An entertaining, heartwarming mystery!

Oh, how I'm pleased to read the next slice of Inspector Chopra & Baby Ganesh adventures. This novel truly has something for everyone murder, comedy, vibrant Indian scenery, and a mischievous little elephant. Khan delights with a classic mystery, it has all the hallmarks of an Agatha Christie whodunit, from the murder in a hotel bedroom to the fact all the suspects are gathered in one room at the end. The balance of humor, intrigue, and tragedy are expertly balanced. I loved this and cannot wait to read book five.

Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love the inspector chopra books - before I even think about the story I love the characterisation and the relationships between the characters and the descriptions of the area.

‘It was said that the Grand Raj Palace owed its existence to an insult’

The novel opens with the history of the Grand Raj Palace. A history that is rotted in the British colonialism. The hotel was then and is now, revered as a symbol of India’s ambition and self-worth. I love how the author has cleverly weaved historical details into the story and the novel itself is scattered with them.
It really adds to the beauty of what makes this series to great!

What also makes this series so great is the brilliant characterisation of Chopra and Poppy. They compliment each other perfectly and in this particular case poppy gets a mystery of her own to solve.
Their relationship and the way it flows from the page, makes for brilliant reading. With them both playing the role of ‘investigator’ in this novel, we the reader are in for a double treat!

‘The thought of confronting his wife when her temper was up was as attractive to him as placing his head into the mouth of a ravenous tiger’

Chopra is summoned to the hotel by a former police colleague Rohan Tripathi. After the death of American billionaire and hotel client Hollis Burbank. It is a case that will lead Chopra into the murky side of the side industry. Burbank was found with a knife in his chest in his hotel room. On the wall written in blood are the words ‘I am sorry’.
But what is Burbank sorry for? What is his motive for suicide?

Irfan, Chopra and Poppy’s adopted son and previous street urchin, makes a brief appearance in the novel. He is still tainted by his previous life and at 10yrs old has experienced far too much for a child. We hear Poppy’s thoughts on parenting and they every much echo my own.

‘The true definition of parenthood was the ability to love, to care, to put the welfare of another before one’s own’

Whilst Chopra persists to look into hotel security and deal with Lisa Taylor of the art auction house. Poppy determined not to be forgotten on her 25th wedding anniversary, makes herself and Irfan guests of the hotel. Where she stumbles upon a mysterious case. The case of the missing bride.

‘Everything is illusion,
and no one is who we believe they are’ – Chopra

It would appear that Burbank’s secrets lead deeper into India’s past and deeper within the ruthless and competitive art world.
But can Chopra solve the case?

There is a brilliant opening to a chapter on page 222. Where the author details the colonial history and India’s railway system. It is some of the finest writing, I even took a photo of it on my phone to save. I think that has been the niche of this particular novel, Vaseem Khan’s ability to merge the past and the present and write a brilliant story.
There is also a devious monkey, which adds a comedy element into the plot!
I found myself giggling whilst poor Ganesh shoulders the blame.

My favourite part of the novel is Poppy’s development as a main character. There is a particular scene where Poppy sticks up for herself and Irfan and it just reminded me that Poppy can hold her own. Poppy is a modern woman and the mystery she solves suits her character perfectly.
Perfect escapism and a cracking cosy crime mystery! 5* Genius!

A treat! I am already a fan of Inspector Chopra and his wonderful sidekick. The books rarely disappoint (the colourful book covers, by the way, are always a delight) and 'Murder at the Grand Raj Palace ' is no exception. Evocative, beautifully written and laced with gentle humour. The Inspector is faced with murder most foul at the Grand Raj Palace hotel, the murder of a billionaire. Very easy to read in one sitting as one you won't want to put down. Highly recommended.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This is my first taste of this brilliant series, and I absolutely adored it! It is set in Mumbai, featuring Inspector Ashwin Chopra and his adorable and scene stealing baby elephant, Ganesha

Murder at the Grand Raj Palace is ultimately a good, fun murder mystery.

The book was not as cosy as I was expecting – from the cover and the general premise – as it has one or two dark themes and makes some political points; but I am not complaining.

However, although the story brings to life some picturesque, vivid and evocative images of India, unfortunately the mystery itself was a little pedestrian to begin with. For the first third or so, Chopra would talk to one suspect, they would suggest another person for him to talk to, he would talk to them and they would point the finger elsewhere and so on like a list. Added to the fact that you didn’t really have any sympathy for the victim – you never meet him alive and all the suspects make him sound unpleasant – I found the first part of the book hard going.

