The Case of the Reincarnated Client

From the Files of Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Investigator

By: Tarquin Hall

Narrated by: Sam Dastor

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

A client claiming she was murdered in a past life is a novel dilemma even for Vish Puri, India’s most private investigator.

When a young woman comes forward saying she’s the reincarnation of Riya Kaur, a wife and mother who vanished during the bloody 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Puri is dismissive. He’s busy enough dealing with an irate matrimonial client whose daughter is complaining about her groom’s thunderous snoring. Puri’s indomitable Mummy-ji, however, is adamant the client is genuine. How else could she so accurately describe under hypnosis Riya Kaur’s life and final hours?

Driven by a sense of duty - the original case was his late father’s - Puri manages to acquire the police file only to find that someone powerful has orchestrated a cover-up. Forced into an alliance with his mother that tests his beliefs and high blood pressure as never before, it’s only by delving into the past the help of his reincarnated client that Puri can hope to unlock the truth.

©2019 Sacred Cow Media, Ltd. (P)2020 Blackstone Publishing

Fantastic thriller with humour, insight & intrigue

Another Hall masterpiece which moves with the times and gives us an in-depth tour of Indian society, culture and food (yum yum) while keeping us spellbound with the twists and turns of the plot. It is very brave of Tarquin Hall to mention so clearly and specifically all the iniquities and corruption that go on in India, on a daily basis, as it must create ripples in high places.
He also reveals all the wonderful, caring and positive aspects of this vibrant and amazing country. I am just sad that I have come to the end of this particular story and must "do patience na" until Hall comes up with more Vish Pury adventures. I will undoubtedly listen to The Case of the Reincarnated Client again though, as I have to all the Vish Puri books. Great narration by Sam Dastor who lends such a nuanced, yet totally clear Indian accent that adds to the authenticity.

Wonderful return for Vish Puri!

I thoroughly enjoyed this latest episode in the wonderful Vishi Puri series. The writing has the same hilarious yet serious tone of the previous four installments. Sam Dastor is marvelous as the narrator who can capture the interesting relationships among the many and varied characters. All the great characters are back including Mummy-ji and Rumpi. Without his nuanced performance, much would be lost. There are several story lines which reveal not only the complex culture of Indian society but also introduce some historical notes. I hope that Tarquin Hall will not make us wait too long for the next book in the series. Highly recommended. Not only is the story highly entertaining with never a dull moment, but the background of the story is highly relevant to the current state of India as ethnic tensions again threaten to mar the tragic history of this fascinating and complex country.

Gotta give this a 5

For one thing it IS a cozy mystery in the sense that the story is set in the warmth of mutually supportive colleagues and family. -- but without getting sticky sweet. It's wonderfully human, showing the characters' foibles as they bump along together - which is where the HUMOR ;) comes in, delightful - also insightful to human nature and how we have to, and CAN, put up with each other ;) ;) ultimately with love and humor instead of shut downs, lifelong grudges, hostilities etc. It also gives tremendous and current insight into East Indian culture, also politics without ever getting heavy handed with it. Rather, these mentionings are flawlessly embedded in the story's flow. And the book is refreshingly INTELLIGENT. Nobody uses big words -- the intelligence is in the construction of the novel, its relationships, humor and plots. Oh yeah! The reader is also fantastic. He "gets" the humor and the subtleties so his reading does the book justice. I clap all of my hands ;) for all of Tarquin Hall's Dectective Puri books! I think this is the 3rd one.

Brilliant, Intriguing, Entertaining, Funny!!!

Loved this 5th book. Sherlock Holmes meets Dickens meets Shantaram. Hall and Dastor back in their groove. Chubby and Mummy are cracking impossible crime cases. Very thought provoking, current, and funny. This book explores a little bit of psychology, hypnosis, reincarnation, etc. Looking forward to more books by Tarquin Hall and brilliant narrator Sam Dastor.

Loved it!

The story and the performance are outstanding! Vish Puri and Mummy Ji lead us on a great adventure!

One of the most entertaining series available!!

