Murder at the Grand Raj Palace (Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #4)

by Vaseem Khan

Overview

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 . . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316434539
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	06/12/2018
Series:	Baby Ganesh Agency Investigations , #4
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	760,998
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Vaseem Khan first saw an elephant lumbering down the middle of the road in 1997 when he arrived in India to work as a consultant. It was the most unusual thing he'd ever encountered and served as the inspiration behind his series of crime novels.

He returned to the UK in 2006 and now works at University College London for the Department of Security and Crime Science where he is astonished daily by the way modern science is being employed to tackle crime.

Editorial Reviews

★ 04/16/2018
In Khan’s outstanding fourth mystery featuring Mumbai PI Ashwin Chopra (after 2017’s The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star), a friend on the force, Rohan Tripathi, asks Chopra to look into the death of American billionaire Hollis Burbank, who was found in his room at the opulent Grand Raj Palace hotel. Burbank was stabbed through the chest by a knife bearing only his fingerprints. Shortly before his demise, the tycoon bid $10 million to win a painting at auction, making suicide unlikely. Chopra is fired as a police consultant by a rival of Tripathi’s invested in the suicide explanation, but he’s back in the game after Lisa Taylor, an attractive employee of the auction house who stood to get a hefty commission had the transaction been finalized, hires him to continue. Khan’s depiction of Chopra’s marriage to Poppy, a restaurateur who has her own mystery to solve involving a vanished bride, adds emotional depth to the often funny plot. This is the best entry in the series to date. Agent: Euan Thorneycroft, A.M. Heath (U.K.). (June)

Publishers Weekly

"Outstanding...the best entry in the series to date."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Wildly inventive ... a great warmth and wisdom infuse this and the other Baby Ganesh books."—Booklist (starred review) on The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star

"Smoothly combines an affable lead, a seemingly impossible crime, and an endearing and highly unusual sidekick-a baby elephant named Ganesha.... Fans of Alexander McCall Smith will find a lot to like."—Publishers Weekly on The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown

"An entertaining feel-good read in the tradition of Alexander McCall Smith.... utterly charming." —The Guardian on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"The deep love for Mumbai and its people - warts and all - that Inspector Chopra shares with his creator infuses the novel from the beginning. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra is certainly a delightful and uplifting crime caper, but it also comes with an edifying dose of serious social comment, with many of Chopra's preoccupations mirroring those of his creator."—The Bookseller on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"An enchanting start to a new series."—Woman & Home on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"A winning debut...Khan's affection for Mumbai and its residents adds to the novel's charm."—Publishers Weekly on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Debut Mumbai-based 'cosy' - complete with baby elephant - keeps things heart-warming while tackling corruption at the highest levels and violent crime at the lowest. Endearing and gripping, it sets up Inspector Chopra - and the elephant - for a long series."—Sunday Times on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Thought-provoking mystery... promising debut."—Booklist on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"Charming."—Marie Claire on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

"A fantastic and heartwarming read... I can't wait to see what happens next!"—First for Women on The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra

From the Publisher