The Waiter: the award-winning first book in a thrilling new detective series

Kamil Rahman is down on his luck. He’s lost his job, smashed his dreams and fled Kolkata for London. In this dazzling debut novel Ajay Chowdhury weaves together a story that moves backwards and forwards between the fallen detective’s last case in India and his struggle to defend the innocent in England. Chowdhury deftly spins a tale of two murders, two countries, two times and binds them together into a single web of intrigue, money, corruption and death. He paints a bleak picture but brings it to life with a keen eye for texture, detail and an enticing love of music and good food. No book as ever made me as hungry as this enjoyable, fast-paced thriller. Chowdury has a wry sense of humour (and a love, it seems, of T-shirt slogans) which lightens the gloom from this murky story.The only question I was left with was what will Rahman do next? It is going to be fun following Kamil get to grips with more unsolved cases and tasty meals in what will surely be a series.

I'm halfway through this book and not sure I can finish. The suspense certainly isn't killing me, but the two-dimensional tell-rather-than-show expository style might well do. Not one of the characters has any psychological depth to them, even the main protagonist, which is probably why each chapter ends with a handy summary of what you've just read, re-digested into a few handy lines so that you can keep a tentative grasp on the plot, such as it is. No doubt those pesky kids will solve the crimes, but will I be around to see the unmasking? I'm not a waiter.

This is a fabulous debut murder story, set in East London's Brick Lane and Kolkata, India.It is exciting and as good as any crime novel I've read. My affection for Brick Lane (I used to teach there) make it even better and the descriptions of Bengali food and culture (both Muslim and Hindu) delightful and as comforting as a curry on a cold day.If you've read Abir Mukerjee's Wyndam and Banerjee novels, or even if you haven't you'll love this too!Can't wait for the next in the series.

Book arrived today 4 days early and although it was supposed to be a used edition, this one was brand new! Thank you W o B again, for your exceptional service!

The characters are engaging, the storyline is absorbing and it is very well written. Really enjoyed it and look forward to follow ups.