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

Wonderful Delhi English and sense of modern India

What did you love best about The Case of the Missing Servant?

The narration is, to put it in the words of Vish Puri, truly first class. Dastor beautifully captures the nuance and rhythms of Delhi English just as Hall captures the details of upper middle class Indian life.

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

The twists of the plot are engaging, as is Vish Puri.

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend for anyone who knows anything of the culture, or indeed anyone who wants to get a charming (and realistically dodgy and corrupt) taste of modern India.

Delightful Detective

What did you love best about The Case of the Missing Servant?

I loved the characters-all of them.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Chubby.
He has such an ego, but he also is wise and compassionate to his servants and clients.
I also loved Mummy very much.

What does Sam Dastor bring to the story that you wouldn???t experience if you just read the book?

Thank you, Sam Dastor, for giving us perfect voices for the series. .
I'm already listening to the second volume and very much anticipating enjoying the third installment.
I would definitely listen to Sam Dastor in other books and series.

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

Living the Modern Indian Dream Life.

Any additional comments?

I wish there were a way to translate the slang used. I get the point, but I'd love to understand more of the particulars.

Wonderfully entertaining

What made the experience of listening to The Case of the Missing Servant the most enjoyable?

Narrator is excellent...I will look for more of his narrations. Accents were delightful.

What about Sam Dastor’s performance did you like?

His ability to distinguish different characters with very believable voices and accents.

Any additional comments?

These novels (with

So good! So amazingly good!

I’ve loved Tarquinius Hall’s detective for a long time but to have Sam Dastor narrate made the whole story new again. I laughed out loud. All the secondary characters take on new life, and I find Face Cream and Tube Light and Mummy delightfully fresh.

As Mummy would say "Sooo funny!"

The narration really makes this book stand out, with the distinctive accents and mannerisms of the Indian characters. If you like the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series, you will probably enjoy this as well. I laughed aloud many times as the detective, nicknamed Chubby, who is helped out by his mother, always called Mummy, defies the unending bureaucracy and hidebound traditions of India.

I did wonder whether Indians would find some of the characters and situations to be stereotypes but I was too busy having a good time to think about that long. Sam Dastor was excellent and I'll be listening to as many more books in this series as I can find.

Twists and turns and fun

Thoroughly enjoyed my time with the characters, the story and the narrator. Glad to see I will be able to continue in their company with other books in the series.

Fun mystery book.

A light and funny mystery. A nice break from more serious books.
I enjoyed this story!

A Complete Surprise

Narrator Sam Dastor completely changed my viewpoint on audio books. Because of him, I no longer look for a book to be read to me. I look for a book to be performed for me. Dastor makes a well-written book come alive with characters you really get to know and care about. The narrator does an admirable job of bringing every character to life. They all have distinctly different personalities because of his voice. In audio books I usually find women's voices sound fake, but Dastor slipped in and out of women's voices with great credibility. Peppered with humour and tension, the story of the missing servant unfolds in vivid descriptions of Delhi, Jaipur and other places in India. I enjoyed the Hindi words sprinkled in the story, and felt like they added another layer to the story for people who know some Hindi. This is quite an enjoyable book, and yet the author calls attention to social issues like the abuse of servants, arranged marriages and rape without being heavy handed or didactic. Listeners get the message. In my book, this is my pick of the year 2016. It's a great way to end the year.

Great mystery with local India color

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

The narration and character voices were outstanding. I was sick while listening, and this audio book helped keep me distracted.
The mystery itself kept me engaged, but I especially loved the local flavor. Woven into the mystery's seems were lovely extras about Indian life, from TV shows to the legal system, medical system, castes, country clubs, socioeconomic inequality, etc.

Entertaining and enlightening

I love the narrator and the subject material. The author offers a wonderful picture of Indian life and social intricacies. While the plot and action can be somewhat formulaic, I love the formula! Sam Dastor is a genius narrator with great accents, timing, and pace. I am now listening to all Tarquin Hall and Sam Dastor recordings.