Take a photo of a barcode or cover
fronik 's review for:
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
by Vaseem Khan
[b:The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra|24717411|The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra|Vaseem Khan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1431690270s/24717411.jpg|45114985] by [a:Vaseem Khan|13340713|Vaseem Khan|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1431692305p2/13340713.jpg] is the first book in his Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation series. It is a quick, fun read along the lines of #1 Ladies Detective Agency only set in Mumbai, India and with a male protagonist, Inspector Ashwin Chopra.
The Inspector is forced to retire from the police force after he suffers a heart attack on the job. On the eve of his final night at work, the murder of a young boy occurs. The new police inspector and many of the force dismiss the case as a suicide, but the Chopra is touched by the pleas of the boy’s mother and his experienced detective sense convinces him that the case should not be so easily dismissed.
On the same evening of his retirement, Chopra receives an inheritance from his eccentric country uncle of baby elephant with instructions to care for it, as it has special abilities. The poor animal appears in some distress and is not eating. During its time chained up in the courtyard of Chopra’s apartment complex, the children who live there further torment it by pretending it is the god Ganesh and bring it offerings and dress it in ceremonial items. Chopra comes under attack by the apartment complex harridan who continuously harasses the former inspector and his wife about having an animal. Although Chopra is tempted to send the elephant off to an elephant sanctuary on the other side of the country and rid himself of the burden of caring for it, his relationship with Ganesh (as they all come to call the baby elephant) develops and he finds he cannot let go of the responsibility for the elephant any more than he can for the murder investigation. In the end, the baby elephant and the inspector form a partnership and, each in turn, saves the other from dangers – both natural and criminal.
Like its predecessors, the Baby Ganesh series paints a quaint portrait of the people and culture particular to its setting. It was enjoyable to read about the overflowing markets, the family dramas and the everyday life of people in Vaseem Khan’s fictitious Mumbai. I will be looking for the second book in the series to find out how the relationship between Inspector Chopra and Ganesh progresses – and even more to see how one would care for a growing elephant in the city!
The Inspector is forced to retire from the police force after he suffers a heart attack on the job. On the eve of his final night at work, the murder of a young boy occurs. The new police inspector and many of the force dismiss the case as a suicide, but the Chopra is touched by the pleas of the boy’s mother and his experienced detective sense convinces him that the case should not be so easily dismissed.
On the same evening of his retirement, Chopra receives an inheritance from his eccentric country uncle of baby elephant with instructions to care for it, as it has special abilities. The poor animal appears in some distress and is not eating. During its time chained up in the courtyard of Chopra’s apartment complex, the children who live there further torment it by pretending it is the god Ganesh and bring it offerings and dress it in ceremonial items. Chopra comes under attack by the apartment complex harridan who continuously harasses the former inspector and his wife about having an animal. Although Chopra is tempted to send the elephant off to an elephant sanctuary on the other side of the country and rid himself of the burden of caring for it, his relationship with Ganesh (as they all come to call the baby elephant) develops and he finds he cannot let go of the responsibility for the elephant any more than he can for the murder investigation. In the end, the baby elephant and the inspector form a partnership and, each in turn, saves the other from dangers – both natural and criminal.
Like its predecessors, the Baby Ganesh series paints a quaint portrait of the people and culture particular to its setting. It was enjoyable to read about the overflowing markets, the family dramas and the everyday life of people in Vaseem Khan’s fictitious Mumbai. I will be looking for the second book in the series to find out how the relationship between Inspector Chopra and Ganesh progresses – and even more to see how one would care for a growing elephant in the city!