Book Review: The Case of the Man Who Died Laughting: From the Files of Vish Puri, Most Private Investigator by Tarquin Hall

He’s done it again. 

Targquin Hall has written another clever and entertaining detective novel that, in addition to the inherent pleasures of a well-conceived detective novel, also shines a bright flashlight on the enigma of India. In my review of an earlier book (The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken), I said a lot about Hall and his project, and I have a hard time adding anything new to those insights, so this review will be short. However, do not take away from the brevity of my review that the book lacks. A book that delves into Delhi, gurus, magic, “kitty parties”, family relations, and the whole tangle that is contemporary India so deftly deserves high praise. Highly recommended for insight and fun.