Vish Puri is a delightful character. I can definitely see this as a movie where he
is a combination of Columbo and Kojak. A
bit eccentric, full of confidence and human all wrapped up into one
person. I loved the way he nicknamed
each of his fellow workers. I also enjoyed that he dealt with many of the same
concerns each of us does—a parent who always seems to know what is best and how
to achieve that.
The book also gave me some insight into the politics of
India. Like most countries, it seems the
people there are still dealing with political corruption that extends into many
aspects of life. Who you know and how many
resources you have available still determines what you get out of life and out
of the system. He manages to maneuver
through society walking that thin line between what is expected and what is
necessary.
His tasks are two-fold.
Determine the eligibility of one child to marry another for one client
and to prove that another citizen did not kill a missing servant. Puri goes
about solving both these mysteries with methodical practices, a knowledge of
how to work the system and determination to maintain his status as the best
detective in Dehli.
Aside from the fact that the book is easy to read, it is
rich in details of a culture I know little about. So, at the same time as I watch Puri solve
the mystery of why a young man wants to marry the reportedly unlikely woman, we
learn about societal pressures placed upon many young folks whose parents cling
to traditional ways. As he solves the
case of the missing servant we learn about the demands of a household and the dealings
between family members. We also see that
society is more than willing to label someone as guilty when the facts have yet
to be proven.
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