Book Review: Case Of The Missing Servant

Witty, hilarious, pacey, engaging and totally Delhi. If there's one book that does justice to all these terms it is this. Hall's latest novel, though aimed at a Western audience, is an enjoyable detective novel which starts in Delhi, travels through the corridors of Delhi's posh Gymkhana Club, Jharkhand's uranium mines before ending up in Jaipur.

Vish "Chubby" Puri, a portly, pakora-loving Punjabi detective and managing director of Most Private Investigator Ltd.is your stereotypical middle-aged Delhiite who operates from above Bahrisons booksellers in Delhi's tony Khan Market. He earns his bread and butter by succesfuly spying on prospective bridegrooms with shady pasts, business rivals and straying spouses. "Chubby" prides himself on being able to crack the most difficult of cases while remaining absolutely faithful to his clients "Confidentiality is our watchword" is his motto.

But his real challenge comes when Ajay Kasliwal, a well known Jaipur-based lawyer's maidservant Mary, goes missing. Puri is hired to locate her and the only clue he has is her name. Soon, news of Mary's murder breaks out and Kasliwal is implicated in the case. But, is Mary really dead? Is Kasliwal the real murderer? Puri questions himself as he tries cracking - along with associates Tubelight, Facecream, Flush and Handbrake - the most complex case of his life.

In between, Chubby is attacked by a red-booted man as he waters his terrace garden. Since India's most private investigator doesn't care much about himself, his widowed "Mummyji" starts her own parallel investgations into the incident - much to the chagrin of Chubby.

What follows is a roller-coaster ride which gives an insight into the lives of detectives, middle class India accompanied with a dash of dilliwaalon ki bhasha. The language is far from literary, the narrative engaging but shallow. Well-etched, fringe characters like Puri's fretful wife Rumpi, the eccentric Brigadier Kapoor, and Mummyji provide the humour as does his new servant, Sweetu.

But the most striking feature of Hall's India-inspired detective novel is the manner in which he captures the behaviour of Delhiites. Indeed this is a city where your best friend will say 'Sab Changa' when asked about his health. Its a city which prides itself on its wealth and connections as Puri's childhood buddy Rinku shows. So whether its getting Puri a club membership or boasting about his money-minting strategies, Rinku personifies the stereotypical Delhiite.

Overall, The Case of the Missing Servant is a 'social thriller' much like Vikas Swarup's Six Suspects and meant to be enjoyed while you're flying between Delhi and Mumbai. Don't go looking for the literary and you, like Rinku, will also be very changa

A slightly different version of this review can be found here