The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

"These books are little gems. They are beautifully written, amusing, and intensely readable."
—Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
 
Long-held secrets, deadly lies, a sports scandal, and a poisoned helping of butter chicken -- all in a day's work for the head of Delhi's Most Private Investigators, in this latest book in the delightful Vish Puri detective series. When the father of a Pakistani star cricket player falls dead during a glamorous India Premier League dinner, clearly it isn't just a case of Delhi Belly. But which of the VIPs at the victim's table is responsible for poisoning the man's butter chicken? And was the victim killed for his involvement with a gambling syndicate that controls cricket's illegal billion-dollar betting industry? The answers seem to lie across the border in Pakistan -- the one country Puri swore he would never set foot in. Or do they? For Puri's beloved Mummy-ji, who has a unique insight into the killing, believes there is much more to this murder than meets the eye. Puri and Mummy-ji's search for the truth will lead them to uncover decades-old secrets and tragedies thought best forgotten in their most compelling case yet.

“These books are little gems. They are beautifully written, amusing, and intensely readable.”
— Alexander McCall Smith, author of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

“A thoroughly engaging series . . . Hall has a gift for conveying the rich stew of competing cultures in contemporary India with a wonderful economy of image. . . . Hall presents a complex hero in a complex country with a great deal of history, humor, and panache.”
— Booklist (starred review)

“Outstanding . . . Well-drawn colorful characters bolster a whodunit sure to appeal to those who enjoy a dash of humor with their crime.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“India, captured in all its pungent, vivid glory, fascinates almost as much as the crime itself.”
— Entertainment Weekly

“Hall writes amusing mysteries . . . [his] affectionate humor is embedded with barbs.”
— New York Times Book Review

“Splendid . . . Entertaining . . . Vish Puri is large, constantly hungry, a perpetual victim of Delhi’s traffic congestion, and a wonderfully engaging P.I. . . . A joy to read.”
— The Times (London)