The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing (Vish Puri 2)

Author/Guide: Tarquin Hall

Why a Booktrail?

2000s: This is the second in the series of a fine Delhi based crime detective and well worth following!

ISBN: 978-0099525240
Genre: Crime, Humour

Comment

What you need to know before your trail

An Indian scientist dies in a fit of giggles when Tara Hindu goddess appears from a mist and plunges a sword into his chest.

Murder is no laughing matter – but the main suspect is laughing as his main critic is now no more.

Enter Vish Puri, India’s Sherlock Holmes wannabe. He works with undercover and strangely named colleagues such as Facecream, Tubelight, and Flush—and travels to the slum where India’s hereditary magicians must be persuaded to reveal their secrets to the holy city of Haridwar on the Ganges.

Locations

Reset

Travel Guide

Welcome to the Delhi of Vish Puri – ( and don’t forget to visit the very fun interactive website of the man himself! – http://www.vishpuri.com/ )

Delhi

“It was not uncommon for him to experience such a sense of dislocation when working in Delhi these days. The India of beggars and farmer suicides and the one of the cafes selling frothy Italian coffee were like parallel dimensions. As he slipped back and forth between them, he often found himself pondering the ancient Indian axiom that this world is but maya, an illusion, a collective dream.”

If ever there was one character to show you Delhi in all of its shades then Vish Puri is the man to do it. From describing the food he eats to the shade of dust on the streets, this is a man who does detail and who soaks up his surroundings with pleasure.

Folklore

The way in which the crime is initially accepted as a supernatural event allows the author to delve into the belief system and folklore of India. Spending time in an ashram is a t particular highlight of the investigation as it allows us to take a moment to think about what these belief systems are like and gain an insight to them

Games and traditions also are explored with the Indian art/game of Chaturanga or ‘chess’ being played. All part of the bigger picture that Vish/Tarquin paints to evoke a country and its culture.

A detective who has more than a passion for unsuitable but so so tasty indian dishes takes us around the sights, smells and cultural shades of India and makes for a fascinating journey.