Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car: A Baby Ganesh Agency short story

Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation #3.5

by Vaseem Khan

An enchanting Baby Ganesh Agency short story: a million-dollar car is missing. Chopra has two days to find it, or the gangster who bought it will not be happy.

The Premier No.1 Garage is the place to go in Mumbai if you want a luxury car. Even Mumbai's biggest gangster shops there - he's just ordered a classic race car worth millions.

But now the car is gone. Stolen from a locked room, in the middle of the night.

Who stole it? The mechanic who is addicted to gambling? The angry ex-worker? The car thief pulling off one last job?

And how on earth did they make it vanish from the locked garage?

Inspector Chopra has just days to find the culprit - and the missing car - before its gangster owner finds out ... and takes violent revenge.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, India, Short Stories, Fiction, Novella, Detective

89 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 1, 2018

About the author

Vaseem Khan is the author of two award-winning crime series set in India and the upcoming Quantum of Menace, the first in a series featuring Q from the James Bond franchise. His debut, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, was selected by the Sunday Times as one of the 40 best crime novels published 2015-2020. In 2021, Midnight at Malabar House, the first in the Malabar House novels set in 1950s Bombay, won the CWA Historical Dagger. Vaseem was born in England, but spent a decade working in India. Vaseem is the current Chair of the UK Crime Writers Association.

Reviews

[Annet · Rating 3 out of 5]

... Mumbai was known as the city of dreams. This was where people came to make their fortunes, to become famous on the sets of Bollywood, to open small businesses in the city's slums. But Mumbai was also the place where wealth and power could corrupt the best of people. If you had the money or the influence, you could get away with a lot in Mumbai, and this had always upset Chopra...
Lovely & fun novella about Private Inspector Chopra and his cute and intelligent baby elephant Baby Ganesh... just what I needed now in busy & turbulent times at work and at home. Relaxing & quick read about the buzzing city of Mumbai and Chopra trying to solve the mystery of the disappearance of a very expensive car....of course with the help of his trusted and smart baby elephant. Brings a smile to my face :-) In expectation of the latest Chopra book 'Murder at the Grand Raj Palace' which is due to arrive soon! 3.2.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This author wrote another series about a female detective (supposedly Mumbai’s first, or maybe India’s first, I don’t remember which) who is working shortly after the Partition. I enjoyed the history and social history in that series. Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car …is very, very light. Chopra, now a private investigator has a baby elephant for a sidekick. You must enjoy really cozy mysteries to like this book. Actually this is basically a short story, so it’s not a bad place to start if you’re curious.

The setting is modern Mumbai and the author is English of Indian descent. He lived in India about a decade and has a good feel for background and atmosphere. It’s not much of a mystery. There is no way to follow any clues or the detective’s thinking.

As for the baby elephant?? I couldn’t really get into it. In this series is the elephant going to stay little? It comes with the detective in his van, walks through ordinary doorways and through buildings and charms people everywhere. Is it house trained? Cute but very silly. The author uses the pair to discuss issues in modern India such as vast differences in wealth, crime and terrible traffic.

I didn’t have much interest in the little book but if you do cozy you might like it. I gave it a 3 star rating for the good will portrayed and the essence of India. I would recommend the Inspector Wadia series by Khan however.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m a massive fan of this series, any story that features Inspector Chopra (Retd) and his trusty sidekick Ganesh I’d gladly take.

I remember when the Quick Reads initiative was first launched back in 2006. It’s so great to see the scheme that intends to encourage adults who don’t normally read a starting point for best selling authors, whilst fans of series get an extra story to enjoy is still going strong. It’s a win win!

The mystery of an expensive luxury classic racing car having inexplicably disappearing turns out to be pretty straight forward, but I liked the way that Chopra was able to solve this case.

This is a nice gentle introduction to a series that has Mumbai at the forefront, if you’ve not read any of the previous books then it’s a nice taster.
For those that are up to date this serves as a great little filler before the next book.

[Vishnu Chevli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Indeed a quick read. Started in evening
Finished now.