Tarquin Hall writes stories with colorful engaging characters with a fantastic sense of humor. Wonderful description of places and people are often hilarious. The stories that are extremely entertaining but with poignant and realistic situations. The narration is flawless, it’s as if you really know the Characters. My only issue is the long wait for each adventure. I really hope the series will be a very long one.

Just lovely, generally believable and feel-good!

Loved the story, the humor, the narrator. It gives an unvarnished but very real feel of India - of its great and not-so-great moments, just like in any country.

Mummy and Vish make a great team!

This series is always amusing even though it sometimes showcases serious issues. The relationship between Vish and Mummy is delightful, as Mummy often is the more successful detective. The associates are entertaining as well. The narration is excellent.

I love this series

I speak as a non Indian person and respectfully acknowledge that my observations are from that perspective and may well stand to be corrected by an Indian national. That being said, I have spent a lot of time in India, and the the images portrayed here, the sights, sounds, smells, the language spoken and the food eaten made me terribly nostalgic for that lovely country. Each book has at its core observations about a single large historical and cultural issue, but intertwined with that is a rollicking good adventure with characters I have grown to love. I miss them now and can't wait for the next book.

Vish Puri Back again

Love the Vish Puri series wish has the right mix of humor and seriousness as it delves into Indian society and culture. Vish himself is a fun character and while Mommy Ji is a little too stereotypical the characters generally flow through nicely.

Sexual abuse and false memories - no thanks!

I know the series has covered many important social issues in India, historically and today. But a story about sexual abuse and false memories, told so, so simplistically, running alongside what is meant to be light comedy, just doesn't work. I read these books for escapist light relief, not to delve into serious and troubling issues. I stopped reading it. Shame, as the others have been great fun.

Tarquin Hall and Sam Dastor does it again.

Another brilliant novel by Tarquin Hall and superb narration by Sam Dastor. The opening scene with Puri scared of Mummy ji's visit got us laughing so much that we had to re-listen to it. The plot, characters and setting come together in a novel that focuses on India, it's history and its people in a thoughtful manner, while keeping the tone light. The reader just can't "do tension" while listening to this novel.

Wonderful engrossing tale. Perfectly narrated.

The story was engaging, the characters and setting. The narration is the best of any narration I have heard.

Another excellent instalment

I look forward to the arrival of the new Vish Puri stories, and this one maintains the high standard of writing, comedy and Mummi Ji is superb. The use of a kitten to "torture" the would be assassin was priceless.
Not such a long wait for the next one, please!

Great characters brilliantly given life by S Dastor

I am a huge fan of this series. It is atmospheric, light hearted but at the same time introducing real aspects of India both political and cultural that are new to me. The main characters are slightly eccentric and likeable without the annoying soppy aspect of some similar authors characters. Sam Dastor is a very talented narrator and renders each one distinctly greatly enhancing the audio version. I thought perhaps the 'plot' for this one was not quite as good as some of the previous three, but it is still a solid five stars for me. Tarquin Hall is the only author who consistently delivers with each book.

A More Mature Novel, as Vish Triumphs Again.

(Heard on Audible, so apologies for spelling mistakes).
As excellent as ever Vish, mummygi,
Rumpi, Handbrake, Tubelight Flash, Facecream and Gordon Gecko undertake a new mystery aided by Bobby, his father's old no2 and his faithful Ambassador.

Set in present day, but concerning the riots of 1984 and demonetisation of 2016, the two strands are woven into one story.
It is a more mature novel that made me think about history, Indira Gandhi, the riots and religion.

Vish seemed to eat his way through the story, and I definitely finished up feeling hungry for a curry and all accompaniments. I could smell the spices!

Tarquin Hall you've done it again 😃 I loved it.

Brilliant tale and Sam Dastor is perfect. I could listen to his voice all day.

Superlative

I cannot express how well written and absorbing these tales are But I must also congratulate Sam Dastor for the absolutely mesmerising audible narrative he provides . Please do not wait so long for the next especially in these times of uncertainty . There is such a rich seam to be explored and I would welcome further exploits please!