The Waiter by Ajay Chowdhury
I’ve seen this recent novel described as a different sort of crime novel and ground-breaking. It’s not. It is a very entertaining and satisfying detective story, with many of the tropes of that appeal to readers of this genre, people like me. Its difference comes from the fact that it is set among the Anglo-Indian community in Brick Lane and the action alternates between this location and Kolkotta; and, with one minor exception, it has no white characters.
The waiter of the title is Kamil Rahman, the son of a retired legend of the Kolkotta police force and formerly a promising police detective in his own right. We quickly learn that he has been forced to leave India in disgrace over his mishandling of a high-profile murder case. He is lying low in London with Saibal and Maya, friends of his father who own a restaurant called Tandoori Knights, whilst he makes sense of what has happened to him.
When Kamil is working at a glamorous party being given by Rakesh, a wealthy businessman and friend of Saibal, a grisly opportunity arises for Kamil to get his life back on track. Rakesh is clubbed to death and tipped into his swimming pool. The obvious suspect is the millionaire’s second and younger wife, Neha, his ex-secretary. The clues all point to her and most particularly that she has a motive as Rakesh had publicly announced at the party his intention to give away his fortune to charitable concerns. However, Saibal, Maya and their daughter, Anjoli, Neha’s best friend, are convinced of her innocence. They urge Kamil to resurrect his detective skills and provide him with access to a community that are wary of the police. Kamil now has a purpose and a chance to rebuild his reputation.
Kamil is a likeable protagonist. He is intelligent, methodical and dogged. At first, his confidence in his abilities is denuded and he is still in a state of despondency about the loss of his career, home and fiancée. However, as he becomes intrigued by the case and is bolstered by Anjoli’s ebullience as his sidekick, he begins to uncover a series of secrets about Rakesh’s finances and a number of long-held deceptions within the Anglo-Indian community.
We are all aware of many characteristics of this community, including the importance of family and links back to India, and these become important features of the plot. This is underlined by the narrative structure that alternates between Kamil’s present investigation and the murder investigation that had precipitated his downfall. We learn that Kamil had been assigned to the high-profile murder of one of Bollywood’s top actors. Kamil’s junior status had left him susceptible to pressure from his boss for a quick resolution even if this meant cutting corners. Eventually, Kamil refuses to play ball and persists with some dangerous lines of investigation that threaten everything he cares about.
It is not really a spoiler to say that these two plot strands eventually coalesce, but it is done in a satisfying manner. This is because the two worlds are concisely and authentically realised. The characters may have slightly different backgrounds and cultural influences than my own but the dilemmas, motives and behaviour are exactly the same as we all face.
This book has received some splendid reviews and I believe there is talk of it being turned into a film or television series. I can see that. It doesn’t mean the book is perfect – I found the eventual resolution a little too pat. Also, as a greedy person the descriptions of wonderful Indian cuisine had my culinary juices enflamed. But hey, that’s my problem and testimony to the crowd-pleasing nature of this book.