good addition. The book is quite readable by Westerners; but those unfamiliar with India might want to do a bit of study before jumping in. A reference search for India society will generate an amazing amount of useful information.
Lovers of classic mysteries, especially those by British authors, will feel right at home with the Puri books. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
3 of 3 people found the above review helpful.
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Vish Puri returns...and so does Mummy, August 13, 2010
By Rebecca's Reads (Austin, Texas)
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Reviewed by Narayan Radhakrishnan for RebeccasReads (08/10)
Sauvé, Debonair, deadly looks, fast cars.....and that's.....James Bond for you. Now meet Vish Puri, India's most private detective. He is well, not sauvé, not- so debonair looking but is tall and lithe (okay about 1 ½ feet short of being tall, and a few extra, extra pounds that makes him not so lithe); and intelligent to the core. The nemesis of philandering husbands and unfaithful wives, Puri is a boon for the cheated spouse. But Puri yearns for more...other than updating the log of who's sleeping with whom. And when Dr. Jha, the famous rationalist and atheist is murdered in a queer way in cold blood, Puri's grey cells are called into action. It seems that Goddess Kali had jumped out of the blue and delivered a death knell to Dr. Jha. The whole nation is in a frenzy. Has the Kaliyug arrived? Prayers are offered in temples across the country and people are flocking in dozens to seek the blessings of god men. Some claim that the murder was done by a famed Swamiji, a person whose wrath Dr. Jha had incurred with his atheist propaganda. How Vish Puri solves this inexplicable murder forms the background of the novel.
However, its not the story or the plot that makes "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" that makes this novel interesting. It is the way Tarquin Hall narrates the novel that makes it interesting. Hilariously funny and at the same time not compromising with the suspense element, Tarquin Hall does it to detective fiction with Vish Puri; of what John Mortimer had done to legal fiction with his Barrister Rumpole stories. Hall portrays a myriad picture of India, with all its spiritual glory and the quaint unity in diversity that makes the Indian culture unique. He also doesn't mince words while describing the corruption, the bribery and the poverty that exist in the midst of aplenty. Joining Puri in his quest for truth are the hall regulars, Handbrake, Facecream, Tubelight and of course- Puri's octogenarian mother- Mummyji. And of course, Mummyji has another small investigation going on without Puri knowing about it.
Tarquin Hall has, with Vish Puri, opened the floodgates for a new brand of mysteries; of Crime fiction set in Asia. Though HRF Keating did it in the Seventies with Inspector Ghote, its Tarquin Hall who has given new voice to this genre. Close on the heels of Tarquin Hall, Singapore lawyer Shamini Flint has started her own series (Inspector Sing Investigates). The market is blooming, and thank you Mr. Hall for creating Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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The second in a hopefully long line of books, June 28, 2010
By Reviewer (USA)
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The case of the man who died laughing, the second book in what I hope is a long series is even better than the first. Although some consider Vish Puri the Sherlock Holmes of India, he is actually more the Hercule Poirot of India. With his sandown cap, moustache, and big belly, he has a striking resemblence to Peter Ustinov's Poirot in Death on the Nile and Appointment with Death.
The second book finds the strange appearance of Kali, a laughing club, an Indian holy man who may or may not be all that holy, and of course some strange goings-on at Rumpi and Mummy-ji's kitty party. Considering the setting, languages, and all other aspects foreign to an American reader, the book flows well. As for some reviewers complaining about the constant discussion of food, I personally found those extra little tidbits as something that made me feel more "there" than I would have otherwise.
I feel this book is even better than the Case of the Missing Servant, the first book in the series. At it's current price ($13.20), it's a steal. Go to any bookstore and you'll pay nearly double. Do yourself a favor and pick this book up. It's definately a good read for any fans of mysteries or of learning of foreign places.
2 of 2 people found the above review helpful.
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 Confidentiality is our watchword, August 18, 2010
By Sumita CDM (New Delhi, India)
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Aloha! Back comes Vish Puri with a new case - 'The Man who Died Laughing.' I did like the earlier book by Hall wherein he had introduced Vish Puri as the Most Private Investigator.
Vish likes to be addresses as Vish rather than his full name Vishwas because Vish sounds as 'wish'. His catch line is 'Confidentiality is our watchword.' Vish Puri has different kinds of cases to resolve - be it related to matrimonial alliances, background checks, frauds, murders, and so on.
