H R F Keating Inspector Ghote

H. R. F. KEATING - Inspector Ghote series

Henry Raymond Fitzwalter Keating, was born in St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex and typed out his first story at the age of eight. He was educated at Merchant Taylor's School in London and later Trinity College, Dublin. In 1956 he moved to London to work as a journalist on the Daily Telegraph newspaper. He was the crime books reviewer for The Times newspaper for fifteen years. Chairman of the Crime Writers' Association (CWA) (1970-71), Chairman of the Society of Authors (1983-84) and President of the Detection Club (1985-2000). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He received the George N. Dove Award in 1995. He has won the CWA Gold Dagger Award twice, and in 1996 was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for outstanding service to crime fiction. He lives in London with his wife.

The Perfect Murder (1964)
It is just Inspector Ghote’s luck to be landed with the case of the Perfect Murder at the start of his career with the Bombay Police. For this most baffling of crimes there is the cunning and important tycoon Lala Varde to contend with. And if this were not enough, Ghote finds himself having to investigate the mysterious theft of one rupee from the desk of yet another Very Important Person, the Minister of Police Affairs and the Arts.
The Perfect Murder won both an Edgar Special Award from the Mystery Writers of America and the Golden Dagger from the English C WA.

Inspector Ghote's Good Crusade (1966)

This was no ordinary murder, for the victim was Frank Masters, millionaire and philanthropist. The case was bound to attract much public attention. But Inspector Ghote finds that his demands for evidence are met with nothing but lies and evasions.

 
Inspector Ghote Caught in Meshes (1967)

Caught in the meshes of intrigue, Ghote finds himself pulled between two conflicting secret services - the mysterious Special Investigations Agency and the elusive, fanatical India First Group - even the famous erotic carvings of Indian temple architecture pay an unexpected part. Inexplicable events lead Ghote further into danger as he finds himself trapped in the line of fire when guns start to blaze. .
Inspector Ghote Hunts the Peacock (1968)
The Indian police inspector is to attend an international conference on drug smuggling; and in cold, drizzling London he is faced with his first case outside India. It's a very odd case. The girl, Ranee, niece of relatives of Ghote who live in London, has vanished - kidnapped, murdered, so her relatives allege, by a notorious pop singer. And Ghote is hounded by the relatives in trying to find Ranee - known for her brilliance as The Peacock.
Inspector Ghote Plays a Joker (1969)
Inspector Ghote embarks on one of his strangest cases when he is ordered to prevent a murder - the killing of a precious flamingo in the Bombay zoo.
Dogged as ever by misfortunes and saddled with a sergeant of hilarious incompetence, he finds things going disastrously wrong. Little by little he realises that a monstrous practical joker is at work perpetrating a series of hoaxes on a choice selection of respectable Bombay citizens.
Inspector Ghote Breaks an Egg (1970)
Inspector Ghote of the Bombay Police finds himself investigating a murder in a small, provincial town. Ghote's mandate is to investigate a death from fifteen years earlier, but he has not simply to find a murderer. He is told to pin the crime squarely on the town boss, a figure of almost despotic power. Nor is this all. The local holy man has embarked on a fast-to-death against any investigations. So as this Swami sinks nearer to his end, Ghote, in the face of obstruction of every kind, attempts swiftly to find his answer.
Inspector Ghote Goes By Train (1971)
Ghote is sent to Calcutta to escort a master criminal back to Bombay. He takes the train, hoping to make the journey into a mini-vacation. Fate conspires, however, and an odd assortment of travelers turns the trip into something unexpected. Sam Dastor is masterful. As the anxious Ghote, he diligently uncovers the truth. Dastor's believable accents, from Bengali to Madrasi to American, act as instant photographs of each mysterious character.

Inspector Ghote Trusts the Heart (1972)


Ganesh Ghote, an inspector with the Bombay Police Department, investigates the kidnapping of a poor child who was mistaken for the son of a wealthy tycoon.

Bats Fly Up for Inspector Ghote (1974)
Inspector Ghote has been transferred to the BATS - the Black-money and Allied Transactions Squad. The BATS officers should be working to arrest pickpockets and sneak thieves, but Ghote's tough mission is to root out corruption in his new fellow officers, as it seems that someone has been leaking information so that police operations fail. On this patch of coastal India, in a world of underground finance, stolen money can lead to a whole host of black market transactions, including gold-smuggling operations.
Filmi, Filmi, Inspector Ghote (1976)
In Bollywood, the film capital of India, the grisly murder of Dhartiraj, India's most famous screen villain, has plunged the Hindi tinsel town into chaos. But with the help of an ever resourceful gossip columnist, Ghote has soon assembled a list of some very likely suspects: a fading star who stood to inherit many of Dhartiraj's roles; India's number-one superstar, who was Dhartiraj's rival at the box office (and in bed); and last but hardly least, the actor's trusted stand-in.
Inspector Ghote Draws a Line (1979)
Sent to a remote part of India on the pretense of helping Judge Asif with his memoirs, the Inspector's actual mission is to find out who would benefit from sending these unsavory warnings. But when the shrewd Judge discovers the real reason for the Inspector's presence, he refuses to co-operate until it become evident that the threats are coming from someone in the household.
The Murder of the Maharajah (1980)
1930, under the British Raj. To Bhopore and its opulent Summer Palace comes a handful of Western visitors to meet the outrageous Maharajah and his entourage. There they met the Maharajah's heir, the sensual Porgy, and his English chorus-girl mistress. They meet the enigmatic chief minister--and the aloof British Resident, with his dignified little nine-year-old son. And before long they also meet sudden death.
Go West Inspector Ghote (1981)

Ghote is faced with a puzzle to rival the legendary rope tricks of his native bazaars: how a man could be killed and the murder weapon be made to vanish in a windowless room whose only exit was watched...by the good Inspector himself!
The Sheriff of Bombay (1984)

When Inspector Ghote is asked to escort an ageing British film hero round Bombay's notorious red-light district, at first he is just embarrassed. But then he is confronted with a tricky problem - murder. And the suspect is none other than the highly respectable Sheriff of Bombay, ex-Rajah and former captain of the Indian cricket team.

