Kirjahaku

Around the world in 22 murders...

On the day he retires, Inspector Ashwin Chopra inherits two unexpected mysteries. The first is the case of a drowned boy, whose suspicious death no one seems to want solved. And the second is a baby elephant. As his search for clues takes him across the teeming city of Mumbai, from its grand high rises to its sprawling slums and deep into its murky underworld, Chopra begins to suspect that there may be a great deal more to both his last case and his new ward than he thought. And he soon learns that when the going gets tough, a determined elephant may be exactly what an honest man needs. . . A Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star Murder at the Grand Raj Palace Bad Day at the Vulture Club

In the second instalment of a charming mystery series, a Mumbai-based investigator and his elephant partner are on the hunt for the Queen of England's stolen Crown Jewels. For centuries, the Koh-i-Noor diamond has set man against man and king against king. Now part of the British Crown Jewels, the priceless gem is a prize that many have killed to possess. So when the Crown Jewels go on display in Mumbai, security is everyone's principal concern. And yet, on the very day Inspector Chopra visits the exhibition, the diamond is stolen from under his nose. The heist was daring and seemingly impossible. The hunt is on for the culprits. But it soon becomes clear that only one man -- and his elephant -- can possibly crack this case. . . Featuring the most charming crime-solving duo ever to grace the pages of a book, the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series is a must-read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith.

Mumbai is a city that thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.But as Chopra is about to discover, even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry. As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture. And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction. . .

For a century the iconic Grand Raj Palace Hotel has welcomed the world's elite. From film stars to foreign dignitaries, anyone who is anyone stays at the Grand Raj. The last thing the venerable old hotel needs is a murder. . . When American billionaire Hollis Burbank is found dead -- the day after buying India's most expensive painting -- the authorities are keen to label it a suicide. But the man in charge of the investigation is not so sure. Inspector Chopra is called in -- and discovers a hotel full of people with a reason to want Burbank dead. Accompanied by his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, Chopra navigates his way through the palatial building, a journey that leads him steadily to a killer, and into the heart of darkness . . .

*** A Guardian BOOK OF THE YEAR 2023 ***In the fourth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series, Persis and Archie travel to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where they collide head-on with the prejudices and bloody politics of an era engulfed in flame.'Beautifully written and a fascinating insight into the turbulence of post independence India' PETER MAY'Another exuberant thriller in his award-winning Malabar House series ... as usual with Khan, an entire era and community are conjured with quiet panache' FINANCIAL TIMESCan a white man receive justice in post-colonial India? Bombay, 1950 James Whitby, sentenced to death for the murder of prominent lawyer and former Quit India activist Fareed Mazumdar, is less than two weeks from a date with the gallows. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, Whitby's father forces a new investigation into the killing.The investigation leads Inspector Persis Wadia of the Bombay Police to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where, with the help of Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, she uncovers a possible link to a second case, the brutal murder of an African-American G.I. during the Calcutta Killings of 1946.Are the cases connected? And if Whitby didn't murder Mazumdar, then who did?'Great stuff' MAIL ON SUNDAYA sumptuous, brutal, heart-stopping thriller. Vaseem Khan writes with charm and wit, and an eye for detail that transports the reader entirely. I couldn't love this series more' CHRIS WHITAKER'Post-partition India is subtle, intriguing and dynamic; the hero, Persis, is brave, intelligent and charming; the plot is complex and rewarding. I loved Death of a Lesser God' GREG MOSSE'Blends a grippingly modern plot with gritty and unvarnished history. A vibrant thriller about belonging - and who gets to decide who belongs. A superb book and his best yet' WILLIAM SHAWBreathless and brilliant, Death of a Lesser God propels Persis Wadia into dangerous and deadly new territory. Highly recommended!' D.V. BISHOP'Crime fiction is a brilliant way of tackling social issues and, in Death of a Lesser God, Vaseem Khan delivers a masterclass in how it's done. Full of tension and political conflict, Khan brilliantly weaves in history and a deft portrait of post-Raj life in Bombay and Calcutta. The result is an immensely rich book' ALIS HAWKINS'Tense, gripping and impressively plotted; Death of a Lesser God is historical fiction at its finest' WILLIAM RYAN