Detailed review may follow

[Rachel (not currently receiving notifications) Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and colourful introduction to Mumbai based and now retired Inspector Ashwin Chopra and at 87 print pages provides a flavour ahead of reading one of the full length novels. After a career spanning thirty years in the force and still a firm believer in upholding justice, Chopra runs the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency with the aid of his ‘partner’ and mischief maker, a one-year-old elephant called Ganesha who goes with him on cases around the city.

The Premier No. 1 Deluxe car dealership and garage is the most prestigious in the city of Mumbai and the first importer of luxury cars. When general manager and Englishman Jon Carter beseeches Chopra for his help after the mysterious disappearance of a four-million dollar car from the heavily secured premises overnight he agrees to assist. With the customised and upgraded 1954 Mercedes-Benz F1 racing car due to be delivered the following day to brutal underworld gangster gone straight, Bobby Jindal, for his son’s twenty-first birthday both Carter and his boss, garage owner Dinshaw are fearing the consequences. As Chopra visits the garage and suspects an inside job he follows a trail that takes him from the gambling addicted head mechanic to the slighted former saleswoman only to be thrown off the scent by the Sufi mysticism riddle left at the scene. Going on to meet a reformed car thief and the Mr Big of car smuggling in Manny “Mr Mercedes” Singh he finds that justice is not always black and white.. luckily with Chopra on the case a rightful solution can simply be found..

On balance this was far too cosy for my tastes with an elephant foiling criminals and fortuitously discovering clues all feeling a little too twee to fully engage my interest. Although there appears to be a social conscience to the series with Chopra keen to point out the vast disparity of income in Mumbai and the richer cities of India and the prevailing caste system, it all feels a little trite when there is a baby elephant running around and an element of aha revelation as opposed to authentic deduction about the case.

Light and breezy pedestrian humour and the very opposite of fast and frenzied crime busting.

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set in Mumbai, India where Inspector Chopra, accompanied by his baby elephant, Ganesh, investigate the crime of car theft.

The car stolen was a luxury vehicle worth 4 million dollars, and disappeared from a securely locked showroom during the night. The car had been purchased by a murderous leading gangster. He is hired by the manager of the car dealership and has only 2 days to find the stolen car. The.mobster plans to present it to his son as a birthday present in 48 hours. When he finds out it is missing he is sure to murder the manager and the owner of the car dealership. Both are frightened and desperate and cannot understand how the car could vanish from a locked building.

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I have been aware of the Quick Reads program for a few years, it has taken me until this year to actually get around to reading one of these books and I'm impressed.

This is the first book Iv'e read also by Vaseem Khan but with this well crafted mystery made sure it won't be the last either.

I spent the book scratching my head as to how a million dollar car can just disappear and enjoyed watching Inspector Chopra racing around Mumbai and the surrounds to try and solve this mystery.

I had a whistlestop tour of Mumbai and had a feel for what life is like in India, while meeting assorted characters. For a short story there were quite a lot of characters but it was all really easy to follow and the story was told in a logical fashion.

However easily my favourite character was Ganesha, as lets face it you don't get baby pet elephants that often in fiction, and this one seemed especially smart and in tune with Inspector Chopra, a rather unique detecting partner.

Really enjoyed this introduction to the series, and look forward to reading more books by Vaseem Khan in the future.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful 75 page novella. I have enjoyed all 4 of the books in The Baby Ganesh Agency series, and this short novella comes as a pleasant surprise while awaiting the 5th book to be published in August. The story is set in Mumbai, India where Inspector Chopra, accompanied by his baby elephant, Ganesh, investigate the crime of car theft.

The car stolen was a luxury vehicle worth 4 million dollars, and disappeared from a securely locked showroom during the night. The car had been purchased by a murderous leading gangster. He is hired by the manager of the car dealership and has only 2 days to find the stolen car. The.mobster plans to present it to his son as a birthday present in 48 hours. When he finds out it is missing he is sure to murder the manager and the owner of the car dealership. Both are frightened and desperate and cannot understand how the car could vanish from a locked building.

This short mystery novel works well as a stand-alone story, or as a good introduction to the series. Recommended for those who enjoy a light, relaxing read, especially a well-plotted one told with humour and set in an exotic faraway location.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first Khan book I have read, I picked this up at the airport for a read on the plane. I thought this would be right up my street, I love mystery and crime based books and recently visiting India I thought I would fall in love with it. Unfortunately this was not the case, I didn't particularly enjoy the story, I found it felt rushed.

