A Death in Denmark

   The author is young. She peers out of the photograph, bare arms, tattoo on wrist and a closely cropped, punk haircut. It left one imagining more tattoos and rings in unmentionable parts of her body. She is Indian, has Danish citizenship and lives in the US. 
 
      Amulya Malladi has written a most enjoyable book called “A Death in Denmark”. I loved the protagonist Gabriel Praest. (the ‘a’ in Praest merges with the ‘e’ and I can’t bring about that magic on my keyboard.) So, I shall stick to the name Gabriel. The story revolves around death of a rightist politician. An immigrant from Iraq is accused of the murder. Gabriel, an ex-cop, presently a private investigator, was hounded out of police service for launching an unauthorized investigation into corruption by a politician. He also plays the guitar in the evenings at assorted watering holes in Denmark. He has a grown-up daughter. His ex-partner’s husband is a lawyer. Gabriel, who shares a functional relationship with his ex, has his digs at her husband’s office. He is also wealthy, dresses well, is perennially upgrading his house, has a taste for exquisite wine, reads/ quotes philosophy (Kierkegaard/Nietzsche/ Sartre) and rides a bicycle to work.
 
    Well, I liked the guy. Half the battle is won when you’ve created a very likable detective/ private investigator/ amateur cop. And if there is subtle humour, easy readability and the bad guys are caught in the end, (I hate uncertain endings, in books or movies) then you have a winning formula.
 
The story begins with the World War II, when Gestapo rounds up Jewish refugees and merciless kill the family, including two children,  that hides them. There was apparently a highly placed Danish mole, a collaborator who gives up the location of Jewish refugees. Many years later, the entire affair is caught up in the politics and business of the day. Sanne Melgaard, the woman politician had been busy investigating the identity of the mole and her research gets her into uncomfortable places. The immigrant Yousuf Ahmed is framed for her murder. Gabriel is pushed into the case by his ex-lover Leila, who believes that Yousuf is innocent. Dead bodies turn up and several brazen threats are made to dissuade Gabriel from digging further into the case. 
Along the way, Gabriel has the help of his good friends from college and the Police chief Tommy himself. Finally, his investigation reaches to those right at the top of Danish politics.
  
This is a fast read and I am already looking forward to the next book in the series. However, there is underlying elitism in the food  they eat, clothes they wear etc and I am not sure that Private investigators have a rich lifestyle even in the developed world. Anyway, it is soothing to read of lives of privilege, than those trying to make ends meet.