*** SHORTLISTED FOR HISTORICAL NOVEL OF THE YEAR at the FINGERPRINT AWARDS ***In the fourth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series, Persis and Archie travel to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where they collide head-on with the prejudices and bloody politics of an era engulfed in flame. 'Beautifully written and a fascinating insight into the turbulence of post independence India' PETER MAY 'A sumptuous, brutal, heart-stopping thriller. Vaseem Khan writes with charm and wit, and an eye for detail that transports the reader entirely. I couldn't love this series more' CHRIS WHITAKER Can a white man receive justice in post-colonial India? Bombay, 1950 James Whitby, sentenced to death for the murder of prominent lawyer and former Quit India activist Fareed Mazumdar, is less than two weeks from a date with the gallows. In a last-ditch attempt to save his son, Whitby's father, arch-colonialist, Charles Whitby, forces a new investigation into the killing. The investigation leads Inspector Persis Wadia of the Bombay Police to the old colonial capital of Calcutta, where, with the help of Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, she uncovers a possible link to a second case, the brutal murder of an African-American G.I. during the Calcutta Killings of 1946. How are the cases connected? If Whitby didn't murder Mazumdar, then who did? And why? 'Post-partition India is subtle, intriguing and dynamic; the hero, Persis, is brave, intelligent and charming; the plot is complex and rewarding. I loved Death of a Lesser God' GREG MOSSE 'Blends a grippingly modern plot with gritty and unvarnished history. A vibrant thriller about belonging - and who gets to decide who belongs. A superb book and his best yet' WILLIAM SHAW Breathless and brilliant, Death of a Lesser God propels Persis Wadia into dangerous and deadly new territory. Highly recommended!' D.V. BISHOP 'Crime fiction is a brilliant way of tackling social issues and, in Death of a Lesser God, Vaseem Khan delivers a masterclass in how it's done. Full of tension and political conflict, Khan brilliantly weaves in history and a deft portrait of post-Raj life in Bombay and Calcutta. The result is an immensely rich book' ALIS HAWKINS 'Tense, gripping and impressively plotted; Death of a Lesser God is historical fiction at its finest' WILLIAM RYAN

'Vaseem Khan writes with charm and wit, and an eye for detail that transports the reader entirely. I couldn't love this series more' CHRIS WHITAKER'Historical fiction at its finest' MAIL ON SUNDAYFrom the award-winning author of MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE and THE LOST MAN OF BOMBAY comes a brilliant new mystery featuring the inimitable Persis Wadia.Bombay, 1951. A political rally ends in tragedy when India's first female police detective, Persis Wadia, kills a lone gunman as he attempts to assassinate the divisive new defence minister, a man calling for war with India's new post-Independence neighbours. With the Malabar House team tasked to hunt down the assassin's co-conspirators - aided by agents from Britain's MI6 security service - Persis is quickly relegated to the sidelines. But then she is given a second case, the burned body of an unidentified white man found on a Bombay beach. As she pursues both investigations - with and without official sanction - she soon finds herself headed to the country's capital, New Delhi, a city where ancient and modern India openly clash. Meanwhile, Persis's colleague, Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, lies in a hospital fighting for his life as all around him the country tears itself apart in the prelude to war...