'The Case of the Man Who Dies Laughing' is a case waiting to be resolved in Delhi, India. It's about the murder of Dr. Suresh Jha. One morning, as Dr. Jha was part of the 'laughter club' and part of the laughter exercise, he is suddenly killed. In the middle of everyone. And to everyone who witnessed the murder, it was a shocking surprise to find none other than the Hindu Goddess Kali appearing from nowhere to kill Dr. Jha. After the murder, Goddess Kali disappears into thin air! How is that possible at all? Goddess Kali appearing & killing a human - how??
Dr. Jha is a rationalist who brings the tricks of many fraud mystics out in open, therefore making many enemies. Not only are the fraud mystics have become his enemies, but also some staunch Hindu political parties. The main suspect is the self-proclained Godman who had challenged Dr. Jha once. Has this Godman stooped so low to start murdering people?
This case brings out the age old fight between superstition & rationality. There is difference between 'belief' and 'superstition'. Unfortunately, at times many people fail to differentiate between belief & superstition and that is when the problem begins.
What I liked about the book? I liked how this case was solved in simple English, and there was a flow maintained between each sentence, paragraph, and chapter. Knowing the Hindi language made it easier to understand many words; the glossary of Hindi terms at the end of the book was a boon for non-Hindi speakers.
I'm waiting for more Vish Puri mysteries to be out soon.
My rating would be 4.5/5.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing..., August 1, 2010
By N.M. Purnell
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At last a literate mystery with a comedic under tone, great page popping characters qnd the taste, feel, and smell of modern day India. A unique traveloque not to be missed.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Another Vish Puri Success, July 18, 2010
By calliopemuse (Tennessee)
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Vish Puri and his team of detectives are at it again. This time the supernatural has intervened or so it seems. It appears that the Goddess Kali is angry with rationalist Dr. Jha and has decided to kill him in public in front of many witnesses. But Vish Puri comes up with many other explanations of what could have possibly happened. In the meantime, someone robbed a kitty party that Rumpi and Mummy have attended, so they set off on their own investigation to get the kitty money back.
This book is amusing, funny and very mysterious. It is a great second book in the series and I smiled or laughed most of the way through it. Puri continues to unravel the many knots until he has reviled the truth behind the sighting of Kali and the death of Dr. Jha. It makes for a really great read.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Great characters, very realistic setting and dialogue, July 6, 2010
By Amazon fan (Minnesota)
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I loved the first book in this series and immediately upon finishing it bought the second book. I love the detective (Vish Puri) and his mother especially. He reminds me of Hercule Poirot while Mummy and Vish Puri's operatives remind me of Mrs. Jeffries and her household.
The book is very funny and the mystery is well done. The side stories round out the book and introduce you to additional characters and settings and give the author an opportunity to expound on Indian progress and conditions. They also add a lot of opportunities for humor.
To address the issues with dialect and vocabulary I think it's vital to read through the glossary before you begin reading the actual book. You don't need to memorize it but it helps to have seen the words and phrases up front so that when you read them in the story normal contextualization will kick in... otherwise you'll spend a lot of time flipping back and forth and you'll get frustrated.
As someone who works with a number of Indians the sentence structure was an "aha!" moment, and perhaps worked better for the prior exposure.
The setting is extremely realistic, insofar as I can tell from second hand stories, and you really do feel as though you can see the characters in the settings and watch the story unfold.
Great book, great series. I am really looking forward to the next book!
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Tepid follow-up to Missing Servant, March 31, 2012
By Sheetal Bahl (New Delhi, India)
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Simply put, The Man Who Died Laughing fails to build up on The Missing Servant. In isolation, I might have felt differently about this book, but if you've seen an artist's first work, you naturally expect the second work to build on it - not merely repeat itself, and this book is just a replay. We're exposed to similar characters, similar stories, similar action - and nothing new happens. The mystery itself is too weak to hold the book together, and somehow, this book, unlike the first one, doesn't feel funny at all.
Nonetheless, I've given this 3 stars for two reasons: I read through the book at one sitting, which automatically entitles the book to some credit, the writing still continues to be very easy, and most importantly, as a denizen of Delhi, I love the author's eye for all things Delhi. He captures Delhi's everyday life so well that I could feel I was witnessing the scenes at most times - there was not an iota of falsity or exaggeration in the book.
