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| | Features | ISBN13: 9781416583691Condition: NewNotes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
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| | Description | Murder is no laughing matter. Yet a prominent Indian scientist dies in a fit of giggles when a Hindu goddess appears from a mist and plunges a sword into his chest. The only one laughing now is the main suspect, a powerful guru named Maharaj Swami, who seems to have done away with his most vocal critic. Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Investigator, master of disguise and lover of all things fried and spicy, doesn’t believe the murder is a supernatural occurrence, and proving who really killed Dr. Suresh Jha will require all the detective’s earthly faculties. To get at the truth, he and his team of undercover operatives—Facecream, Tubelight, and Flush—travel from the slum where India’s hereditary magicians must be persuaded to reveal their secrets to the holy city of Haridwar on the Ganges. How did the murder weapon miraculously crumble into ash? Will Maharaj Swami have the last laugh? And perhaps more important, why is Puri’s wife, Rumpi, chasing petty criminals with his Mummy-ji when she should be at home making his rotis? Stopping only to indulge his ample Punjabi appetite, Puri uncovers a web of spirituality, science, and sin unique in the annals of crime. | |
| | Product Details | | Author: | Tarquin Hall | | Hardcover: | 320 pages | | Publisher: | Simon & Schuster | | Publication Date: | June 15, 2010 | | Language: | English | | ISBN: | 1416583696 | | Product Length: | 8.7 inches | | Product Width: | 6.18 inches | | Product Height: | 1.1 inches | | Product Weight: | 0.92 pounds | | Package Length: | 8.58 inches | | Package Width: | 5.67 inches | | Package Height: | 1.26 inches | | Package Weight: | 0.93 pounds | | Average Customer Rating: |  based on 28 reviews |
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| | Customer Reviews | Average Customer Review: ( 28 customer reviews )
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33 of 34 found the following review helpful:
 For a reader interested in India... Jun 19, 2010
By Jill Meyer
Tarquin Hall's new "cozy", is a great read for those interested in India, its people, and its customs. "Died Laughing" is Hall's second mystery, and again features Vish Puri, a 50-something detective in Delhi who bills himself as India's "Most Private Investigator". He's often called on by public officials to look into crimes, as well as investigating for private clients. Puri also has a large family; wife, children, mother, and siblings as well as a large cast of "operatives", who often figure into Puri's cases. In both books, so far, Puri's mother, "Mummy" and his wife, "Rumpi" team up to solve a more home-grown crime among their friends. Vish, who wishes his wife and mother would just stop trying to do what he does, thankfully never learns about their crime-busting.
"Died Laughing" is a somewhat complicated story that involves magic, murder, and fake Swamis. Operatives "Face Cream", "Handbrake", and "Tubelight" join Vish as he follows it all to a curious end.
Hall writes in detail about Indian society. Reading his books is almost a learning experience. His plots are almost incidental to character development. I'm looking forward to number three in his Vish Puri series.
9 of 9 found the following review helpful:
Pukka story Jun 23, 2010
By BurmaBaby
I loved this book, the second in the Vish Puri series by Tarquin Hall, as much as Hall's first book in the series, "The Case of the Missing Servant". Both mysteries are set in India and the sights, sounds, and smells of India are immediate on every page. Vish Puri, nicknamed "Chubby" by his wife, loves to eat, and so lots of great Indian food is described as Vish falls often off the diet wagon. Vish Puri is a smart, funny and lovable character whose Indian/English dialog is spot on. The book includes a glossary of Indian words that I've enjoyed reading to expand my Indian vocabulary, but one can skip the glossary and just get the general meaning of the words from contextual cues. If you've enjoyed the "Ladies Detective Agency" series by Alexander McCall Smith and the "Marriage Bureau for Rich People" series by Farahad Zama, you'll love Tarquin Hall's delightful Vish Puri books.
27 of 35 found the following review helpful:
 "The wool is being pulled over our eyes." Jun 17, 2010
By E. Bukowsky
"booklover10"
It is infernally hot and humid in New Delhi--44 degrees Celsius. Most Private Investigator Vish Puri hates heat and humidity; he prefers to remain in an air conditioned room or car whenever possible. Work, however, forces him to endure the sweltering weather in Tarquin Hall's "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing." The author places us in the chaotic streets of New Delhi, in which "everywhere commerce flourished." "Dilli wallahs," as inhabitants of New Delhi are known, "went about their lives, seemingly resigned to the capital's harsh and, for most, worsening conditions."
Although he hates the comparison, many regard Puri as the Sherlock Holmes of India. It is the rare miscreant who can outsmart Puri, a shrewd and imaginative man who is as resourceful as he is tenacious. Vish Puri is ably assisted by his team of undercover operatives, without whom he would not be able to conduct surveillance, do background checks, or carry on other covert operations. In the course of this novel, Vish will tackle cases ranging from extortion to a bizarre murder. In addition, his mother, Mummy-ji, and wife, Rumpi, get in the act, undertaking some amateur sleuthing of their own.