'Vaseem Khan writes with charm and wit, and an eye for detail that transports the reader entirely. I couldn't love this series more' CHRIS WHITAKER'Historical fiction at its finest' MAIL ON SUNDAYFrom the award-winning author of MIDNIGHT AT MALABAR HOUSE and THE LOST MAN OF BOMBAY comes a brilliant new mystery featuring the inimitable Persis Wadia.Bombay, 1951. A political rally ends in tragedy when India's first female police detective, Persis Wadia, kills a lone gunman as he attempts to assassinate the divisive new defence minister, a man calling for war with India's new post-Independence neighbours. With the Malabar House team tasked to hunt down the assassin's co-conspirators - aided by agents from Britain's MI6 security service - Persis is quickly relegated to the sidelines. But then she is given a second case, the burned body of an unidentified white man found on a Bombay beach. As she pursues both investigations - with and without official sanction - she soon finds herself headed to the country's capital, New Delhi, a city where ancient and modern India openly clash. Meanwhile, Persis's colleague, Scotland Yard criminalist Archie Blackfinch, lies in a hospital fighting for his life as all around him the country tears itself apart in the prelude to war...

'A twist you'll never guess' ALEX MICHAELIDES'Thrilling, thought-provoking, suspenseful' S.A. COSBYTHE WORLD KNOWS HER AS THE GIRL IN CELL A.Convicted of murder at seventeen, infamous killer and true crime celebrity Orianna Negi has always maintained her innocence.BUT IF SHE DIDN'T KILL GIDEON WYCLERC...Orianna has a blind spot over that fateful day: she can't remember what happened. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is tasked with unlocking the truth.....THEN WHO DID?Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch , Amos. As their sessions progress, Annie reaches into Orianna's past to a shattering realisation.... Scandal. Sex. Power. Race. And murder. Between guilt and innocence lies a fallen Eden.'Masterful. A beautifully written, twisting psychological thriller' CHRIS WHITAKER'Both epic family tale and riveting psychological thriller, The Girl in Cell A is an utterly absorbing story with an ending that will leave you reeling' SHARI LAPENA'A fabulous thriller where small-town America and the sins of its inhabitants make for a wonderful page-turner' STEVE CAVANAGH'Full of unexpected, mind-bending twists, The Girl in Cell A explores memory, truth, and lies in a small American mining town .. tense and surprising' NITA PROSE'A compelling, pacy, multi-layered mystery that shows us the most dangerous secrets are the ones we keep from ourselves' ERIN KELLY'Vaseem Khan's first thriller is a teasing, testing exercise in unreliable narration' SUNDAY TIMES'An intoxicating tale of sex, power and corruption, we ate this up' CRIME MONTHLY 'The twist will floor you' i PAPER

'A twist you'll never guess' ALEX MICHAELIDES'Thrilling, thought-provoking, suspenseful' S.A. COSBYTHE WORLD KNOWS HER AS THE GIRL IN CELL A.Convicted of murder at seventeen, infamous killer and true crime celebrity Orianna Negi has always maintained her innocence.BUT IF SHE DIDN'T KILL GIDEON WYCLERC...Orianna has a blind spot over that fateful day: she can't remember what happened. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is tasked with unlocking the truth.....THEN WHO DID?Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch , Amos. As their sessions progress, Annie reaches into Orianna's past to a shattering realisation.... Scandal. Sex. Power. Race. And murder. Between guilt and innocence lies a fallen Eden.'Masterful. A beautifully written, twisting psychological thriller' CHRIS WHITAKER'Both epic family tale and riveting psychological thriller, The Girl in Cell A is an utterly absorbing story with an ending that will leave you reeling' SHARI LAPENA'A fabulous thriller where small-town America and the sins of its inhabitants make for a wonderful page-turner' STEVE CAVANAGH'Full of unexpected, mind-bending twists, The Girl in Cell A explores memory, truth, and lies in a small American mining town .. tense and surprising' NITA PROSE'A compelling, pacy, multi-layered mystery that shows us the most dangerous secrets are the ones we keep from ourselves' ERIN KELLY'Vaseem Khan's first thriller is a teasing, testing exercise in unreliable narration' SUNDAY TIMES'An intoxicating tale of sex, power and corruption, we ate this up' CRIME MONTHLY 'The twist will floor you' i PAPER

India, 1951. After wilfully ignoring orders from her superiors, Persis Wadia, India's first female police detective, has been exiled from Bombay to the wild and mountainous state of Nagaland. As India's first post-Independence election looms, and tensions rise across the country, Persis finds herself banished to the Victoria Hotel, a crumbling colonial-era relic, her career in ruins.But when a prominent local politician is murdered in his locked room at the Victoria Hotel, his head missing - a case appears quite literally on her doorstep. As the political situation threatens to explode into all-out havoc, Persis has only days to stop a killer operating at the very edge of darkness...The sixth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House novels and a perfect entry point to the series.