My recommendation: if it's your first Vish Puri book, go for it, but if you've read Missing Servant, give this a pass.
1 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Tell Your Mummy-ji: Vish Puri Is World Class!, August 28, 2011
By Gadgets, Music, & Books (DFW)
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The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing is the second installment in Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series. I really liked The Case of the Missing Servant, and I had high hopes for this book. I am happy to report that Hall did not disappoint.
I won't bore you with a plot summary that the product page does so adequately already. I'll try to answer the question most on your mind, "Will I like this book?" I am interested in India after also having read Sea of Poppies (not a mystery) by Amitav Gosh. I think that Hall does a good job at giving readers a peak at the modern Indian culture. You will find instances where the older and younger generations clash over matters of respect and formalism that Puri's generation expects while the youth (especially the affluent) tend to rebel against it. Puri (with a physique that calls to mind Alfred Hitchcock) has an appetite that requires regular attention. Hall uses this to introduce readers to many of the foods of India, and the handy reference at the end of the book explains what many of them are. Hall also sprinkles in bits of Hindi and other Indian languages, but the guide at the end is there when context leaves you wondering. The cultural issues and food also give Hall a vehicle for a moderate amount of humor. The often quirky dialog does as well.
However none of this matters if the Hall failed to tell a good story. The narrative is well paced which is key. He strikes the balance between revealing enough without giving away too much. His characters (many holdovers from The Case of the Missing Servant) are also good. Chief among these is Puri, but I also enjoy some of the more minor characters such as his Mummy-ji. She and Puri's wife Rumpi are involved in an interesting secondary plot related to their secret "kitty parties". Mummy-ji is quite the sleuth herself. Tubelight and Facecream also make strong showings again along with Flush and Handbrake. Finally, I thought that Hall did a good job resolving the plot in a plausible manner.
In short you should give this a try if you like Indian culture, witty dialog, and a good mystery. It is not necessary to have read The Case of the Missing Servant first, but I highly recommend it as well as The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing.
Overall: A
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Fun and fascinating ride, great characters - 4.5 stars, August 14, 2011
By NC Reader (Greensboro, NC United States)
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I really enjoy this series and hope Tarquin Hall is working on the next installment - what a great hero! Vish Puri is a Punjabi private investigator in Delhi, and through him and his investigations as India's "Most Private Investigator" we meet a funny and fascinating variety of modern Indian characters. At the beginning of this outing an academic known as the "Guru Buster" (due to his efforts to use rational thinking to rid modern Indians of blind belief in false holy men or gurus) is murdered by an apparition of Kali, goddess of destruction. The Guru Buster was trying to uncover the truth about a popular, powerful swami when he was murdered and Vish is determined to find out who was responsible and bring them to justice. The reader gets to go along for the entertaining ride as Vish dives into the shady world of Indian "Godmen", magicians and the holy cons they perpetrate on the gullible public.
Vish's wife, Rumpi and his Mummy-ji make frequent appearances along with other family members, detective agency staff and long-time friends. Unlike other series where ongoing character arcs and backstories can interfere with or become muddled with the mystery at hand, Hall manages to unfold the recurring characters' backgrounds gradually, the way real friendships develop. I enjoy reading about this group of characters and find myself looking forward to future outings with Vish and company!
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Vish Puri learns magic, July 3, 2011
By Cathy G. Cole (Phoenix, AZ USA)
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First Line: Ensconced on the backseat of his Ambassador with the windows rolled up and the air conditioning working full blast, Vish Puri kept a wary eye on the crack in the car's windscreen.
An eminent Indian scientist attends a morning class in a park and dies laughing when a Hindu goddess appears in a mist and thrusts a sword into his chest. Now the only person who's laughing is the prime suspect, Maharaj Swami, whose most vocal critic is dead.
Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator, believes there's nothing supernatural about Dr. Suresh Jha's murder, but proving it is going to take all the skills he and his team of undercover operatives possess as they try to persuade India's hereditary magicians to reveal their secrets.
I really enjoy this series for transporting me right into the streets of Delhi and into the culture of India. I normally don't care for very spicy food, but after following Vish Puri around on an investigation, I start looking up the addresses of local Indian restaurants.
