Caretaker (Ranjit Singh (1)) Paperback – May 27, 2014

I'm always interested in books with Indian characters, being married to an Indian and having spent time there, and while I learned a bit about Sieks, and cared about the main character, I found much of the story line less than believable. Our protagonist left India after traumatic events while he served in the military during the hight of Indian-Pakastani conflicts. Now he is a caretaker of summer properties on Martha's Vineyard, a summer playground for the very rich. Not only does he jump into bed with the young wife of a US senator, he continues his amorous activity while healing from life-threatening gun shots and injuries. His feats in bed and fighting bad guys are just not believable, nor is his abandonment of his Indian wife and child. 30% of the book was really great and well written, 30% was ok, and 40% was so silly and unbelievable it was hard to read. That said, after reading about the author I'm giving his second book, "The Last Taxi Ride" a chance. The sample I have on my kindle seems promising.

Interesting characters. Fairly well-developed. Pacing is good. But some of the action approaches comic book incredibility. And the main character exudes a sort of bipolar code of honor, personal integrity and dedication to wife and daughter while at the same casually and passionately making love to the wife of his principal employer and ultimate antagonist. Non-the-less the pacing is good and it is an easy read. If half stars were an option, on a good day I would rate it 3.5 stars, and on a bad day 2.5. I did order his next book "The Last Taxi Ride" as soon as I finished this one.

Interesting book and enjoyable to read. One of the things that makes it so is that it takes place on two continents, it's written from the perspective of an immigrant for Indian, who is a minority there and even more so in the US, and the writer really has a grasp on both cultures. If that weren't enough the writer is darn good and keeps your interest from start to finish. There's, love, politics, religion, infidelity, and family drama. What more could you ask for?

This excellent debut is smartly paced, emotionally intelligent, and beautifully written. The Sikh protagonist, Ranjit Singh, is as compelling and memorable as any character written in any genre. His emotional landscape, borne of traumatic events and broken relationships, puts the reader into his very soul from the first few chapters. His quick wit and foresight carry the reader through the New England winter and into the underworld of a vacation isle's desolation in the off season. The story of Ranjit is also the story of the immigrant, the outsider, and the elusive American Dream. Those who struggle in the margins of our society, who are all but invisible but upon whom our society depends, come alive and are rendered with care in Ahmad's writing. An eye-opening and wonderful story, this one made me look forward to the next installment of this promising trilogy! And the next! A must-read!!

Hardly the great American novel, but a good light read. Interesting characters and a decent plot, with some unfamiliar cultural overtones I enjoyed.

This is a speedy off-beat mystery with a good plot involving two different cultures: Indian and American. Plus the choice of locale is interesting in that it shows Martha's Vineyard not at the height of the tourist season but in the dead of winter. I would be very interested in reading more of Mr. Ahmad's work.Coy

Decent plot, although it's not too different from any of the crime shows out there now.Good character-building. Well-written, overall, and the story flows smoothly.

The story was intriguing and well-written. I enjoyed the author's style. The main character is believable and likable. I hope there are more Ranjit Singh novels in the works!

インド山岳特殊部隊の分隊長としてパキスタンに侵入したランジット・シングは登攀中に襲撃され、全員を守るために心ならずも最年少のデワン一等兵のザイルを切り見殺しにした。おまけに腹心の部下カンデルカール軍曹が身を犠牲にして分隊を守ってくれたことから、戦後妻子をつれて米国ボストンに移住したあと繰り返し自分を責める白昼夢に襲われる。ボストンの南に位置するバンヤードヘブン島で庭師として貧しい生活を送っていたが、上院議員クレイトン・ニ―ルの美しい妻アンナとねんごろになったのがきっかけで留守宅の管理を任された。ある夜、不審者が押し入り撃退したが却ってクレイトンの不興を買い、おまけにアンナが大切にしていた人形をランジットの娘シャンティが持ち出しており、これがとんでもない秘密を抱えた代物とわかって、取り返そうとする連中にランジット一家が命を狙われ、ボストンを舞台にアンナを巻き込んだ追跡劇が始まる。デビュー作ということもあり随分肩に力が入った筆運びで読ませるが、登場人物に華がない。またせっかくの風光明媚な島とか古都ボストンの息吹が感じられずプロットを追うのに精いっぱいというところで、引き続いてシング シリーズが始まったようなので、人物が活き活きとし始めればいいな、と願う。