I persevered because I had had high hopes and I know that the series is very popular and I’m glad that I did. Ganesha the little baby elephant is a delightful and uniquely original addition to the genre, Chopra is a likeable lead and Poppy is a worthy and feisty foil. I found the subplot of Poppy trying to find a missing bride more engaging and that warmed up the whole book for me.

The main story does eventually get going and the second half of the book is definitely more enjoyable. The pace and complexity both ramp up and by the end, I was really enjoying it. If the book had had a stronger start it would have been a four star read but as a whole I’d give it 3/5 stars and I would read more from this series. (And I would like my own baby elephant now, pleasethankyou.)

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC of Murder at the Grand Raj Palace.

If you're looking for a 21st-century take on the cosy mystery, this is a must-read. I love Miss Marple, Poirot and Midsomer Murders and this series encompasses the best of these with an enthralling taste of life in India.

Chopra, a retired policeman, is an inherent crime solver and even ill health can't prevent him from doing what he loves. He is an honest, loyal man who values truth and justice. Sometimes his personal life gets sidelined by his investigations, like this one, which threatens to rock his marriage after twenty-five years. Chopra is a surrogate parent to an orphaned baby elephant called Ganesh, with a talent for crime solving and a young boy who is inseparable from the young elephant. These young characters provide the light relief to Chopra's often grisly investigations.

The plot plays out like an Agatha Christie with numerous suspects, misinformation and sub-plots. The steady pacing makes these easy to follow, but the storyline keeps its secrets well. Poppy, Chopra's wife, has her investigation adding to the story's diversity. Indian culture and society are intrinsic to this series, and there are also pertinent comments about politics, colonialism, religion, and multi-national corporations, which give the story its authenticity.

I haven't read the previous books in this series, but this one reads well as a standalone. However, it's addictive reading, and I'm sure I will read the other books in the series soon. If you like whodunnit mysteries, charismatic characters and charming animals, this is a book you're sure to enjoy.

I received a copy of this book from Mulholland Books, Hodder& Stoughton via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This is the first novel I have read by this author and realise that I have been missing out on. What a treat. I can now catch up on the other books in the series and am really looking forward to this. Inspector Chopra and his adorable elephant, Ganesha were stars.

The Murder at the Grand Raj Palace was an old-fashioned murder mystery with amazingly well developed characters. Inspector Chopra needs his wife, Poppy’s assistance to solve the complicated murder with a variety of clues together with several suspects. The setting was stunning and the level of humour terrific.

It was a well-paced novel, easy to read and highly entertaining.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Mulholland Books and Vaseem Khan for my ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Highly recommended.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for an advance copy of Murder at the Grand Raj Palace, the fourth novel to feature Mumbai's Baby Ganesh Detective Agency.

The police are called out to the death of American billionaire Hollis Burbank at Mumbai's premier hotel, The Grand Raj Palace. The police hierarchy is anxious to avoid a diplomatic incident and label it suicide but Inspector Tripathi, the man leading the investigation, isn't so sure and enlists the help of Inspector Chopra (Retd) and his Baby Ganesh Detective Agency for help. In a separate plot Chopra's wife, Poppy, gets involved in the hunt for a missing princess bride.

I thoroughly enjoyed Murder at the Grand Raj Palace which, with its mixture of humour, outlandish characters and Ganesha, the baby elephant, could be regarded as a cosy read but its pointed comments on the reality of life for millions of Indians give it an edge far from cozy territory. The plot is intentionally rather silly with its multitude of suspects and a baby elephant and done in the Agatha Christie style with all the suspects gathered in one room for the unmasking but I found it absorbing as I tried to work out the perpetrator and motive. I also enjoyed the humour in the novel from the feud between Ganesha and another guest at the hotel, a monkey, to Chopra's marital woes. It gives the novel a real feel good factor.

Inspector Chopra (Retd) is an excellent character. In what seems like a seething mass of corruption and/or self interest he is a moral man with a desire to right wrongs and seek out the truth and no heart condition or Poppy nagging him to take things easy will prevent him from doing this. His battles with his volatile wife are at the heart of much of the humour in the novel with their valid points on human frailty.