I have to admit that I didn't care for this investigation as much as many others might, and my reason is purely subjective: I've never cared much for magic and magicians. I'm not sure why. However, this investigation did take Vish Puri into many different places, which allowed me to soak up more of the sights and the culture.
On the other hand, I was delighted with the sub-plot that had Vish Puri's wife and mother being robbed at one of their "kitty parties" and then turning sleuth to uncover the identity of the thief. Those two ladies' investigation was completed much too soon.
If you're an armchair traveler who likes humor, food, puzzles and being taken away to other countries, Tarquin Hall's Vish Puri series will suit you right down to your La-Z-Boy.
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delightful, March 8, 2011
By D. Olson (Phoenix, AZ)
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Truly loved this story, just as much as the first one. Visiting India was one of the great surprises in my life, and the opportunity to be transported there again while helping Vish Puri solve the case was like partnering with a dear friend on an adventure. More, please.
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Most private, March 1, 2011
By Soundtrack collector
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There are plenty of quirky sleuths out here--Inspector Singh from Singapore, Medicus Ruso, Commissario Brunetti in Venice, Arkady Renko in Moscow--even Bernie Gunther in Berlin and the couple in Kyoto who are so low key I can't remember their names. So its high time we had a representative of the billion people in India.
Author Tarquin Hall is not Indian, but is married to an Indian and lives in Delhi. His alien status gives him a sharper ear for the nuances and oddities of language and behavior and coupled with a crisp writing style, he has produced an original portrait of the Indian capital, its vast size, mayhem and especially its people. He sharply captures the proprieties of the Northern Indian, the mixture of the globalizing new and the fussy British past.
Vish Puri is a hardworking detective who hates Sherlock Holmes and being told to diet. He never walks if he can help it and is usually driven around, as are most middle class Indians. He is a modern man in most respects, although his philosophies of detection are ancient. In this case, he takes on a 'godman', who is using old philosophies as a cloak for abduction and murder.
The plot is slightly contrived in places but an excellent sophomore effort.
Vish Puri will be around for a while; maybe HBO should consider a dramatization?
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Fun read!, February 22, 2011
By Melanie Rock (TUCSON, AZ, US)
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I really enjoy this series. Be sure to start with the first one, "Case of the Missing Servant". I absolutely love the characters in these books. Vish Puri, his wife and mother are the kind of people you would love to have in your own family! As well as the full characters and interesting story lines, I have really enjoyed learning more about India and its culture. If you enjoy "The No. 1 Ladie's Detective Agency" series set in Africa, I think you would equally enjoy this series. I am hopefully looking forward to many more Vish Puri adventures!
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Fun Whodunnit, February 13, 2011
By Thomas Finch (Annapolis MD)
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I enjoyed the first Vish Puri story, "The Case of the Missing Servant", so I ordered right away "The Case of the Man who died Laughing", and I wasn't disappointed. Easy and fun to read, and the frequent use of Indian ideomatics adds spice (there is a glossary at the end). More, please!
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book, December 21, 2010
By Farida Gadalla
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I think he is the funniest detective to appear in a long while, and his Mummy is great.
fun reading.
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Like visiting India w/o the planefare, November 6, 2010
By Anne Barr
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A great little mystery! what I loved most was the feeling of being transported into the culture. Hall has a gift for describing the color,vitality,customs,yummy Indian food, including the good and bad of India, and wrapping it up into a great little story. For me the effect was taking a trip to India each time I opened the book, awesome! Plus he has a glossary in the back to help with the Hindi/Punjabi etc words. This I loved too. Of course I purchased his other book 'Case of the Missing Servant' and loved it equally. The protagonist Vish Puri is very human, not perfect and subject to human vices and opinions, a believable character!! I wonder if Hall plans to make a third book??
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Beware of angry swamis, November 5, 2010
By Patto (Vermont)
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This wacky mystery could only take place in India, where sages with mystic powers abound.
Dr. Jha is murdered in the middle of an outdoor meeting with his Laughing Club, an eccentric group of intellectual jokesters. The crime may just have something to do with Jha's avocation as a guru-buster. A militant rationalist, Dr. Jha has taken great pleasure in unmasking phony saints.
