Case of the missing servant : from the files of Vish Puri, India's "most private investigator"  by Tarquin Hall

Vish Puri, India's Most Private Investigator uses stealth, cunning and above all discretion to help his clients. He holds many accolades including the 1999 Super Sleuth award from the World Federation of Detectives.  But he dearly loves to eat, especially food that is not good for me him as he is called "Chubby" for a reason.  Vish Puri would readily admit that the vast majority of his clients come to him for the mundane purpose of domestic spying.

So when noted Jaipur attorney Ajay Kasliwal hires Most Private Investigations, Ltd. to locate the missing housemaid he's suspected of killing, Puri is ecstatic at the chance for some real detection. Slipping his agent, a Nepalese beauty called Facecream, into the Kasliwal manage to mingle with the servants, Puri has his driver, Handbrake, take him on a tour of the Pink City to see where a simple country girl from Jharkand might hide.

Meanwhile, after an unsuccessful assassination attempt on Puri's life - his Mummy comes to town to find out who is behind the attack.  We learn that Puri's father was a police detective and Mummy used to help advise him on cases.  I enjoyed this side storyline as it gave more depth to the storyline.  I enjoyed the hustle and bustle the story portrayed of modern day India yet kept some of the magic of this exotic place.  Puri was great fun and I had no idea of how corrupt another place could be.  The mystery really wasn't the main focus as it was more about the place and the people.

Bad Day for Sorry by Sophie Littlefield

Stella Hardesty, a widow and survivor of domestic violence, who owns a sewing shop in a sleepy Missouri town.  Thankfully Stella lives in a small town where while people may ignore the problems they know what the problems.  So after Stella gets off after killing her husband in "self-defence" after years of physical and mental abuse.  She needs more than the sewing shop to keep her mind occupied.

Stella believes that she needs to help battered women like she was as a form of redemption for putting up with Ollie much too long and as an avenging angel dispatching retribution on these bullies. Stella keeps an eye on Roy Dean Shaw, ex mean ass husband of gentle mom Chrissy Shaw. When Roy Dean abducts Chrissy's two years old son Tucker, Stella decides this punk needs a permanent lesson in how to treat a lady. She affirms her feelings about this abusive moron when she learns he is part of the stolen auto parts mob. Chrissy, upset with his taking her infant, has had enough. As Sheriff Goat Jones watches Stella with his dreamy eyes, she hopes it is for her body and not her activity as she leads Chrissy into hell as they team up to take care of Roy Dean and his car ring associates to rescue the baby from the mob.

I'm not sure how I heard about this book but the title definitely intrigued me.  But it was a lot more to it than this kind of glib cover suggests.  It appears there is a sequel so I'm looking forward to it.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Lara has always had an overactive imagination. Now she wonders if she is losing her mind. Normal twenty-something girls just don’t get visited by ghosts! But inexplicably, the spirit of Lara’s great aunt Sadie – in the form of a bold, demanding Charleston-dancing girl – has appeared to make one last request: Lara must track down a missing necklace Sadie simply can’t rest without.

Lara’s got enough problems of her own. Her start-up company is floundering, her best friend and business partner has run off to Goa, and she’s just been dumped by the love of her life.

But as Lara spends time with Sadie, life becomes more glamorous and their treasure hunt turns into something intriguing and romantic. Could Sadie’s ghost be the answer to Lara’s problems and can two girls from different times end up learning something special from each other?

Great fun, and reminded me of Topper which was one of my favorite childhood movies and series.  I will say that the reader of the book on CD was able to make the most shrill voice when Sadie would do her yelling to make herself heard moments.  Even I wanted to do what she wanted just so she would shut up! 

Sophie Kinsella really does a good job writting comedic British romances.  If you like ghost stories that aren't scary crossed with Bridget Jones's Diary then this is the right book for you.

High Commisioner by Jon Cleary

Aussie detective-sergeant Scobie Malone accepts a mission to fly to London to arrest Sir James Quentin, a high level Australian commissioner wanted down under for murder. The High commission is discovered to have been living under an assumed name for over 22 years. He changed his name after his wife was murdered and he was the chief suspect.

But when Malone arrives, he finds that the amiable Quentin is not only the key in groundbreaking peace negotiations, but also the target of an assassin himself.  Malone's superiors give him permission to extend his trip for a week to allow Quentin to finish negotiating the peace conference. 

To even more complicate the situation Malone finds himself liking Quentin and doesn't believe that he really murdered his wife.  But if he didn't then who did?  The majority of the book is Malone trying to figure Quentin out while stopping several assassination attempts.

What drives the story is Malone's personal conflict that he has as a poor average Auggie living in the high end political life and trying to come to terms that while he'll always be a basic guy he does enjoy these finer things.  There are several back stories of the people who are trying to assassinate Quentin and the ending was a complete surprise.   This is set in current events of 1966's where the world is deciding the fate of the Vietnam insurgent.

I'm looking forward to reading others in this intriguing series.

Something Missing by Matthew Dicks

Martin is a thief, but a very particular type of thief. He calls his victims clients and spends months studying them before he considers putting them on his list.  But some of these clients he has been stealing from them for years and almost thinks of them as friends. 

Most of what he steals are normal staples - groceries and household supplies, etc.  But he also steals more monetary items such as silver, diamonds, crystal etc. The way he approaches it is almost ingenious as he has a game plan on what he steals from each client.  It depends on what he needs and how much the client has in stock! (he steals towels from two different `clients' to make up his own set) He makes massively lengthy lists, plans and timetables. He is a master at planning, he has every base covered, or does he?

Things start to get complicated when Martin is almost caught in one of his oldest client's home.  He plays cupid with the husband and all his careful planning starts to unravel but it honestly makes him a better person for it.

I read a bookreview about one of Matthew Dicks' newer book and the concept of an OCD thief intrigued me.  I was amazed how much I enjoyed it.  If you are looking for a different type of novel than this is the book for you.