Tarquin Hall books

Tarquin Hall is a British journalist and author known for the Vish Puri detective series set in Delhi, as well as non-fiction books about his travels in India and beyond.

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Spectrum Guide to Namibia 1994 Buy
Mercenaries, Missionaries and Misfits: Adventures of an Under-Age Journalist 1996 Buy
To The Elephant Graveyard: A True Story of the Hunt for a Man-Killing Indian Elephant 2000 Buy
Salaam Brick Lane: A Year in the New East End 2007 Buy

Vish Puri: Most Private Investigator Reading Order

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Case of the Missing Servant 2009 Buy
The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing 2009 Buy
The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken 2012 Buy
The Case of the Love Commandos 2013 Buy
The Delhi Detective’s Handbook 2017 Buy
The Case of the Reincarnated Client 2019 Buy
The Case of the Elusive Bombay Duck 2025 Buy

Tarquin Hall is a British journalist and author born in London in 1969. He has lived and worked in many countries, spending extended periods in India, where he lived in Delhi for several years. His time there gave him the material for both his fiction and much of his non-fiction.

His Vish Puri detective series follows a self-assured, food-obsessed private investigator working out of Delhi. Puri takes on cases ranging from missing persons to political corruption, aided by a network of undercover operatives with code names like Tubelight and Facecream. The books are comedic mysteries that also paint a detailed picture of Indian society, food culture, and the workings of the country’s private investigation industry. The first book, The Case of the Missing Servant (2009), was shortlisted for several crime fiction awards.

Before the Vish Puri novels, Hall wrote non-fiction based on his journalism and travels. To the Elephant Graveyard (2000) is a true account of hunting a man-killing elephant in northeastern India. Salaam Brick Lane (2007) follows his year living on London’s famous street in the East End.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Tarquin Hall written?

Tarquin Hall has written eleven books across two series.

What was Tarquin Hall's first book?

Tarquin Hall’s first book is Spectrum Guide to Namibia, published in 1994.

What is the Vish Puri series about?

The Vish Puri series follows a portly, food-loving private detective in Delhi who solves cases with the help of his team of undercover operatives. The books mix classic whodunit plotting with comedy and detailed descriptions of Indian culture, food, and daily life. The series started with The Case of the Missing Servant in 2009.

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