Ratings2
Average rating3.5
This was an absolutely delightful read - Inspector Singh is a great character. Friendly and good-natured, while also being cynical, lethargic, and fond of his indulgences, he reminded me more of Doctor Adoulla from Throne of the Crescent Moon than he did of other police officers/PIs. I'm a big fan of the good doctor, so it was interesting and fun to see that character archetype show up in a completely different setting.
Flint's presentation of India, and how the different characters interpret/react to the setting was intriguing as well. I've never been, but based on what my Indian friends and colleagues have told me about the country, it seems to be an accurate presentation (for good and for ill).
The one thing that keeps this from being a 5-star rating for me is the ending. Which wasn't bad, but as someone who doesn't read a lot of crime/mystery novels, I can think of two other books that I've read in the past couple of years that had the same “shocking twist” ending. It's a little less exciting when you see that ending coming a mile away.