4.0

I really enjoyed this. I'm a sucker for Chopra, an upstanding inspector who reminds me of someone whom I'd like to be my uncle, and his wife Poppy, who I'd also like to be my aunt. the mystery was a little bit dark, but not by too much if you're looking for a cozy, and it was fairly believable. I've never been to India, but Vaseem Khan describes the different sections and inhabitants of Mumbai in a way that made me feel like I could see, hear, and sometimes smell (good and bad) it. Khan seems to have a knack for mentioning little details that make the places and people in his story more real. Plus, really, who can resist a cute, chocolate-loving baby elephant sidekick? :) I look forward to reading the next book.

P.S. At least Vaseem Khan is British Indian and has actually lived and worked in India, as opposed to being a white guy who just decided to write a cozy mystery series in an "exotic" location ::eyeroll::