The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator, Book 3

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

Length: 9 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

Dubbed “a wonderfully engaging P.I.” (The Times, London), Tarquin Hall’s irresistible protagonist Vish Puri has become an international favorite through a series that "splendidly evokes the color and bustle of Delhi and the tang of contemporary India" (The Seattle Times). Now the gormandizing, spectacularly mustachioed sleuth finds himself facing down his greatest fears in an explosive case involving the Indian and Pakistani mafias.

When the elderly father of a top Pakistani cricketer playing in the multi-million-dollar Indian Premier League dies during a post-match dinner, it’s not a simple case of Delhi Belly. His butter chicken has been poisoned. To solve the case, Puri must penetrate the region’s organized crime, following a trail that leads deep into Pakistan - the country in which many members of the P.I.’s family were massacred during the 1947 partition of India. The last piece of the puzzle, however, turns up closer to home when Puri learns of the one person who can identify the killer. Unfortunately it is the one woman in the world with whom he has sworn never to work: his Mummy-ji.

©2012 Sacred Cow Media, Ltd. (P)2012 AudioGO

wonderful character development

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Third book in the Vish Puri series, this story further develops the characters and reveals the surprising and inspiring past of "Mummy G". The book combines humor, intrigue, and social commentary in a truly unique and entertaining style. The narration is expertly performed and artfully captures the personalities of each character.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, having gotten to know the characters from the previous two novels, it was exciting to see how each person dealt with their situations.

Which scene was your favorite?

I particularly liked the scene where Puri predicted the palys in the cricket match.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The recollection of Mummy G attempting to rescue a poor girl from a life of slavery.

So many Indian words...

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I recommend to listen to this book because of all the Indian words. Enjoyed the story. Had several characters so a bit difficult to keep track of everyone. Great descriptions of India. The reader did a fabulous job with the Indian accent.

Another Great Episode about Vish Puri

If you could sum up The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken in three words, what would they be?

Love this series!!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken?

Getting more info about some of the other characters.

What about Sam Dastor???s performance did you like?

He does a great job with different voices for each character . . . hopefully he'll also read for all future episodes.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Here's another new P.I. - this time from India.

Any additional comments?

Been waiting for the release of this . . . after listening to the previous two books . . . I was very pleased with this latest addition and I'm looking forward to a long relationship with these characters.

Delightful Delhi detective (see recipe too)

This is the third Vish Puri detective story, but my first read in the series. I didn't feel disadvantaged by not having read the first two books. I felt immediately immersed in modern Delhi, where gleaming skyscrapers filled with call centers sit next to street markets, cricket matches are the subject of wild enthusiasm (especially with the new feature of blonde American cheerleaders in skimpy outfits), and the streets are jammed with hair-raising kamikaze drivers––and the occasional cow. In today's Delhi, the status of money is beginning to replace the caste system, but the old world remains in the multi-generational households, arranged marriages, and religious rituals.

Vish Puri, affectionately called Chubby by his family, is the Boss of Most Private Detectives, assisted by a large group of operatives with colorful monikers like Tubelight, Facecream, Handbrake, Flush, and Chanel No.5. Even his beloved Mummy-Ji gets in on the sleuthing action on occasion––though against Puri's wishes.

As the story begins, Puri has been put on a diet by his wife, Rumpi. He'll do anything to make her happy, but he finds food irresistible. The descriptions of his meals were so mouth-watering I finally had to resolve not to read the book unless I had already eaten.

Puri has several cases on his plate (no pun intended): the murder (by poisoned Butter Chicken) of wealthy Pakistani Mr. Khan at a cricket federation dinner; allegations of cricket match fixing; and the "theft" of the long, luxuriant mustaches of two men.

Puri's adventures are comic, but author Tarquin isn't just playing for laughs. He doesn't turn a blind eye to the corruption in Indian society or its inequities, like an elderly servant who is made to sleep on her master's kitchen floor. The police force is inept (and worse), and Puri is himself hampered by VIP suspects who refuse to cooperate with his investigation and threaten him for daring to approach them. One thread of the plot goes back to the horrific days of the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, as Muslims fled north and Hindis and Sikhs south, with massacres of the refugees and abductions of women along the way.

What a pleasure to read a mystery with such charming, lively characters, and to be both entertained and educated. I listened to the audiobook and found its reader, Sam Dastor, to be a delight. His neutral narration was in a clear, British accent, and his characters' Indian-accented dialog seemed dead on.

