The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck
by Tarquin Hall

Portly, perceptive and spectacularly moustachioed, India’s finest private detective, Vish Puri, tackles his most difficult case to date in the long-awaited return of Tarquin Hall’s delightful humorous whodunit series set in New Delhi.

“Vish Puri is the Indian Poirot” Financial Times
“A wonderfully engaging PI” The Times
“Vish Puri [is] a Punjabi Sherlock Holmes” The Guardian

When Vish Puri, India’s Most Private Detective, learns he’s won the long-coveted International Detective of the Year award, it’s supposed to be a secret. But within hours, it seems all of Delhi knows – and his indomitable Mummy-ji announces she’ll be coming with him to the ceremony in London, never mind that she’s not been invited.

To add to his woes, a senior government bureaucrat gives him an undercover mission he can’t refuse. Puri is tasked with tracking down India’s most-wanted fugitive: a billionaire pharmaceutical fraudster codenamed Bombay Duck, who’s rumoured to be hiding in the British capital.

Puri’s only spending a week in London . . . and he’s already promised his wife he won’t work during their once-in-a-lifetime trip.

In desperation, he enlists the help of his reluctant nephew Jags and dives headfirst into the case. But can Puri hook the Bombay Duck and bring him to justice – all the while keeping his investigations secret from his wife and meddling mother?

Packed with the sights, sounds and flavours of both New Delhi and London, author Tarquin Hall – who divides his time between India and the UK – delivers an irresistible read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith, Harini Nagendra and Jesse Sutanto.

Reviews

“Hilarious . . . Filled with engaging twists. Vish is a wonderfully realized character . . . You can dive in anywhere in this series and be rewarded with a rich experience”

Booklist Starred Review of The Case of the Reincarnated Client

“Lively, amusing . . . Hall creates delightful characters and provides illuminating glimpses of contemporary Indian life”

Publishers Weekly on The Case of the Reincarnated Client

Humor is mixed with skilful plotting and realistic descriptions of contemporary India’s overflowing street life

Booklist Starred Review of The Case of the Love Commandos

“Thought-provoking and charming”

Publishers Weekly Starred Review of The Case of the Love Commandos

“A thoroughly engaging series . . . Hall presents a complex hero in a complex country with a great deal of history, humor and panache”

Booklist Starred Review of The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

“A strong setting, a likable cast of characters, and a well-plotted story that will appeal to all mystery lovers, particularly fans of Michael Stanley, Alexander McCall Smith and Colin Cotterill

Library Journal on The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

“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 of The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken

Tarquin Hall

Tarquin Hall started travelling when he was eighteen and worked as a cowboy in Texas. When lassoing cattle proved to be a skill that eluded him, he drifted into journalism, cutting his teeth in Afghanistan, and then East Africa and Turkey. A subsequent career in TV news took him to many other countries. While based in India, where he spent ten years, he married broadcaster and children’s author, Anu Anand. They are now raising two children in Bath.

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Editions

The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck by Tarquin Hall is available in the following formats

Hardback97807278892254th March 2025144 X 222mm224$29.99
Hardback97807278892254th March 2025144 X 222mm224£21.99
Ebook97814483082004th March 2023N/A224$14.99
Ebook97814483082004th March 2025N/A224£12.99
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