Bad Day at the Vulture Club Synopsis
In the gripping new Baby Ganesh Agency novel, Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigate the death of one of Mumbai's wealthiest citizens, a murder with ramifications for its poorest.
The Parsees are among the oldest, most secretive and most influential communities in the city: respected, envied and sometimes feared.
When prominent industrialist Cyrus Zorabian is murdered on holy ground, his body dumped inside a Tower of Silence - where the Parsee dead are consumed by vultures - the police dismiss it as a random killing. But his daughter is unconvinced.
Chopra, uneasy at entering this world of power and privilege, is soon plagued by doubts about the case.
But murder is murder. And in Mumbai, wealth and corruption go in hand in hand, inextricably linking the lives of both high and low...
About This Edition
Vaseem Khan Press Reviews
5 stars. Best of the series so far. -- Abir Mukherjee Another brilliant chapter in this highly engaging series - Crime Squad
Praise for the Baby Ganesh series - .
A most beguiling series - Financial Times
I can't imagine anybody not enjoying this book... the same winning blend of thrills, charm and local colour as Alexander McCall Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. - Reader's Digest
Delightful - Good Housekeeping
There have been many insipid imitators of the Alexander McCall Smith formula, grafting a cosy mystery into a depiction of a foreign culture dripping with local colour, but Khan has the quirkiness and hint of grit to make his portrayal of modern Mumbai memorable - Sunday Express
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. - The Sunday Times
A sparkling debut with a zippy plot and an endearing set of characters - The Lady
Enchanting - Woman & Home
Chopra, diligent, incorruptible and not entirely at ease with shiny new India, is a delight, as is his redoubtable wife, Poppy - and Ganesha the elephant, once he has cheered up a bit, proves a very useful ally indeed. Utterly charming - Guardian
A cast of intriguing characters that it will be a joy to see develop. But the greatest strength is the setting in the teeming city of Mumbai, from which the colour and atmosphere flows out of every page in this enjoyable, whimsical tale - Daily Express
A quirky murder mystery... full of colourful characters and insightful details about human motivation - Irish Examiner
The series continues to provide plenty of action and notwithstanding the humour that pervades every page the reader gets an education about the very real issues facing those living in one of India's largest cities. - Crime Review
This riveting, quirky murder mystery is a wonderful addition to a series that goes from strength to strength - Daily Express
About Vaseem Khan
Vaseem Khan first saw an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road in 1997 when he arrived in India to work as a management consultant. It was the most unusual thing he had ever encountered and served as the inspiration behind his series of crime novels. He returned to the UK in 2006 and now works at University College London for the Department of Security and Crime Science where he is astonished on a daily basis by the way modern science is being employed to tackle crime. Elephants are third on his list of passions, first and second being great literature and cricket, not always in that order.
Author photo © Nirupama Khan
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