Right at the start, in his introduction, Ruskin Bond announces that the protagonist of his latest book, Death Under the Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean , “is no Miss Marple; she did not investigate and bring criminals to justice — but she observed, remembered and recorded.” When you finish the book, you see why that disclaimer was necessary. The stories reminded me of the gossipy tales that my parents and their friends discussed at parties, as we kids lurked around the corners trying to eavesdrop and find out who was doing what. For a bunch of crime stories, there is not a single edge-of-the-seat moment or even a momentary thrill.
All the stories are set in the Royal Hotel, Mussoorie, where Miss Ripley-Bean (aunty May to sundry characters) lives. The first story, which gave the collection its name, opens with a flower show at the hotel and sets the stage for Mrs. Basu’s murder. Then suddenly, and quite inexplicably, the dénouement arrives even before you’re ready for it. I was left wondering how Mrs. Basu knew enough about her murderer’s past to blackmail him.
The other stories follow a similar pattern. The characters are introduced and, even before you’ve made their acquaintance, you’re facing the end. In ‘Strychnine in the Cognac’, a famous actor couple is holidaying at the Royal Hotel but there are cracks in the marriage. Both the husband and wife are trying to do away with one another but it defies belief that the successful murderer would confide in and celebrate with a chance-met person. With a title like ‘The Daryaganj Strangler’, you expect the last story would buck the trend but no such luck. Again Miss Ripley-Bean has been witness to a murder and the murderer presents her with a bottle of wine and a wonderful offer, instead of trying to do away with her. The only one that offered some surprise was ‘Born Evil’.
One annoying factor was the constant re-introduction of Miss Ripley-Bean, her dog Fluffy, the hotel’s pianist Mr. Lobo and the hotel owner Nandu. In each story, we are informed that Miss Ripley-Bean’s father built the Royal Hotel and sold it to Nandu on the condition that his daughter be allowed to live there all her life; that Mr. Lobo called her Aunty May because she reminded him of a favourite aunt; and that Fluffy was a Tibetan mastiff. And the crème de menthe that Miss Ripley-Bean makes and is her go-to in times of stress? The recipe is repeated in every other story.
There are flashes of gentle humour in trademark Bond style. Like the conversation about what hymn to sing at Mrs. Basu’s funeral. “Let’s sing ‘Rock of Ages’,” piped up Mrs. Ripley… “Didn’t they sing that when the Titanic went down?” asked Colonel Bakshi. “No, that was ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’,” put in the princess of Kapurthala, who was an authority on the subject, as one of her uncles had gone down with the ship.”
But, in the end, it just isn’t enough to save this ship.
Death Under The Deodars: The Adventures of Miss Ripley-Bean; Ruskin Bond, Penguin Random House, Rs. 399.
