The third book in the Kamil Rahman series and probably my favourite.

On his first day as a detective in the Met Kamil is thrown in at the deep end assigned to a murder investigation where three 100 year old skeletons are found. I though the linking of a cold case and a current case was really interesting and unique.

What I loved about this book is the way in which Chowdhury weaves together an intricate web of clues and suspects, making it difficult to predict who the real culprit is. There is a diverse cast of characters that are all well-developed and multi-dimensional, with their own unique motives and secrets that add to the complexity of the plot

Overall, "The Detective" is a well-written and entertaining novel that will appeal to fans of crime fiction. It's a page-turner that kept me guessing until the very end, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling read.

Ajay Chowdhury injects some spice into the traditional detective thriller with his latest novel, The Detective. The lead character is detective Kamil Rahman, a former chef and lodger above a restaurant called Tandoori Knights. He lives adjacent to but not with, his friend and erstwhile employer Anjoli Chatterjee. Anjoli is a funny, feisty and intelligent restaurateur who likes to dabble in detective work in her spare time. She makes a great foil for Kamil. However he feels unrequited love in their relationship, a relationship he would like to take to the next level but she holds him at arms length but feeds him the occasional crumb from her table.to keep him keen. Soon Kamil's ex comes on the scene, Maliha. Kamil's apparent rejection by Anjoli causes him to reconsider his former relationship with Maliha. So you can see just from his personal life, there are many threads and intrigues in this novel. For those readers who were born in the last century, a chef who is a detective is nothing new. I refer to the late Richard Griffiths who played DI Henry Crabbe in the popular TV series Pie in the Sky. The plot of The Detective centres on a succession of murders associated with the sale of a high tech firm specialising in AI. There is another thread dealing with a historic murder where the skeletal remains were found along with the body of the first murder victim Kamil has to investigate as a newbie with the Met.
The Detective is a lengthy novel, has great pace and intrigue and is not once dull. I found it hugely entertaining, plus I felt jealous of Kamil with such tasty treats to come home to. I wonder if Ajay has part of himself in Kamil because if he does, I hazard a guess as to which woman Kamil eventually commits to and it relates purely to phonics ( a clue is in the Acknowledgements, Ajay's helpmate and greatest supporter).
I heartily recommend this detective thriller.

I loved this book as much as I did ‘The Waiter’ and ‘The Chef’, especially as Kamil has succeeded in his dream to become a detective with the Met. His love life is yet to be resolved, but his skill in solving murders (with the help of Anjoli – love her t-shirts!) is spot on. Very entertaining and well crafted. Would definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the arc.

Superlative…
A disgraced detective, a tumultuous past and crimes new and old combine in this outstanding follow up novel to ‘The Waiter’ and ‘The Cook’ and the third of the Detective Kamil Rahman series. Now ensconced in the Met, the detective is about to experience his very first case for them and is beyond determined to prove his worth. A pacy narrative livens the clever plot with a meticulously well drawn cast of characters, much socio-political and technological commentary and a refreshing protagonist. The perfectly placed atmospherics, the utterly compelling storyline with twists and turns aplenty, deftly managed, make this a page turner from the first to last page. Superlative.

I love this author and Kamil Rahman's character. I was concerned that Kamil would not be so fascinating now that he's a bona fide Met Detective Constable (well below his experience level), as his back story in Kolkata and trials and tribulations through being a waiter and a cook at Tandoori Knights were brilliant. However, this did not disappoint.
We're taken into a techie world, including AI and overly 'Big Brother' surveillance themes, the vast funding and interests around that, including Governments. The first murder occurs, the body found in the building site of an extension to the East London Mosque, the victim is the CEO of Aishtar Ltd. The story involves diverse communities and religions; Mr Choudhury does not stereotype, and puts it well when his character states that religious emnity has usually been triggered through political agendas of politicians.
Parallel to this is an historic tale of a Jewish immigrant family trying to make a life and living in Shoreditch, in the early 20th Century. Their story is tragic, and becomes important to Anjoli (who loves an investigative challenge)!
The (modern day) murders associated with the tech company keep coming and there seems to be no logic to them. Motives change, huge amounts of money are involved and beneficiaries change. The story twists and turns through to the end.
There were a couple of far-fetched moments for me - I'm not sure that having Anjoli present at certain moments wouldn't void evidence, due to procedural requirements; casual questioning in a restaurant again sounds procedurally unsound (and a possible delight to a Defence lawyer) also the historic family tree (no spoilers, no more info) could never really be proven 100%, but perhaps even the rumour would be enough for the purpose used...
Having said that, I really liked the book. I loved the description of the AI scene in Whitechapel (and will be looking up Israel Zangwill's 'Children of the Ghetto', together with other themes mentioned) - I love it when a book inspires like that. Great read!

