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It is not easy to write a very compelling and well-crafted whodunnit thriller within the space of mere 100 pages. Only Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, Daphne Du Maurier or one of those legends have pulled it off. And now, I feel proud to add another name to the list.

That name is Satyajit Ray, possibly the finest filmmaker of India, a legend in his own right who defied all conceivable boundaries of our cinema, long lambasted for its populism and unabashed splendour and little else. Few, however, also know about the other facet to this leading realist cinematic storyteller from our country, that of a raconteur with a vivid, infectiously colourful imagination, as evidenced in stories that he wrote for children and grown-ups alike. And this slim thriller, one of the series of detective thrillers that he penned, featuring his own fiendishly smart Holmes, Pradosh Mitter, better known as Feluda, is really an exemplary read from cover to cover.

Feluda and his trusty companions Topshe and Lalmohan 'Jatayu' Ganguly are in Banaras to witness the last, festive day of the Durga Puja. But the scent and smoke of a thickening mystery can never be too distant from where Feluda steps in. There is a much-celebrated and worshipped godman called Machchli Baba, there is a boy lurking on roofs who imagines himself as the hero of an adventure book itself and more troublingly, there is a precious idol of Lord Ganesha that has disappeared without a clue. Will Feluda solve it? Won't he solve it?

Those are questions that are best left to the avid, hungry reader to unravel but I would recommend everyone, especially those who love their whodunnits, to sit back and soak in the dense, atmospheric pleasure that Mr. Ray plunges us into, without any effort. The old-since-time-immemorial city of Banaras, with its bustling streets and enticing sweetshops, the sweep of its riverside ghats and the fervour of festivities is as much as a character in the proceedings. And the veteran storyteller also throws in a stellar cast of intriguingly enigmatic characters, people whom you would be willing to trust but you cannot because Feluda's relentlessly questioning spirit makes you an amateur sleuth as well.

That brings us to our congenial yet coolly intelligent Feluda himself, who, despite the incredible intelligence and uncanny intuition, is very much a believable person, almost like any other young man burning with the same curiosity. He is aided brilliantly by Topshe, who narrates the mystery credibly and the entertainingly non-plussed Jayatu, who is also believable in his comic predicament. But he is after all the hero of this tale and it is a heady thrill to see him decipher clues with disarming ease.

Anyone who wants to discover this lesser-known side to the greatest filmmaker of India should pick up this slim volume and devour it like a bowl of sweetmeats from the streets of Banaras.