A wise policeman asks Vish Puri, "Most Private Investigator," to help behind the scenes with this high-profile crime. Puri, whom we've met earlier in The Case of the Missing Servant, is a man of great deductive powers à la Sherlock Holmes, a short fat dandy who mixes Indian and British fashions to comic effect - and a sneak-eater who cheats daily on his diet with greasy street food.
Puri does believe in miracles, but not the kind of "miracle" that killed Dr. Jha.
The investigation is centered in Delhi, in the worst possible blistering hot weather. Puri suffers horribly whenever he leaves his air-conditioned, chauffeur-driven car.
Tarquin Hall gives us a fascinating picture of Delhi, from the slums full of snake-charmers, bear handlers and magicians to the kitty parties of perfumed middle-class matrons. And his rendering of poetic, idiosyncratic Indian English is a constant delight.
Ideally it would be best to read The Case of the Missing Servant before this book, to get all the background on Puri, his operatives and his family (especially his meddling Mummy). But The Man Who Died Laughing can also stand alone. This promises to be a fun series.
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Tricks, October 26, 2010
By Stephen T. Hopkins (Oak Park, Illinois)
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The second novel by Tarquin Hall to feature India's most private detective, Vish Puri (Chubby), is titled, The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing. Fans of the debut novel will remember the returning cast of characters, especially Mummy, and the skill with which Hall brings the sights and sounds of India to the pages of the novel. The plot involves scientists, gurus and magical tricks, but plot is secondary here to the ways in which the characters come alive, no matter what they are doing. Most readers will find the novel to be entertaining and enjoyable and those who love Indian cuisine can almost taste the foods that Chubby consumes as he solves the mystery.
Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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Ok little read, October 15, 2010
By S. Brainard (amarillo, tx USA)
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This mystery takes place in India. While it provides many cultural references, the plot of this lacked something for me. the rituals and culture seemed to get in the way of the plot and premise of the book. the central character was sort of interseting but reminded me a lot of Hercule Piroit(the David Suchot type characterization from the PBS series. I was not captured by the book and needless to say, its OK but not a series I will pursue.
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Another Winner From Tarquin Hall!, September 7, 2010
By portianay (KY, USA)
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Once again, I picked up a mystery by Tarquin Hall, and was unable to put it down. I love the story line itself; I find it cleverly drawn, as in his first book. But I also appreciate his description of everyday life in India, for so many different socio-economic backgrounds. Each page is fascinating, and he never gets bogged down in weighty descriptions. Vish Puri is a protagonist both imperfect, amusing, admirable, and likable. As when I finished THE CASE OF THE MISSING SERVANT, I am sighing regretfully at the wait for the next one--and I devoutly hope there WILL BE a next one! :-)
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it's like Sherlock Holmes in India, August 18, 2010
By Saralee Terry Woods (Nashville, Tn United States)
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An important Indian scientist dies in a cloud of mysticism. Vish Puri, "India's Most Private Investigator" who is a real twist on the Sherlock Holmes model solves the crime in delightful fashion.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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ShoSho, August 7, 2010
By Carol C. Scott (Branson, Missouri, USA)
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I loved the book. It was an easy , enjoyable read. I bought the book at Amazon after seeing the authors name. He used to "crash" at my daughters in Nairobi. I had the privilege of meeting him. All of his books are good.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Deception, July 20, 2010
By Ted Feit (Long Beach, NY USA)
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Vish Puri, the Indian private investigator, who made his amusing and wonderful debut in "The Case of the Missing Servant," makes another delightful appearance. This time a good friend is apparently murdered by an apparition of the Hindu goddess Kali, and Puri is asked by his friend Inspector Singh to help solve the crime.
This gives the author a clear field to investigate the "corruption at the heart of the political system," as well as the average Indian's susceptibility to the illusions of the many self-proclaimed holy men and their scams. At the same time, Puri's mother and wife undertake their own investigation of a robbery of their friends' "kitty party club."
While writing a fairly standard mystery, Hall captures the life of New Delhi and the Indian culture vividly, at the same time that "Chubby" Puri's appetite allows him to describe a tantalizing array of Indian cuisine. The novels certainly reflect the complexity of Indian life and the country's culture, for better and worse.
Recommended.