RECIPE

The best Butter Chicken I ever had was at Amber India in Palo Alto, CA. Here's the recipe from that restaurant published some years back in the San Francisco Chronicle:
Ingredients:
 
Main

3 pounds chicken (2 half-breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs), skinned
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon hot red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups unflavored yogurt
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic paste (see note)
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger paste (see note)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt

The Sauce

1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground red chile
Pinch garam masala
Pinch mace
Pinch nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups water, or more as needed
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons ground fenugreek
Salt to taste 

Instructions:
 
1. Make 3 parallel cuts on top of each piece of chicken. Place the chicken in a resealable heavy-duty plastic bag.
2. Combine the lemon juice, red pepper flakes and salt; pour over the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Combine the yogurt and cream in a bowl; blend well.
4. Mix together the garlic paste, ginger paste, coriander, cumin, garam masala and salt. Add to the yogurt mixture, blending thoroughly.
5. When the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, remove it from the refrigerator, open the bag and pour in the yogurt mixture. Reseal the bag and refrigerate overnight.
6. To make the sauce: Combine the ginger, ground chile, garam masala, mace, nutmeg, white pepper and brown sugar in a small bowl.
7. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, the spice/sugar blend and water. Simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes.
8. Add more water if the mixture gets too dry.
9. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
10. Remove the chicken from the marinade; discard the marinade.
11. Arrange the chicken pieces in a baking pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Bake for 30 minutes.
12. Let the chicken cool until you can handle it, then remove the meat from the bones in bite-size pieces; discard bones.
13. Add the chicken meat, the cream and fenugreek to the sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Taste, and add salt if desired. 

Nutrition Information:
 
PER SERVING: 325 calories, 28 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat (10 g saturated), 126 mg cholesterol, 380 mg sodium, 1 g fiber. 

Yields: Serves 4. Note: Ginger paste and garlic paste are available in jars. Look for them in Asian markets, and supermarkets that have large ethnic-food sections

Wonderful series about India

This is the third in the wonderful Vish Turi series which continues to evoke the different flavors, (food and otherwise) of India. In this one, Vish’s nephew is part of India’s national cricket team and they are playing in a tournament against the Pakistani team. This is an intense game because India and Pakistan have been enemies since the partition into nations by the British in 1947. But Vish’s nephew and the top Pakistani player are good friends, and Vish finds he must try to withstand his prejudices in order to be courteous to the boy and his father. And then when the Pakistani older man is poisoned during the dinner through a dish of butter chicken which the whole table shared, he must find out how it occurred. This book, a little more serious than the first two, involves tangling with the Pakistan mafia, dealing with illegal betting on cricket games, dealing in blood diamonds, and, most bizarre, a man whose full mustache was stolen. He learns more about his own family’s history in 1947 and 1948 when they were forced to move from the area they lived in which became Pakistan, and, despite his best efforts, his Mummy-Gi is essential in solving the poisoning case. A very good book with information included about the India Pakistan issues.

a bit 5oo complicated

I shouldn't complain because I have thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this book. it was too long...chasing everyone with NO SNSWER until 28th (last) chapter.....although I only listen at night about half hour so maybe that the cause....I love Vish Puri....he is just right....

Loved the Complex Back Story

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The entire series is great, but book 3 is by far the best. The characters are complex, flawed and lovable. Lots of cultural and historic background related to Delhi, Punjab and India.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken?

I really like the reading of Mummy Ji's diary.

Which scene was your favorite?

The scene at the second cricket match where the killer is exposed.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

A quirky detective story in the British tradition set in India, more precisely in Punjab.

Best Vish Puri case yet

Would you listen to The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken again? Why?

I rarely listen to books more than once, so this question is irrelevant to my review

What did you like best about this story?

The story is well crafted, the characters are well drawn and entertaining, and the history relating to the partition of India and Pakistan is very well presented and fascinating and elevates the book from a light hearted romp to a memorable read.

What about Sam Dastor’s performance did you like?

He strikes the right level of enthusiasm and performance without going over the top, except maybe for some of the female characters whose high-pitched, nasal voices get a bit annoying

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I did find it difficult to put down

Any additional comments?

A refreshingly different detective series, perhaps just a bit derivative of The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency series, but different enough to stand on its own. Does for moderm India what TNOLDA does for Botswana, but has a much bigger canvas to paint on.

Quite enjoyable

Good story. Likable characters. Humor scattered throughout. Clean. Interesting to learn about India. Great narrator.

Perfect summer listen

I really enjoyed the previous two instalments in this series and was eagerly awaiting the release of this one.

Fortunately, I wasn't disappointed. A joy to listen to - filled with a wonderful sense of humour and original characters. I particularly loved the expansion on Puri's mother in this book as she out manoeuvres her lovably egotistic son. The same narrator as performed the first two books returns and yet again puts in a great performance; truly adding to your enjoyment and immersion into Tarquin Hall's India.