There were many characters in the story, this was fine, however I felt due to the length of the book and the speed we were whisked through the story I didn't really know any of the characters very well.

It was an O.K story but it just wasn't for me, I probably wouldn't go out and buy another by Khan on the strength of this.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vaseem Khan was my new mystery author discovery of 2016. I love his mysteries. This book was written to order for a British adult literacy program. It is not easy to write anything for adults with limited vocabulary and he pulls it off beautifully. Not only is it a good story that engages the reader, it is a good mystery. I hope that he writes more of these shorter novella's for the program. It is probably harder to pull off than his full length novels, but he is excellent at this task.
Note: not only did I purchase this in ebook format, but as it isn't published in paperback in the U.S., I ordered a print copy from England for my birthday present to myself.

Excellent mystery, by the way.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Mumbai, after all, the city that not only never slept, but also kept all the neighbours awake by playing loud music all night.

The premise of this locked room mystery is that an expensive vintage racing car has been stolen from a prestige motor showroom in Mumbai and the manager, an Englishman called Jon Carter, calls in retired Inspector Ashwin Chopra to discover its whereabouts as a matter of urgency. Why urgent? Because bloody murders may result from its not being found.

Chopra’s task seems insurmountable, as he has just hours to solve the case with all leads arriving at dead ends. But it’s good fortune that he has a baby elephant in tow, an unexpected gift from a relative, and, with the help of this pachyderm (called, aptly, Ganesha) and the familiar flashes of insight that fictional detectives customarily get, Chopra inches towards the solution.

So, justice will be done, as suits the inspector’s virtuous instincts. But will it be justice tempered by mercy or will a metaphorical pound of flesh be the price to pay for the commission of the crime?

This story being set in Mumbai, a conurbation of some twenty million souls, it manages to convey in its near ninety pages a sense of the city being almost a character in its own right, an entity capable of inspiring mixed feelings but undeniably alive. Yet despite the teeming multitudes Chopra manages to chart a sociogram involving friends, criminal’s, colleagues, suspects and bystanders, and to call upon technical support. Humour abounds of course — how could it not with a baby elephant accompanying him everywhere in his van? — but the author’s day-job in the Department of Security and Crime Science of University College London ensures that Chopra’s activities have a realistic basis.

In fact the charm of this novella (and, I guess, the series, though I’ve not read any other titles) is the sense of Mumbai and, by extension, India having many facets reflecting different traditions, cultures and histories while being very modern. It’s a tale of contrasts, with GPS tracking mixing with the verses of Sufi mystic Amir Khosrow just like exclusive apartment blocks sit next door to slums.

This novella, part of a series featuring Chopra and Ganesha, was written for The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads initiative, books by bestselling writers designed to be “perfect for regular readers wanting a fast and satisfying read, but […] also ideal for adults who are discovering reading for pleasure for the first time.” Being in the first category I can vouch for its stated qualities, but with the proviso that ‘satisfactory’ does not here mean ‘just okay’ (as it too often infers nowadays) but providing fulfilment — in other words, this was a very pleasing read.

[Mystereity Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed an Indian author for one of the r/CozyMystery Book Bingo squares and someone suggested this one. It's novella length, so I was able to read it in an hour or so, but for such a short book, it packed an entertaining plot. Set in Mumbai, India, Chopra is a police inspector who had to retire due to a heart issue but is unwilling to give up the job he loved, he opened a detective agency that runs out of the restaurant he owns. One morning he is visited by a car dealership employee asking Chopra to investigate the theft of a $4 million dollar Mercedes that the dealership procured and customized as a birthday present for the son of a local gangster . If the car isn't found in time to be presented to the ganster's son, there will be trouble.

Despite being just over a hundred pages, this was well plotted and entertaining and it was easy to fall into the book. Chopra is a pragmatic sort of investigator and I loved that he has a baby elephant as a sidekick (that car wash had me giggling!) As other reviewers have said, it wasn't difficult to figure out how the car was stolen, but the culprit turned out to be a surprise. While it was a bare-bones investigation, it was interesting to see how Chopra tracked down every clue and I loved "seeing" the sights and sounds of Mumbai.

