Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra - book 1 in the Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation
by Vaseem Khan
mystery 2015
kindle
finished 1/13/16

I can’t praise this book enough. I loved every minute of my time with Inspector Chopra (Retd). He is still a relatively young man who must retire from the police force in Mumbai because of a recent heart attack. We meet him on his last day of work. He comes upon a case of a young man found dead. It is deemed an accidental death and the police do not intend to spend any time on it. But Inspector Ashwin Chopra hears the boy’s mother say that her son’s death is being neglected because he is only a poor boy. Because Chopra is a good man, an honest man, and a caring man he takes her words to heart and begins his own investigation though he is not an official police inspector anymore. 

Along with being involved in this case, he has a surprise inheritance from his uncle, whom he hasn’t seen for years. His uncle Bansi was quite a magical fellow who had a kind of Dr. Doolittle relationship with animals. A baby elephant arrives with a letter:
It is my request that you take in and care for this elephant. It is a newborn, not yet a year old. If I were to tell you the circumstances by which this elephant entered the world you would not believe me, at least not yet. Let me say only this to you: this is no ordinary elephant. Remember what is real and what is illusion is only a matter of perspective.
Can you imagine such a thing?! Mumbai is not a verdant, rural retreat. This is a city teeming with people everywhere. Chopra’s home is an apartment on the 15th floor. For the time being, the elephant named Ganesh is hitched outdoors near the hut of the security person. Chopra has a wife called Poppy. Her mother also lives with them. There are no children which is a great sadness to Poppy. 

Vaseem Khan brings the city of Mumbai to life. The reader can feel the heat and the rain and the smells; the poverty and the richness and the corruption and the wonder of this place. Although I’m unlikely to ever go there, India holds a place in my heart like no other. 

This is just a wonderful book, and I and have pre-ordered the next one which is due out in the US this summer. The characters are so appealing, the elephant is a delight, the mystery a good one. Really a perfect book for me. Highly recommended.

14 comments:

  1. Somehow I'm not surprised that you loved this one. It reminds me of the Vish Puri series, which I am way behind on. I do want to read it and it sounds lovely. I think I need to find out how the elephant fares. LOL

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    1. It would make an interesting study to see how Chopra's Mumbai compares to Puri's Delhi. I've read the first two Puri books and have the third sitting on the shelf waiting for me. I think you'll like this one. The elephant fares just fine!

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  2. I bought this for my kindle and have begun reading it with pleasure....Are you familiar with the website Stop You're Killing Me? I often search for books in different locations or times. This does look like a winner.

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    1. I do know that site but haven't been there for a while. Thanks for the reminder! That's great you are reading this, too!

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  3. It certainly sounds different from any other mystery I have ever read! Thank you for the great review; you have a knack for saying just enough to wet one's appetite without revealing too much.

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    1. It is! Thank you for what you said. I struggle with that very thing, especially when I am really excited about a book. My first drafts often tell too much and I pare them down.

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  4. This is on my list to read. thanks to your review. It sounds irresistible and I do love a good mystery.

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  5. I would not have thought I would like this, but you have convinced me to try it. Later in the year I will get a copy, right now I am not buying new books for a while.

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  6. I'm with Tracy K above. I'm holding out on buying new books right now as my library is full of books waiting for me, but you've convinced me this would be a unique one to try! I'm loving your pictures of snow, and I'm happy with just seeing photos of snow. We're gearing up for Mardi Gras here in NW Louisiana. Also enjoy watching the grandchildren grow and mature.

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    1. It was a wonderfully fun and interesting book.

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  7. This has just come from the library and I think it's #3 on the TBR list, barring the arrival of anything more enticing. :-)

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