Inspector Singh investigates: A Curious Indian Cadaver
Author: Shamini Flint

Inspector Singh is sick of sick leave, so when Mrs Singh suggests they attend a family wedding in Mumbai, he grudgingly agrees - hoping that the spicy Indian curries will make up for extended exposure to his wife's relatives.

Unfortunately, the beautiful bride-to-be disappears on the eve of her wedding - did she run away to avoid an arranged marriage, or is there something more sinister afoot?

When a corpse is found, the fat inspector is soon dragged into a curious murder investigation with very firm instructions from Mrs Singh to exonerate her family. But as he uncovers layer upon layer of deceit, he knows it isn't going to be that easy...

At its core is a family drama played out with Bollywood intensity but this widens out to link with the wider social and political world of Mumbai. The humour involving the indomitable Mrs Singh comes as a pleasant relief after some of the more intense scenes in the story.

It is true that Inspector Singh, like Precious Ramotswe, is an amiable and unlikely detective and it is also true that Shamini Flint portrays a different and colourful location – in this case Mumbai.

But the prologue with its distressing act of violence sets an underlying darker tone for this fifth Inspector Singh novel.

Although this may be a little squeamish for some of us who are not hard-core crime readers, all the loose ends are tied up by the end in the manner of a traditional whodunit and justice is done.