[Jae]

Enjoyable quick and easy read.

[Eleanor Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy to read, decent little short story. Perfect for readers unsure of the crime genre or people just starting to read for pleasure.

[Owen Townend · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here I go again, dipping into a crime series halfway through...

Khan's Inspector Chopra books have caught my eye a few times with their bright colours and zany, lengthy titles. Considering that it was only 90 pages long, I decided to give this one a try.

Chopra himself is a likeable detective: intuitive and sympathetic in his approach to the mystery though without the intense drive of most sleuths. Ganesh, his baby elephant, is a sweet mascot and light slapstick comic relief.

The mystery plot itself is fairly straightforward, as one would expect from such a short book, with a solution that makes suitable sense. In fact I felt there were few surprises in this concise case, aside from Ganesh. Then again I'm personally not much interested in expensive cars or grand theft auto.

All in all, Inspector Chopra and the Million-Dollar Motor Car is a fun, low-stakes adventure into Mumbai whimsy, ideal for a short holiday break somewhere. I recommend this to those who enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency and other such exotic cosy crime. Also elephant enthusiasts...

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cheeky QuickRead from The Reading Agency. Read the first in this series last year. Not had a chance to read the second in series so decided to dip into this one to keep me going. Love the fact the Detective has a baby elephant sidekick.

[Stella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Quick Read is certainly a great short story and I'm looking forward to finding the other 3 books in the Baby Ganesh Investigation Agency series

[Libby Cowling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book but the story Was a little slow. The best bit was the elephant

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good short story read. I enjoy Inspector Chopra and his elephant and their little mysteries

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just fun...

[Vinay Leo · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant quick-read mystery. Haven't read the novels featuring the detectives from this series yet, but it's now on the cards. Endearing duo, Chopra and Baby Ganesh.

[Ribhu Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short read, punchy and captures the charm of the full length books. The author has done a top job of also covering some Indian social issues and giving a flavour of the good/bad of the behemoth metropolis that is Mumbai within such a short space.

[Keriann · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Read for emojiathon:
🕒: A book you can read in less than 24 hours
💯: A book less than 100 pages

[Zara's Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Until I read this book I had never heard of Vaseem Khan before. I picked it up because I needed a book for book club in a hurry and this was a short book so it appealed to me for that reason.

It had me interested from the beginning. I love everything about this book. The characters are well formed, the baby elephant is both helpful and mischievous (as is to be expected from a 1 year old animal). Inspector Chopra is very real, believable, and passionate about justice. The story is based in Mumbai, India and the reader is given little glimpses of the life in Mumbai both the wealthy side, and also the poorer side. Inspector Chopra has little love for the wealthy and he expresses this when necessary but it is always in context with what he is investigating. The way the author describes Mumbai and the wealthy and poor people it’s clear that he has experience of the area, which is not surprising when he was a management consultant in India in 1997. This really helps to bring an authenticity to story. The answer to the question of who stole the million dollar car was not at all what I expected.

This is a book that is written primarily for adults but it is also aimed at those who aren’t avid readers hence the short length of the story. It’s a book that can be read by young adults as well. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

[Malcolm Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy the "Quick Reads" books. Managed to read this little book in one day. On the face of it the story is a detective novel about how a private detective Ashwin Chopra with his amusing sidekick, an elephant called Ganesha, are employed to explain how a 4 million dollar car was stolen from a locked garage with no signs of entry or exit. The story is set in the streets of Mumbai and revolves around gangsters and shady characters. No plot spoilers here about why or how the crime was committed or solved but what did appeal to me more about this story was the marvellous way the writer, Vassem Kahn, manages to use the plot to tell in a graphic way how the super rich and the destitutely poor live alongside each other in this modern Indian city. It portrays the affluence of the minority and how wealth buys anything compared to the squalor and pain of poverty for many. The solution to the crime leaves the detective with a moral and ethical dilemma which is cunningly solved. It is more a short story about ethics than crime but well worth reading whichever of these genres you enjoy.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptionally rare and expensive car destined to be delivered to a very dangerous man has been stolen from a locked garage. A car salesman comes to Inspector Chopra begging for help so Chopra and his baby elephant start out across the city in a race against time. As always baby Ganesha helps find clues and distract people who need to be distracted while the detective seeks answers.

