The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing..., Tarquin Hall
The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing..., Tarquin Hall
List: $21.95 | Sale: $15.37
Club: $10.97

The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing
From the Files of Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Investigator

Author: Tarquin Hall

Narrator: Sam Dastor

Unabridged: 8 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/15/2010


Synopsis

Another adventure of the Indian detective Vish Puri, “a man as fussy as Poirot and every bit as clever” (AudioFile).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. But 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 own mother when she should be at home making his lunch?Stopping only to indulge his ample Punjabi appetite, Puri uncovers a web of spirituality, science, and sin that is unique in the annals of crime.

About Tarquin Hall

Tarquin Hall is the author of numerous books, including the Vish Puri mysteries, set in India. The first in the series, The Case of the Missing Servant, was named by the New York Times as a Notable Crime Book and given starred reviews by Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, and Booklist. The second book in the series, The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing, won an AudioFile Earphones Award and was named a best mystery book of the year by the Seattle Times.

About Sam Dastor

Sam Dastor studied English at Cambridge and trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His early theatrical experience includes a spell at the National Theatre under Sir Laurence Olivier and time spent acting in the West End. For the Royal Shakespeare Company, he has been seen in Timon of Athens, Tales from Ovid, and a world tour of A Servant to Two Masters. His many television appearances include I, Claudius; Yes, Minister; Mountbatten; Julius Caesar; and Fortunes of War. He has also appeared in the films Made, Jinnah, and Such a Long Journey, recorded over a thousand broadcasts for the BBC, and narrated numerous audio books.


Reviews

Tarquin Hall simply gets India. A British journalist who lives in Delhi and who's married to an Indian woman, he combines an insider's understanding of the country with an outsider's necessarily-surprised look at all of India's never ending quirkiness. Food is the prime example, with Private Investi......more

Goodreads review by Julie

I listened to the audiobook this time around, streaming from my library. I still think the ending felt rushed with a lot crammed into it, but I enjoyed it more this time. Possibly because I was listening to it and partially because I have since had an education of sorts in Indian life thanks to the......more

Goodreads review by Jon

I have a definite fault that was plainly manifest when I read this book. I started reading, and was enjoying it quite a bit. I thought that the Mr. Hall's descriptions of the setting and his characterizations were interesting, specific, and very distinctive. After a few pages, I wondered aloud how a......more


Quotes

“Narrator Sam Dastor slips in and out of Indian accents that represent all classes, castes, and personalities…He’s hilarious as Puri’s Mummy-ji and his wife, Rumpi…Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.” AudioFile

“[A] funny, entertaining novel...The characters—including members of Puri’s complicated family—are splendid, and it’s a joy to read.” The Times (London)

“Delightful…Hall splendidly evokes the color and bustle of Delhi streets and the tang of contemporary India.” Seattle Times

“Modern India, in all its colorful squalor, provides a vivid backdrop for this well-crafted whodunit.”  Buffalo News

“Hall has an unerring ear for the vagaries of Indian English, the Indian penchant for punning acronyms, peculiarly Indian problems...and an obvious affection for India, warts and all.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)


Awards

  • AudioFile Earphones Award
  • Amazon Editors' Pick
  • Seattle Times Best Book of the Year