Some critics have compared Tarquin Hall to Alexander McCall Smith, who created "The Number One Ladies Detective Agency." There are parallels between the two series, such as their whimsical humor, offbeat criminals, emphasis on the oddities of human nature, and exploration of the social and cultural mores of the countries where they are set. However, Hall is not as impressive as Alexander McCall Smith, whose light touch, engaging and concise writing style, and careful delineation of character make the Precious Ramotswe mysteries so consistently excellent. The characters in "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" are not as memorable. They include Dr. Suresh Jha, a retired mathematician, known as the "Guru Buster," because of his determination to unmask spiritual con men; Jha's arch enemy, Maharaj Swami, "revered as a living saint by more than thirty million followers," who presides over the Abode of Eternal Love; Professor Pandey, leader of the Rajpath Laughing Club; and Inspector Jagat Prakash Singh of the Delhi police, who routinely turns to his good friend, Puri, to help him solve particularly sophisticated crimes. When a prominent individual appears to have been struck down by the writhing and hideous goddess Kali, Singh calls on Puri for advice. Did a miracle actually occur or has the public been duped by a clever charlatan?
One irksome aspect of this talky narrative is the author's use of Hindi phrases throughout the book, forcing the reader to turn to the glossary in the back. It would have been simpler to insert the definitions either in the text or at the bottom of the page in footnotes. In addition, as the narrative progresses, the plot becomes increasingly complicated, the dialogue long-winded, and the humor more forced. Nor is it helpful that Hall recounts, in great detail, every single food consumed by Puri and his acquaintances. By the time the numerous threads of the mystery are unraveled, some readers may be struggling to stay awake.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
Vish Puri is Back. Jun 30, 2010
By Dick Johnson
And, our Most Private Investigator is still in his unique form (and size). Day-to-day life in India is still astoundingly different from that in America.
This is a murder mystery, so we have at least one body; at least one murderer; at least half-a-dozen suspects; and a variety of interesting people and places. Most of all, though, we have Puri and his cast of helpers in the search for the solution.
As in The Case of the Missing Servant, we also have Puri's multi-generational family members involved in their own investigation.
Hall's writing is so smooth that you never notice it. Not once does it get in the way of the story being told. That alone is worth five stars. The humor, red herrings and setting are great, too. But, as with his first Puri book, it's the characters that makes this so much fun.
The eleven page glossary was a very good addition. The book is quite readable by Westerners; but those unfamiliar with India might want to do a bit of study before jumping in. A reference search for India society will generate an amazing amount of useful information.
Lovers of classic mysteries, especially those by British authors, will feel right at home with the Puri books. I'm looking forward to the next installment.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Confidentiality is our watchword Aug 18, 2010
By Jane Austen
"Sumita CDM"
Aloha! Back comes Vish Puri with a new case - 'The Man who Died Laughing.' I did like the earlier book by Hall wherein he had introduced Vish Puri as the Most Private Investigator.
Vish likes to be addresses as Vish rather than his full name Vishwas because Vish sounds as 'wish'. His catch line is 'Confidentiality is our watchword.' Vish Puri has different kinds of cases to resolve - be it related to matrimonial alliances, background checks, frauds, murders, and so on.
'The Case of the Man Who Dies Laughing' is a case waiting to be resolved in Delhi, India. It's about the murder of Dr. Suresh Jha. One morning, as Dr. Jha was part of the 'laughter club' and part of the laughter exercise, he is suddenly killed. In the middle of everyone. And to everyone who witnessed the murder, it was a shocking surprise to find none other than the Hindu Goddess Kali appearing from nowhere to kill Dr. Jha. After the murder, Goddess Kali disappears into thin air! How is that possible at all? Goddess Kali appearing & killing a human - how??
Dr. Jha is a rationalist who brings the tricks of many fraud mystics out in open, therefore making many enemies. Not only are the fraud mystics have become his enemies, but also some staunch Hindu political parties. The main suspect is the self-proclained Godman who had challenged Dr. Jha once. Has this Godman stooped so low to start murdering people?
This case brings out the age old fight between superstition & rationality. There is difference between 'belief' and 'superstition'. Unfortunately, at times many people fail to differentiate between belief & superstition and that is when the problem begins.
What I liked about the book? I liked how this case was solved in simple English, and there was a flow maintained between each sentence, paragraph, and chapter. Knowing the Hindi language made it easier to understand many words; the glossary of Hindi terms at the end of the book was a boon for non-Hindi speakers.
I'm waiting for more Vish Puri mysteries to be out soon.
My rating would be 4.5/5.
See all 28 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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