The Fast and the Dead

“Basically, everybody at the Crime Branch agrees that when ACP Bhavani Singh starts to exude that nuclear-level sympathy and attentiveness, he is like a latest-model Dyson for the soul. The interrogatee gives a heave and a hiccup, and then woooosh, out comes all the dirt: fears, secrets, childhood crushes and the places where the bodies are buried.”When eccentric Dondi Pais empties her double-barrelled shotgun to scatter a pack of noisy mongrels on Karwa Chauth night, all of Habba Galli, Shivajinagar, is disturbed. Their distress turns to shock when the next morning a jeweller is found dead with a stray bullet in his skull.By a happy coincidence, ACP Bhavani Singh is on hand to investigate but as corpses start piling up in the bustling bazaar, will the canny old policeman be able to prove his powerful hunch—that these deaths are not accidents but a sinister case of murders-most-meticulous?Chauhan’s USP lies in her inimitable knack of combining a pure desi vibe with language favoured by Gen Z, creating a refreshing perspective. She does not shy away from bringing in local flavours in generous doses with which she creates a dramatic setup of masaledar manoranjan in prodigious proportions.The ACP Bhavani Singh series is meant to be about cosy mysteries which come with a little romance on the side. Jhoomar and Haidar, with their fragile emotions and strong egos, trying to reclaim their lost chance is perhaps the sweetest love story I’ve read in a while.This romance-comedy-murder-mystery with a deliciously twisted plot and at the very top of its game on entertainment value, The Fast and the Dead is as marvellous and quirky as it can get.For complete review, visit aquamarineflavours dot wordpress dot com

It’s not the most nail-biting whodunnit out there but nevertheless Anuja Chauhan managed to pique my interest with the many characters of Habba Galli and their individual own trajectories.I have enjoyed reading her in the past and this book too is a fun read dancing between Crime, Drama, Romance and Comedy.I like ACP Bhavani Singh’s gentle yet efficient sleuthing style and very Hercule Poirot like reveal of the killer!

Well written. Has an absorbing plot. A fun read

The Fast and the Dead by Anuja Chauhan is the sequel to 'Club You to Death' and the second book in the 'ACP Bhavani Singh' series. The book is a murder mystery and investigation with the perfect Indian setting in Habba Galli, Shivajinagar, Pune. The book could be a perfect Bollywood movie if cast and directed well.The book is quirky, enjoyable, and very engaging. I enjoyed this one more than the first book. The cast of characters and the plot fit very well, and all the shortcomings of the first book were very well filled in this sequel. With an equal amount of tension, suspense, and witty humor, the book is the perfect cozy murder mystery.The multiple POVs made this book more interesting and fully engrossing while reading. The human dynamics, high society drama, Bollywood celebrities in the picture, and, of course, our nosy aunts and uncles of society made the book more fun and intriguing. I would recommend you pick this up if you are used to the author's writing style and books; it will surely not disappoint.

I enjoyed the book and the suspense and raced to finish and find out who did it. I'm impressed with the Bangalore knowledge and lingo but I thought it was overdid a bit and I cringed in a few places.. really, do people talk like that all, all the time?! But the characters and story won me over. And Anuja Chauhan knows how to create a sexy Indian hero <3 - such a sweet romance.. her Hadi is to die for! I loved the whole vibe of the book - particularly the women and the multi religion angles..

(voluntarily reviewed a physical copy of the book on For The Love of Fictional Worlds)•This was one of the books that was part of my February TBR; and I am actually quite glad that I was able to pick this one up - because, I swear I ended up blowing through this book within hours of starting it! 🤯•Set in a residential colony of Bengaluru, this plot has a motley set of characters; with ACP Bhavani Singh at their helm. It is while investigating a shooting incident that left a curmudgeon character dead; it is up to our sleuth to understand whether this was an accidental shooting or a deliberately planned murder.•Hilarious, and humorous; even if at times, seems to be trying too hard; with a whole lot of references; not just to the current slangs; but also to some very obvious stereotypes, this was an entertaining, who dunnit mystery that had me glued to the book till the very end.

Anuja Chauhan's books are always something to look forward to, with her intelligent humor, romantic angle and in this case, an interestingly built murder mystery. Thriller with a pinch of humor, this book was guaranteed entertainment!

After the clubhouse detective, Anuja, our own Indian Agatha returns with double the suspense and more of the heady mix- hinglish, kinglish, stars, housewives, kadwa chauth, kadwa sach and such. Makes great reading!

A little confusing at first as there are many characters and many languages mixed in. Stay with it! Anyone from Bangalore would enjoy it immensely- the references to the club and the snootiness of the old monied community and the superbly observed conversations- it was a treat!