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Wildly entertaining and a tribute to the complexities of Delhi, July 8, 2010
By Zaphod (San Diego, CA USA)
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As one of the "Delhi Wallahs", I was pleasantly surprised to discover the hilarious Vish Puri series. We needed our very own detective and now we have him. Vish Puri (along with his variety of operatives) solves eccentric crimes, wades through the capital's landmarks and is decidedly Punjabi - loud, egotistical, lover of fried stuff and whiskey, and a mix of a sweet, progressive man, along with traditional & trite - a complex character that is a good sample of India's urban elite middle-class. The characters of the shrewd "Mummy-ji" (Puri's sleuthing mother), the wife Rumpi, along with the entire shebang that constitutes of the Puri household is a fair representation of a Delhi household.
Tarquin Hall has a keen observation and does a great job of capturing all the quirks particular to Delhiites, down to the common grammatical errors, ladies' "kitty parties", and other tiny little observations, that make you admire him for his sympathetic and humorous world-view - the mark of a good author. The series does justice to capturing the changing socio-economic landscape of India in general and the myriad culture of Delhi in particular.
I enjoyed every page of the first book, and was worried that by the second book the "appeal of the exotic" would have worn off and the mystery itself would be tedious and simplistic. Instead, Hall did not disappoint, and switched gears to exploiting other, equally entertaining features of the culture that he left out in the first book.
I wouldn't recommend these books purely for their mysteries (they're still rather simplistic) but to those interested in an entertaining (and at times outright hilarious) read, learning about another culture, and even as a supplement to a travelogue for Delhi!
0 of 1 people found the above review helpful.
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Enjoyable, fast read, April 26, 2012
By Em Perdue
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Our India Book Club always hunts for a book all eight of us will agree to read. Sometimes it's based on Amazon customer reviews and other times a book club member. This is a mystery we can all enjoy and learn more details about life in Old and New Delhi. Thankfully we can visit via a book during the hottest time of year. Great descriptions.
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Great fun with Vish Puri and company...., April 23, 2012
By Tboom49 (New York, NY USA)
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This was my introduction to this series of mysteries and I have already purchased THE CASE OF THE MISSING SERVANT. While reading I couldn't help but picture the great actor, Om Puri, possibly playing the role of Vish Puri, IF there is a film version of this book. Besides sharing a last name and a certain corpulence, there are shared elements of dignity and huamnity when I think of either the actor or the detective. Vish Puri is a detective operating in Delhi. He has assembled a team of characters which give the book it's great humor. There is the reformed criminal, Tubelight. The hacker, Flush, etc. Puri, who is terrible with names, has bestowed them with nicknames in order to remember who they are. But make no mistake, Puri is a first-rate detective and this case offers a good deal of twists and turns along the way. It is also something of a primer on modern Indian life. For instance, the fact that when a daughter becomes pregnant, it is customary for her to return to her parent's home to give birth. She will remain there for almost two months after her child is born. There are quite a few sociological gleamings to be made in this fun, twisting mystery. My only qualm with the book: at the end there is a glossary of terms. Had I known it was there it might have saved me some time googling these terms on my Iphone. None the less, that is a minor quibble. Can't wait to read the next one......
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Good light read, December 21, 2011
By Chungath (Des Moines, IA USA)
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A novel with colorful characters and a great way to travel through India and its culture. Vish the detective has all the charm, wit, flaws and vices expected in middle class India.
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Smoke and Mirrors, September 16, 2011
By Kim Burdick (NEWARK, DE, US)
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The "Man Who Died Laughing" combines mysticism, magic, political corruption, and brilliant deductive reasoning in one delightful package. Tarquin Hall's newest mystery is guaranteed to brighten an afternoon or evening. The adventures of Vish Puri, and the parallel adventures of Mummy and Rumpi,will keep you guessing and learning.
Hall has developed a nice rhythm for the Vish Puri series that includes a sociologist's eye for life in Delhi, a strong plot involving Vish Puri, who is also known as "Chubby," and always a secondary plot involving his irrepressible mother. A very useful glossary is included at the back of each volume.
In this volume Vish Puri explores the relationship between a charlatan and a skeptic while Mummy searches for an answer to the ladies group's missing pot of money.
Hall currently divides his time between London and Delhi. He is married to the Indian-born BBC reporter and presenter Anu Anand.
Kim Burdick
Stanton, Delaware
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