Author: Alexandra

Inspector Ashwin Chopra (Retd) a former member of the Mumbai police, is now one of my favourite characters. In this second installment of the Baby Ganesh series, we find Chopra settling into retirement as a private investigator, working out of an office in his new digs, a restaurant named after his wife, Poppy. This wonderful gem of a story fairly zips along at a motorised rickshaw pace, combining a number of threads that both delight and amused. And even if we think the arrival of both Queen Elizabeth and the Crown Jewels on a visit to Mumbai might seem impossible, we believe because Khan makes us believe.

Certainly I believe in Khan’s characters, who are all well drawn, including Chopra who is thoughtful, kind, intelligent, and a tad old-fashioned. He wistfully hankers for another time and is aware enough to realise how odd that makes him seem in the eyes of others. But it’s his integrity that stands out, Chopra lives in a world where bribery and corruption are the norm but he steadfastly refuses to give in, and let it consume him.

Whimsical, endearing, and upbeat, this mystery is told with a twinkle in the author’s eye. Chopra’s wry observations are engaging and humorous, offering up brief glimpses into life for millions in the bustling metropolis that is Mumbai. And while the story focuses on the theft of the Koh-i-Noor diamond, Chopra and his associate, Rangwalla, Baby Ganesh, and young Irfan—a street beggar turned waiter at Chopra’s restaurant—are seen chasing down leads on a number of cases.

I loved that we get to see Rangwalla and Chopra’s wife, Poppy, off on their own adventure, tracking down a stolen bust at the school where Poppy works. It’s these fun excursions elsewhere that add so much more to the depth and overall enjoyment of the read. As each character struggles to piece together and solve their own mysteries in these fun side-plots.

This is, at once, both a cozy mystery, and a lighthearted comic look at Indian life and culture. There is wit, drama, mystery and plenty of fun, with characters whose lives you become invested in, as this quirky, off-beat, mystery resolves itself to a very satisfying conclusion. And what’s not to love about a Cadbury chocolate loving baby elephant, named Ganesh?

Go on, you know you want to have a read!

There are, I am sure, plenty of well written books that I have yet to read, but until I discover them THE SILENCED by Anders de la Motte has to be one of the best plotted novels I’ve ever read. Certainly up there with the best of them. Showing a depth and skill mastered by few, de la Motte has woven together a deeply compelling story as seen from a handful of characters. Each of these finely detailed personas tells a part of the story, and each chapter seamlessly dovetails into the one before, and the one after, at a thrilling pace that never lags.

The dialogue is crisp, snappy, and yes, in places, darkly funny. From observational quips by various characters offering up snippets of detail, to snarky comments about colleagues and their habits, Anders never misses an opportunity to dress a scene, or fill out the background on a character. All without so much as slowing down a riveting pace that, at times, is almost blistering. And then again, at times, also thoughtful. The author manages to find that perfect balance and delivers a thoroughly engrossing read.

I was hooked from opening scene, and interplay between the young Detective Inspector, Julia Gabrielsson, and the newcomer to her division, Amante, complete with his own tortured history. These two opposites are thrust into the depth of what seems to be a cover-up (at best) or worst, something deep, dark, and very ugly; A conspiracy with far reaching consequences.

Anders, for his part, builds the pace and reveals just enough to keep the reader guessing each step of the way, as characters begin to reveal their true nature, and more, test their allegiances. From the wily police commissioner, Oscar Wallin, to the slippery politician Jasper Stenberg, to Stenberg’s father-in-law, Karl-Erik, always plotting in the wings. Everyone is not who they appear to be, including the once shining hero, David Sarac, the pivotal character who, in the end, just wants to set the record straight before he dies.

Everyone has an agenda or an axe to grind, and Anders never misses a beat showcasing them all within the majesty of the city that is Stockholm. In and of it self, a character.

THE SILENCED—an action-packed thriller from beginning to end—is the ultimate story of power struggles, brutality, corruption, and betrayal!