The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star

By: Vaseem Khan

Narrated by: Madhav Sharma

Mumbai is a city that thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.
But as Chopra is about to discover, even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending.

Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry.

As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture.

And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction. . .

Critic reviews

"Wildly inventive ... a great warmth and wisdom infuse this and the other Baby Ganesh books."—Booklist (starred review)

"Smoothly combines an affable lead, a seemingly impossible crime, and an endearing and highly unusual sidekick-a baby elephant named Ganesha.... Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will find a lot to like."—p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Calibri; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000}span.s1 {font-kerning: none}Publishers Weekly on The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown

"An entertaining feel-good read in the tradition of Alexander McCall Smith.... Utterly charming." —Guardian on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"The deep love for Mumbai and its people - warts and all - that Inspector Chopra shares with his creator infuses the novel from the beginning. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra is certainly a delightful and uplifting crime caper, but it also comes with an edifying dose of serious social comment, with many of Chopra's preoccupations mirroring those of his creator."—The Bookseller on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"An enchanting start to a new series."—Woman & Home on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"A winning debut...Khan's affection for Mumbai and its residents adds to the novel's charm."—Publishers Weekly on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Debut Mumbai-based 'cosy' - complete with baby elephant - keeps things heart-warming while tackling corruption at the highest levels and violent crime at the lowest. Endearing and gripping, it sets up Inspector Chopra - and the elephant - for a long series."—Sunday Times on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Thought-provoking mystery... promising debut."—Booklist on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Charming."—Marie Claire on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"A fantastic and heartwarming read... I can't wait to see what happens next!"—First for Women on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

different reader

I liked the book but I like the in the first two books the reader who read the books better than this one.

another great addition to the series

the Baby Ganesh detective agency series, make for fun and engaging reading. wonderful characters especially baby Ganesh. they all offer glimpses into life in India along with good writing, and always original mysteries. this one is no exception! well worth a credit!

Loved this book and the great narrator

I love this series and I’m looking forward to the next one I don’t usually review, but this time I just had to say something.
The narrator is just the best!!!
I wish he could narrate all the books I listen to.
He makes the story come alive with his rich, kindly voice. I loved very minute of this story and narration.l

A good mystery and an elephant!

I was determined to hate a mystery with an elephant as a side kick but Ganesh is written beautifully. Yes he is precocious, but he never feels like a human masquerading in an elephant costume.
There are two mysteries unfolding across the novel and the author does a nice job at leading you through the layers of character, family and plot. The ending is satisfying. It’s a fun trip through India if you like cozy mysteries.
Narrator is spectacular.

Narration

The narration on this book was fabulous. It was like an entire play being acted out. Every character came alive. It was incredibly well written, and I enjoyed every moment of it. It was even better than all the Bollywood movies put together.