Booking It :: March

It's that time again. You know, the time when we book lovers finally sit down and write blog posts about the book(s) we've read in the last month and then link up to Jessica's post over at Life as MOM. I really look forward to the link ups because I find it is always enjoyable to see what people have read and sometimes discover a "hidden gem" of a book to add to my ever growing reading list. Based upon the stack of books on my nightstand, I think it's time for me to stop collecting and start reading!

For my book of choice this month I decided to go with something on the lighter side: The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall. It's a follow up to one of my earlier reads, The Case of the Missing Servant, which you can read my review of HERE. Similar in style to The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, but with a distinctly Indian flair, The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing was an easy and enjoyable read after long days at work.

General Overview: We are reunited with India's Most Private Investigator, Vish Puri, in this latest novel from British author Tarquin Hall. In this particular case, Vish finds himself digging into the strange goings-on surrounding the death of Dr. Jha - a well known rationalist who was also known as the "Guru Buster". While Vish is busy with his official investigation and planting his operatives all over India to be his eyes and ears, his wife, Rumpi, and his dear Mummy-ji are involved in an investigation of their own after falling victim to a robbery at a kitty party. Of course, in the end, both Vish and Mummy are successful in their quests for the truth, and justice prevails.

Final Verdict: After reading The Case of the Missing Servant, I had a hunch that I might enjoy books by this author - even though I didn't feel like the first novel was quite as good or as interesting as Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' series. The Man Who Died Laughing was an improvement on the first novel and I would certainly pick up a copy of a third book in this series if Hall chooses to write another one. I love all the cultural references and I like that Hall provides a glossary of terms in the back in case you want to know what certain foods are or what different words mean. I'm not sure I'll ever make it to India, but I enjoy traveling through books in the meantime.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 - it's not great literature, but it's a good read if you want something for the beach or to relax before bed.

Currently Reading: The Golden Key by George MacDonald