I am not a huge fan of cars; they just get me from place to place. While a lot of the car talk was lost on me, the characters in the story are so well written that I was able to move past that. As always Mumbai and the rich cultures found there are beautifully presented. Khan's ability to describe places in vivid detail brings the story to life. The little elephant of course provides moments of comic relief and cuteness.

Because the story was shorter than the typical Inspector Chopra book there wasn't a lot of opportunity for the reader to pick up clues and try to solve the mystery alongside the detective. In this case it didn't bother me. It's a very enjoyable addition to the Chopra series.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story featuring Inspector Chopra and Baby Ganesh. A multi-million dollar Mercades goes missing from a car dealership and they ask for Chopra's help in finding it before it is due to be delivered to the mob boss who ordered it for his son's birthday. A brief investigation ensues where Chopra interviews former car thieves, all leading to dead ends. The only lead he has is a bottle of prescription pills that Ganesh found at the crime scene. It turns out that those pills are only prescribed to patients with kidney failure and Chopra figures out that the car dealership manager has a daughter in need of a kidney transplant and he stole the car to pay for the necessary organ transplant surgery. Once he confesses to the crime, he returns the car and is fired from his job but the owner doesn't press charges. Chopra makes a deal with one of the car thieves to pay for the girl's kidney transplant or else Chopra will tell the mob boss that he tried to steal the car. A quick, satisfying listen.

[Susmita Ghosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actually it’s 3.5 star

This is my second book in The Reading Agency series.
And this is the 1st time I met Inspector Chopra and his sidekick, Ganesha, the baby elephant.
It’s a enjoyable little story and fastest solved mystery I’ve ever read.
A very refreshing read indeed.
The plot is set in the bustling city of Mumbai, India. One night an old Mercedes-Benz Formula 1 racing car goes missing from the top car garage of the city having the keys and security all in tact. As if it had just vanished from a locked garage. Inspector Chopra and Ganesha solved the mystery, finds the car and the car thief too.
Within this short space the author drawn the characters humane and realistic with natural emotions. Author also cleverly touched some social issues of this city.
Only thing I would say is, an elephant as an assistant is funny but helping finding the main clue is too childish.
I will read the other books of this series.

[Viva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spoilers ahead. A short novella of the series.

A very expensive custom Mercedes-Benz has been stolen from Mumbai's premier auto dealer. It's not a million dollar as in the title but $4M! And not only that, if the car is not found within 24 hours both the owner and the manager of the dealership will be killed because the car was ordered by Bobby Jindal, a notorious Mumbai crimelord who doesn't like to be crossed. This is the situation that Chopra finds himself to be in.

The plotline that follows is pretty similar to some his other books. Chopra looks up one promising lead after another only to find the first is a dead end and he goes to the next. Eventually he finds a break and the break leads him to the real criminal.

I was away from the computer for a few days so I couldn't write this while it was fresh in my memory. Apart from the plot, there were a few interesting items, one of which was the rise of rich Mumbaikans (and Indians in general) due to burgeoning industry, which lead to a burgeoning luxury car industry. The chapter calls it "The face of modern India".

Overall, it was a nice and fun short story.

[Tucker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Left in the spot of the missing Mercedes is a little black calling card.

It said, in Hindi:

A trickster came, and this was seen,

In a cage went a parrot that was green,

How amazing is what everyone said,

What went in green, came out red!

* * *

‘Hmm,’ said Carter, looking thoughtful. ‘The only thing I can think of is that the Mercedes used to be green. Now, after the paint job, it is red. But I don’t know what a parrot has to do with it.”

FYI, this is part of the Quick Reads program, designed to please both “regular readers wanting a fast and satisfying read,” as well as “adults who are discovering reading for pleasure for the first time” — which is to say that the English is generally simple, though not in a way that's immediately obvious. That is a nice way to be inclusive with the audience.