- Published: 27 May 2021
- ISBN: 9781473592780
- Imprint: Vintage Digital
- Format: Audio Download
- RRP: $26.00
The Waiter
the award-winning first book in a thrilling new detective series
- Published: 27 May 2021
- ISBN: 9781473592780
- Imprint: Vintage Digital
- Format: Audio Download
- RRP: $26.00
A hugely entertaining first novel for lovers of traditional crime fiction, taking us from Kolkata to Brick Lane. I can't wait to read more about disgraced detective Kamil and his wonderfully drawn companion Anjoli.
Ann Cleeves
From the mean streets of Kolkata to the kitchens of Brick Lane...this is a rip-roaring mystery that's engrossing from start to finish. In Kamil Rahman, Ajay has created a quixotic and all too human protagonist who is a refreshing and welcome addition to the world of detective fiction. One of my favourite reads of the year.
Abir Mukherjee, author of the Wyndham & Banerjee mysteries
An authentic and enthralling debut with an original new lead detective.
G.R. Halliday
The Waiter is beautifully written and gloriously transporting. I really loved the glimpse into life as a Kolkata homicide detective and the vibrant and mouth-watering depiction of the Bengali restaurant trade on London's Brick Lane. Ajay Chowdhury is a refreshingly different voice in the crime genre and I can't wait to read more.
Emily Koch
The Waiter is a heady mix of murder, intrigue and all things Indian. Weaving together a dual narrative with aplomb, Ajay Chowdhury's neatly-drawn detective Kamil Rahman relives his failure to solve the murder of a Bollywood A-lister in Kolkata whilst trying to solve the killing of an Indian industrialist in London. Could the two murders be connected? An accomplished crime debut that offers something a little different.
Vaseem Khan, author of the Malabar House Baby Ganesh Agency crime series
In a swiftly-moving energetic narrative that takes you from the decaying grandeur of Kolkata and the bustle of London's Brick Lane to the outward calm of the stately homes near Hampstead Heath, Ajay Chowdhury weaves a remarkable tale about the unlikely turns the life of police officer Kamil Rahman has taken, as he confronts his past, surrounded by the smells of spices and constant lurking danger.
Salil Tripathi
Kamil Rahman is down on his luck. He's lost his job, smashed his dreams and fled Kolkata for London. Ajay Chowdhury deftly weaves a tale of two murders, two countries, two times - past and present - 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.
Georgia Kaufmann
Excellent
Literary Review
Superb... Chowdhury paces the novel like an old hand, juxtaposing chapters set in the East End with flashbacks to Calcutta... [an] outstanding debut
Joan Smith, Sunday Times
[An] accomplished debut...intricately plotted, gripping... This is a sizzler of a crime novel, full of spice and authentic flavour
Richard Hopton, Country & Town House
Chowdhury's accomplished novel moves easily between different cultures, displaying the versatility of contemporary crime fiction
Joan Smith, Sunday Times, *Books of the Year*