Christmas Vacation Reading I - The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star

Bollywood inspired - collage, zentangle and
colored pencil. 

The best part of Christmas vacation is the opportunity to read more. Of course I read all the time, but on vacation you have hours of down time, plenty of hot coffee or tea, and a comfy spot in front of the sparkly tree wrapped in the blanket that you knitted while listening to audiobooks. Ah bliss can be found on the darkest (the solstice has just past) and coldest (temps this week are averaging below zero for the lows and single digits for the highs) days of the season.

Earlier this fall I started a new job, which resulted in a longer commute - great I thought I can get more reading done while I drive. No, I am not a menace to society, I keep both hands on the steering wheel and both eyes on the road, but both ears are tuned into the audiobook that is playing from my car's sound system.

Always looking for something new to try, I downloaded a title by Vaseem Khan from my public library - The Perplexing Theft of the Jewel in the Crown. I was charmed to meet Inspector Ashwin Chopra (Retd) of the Mumbai police force, his wife Poppy, and the many characters that fill their lives. So I was happy to place an order for a Christmas present to me - Khan's newest title in the series The Strange Disappearance of a Bollywood Star.

Once again I was transported from my New England town around the world to another city and culture. Parts of the story are light hearted, but there are several important issues presented in this book. While filming song and dance filled movies in the Bollywood tradition is occurring, Chopra is dealing with the kidnapping of a young rising star. There are insinuations that organized crime and money lenders may be responsible. Chopra's assistant, Sub-Inspector Rangwalla (who was forced out of the police by a corrupt superior) has gone undercover to solve a mystery dealing with a group of India's struggling citizens - the eunuchs. I had a basic understanding of India's caste system, but didn't realize the difficulties these people face. The struggle of transgendered people is widespread throughout many cultures, but Khan's message is that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and have the opportunity to have a successful life and career. One book can't solve such large societal problems, but it can help to raise our awareness and encourage discussion and change. But in the end Inspector Chopra, Sub-Inspector Rangwalla, Poppy, and Chopra's ward - a little elephant named Ganesha, go the extra mile to successfully solve the cases that come to their little detective agency seeking justice for their clients.