Mr Khan makes it all seem effortless as the situations, political commentary, characters and humour all blend together seamlessly into a well paced, extremely enjoyable read. I doff my hat to his skill in achieving this so I have no hesitation in recommending Murder at the Grand Raj Palace as a great read.

This is my first taste of this brilliant series, and I absolutely adored it! It is set in Mumbai, featuring Inspector Ashwin Chopra and his adorable and scene stealing baby elephant, Ganesha. It is full of quirky characters, with all the colour, culture and vibrancy of India and full of wit and comic humour. The iconic Grand Raj Palace Hotel is the place to stay in Mumbai if you are anyone, this venerable institution is shocked to discover that the much disliked American billionaire businessman, Hollis Burbank, has been stabbed through the heart in his hotel suite after an art auction in which he acquired the famous and valuable painting by Zoze Rebello's 'The Scourge of Goa'. Assistant Commissioner Gunaji of the Central Bureau of Investigations, known for its highly political actions and corruption, immediately has the death down as a suicide, but the local police are not so sure, and call in Private Investigator Chopra to delve deeper into the case.

Chopra finds himself under pressure to resolve the case as soon as possible but it is complex and he is struggling to find out anything about the mysterious past of Burbank. He does uncover a host of characters with a motive to kill the businessman. The suspects include the bitter art critic, Adam Padamsee and his sculptor wife, Layla, India's famous artist, Shakti Kishore, the wealthy IT entrepreneur with his India first philosophy, Agnihotri, who is involved in a fierce and competitive conflict with the American businessman. Chopra finds himself in the bad books of his beloved wife, Poppy, who wants him to have an input into their upcoming 25th wedding anniversary, which he has little interest in. He loves Poppy dearly but he is not a man to make a huge public deal of his anniversary, not to mention that his time is taken up by the case. However, Poppy in an effort to spend time with him wangles a complementary suite at the hotel, bringng her adopted son, Irfan and Ganesha with her. Chopra finds himself dropped by the police after severe pressure from the Assistant Commissioner, but is hired by the beautiful Lisa to continue his work. Poppy meets the young Anjali, who expresses her doubts about her upcoming nuptials to her. When Anjali, bride for the upcoming royal wedding of the year, runs away, Poppy feels honour bound to track her down. Chopra finds the case moving in a myriad of directions as he pursues all possible leads, revealing secrets, tragedy, financial difficulties and more.

This is a lovely crime novel that is full of charm, atmosphere, with Mumbai serving as the perfect foil for the unfolding action. Khan beautifully informs of India's past when the royals used to reign supreme, having their wings clipped by the British Raj, to their present depleted life force and diminishing power, echoing past glories with the present day wedding extravaganza and pageant. The author accurately depicts India's royals with their power seeping away, suffering from bankruptcy and moral ruin, and many failing to adapt to their new circumstances. This is a novel with fabulous characters, including a malevolent monkey, and a murder that reflects other aspects of Indian history such as its politics, intrigue, corruption and cover ups. A fantastic heartwarming book that ensnared my interest, had me laughing, and gripped by the mysteries of Anjali's disappearance as well as Chopra's murder case. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.

Another fabulous cosy crime mystery for the series. This is Agatha Christie by way of Mumbai, particularly the ending...which I'll say nothing more about!
I absolutely love that the book topics cover: Jewels (the Koh-i-Noor diamond), Film (a Bollywood star goes missing in one book) and now Art and Architecture - big cultural icons. I am fully expecting the next book to be a fashion-based mystery!
The searing heat of India is back, emerging from the pages. Khan's descriptions are so vivid - the heat, the sights and smells of Mumbai and the vast and colourful array of people: eunuchs, cricket fans, Gandhi fans, pickpockets, royalty.
This particular book demonstrated more than those previous that Khan aware of Chopra's shortcomings; he is a fallible human. This ensures we readers sympathise with Poppy's perspective on things in their marriage and we get a balanced view. Indeed, Rangwalla appears very little in this book because Poppy has taken the fore to solve a mystery herself that is rather like a modern-day Romeo and Juliet. I liked that this second mystery did not tie in with the first because, as tempting as that might have been, it would have been too much of a stretch.
I noticed myself smiling each time I sat down again with the book - it was such a joy to read that I felt sad when I reached the finish. It's fair to say that I am one of the biggest fans of this series and I tell everyone about it. I can't wait for the next instalment.
Special thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, Mulholland Books and Vaseem Khan for access to this fabulous ARC.