Mr Ali has grown bored of retirement, so with the blessing of his wife and the help of a lovely local young woman, he starts a service to assist single people in the arrangement of their marriages. Such is the irresistible premise of The Marriage Bureau for Rich People – the first in a planned series. For who could fail to be intrigued by the background machinations of an Indian marriage bureau, especially when described with such lightness of touch and deep sense of humanity?

The central conceit is fascinating and the setting seductive, but chief among the achievements of this novel is the creation of a world at once both exotic and familiar, peopled as it is with recognisable characters, from stubborn family members to a salesmen who awkwardly fails to sell himself. The publishers have relentlessly compared this novel to the works of Jane Austen, but the more obvious influence is that of Alexander McCall Smith and his No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series – it’s hard to imagine a Precious Ramotswe fan who wouldn’t fall for this charming novel.