Recommended by Dunsborough Book Chat Club

The Waiter, by Ajay Chowdhury.

Cover of The Waiter, by Ajay Chowdhury.

This novel is the winner of the inaugural Harvill Secker and Bloody Scotland crime writing competition. The author is a tech entrepreneur and theatre director who grew up in India before moving to London.

The Waiter, published in 2021, is the author’s debut crime novel. His first children’s book, Ayesha and the Firefish, was published in 2016.

The Kolkata case murder brings Kamil to London. The story is told over 2 timelines. Are these 2 cases connected? This is not the usual type of detective novel. The author provides local colour in both cities with insights into Asian culture, rituals, and traditions. The pace is quite slow, and it takes 2/3rds of the book before it all starts coming together.

3/5 Stars