Synopsis
Early one morning, on the lawns of a grand boulevard in central Delhi, a group of professionals are attending their therapeutic Laughing Club when a 20-foot apparition of the Goddess Kali apppears, and strikes one of their number dead.The goddess disappears without trace, and soon news of the crime has all India agog. For the victim is celebrated sceptic and rationalist Dr Suresh Jha, enemy of all gurus and mystics, and he has been silenced in a manner calculated to unnerve even his most loyal supporters.As the media go into a frenzy, it becomes clear that the case goes to the heart of the battle between superstition and rationality in modern India. But the fact remains that a murder has been committed. And as it becomes clear that powerful forces are at play, one man is perfectly placed to the portly detective Vish Puri.In fact, the idea that he could resist getting involved in such a tantalizing murder is preposterous. There is as much chance of him going without his lunch.
Review
Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator, is hot on the trail of a killer in this second book in Tarquin Hall's winning new detective series. The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing is the perfect dog day novel for readers who like their murder mysteries spiced with unforgettable characters and a good dose of humor. As endearingly idiosyncratic as Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Hall's Vish Puri pursues the murderer of a scientist who made it his business to expose high-profile charlatan gurus, yet died in a spectacularly supernatural fashion. Along with his quirky investigative team, Puri works overtime to solve this baffling crime and keep readers laughing all the way through to the case's satisfying conclusion. Embrace the heat this summer in this vibrant (and flavorful) new murder mystery series set in New Delhi, India. --Lauren Nemroff
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