Under a Monsoon Cloud (1986)

All had been going well at the sleepy hill station of Vigatpore, Ghote's temporary command, but the events of one terrible night - a night he can't forget - now threaten to ruin his life. It was quite without warning that his long-time hero, "Tiger" Kelkar, had descended on the station to make a formal inspection. Suddenly, to his horror, Ghote found himself unwittingly caught up in trying to cover up an accident.
The Body in the Billiard Room (1987)
A former ambassador, Surinder Mehta, calls upon Ghote to probe the death of Pichu, billiards marker at the genteel Ooty Club, gathering place for well-to-do Indians and English. Pichu had been found sprawled in the middle of the billiard table, stabbed in the heart; the murder weapon is missing, as are many of the club's silver trophies. Aspiring ``Great Detective'' Ghote puzzles over this troublesome case with Mehta, an aging crime novel buff
Dead On Time (1988)
Ramrao Pendke, heir to a massive country fortune, is in Bombay recovering from a kidney transplant operation. Out taking exercise, Pendke visits the Ticktock watchworks and is bludgeoned to death. The head of the Bombay police backs the prompt arrest made by a pet officer of his, Assistant Inspector Lobo, who has forced a confession out of Rustom Fardoomji, owner of the watch store. Ghote has doubts about the confession.

The Iciest Sin (1990)
The iciest sin is blackmail, and that chilling crime is at the heart of this unusual mystery, featuring Bombay police detective, Inspector Ghote. As he investigates, Ghote himself becomes both a blackmailer and blackmail victim. Narrator Sam Dastor does an excellent job of bringing to life a colorful cast of characters, including the wickedly intriguing blackmailer, Dolly Daruwala. The Indian accents Dastor adopts sound very believable to western ears.

Inspector Ghote, His Life and Crimes (1989)


For 25 years, Inspector Ghote of the Bombay police has been waging war against wrong-doers across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent. This is a collection of his most testing and ingenious cases


Cheating Death (1992)
Under orders from New Delhi, Inspector Ghote is sent to look into the theft and sale of exam papers from one of the most deplorable outlying colleges of Bombay University. At first glance all seems straightforward. The chief suspect, Bala Chambhar, has attempted suicide and Principal Bembalkar has admitted leaving his office safe unlocked. But life is never easy for Ghote and he soon finds himself head-over-heels in the often farcical world of Indian college life.
Doing Wrong (1993)

News of veteran freedom fighter Mrs Shoba Popatkar's murder sends sharp alarm signals to the highest echelons of the Bombay police. The brutal slaying of such a highly respected citizen is a national scandal. Justice has to be done. The officer in charge makes a quick arrest, but Inspector Ghote, with a watching brief is convinced that a vital piece of evidence has been overlooked...
Asking Questions (1996)
At the Mira Behn Institute for Medical Research someone is smuggling out a dangerous drug, made from the venom of highly poisonous snakes. Inspector Ghote's suspect is the snake-handler Chandra Chagoo. But Chagoo is now lying dead on the floor of the Reptile Room, a Russell's viper slithering across his back. At first it seems a tragic accident. But then Ghote starts asking questions.
Bribery, Corruption Also (1999)
Inspector Ghote is not a happy man. His wife has just inherited a big house in Calcutta and she is determined that they both move from his beloved Bombay to live a life of luxurious retirement in Calcutta.
However, when the couple arrive to view the property they find it in a state of terrible disrepair and their lawyer advises them to sell immediately. But Ghote detects a whiff of corruption and is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Breaking and Entering (2000)
Officially excluded from the most baffling murder case to occur in Bombay for many years, Inspector Ghote has only one option - to track down the killer unofficially instead. All Bombay is buzzing with news of the murder of Anil Ajmani. It is certainly a baffling case, for the millionaire was found stabbed to death in his tightly secure mansion. Every inspector in the Crime Branch hopes to nail the killer. Including Inspector Ghote.

Inspector Ghote's First Case (2008)

Newly-promoted Inspector Ghote is thrilled to be granted casual leave until he takes up his post, as it allows him to spend time with his heavily pregnant wife, who is desperate to watch a showing of "Hamlet" at the cinema. Their plans are ruined, however, since Sir Rustom Engineer requires Ghote to investigate the suicide of his friend's wife.
A Small Case for Inspector Ghote? (2009)

In his newest case Inspector Ghote finds himself working outside of the police force, as he becomes involved in tracking the brutal killer of a lowly peon, one of the underclass in Bombay society. Because of his low status, Bikram's death would be ignored but as his severed head landed on Ghote's desk, he feels it's up to him to find out what happened.

The Inspector Ghote Mysteries: an Omnibus (1996)
Comprising three novels;
The Perfect Murder
Inspector Ghote's Good Crusade
Inspector Ghote Caught in Meshes
- this volume features the adventures of Bombay detective, Inspector Ganesh Ghote.