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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This is the story of a middle aged Indian inspector who is forced to retire early. He wants to finish up one last case and pursues it after his retirement. He is also given an elephant, who assists him with his sleuthing. The audible reader was good.
What a fun, different read! I’m looking forward to more tales with Ganesha the elephant!
I had expected a large role for the baby elephant that Inspector Chopra inherited. It is a promising beginning to a fun series.
I had expected a large role for the baby elephant that Inspector Chopra inherited. It is a promising beginning to a fun series.
Cute start of a series set in India. On the day of Inspector Chopra's retirement from the police force he receives the rather unexpected inheritance of a baby elephant. He also can't quite step away from a suspicious death that came across his desk on his last day. In order to make sure justice is done he continues to investigate on the side. There's a side story with the Inspector's wife, Poppy. The scenes with the elephant are the best.
Found this to be a bit of a mismatch of three different genres: a whimsical tale about an inherited elephant; crime thriller; and a brief aside exploring a husband and wife's strained relationship - the latter coming to a particularly panicked conclusion.
We're told Inspector Chopra is praised for detective skills built up over a long career in the police force yet when it comes to solving this crime he is a walking disaster. He solves each element by sheer luck before chancing on another lead yet the constant mistakes of the inspector are never recognised by the author who pits him as Mumbai's answer to Hercule Poirot.
We're told Inspector Chopra is praised for detective skills built up over a long career in the police force yet when it comes to solving this crime he is a walking disaster. He solves each element by sheer luck before chancing on another lead yet the constant mistakes of the inspector are never recognised by the author who pits him as Mumbai's answer to Hercule Poirot.
Entertaining little story... I enjoyed the story line as it introduced us to the future Detecctive Chopra and his wonderful sidekick Ganash. Looking forward to reading this series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is pretty cute! It's more of a police procedural than I was expecting. Something about the writing & story made me keep thinking of The Coroner's Lunch, and they are definitely not the same. A couple similarities, but I think I just like Coroner's Lunch better and wanted Chopra's story to be the same.
One thing I really really love is how well the story handlesPoppy & Ashwin's infertility, and the sensitivity taken with showing how each of them mourns the loss of raising children, but each bears that grief and disappointment in a way that places no weight on the other person. That seems unique and really touching to me.
One thing I was disappointed by is the relative lack ofbaby Ganesh in the action of the story. He doesn't get enough scenting l screen time! The scene with Poppy & Ganesh watching tv and eating banana chips is truly precious, and i thought that would be a jumping off point for more involvement in the story but it never really comes to fruition. I think I expected it to be more of a buddy-cop scenario and it just isn't.
Lastly, I was pretty taken aback by the epilogue's revelation re: Ashwin's dream ofopening a cops-only restaurant, where policemen can just be themselves. I'm pretty ACAB so this didn't sit well with me, even though some pains are taken to explain that cops in India are treated differently in public than they are in USA. It was a jarring surprise, and one that I didn't feel was hinted at, at all, throughout the book - so it feels a little unnecessary.
One thing I really really love is how well the story handles
One thing I was disappointed by is the relative lack of
Lastly, I was pretty taken aback by the epilogue's revelation re: Ashwin's dream of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder
Moderate: Infertility, Trafficking
Minor: Child abuse, Abortion, Pregnancy
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
It was okay. I learned things about life in Mumbai and culture in India.
Um policial bem diferente, eu curti os temas discutidos, mas não entendi o pq da existência de uma parte da narrativa, que não teve acréscimo nenhum a história e nem mesmo uma conclusão.