This is definitely the best book in the series so far.
It's not often you get a crime book that is so inclusive and representative of wider society and I really love that about these books. In The Detective, Chowdhury introduces a diverse cast of characters in a nuanced way that avoids stereotypical representations. and offers the reader insights into diverse Britain. The Detective, as well as being twisty and intriguing by linking a cold case with a current one, is easy to read with likeable characters and a storyling that will keep you hooked till the end.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Vintage For an advance copy of The Detective, the third novel to feature Kamil Rahman.

On his first day as a detective with the Met Kamil is assigned to a murder investigation. The body of tech entrepreneur, Sid Ram, has been found shot to death in a ditch on a construction site. He is not alone as the CSIs uncover three 100 year old skeletons buried in the silt next to his body.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Detective, which is an engrossing read with plenty of twists and a dash of humour in the dialogue to leaven the load of murder and geek speak. In my opinion it is the best novel in the series so far, but I’m biased towards procedurals and lap them up.

The novel has two storylines with Kamil handling the fresh murder while his friend, roommate and potential romantic interest, Anjoli Chatterjee, takes an interest in the old bones. Believe it or not the two cases finally intersect in a neat, ironic touch. I did wonder about the emphasis on the old bones, which, while interesting, is hardly a case.

The novel is mostly told from Kamil’s first person point of view and as he’s far from perfect the reader gets a bird’s eye view of his errors and missteps. And as he’s not shy about expressing his feelings to himself his emotions and thought processes are all laid out. He is an excellent protagonist and very well drawn, whether it be his hurt at the casual racism of his colleagues or his bewilderment at Anjoli’s attitude towards him they all get a good workout.

I found the plot engrossing. Maybe I didn’t understand all the tech or even need to, but the gist is very clear and very frightening and probably not too far from reality. It plays an integral part in the plot but the real meat is the who and why. I was glued to the pages, not knowing what was coming next and desperate to know. There are twists, strategic reveals, missteps and flashes of brilliance. Add that to the humorous dialogue, Anjoli’s slogan t-shirts, flashes of brilliance and a historical mystery and you get a potent mix.

The Detective is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

4+ stars

Kamil Rahman #3

Former Kolkata cop Kamil turned London waiter and cook at the Tandoori Knights restaurant is now serving in the Metropolitan Police Force as a DC alongside close friend DI Tamil Ismael. Kamil’s first day is deep end stuff when a body is found in a Fieldgate Street construction site which proves to be Sid Ram CEO of Aishtar Ltd, a tech company. Near his body is a very puzzling note and even more perplexing is in the same hole in which Sid is buried, more bodies are found which prove to be historic. Further inquiries into the tech firm reveals oddities, is the crime personal or is it to do the soon to be sold company? Are there any links to the older bodies or is it pure coincidence?

I like this series and I’m delighted that Kamil has made the detective grade in London though it’s far from an easy ride for him. This plot is much more meaty and complex than the first two books and is told at a brisk pace and has multiple layers. There’s the technology angle of the present day case which also takes several political directions, there’s the intrigue of how and why the earlier bodies are murdered which takes the plot into an intriguing DNA scenario, there’s racism and anti Semitism, there are algorithms and the security services and a very scary big brother potential. Phew! I hasten to add it doesn’t feel over burdened as everything connects cleverly.

Alongside this never a dull moment plot we get the mouth watering food at the Tandoor Knights and many a chuckle over owner Angelina’s T-shirts!!! They really are so witty and I laugh out loud on several occasions! If all this isn’t enticing enough for you then there’s a will he /won’t he Romance angle! It’s creative, pertinent and I like the emerging parallels between past and present. As the plot develops carnage ensues and it takes some inspiration to achieve breakthroughs and there are some good twists before we get to the big reveal.

My only (slight) negatives are there are a lot of characters to get your head around but I do get there in the end and some things are a teensy, weensy bit of a stretch but hey, it’s fiction and it’s good and most definitely an immersive read.