For one weekend every July, thousands of readers descend on the historic English town of Harrogate, Yorkshire in pursuit of mysteries, mischief and murder. In Murder in Harrogate, ten of the world's best known crime and thriller writers come together in honour of the world's largest festival of crime writing, the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival.From a missing person case inspired by Agatha Christie's infamous disappearance at the Old Swan Hotel to a murdered Macbeth to a vicious parkrun assault, these razor sharp stories are a testament to the festival's rich history, stretching over two decades.Curated and edited by former festival chair and award-winning author Vaseem Khan, contributors include Ann Cleeves, Mark Billingham, M.W. Craven, Elly Griffiths, Abir Mukherjee, Clare Mackintosh, Steve Cavanagh, Janice Hallett, Vaseem Khan, and Ruth Ware.

In this Indian-set mystery, Inspector Chopra inherits an elephant and an unsolved murder on his last day at work. A joyful, charming read for fans of Alexander McCall Smith and Rachel Joyce.

The second book in the heartwarming and charming Baby Ganesh series.For centuries the Koh-i-Noor diamond has set man against man and king against king.Now part of the British Crown Jewels, the priceless gem is a prize that many have killed to possess. So when the Crown Jewels go on display in Mumbai, security is everyone's principal concern. And yet, on the very day Inspector Chopra visits the exhibition, the diamond is stolen from under his nose.The heist was daring and seemingly impossible. The hunt is on for the culprits. But it soon becomes clear that only one man - and his elephant - can possibly crack this case...

The enchanting new Baby Ganesh Agency novel sees Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigating the dark side of Bollywood.Mumbai thrives on extravagant spectacles and larger-than-life characters.But even in the city of dreams, there is no guarantee of a happy ending. Rising star and incorrigible playboy Vikram Verma has disappeared, leaving his latest film in jeopardy. Hired by Verma's formidable mother to find him, Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, embark on a journey deep into the world's most flamboyant movie industry.As they uncover feuding stars, failed investments and death threats, it seems that many people have a motive for wanting Verma out of the picture. And yet, as Chopra has long suspected, in Bollywood the truth is often stranger than fiction...See what everyone is saying about this brilliant read:'I am in love with this series.' Goodreads reviewer'First class read.' Amazon reviewer'I can honestly say that I struggle with 364 days of the year when I do not have a new Vaseem Khan book to read. ' Goodreads reviewer'A brilliant addition to the series' Amazon reviewer'I couldn't put it down... This is a real treasure of a book.' Goodreads reviewer

In the new Baby Ganesh Agency novel, an unlikely murder at Mumbai's grandest hotel sends Inspector Chopra undercover... not easy when your sidekick is a baby elephant.

In this enchanting Baby Ganesh Agency novel, Inspector Chopra and his elephant sidekick investigate a murder at Mumbai's grandest hotel.For a century Mumbai's iconic Grand Raj Palace Hotel has welcomed the world's elite. Anyone who is anyone stays at the Grand Raj. The last thing the venerable old hotel needs is a murder . . .So when the body of American billionaire Hollis Burbank is found, the pressure is on to label it a suicide. But then Chopra is called in . . . and finds a hotel full of people with a reason to want Burbank dead. Accompanied by his sidekick, baby elephant Ganesha, Chopra navigates his way through the palatial building, a journey that leads him steadily to a killer, and into the heart of darkness . . .PRAISE FOR THE SERIES'A most beguiling series' Financial Times'Utterly charming' Guardian'Colour and atmosphere flows out of every page' Daily Express