The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown

By: Vaseem Khan

Narrated by: Sartaj Garewal

Length: 8 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

The delightful second novel in the Mumbai-set Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series.

When the Koh-i-Noor diamond is stolen from an exhibition of the crown jewels, only one man - and his elephant - can crack the case....

For centuries the Koh-i-Noor diamond has set man against man and king against king. Now part of the British Crown Jewels, the priceless gem is a prize that many have killed to possess. So when the Crown Jewels go on display in Mumbai, security is everyone's principal concern. And yet, on the very day Inspector Chopra visits the exhibition, the diamond is stolen from under his nose. The heist is daring and seemingly impossible.

The hunt is on for the culprits. But it soon becomes clear that only one man - and his elephant - can possibly crack this case....

©2016 Vaseem Khan (P)2016 Hodder & Stoughton

The Charm Is Gone

I loved book one in this new series and anticipated an engaging follow up to the charming, quirky and very atmospheric story telling. However, book two felt one dimensional, filled with stereotypes, rushed and overly wordy. To me, the relationships and the dialogue seemed wooden. It's a shame because Khan ended book one with so many possibilities for a great new series. I was bored and disappointed and even had trouble staying awake and focused. Not for me.

31 people found this helpful

Wonderful

I love the twists and turns of the main story line. The additional plot lines males this a wonderfully complex read.

3 people found this helpful

Good Series - Want Mire

I enjoyed the quality of the Reader; multi-talent in voices & accents. Will listen more

3 people found this helpful

Mystery set within India's wealth and poverty

Another great mystery with Detective Chopra at it's center. Full of interesting characters, and memorable locals. I love learning about a country and it's social aspects, customs, etc. all the while following a good detective story.

Jai Chopra

A most enjoyable novel. Outstanding narrator!
Great voice and really terrific characterizations. I hope he and the author do many more stories!!

1 person found this helpful

Brilliant

What a wonderful book. The narration is splendid. Utterly enjoyed listening to it and cheering Chopra and Ganesh the baby elephant on.

2 people found this helpful

Very entertaining

Can thoroughly recommend. A very entertaining tale of daring do with as an extra bonus a gentle but courageous baby elephant

1 person found this helpful

Lovely concept - disappointing execution...

What would have made The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown better?

The hook of a detective with a baby elephant as a sidekick is brilliant, but this hasn't been taken advantage of properly. The story is old, cliched and been done to death and sadly this brought nothing new to the table.

Has The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown put you off other books in this genre?

Not this genre, but certainly I won't be buying the next Inspector Chopra instalment - I really want to like these books :(

What three words best describe Sartaj Garewal’s voice?

cheesy, cliche and reinforcing stereotypes.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown?

I'd have reworked the entire narrative - The elephant needs to be an integral part of the story, not just a metaphor for India etc. Plus the Inspector needs some development - he's fairly 1D. The story was weak and unimaginative.

Any additional comments?

This feels rushed and doesn't come close to the first one, which in itself was OK, but I had hoped they would develop - please go back to the drawing board and breathe some new life in to this!

2 people found this helpful

wonderful story telling

a truly joyful literary discovery cannot wait for the next in the series!!! Thanks Vaseem

Great tale!

Loved the story and the atmospheric setting of India...but the narrator makes it. Didn't realise how important Sartaj Garewal is to the telling of the tale until the narrator changed for the third book, and ruined it.

Endearing

Baby elephant, Ganesh is the real star of these books. Voice of narrator was a little too clipped in places for my taste & some of the accents were rather strange. Storyline was a bit choppy, but the author creates some engaging characters. For anyone who has visited India, you’ll be able to visualise some of of the mayhem, striking colour palette & the wide gap between the haves & the have nots that this book describes.

Ch Lafite in a Champagne glass...

As a sometime resident of Mumbai and Indophile I wanted to love these stories. This toothless volume is saved in part by the fantastic narration but, I really had to steel myself to finish it.