I recommend this series as the characters are very likeable and there’s also a liberal sprinkling of excellent humour.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

‘The Detective’ is the third entry in the Detective Kamil Rahman series (following on from the award winning ‘The Waiter’ and ‘The Chef’ – if you haven’t read them, you could still read this one, but really, you should check those out first; not just for narrative clarity, but because they are so good…)
We’re post pandemic – and a lot has changed since book two: and not just the fact Kamil is able to carry out his crime investigations in an official capacity – and it’s a busy first day on the job as a tech entrepreneur is found shot dead, alongside three more bodies from a historic murder.
The Detective is a multi-layered beast of a novel: moving from the previous novels’ more personal investigation into officialdom, but also through its considerations around institutionalised racism, historical wrongs, current worries around privacy, oh – and a consideration on Israeli Palestinian conflict. All with some subtle commentary on socio-political- technology issues…
There’s a lot to take in, but it never comes at the expense of a good mystery and the polemics are expressed through three dimensional characters.
Moving from amateur sleuth to police procedural does require a few instances of belief suspension – would the police/ special branch/ parliament/ NDA wary tech companies be happy for a civilian side kick like Anjoli (Kamil’s ex-restaurant boss and will-they-won’t they-romance) to ‘tag along’: maybe not, but I was happy to go along with it.
Similarly, there’s a key plot point which involves a bit of pandemic familiar tech that to those of us who are really familiar with it might cause a ‘hmmm, not sure that would really work’ but these were the only minor nit picks I had with the book – otherwise it’s a worthy successor to the first two books in the series that manages to balance (as unlikely as this sounds) an almost cozy crime feel with some serious matters and violent acts. That’s a balancing act I haven’t seen many authors be able to pull off.
The ending suggests there are more to come in the series and I for one look forward to whatever they author comes up with next.
Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the chance to read this.

Ever since reading the debut "The waiter" of the wonderfully entertaining Kamil Rahman detective series, I have become a fan of Ajay Chowdhury's writing. It has been such fun to read these three detective novels, featuring the demoted former Kalkotta detective Kamil in his new life as a cook and waiter in his friend Anjoli's Indian Restaurant in Brick Lane, London. Like a cat who cannot stop chasing mice, Kamil stumbles from one murder to another and resolves it in his unique way with Anjoli's unorthodox help. 

In " The Detective"  he has finally made it to detective with the British Met police and the plot is the best yet. One of the co-founders of a start up dealing with Artifical intelligence has been found murdered and Kamil is very  eager to show his worth to his superiors. Loved it, excellent mystery, cleverly constructed, gobbled it down.

From time to time you are more than grateful that you stumbled across an unknown author and I find this particularly true with Ajay Cowdhury..
His characters are excellent, as are the storylines and the books are ones you want to keep reading, but do not want to come to an end.
If you are not familiar with Ajay, then seek him out and start the books with the first one. I know that is perhaps obvious, but there are some that you can dive into in any order, but his are best enjoyed from the start.
Highly recommended.

My thoughts about Ajay Chowdhury’s The Detective dishes out plenty of twists and turns to keep you hooked throughout, just like its predecessors. And the story of detective Kamil Rahman’s journey will continue to remain in readers memory. Ajay Chowdhury’s third book in the detective Kamil Rahman series doesn’t disappoint. Each chapter opens a new can of worms and goes beyond you can comprehend. Justifying the story, an equally captivating written by Ajay Chowdhury gives The Detective an edge and doesn’t let it go off track. The slo-mo and close-up well written of characters builds up the tension, and the momentum never breaks. The story of Ajay Chowdhury’s The Detective begins with when a tech entrepreneur from Shoreditch is found dead in a construction site, along with three skeletons which are discovered to be over a hundred years old, Detective Kamil Rahman sets out to prove himself on his first case for the Met Police. can Detective Kamil along with his friend Anjoli prevent another murder. Hats off to the writer Ajay Chowdhury for coming up with this mystery thriller which stitched so well with Unexpected twists , the complete build up of suspense and thrills keeping you at the edge of your seat. Ajay Chowdhury ‘s The Detective definitely exceeded my expectations. writer Ajay deserves high praise for creating a another fantastic thriller that felt like a a standalone book and the story builds tension quite effectively setting up for some brilliant twists. Ajay Chowdhury’s The Detective is well written and crafted, which should not be missed. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💥💥💥💥💥