Hot Stage

LoveReading Says

When Assistant Commissioner of Police Borei Gowda is assigned to solve the suspicious death of right-wing critic Professor Mudgood in Bangalore, he knows from experience there is more to the case than it first appears.

Hot Stage by Anita Nair, the third in the Inspector Gowda series, capably handles all the hallmarks of a good police procedural mystery. Grumpy inspector? Check. Meddling bosses? Check. Misdirections and red herrings? Check and check. 

But where it differs from British police procedurals is that this novel captures the chaotic energy of modern India, with its bumper-to-bumper traffic, unfinished construction projects and wandering cows. Nair’s use of vivid detail brings to life the wildlife and the cuisine that Gowda experiences.

Gowda does his best to manage the vexing case as well as his complicated personal life, but doesn’t always succeed. His meddling upstairs tenant makes him suspicious, but he doesn’t know if his uneasiness is warranted or not. Hilariously, he teaches his team to say, “Something isn’t kosher,” but only after explaining what it means. 

Nair is one of India’s most acclaimed authors, having written a wide range of books, including literary fiction, poetry, children’s literature and this crime series. Her books have been translated into thirty-two languages and adapted for screen, stage and radio. 

I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that the book has a happy ending, with Gowda providing a home for a dog that no one wants. Whether or not his dog helps him solve the next mystery remains to be seen. 

Reviewed by Maureen Stapleton
Maureen Stapleton, a writer and journalist, has written for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Radio Times, Heat, and many others.
More reviews by Maureen Stapleton

About Hot Stage

Borei Gowda is a splendidly grumpy, hard-drinking cop, an Indian Rebus with a complicated love life.

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