Book Review: Mr Singh Has Disappeared

Have you seen this man?

Have you seen this man?

Mr Singh Has Disappeared: a concussed novel, Horst Prillinger, €10

Larry Singh has a problem. All he had wanted to do was to search for an Indian waiter who had mysteriously disappeared. Now he is suddenly receiving anonymous letters, he is followed by crooks who want money from him that he does not have, and for some reason everybody insists on calling him Harry. To make matters worse, something happened that caused Larry to lose his memory, and while he is trying to put the pieces together and find a way out of this mess, he is beginning to suspect that he may not be who he thinks he is.

When a waiter vanished form his favourite Indian restaurant after 15 years, Horst Prillinger was intrigued when he got different explanations from the waiters and owner and used this as a basis for what he describes as  “a crime story with very little crime in it”. The strange tale unfolds throughout its 100 pages in 150 chapters that reflect the confused and obsessive state of mind of the narrator, Larry Singh, as he tries to discover what happened to the waiter and how he has lost his memory.

Although disjointed, the book is easy to read and the reader will often pause to reflect on the unfolding story as it takes in numerous entertaining diversions, fun ideas, philosophical propositions and the intricacies of Indian cuisine. Whilst the picture becomes clearer, to the reader and protagonist, we learn why you should never meet anyone in an abandoned warehouse, what to do if your food becomes spicier at a restaurant each time you visit and much more. This tale is a little gem, unique, full of its own atmosphere and is very funny indeed.

Available from Amazon.de and from the Author

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