The Case of the Missing Servant

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Meet Vish Puri, India's most private investigator. Portly, persistent and unmistakably Punjabi, he cuts a determined swathe through modern India's swindlers, cheats and murderers.

In hot and dusty Delhi, Puri's main work comes from screening prospective marriage partners, a job once the preserve of aunties and family priests. But when an honest public litigator is accused of murdering his maidservant, it takes all of Puri's resources to investigate. How will he trace the fate of the girl, known only as Mary, in a population of more than one billion? Who is taking pot shots at him and his prize chilli plants? And why is his widowed "Mummy-ji" attempting to play sleuth when everyone knows Mummies are not detectives? With his team of undercover operatives--Tubelight, Flush, and Facecream--Puri ingeniously combines modern techniques with principles of detection established in India more than 2000 years ago - long before "that Johnny-come-lately" Sherlock Holmes donned his Deerstalker.

From his well-heeled Gymkhana Club to the slums where the servant classes live, Puri's adventures reveal modern India in all its seething complexity.

©2009 Sacred Cow Media Ltd. (P)2009 BBC Audio

Ok, but not great

I just couldn't keep my mind from wandering, then had to go back and listen to it again, and again.. To me, the story lines were blurry and undefined. I had a hard time following, of course, I may have missed a bit while my mind was elsewhere! And, too many characters, I kept mixing them up.

The description of the culture and people was terrific, though. I felt as if I was right there, and could see, feel and smell India. And, perhaps understand them a bit more as well.

The narration was great. His accents were wonderful and the pace was just right.

I'd say the series has potential, but I suppose, I need a bit more definition in my plots and investigations.

Interesting characters, plot sometimes slow

I was immediately taken by
Vish Puri and the other characters. However sometimes the plot nearly ground to a halt with “on the nose” descriptions of everyday life. Overall I did enjoy it and the narration was excellent.

Hugely entertaing especially Delhi details

Would you consider the audio edition of The Case of the Missing Servant to be better than the print version?

Sam Dastor's voicing is great, his accents are spot on, except for the stray character who is supposed to have an American influenced accent. I especially loved his female "Auntie" delivery.

Which character – as performed by Sam Dastor – was your favorite?

Mummy is a classic "Auntie type". Sam does a beautiful job inflecting his voice to convey the submissive words and delivery backed up by the character's knowledge that she will get her way.

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

Punjabi Sherlock with his Jan Path irregulars.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoyed the characters in this evocative rendition of modern South Delhi using the detective novel as a vehicle.

Highly Entertaining!

Throughly well written. Characters like these I would love to keep reading about. I even would watch both a Bollywood and Hollywood films based on these stories.

Few books are this fun to listen to

This book is just perfect. It's one of the best listens, & I've been an audible member for 4 years or more. I also got the other Vish Puri mystery & love it as well. I sure hope there are more in the works. Never been to India, but I feel I'm there when I listen to these books.

Good narrator, so so story

Excellent voice but the story (composed of several 'cases') seems recycled from other cases in other mysteries set in locales that are foreign to the reader. If you get it at a bargain ... Perhaps I'm just getting tired of this sub-genre.

Sam Dastor & Tarquin Hall = PERFECT BOOKS!

Where does The Case of the Missing Servant rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

One of my all time favorites for series.

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

No--but it moves at a good pace, and Vish Puri, India's 'Most private investigator" (AKA Chubby to his unimpressed family) is so funny -- as well as a good mystery--that I never want to miss one single word of it.

Have you listened to any of Sam Dastor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Sam Dastor is always perfect--and I love listening to him. For instance, as a 180 away from comedy--he has done a magnificent job narrating "Passage To India". He is wonderful no matter what he reads.

Any additional comments?

This is a jolly good book, and a delightful series. There are so few (beside this one, his first, there are so far only "The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken" and "The Man Who Died Laughing").

I think these books are rich with insights and observations about human behaviors, humor, and -- oh yes, always a very good mystery to solve! I just wish this clever duo (Hall-Dastor) had many more! Please do yourself a favor and read this (and the others). You will be charmed (or at least, I was). Highly recommend.

Delightful listen

Words cannot express how much I love the Vish Puri series, especially on audiobook. The characters are charming, the mysteries are interesting, and the narration is very well done. Highly recommend this series of audiobooks...

mystery, fun to listen, experience Indian culture

If you could sum up The Case of the Missing Servant in three words, what would they be?

Humor, mystery, culture

What did you like best about this story?

I was introduced to India through a fun and interesting mystery. I often laughed out loud, and the characters are well developed and memorable.

Lighthearted and Funny

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed the story, the characters, the atmosphere of Delhi (both old and new) and I especially enjoyed the narrator. I ordered two more Tarquin Hall books after finishing this one.