Breaking and Entering

Inspector Ghote #24

by H.R.F. Keating

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 heavily guarded and tightly secured mansion. Every inspector in the Crime Branch hopes to be the one to nail the killer and that includes Inspector Ganesh Ghote. Unfortunately, he is not assigned to the case.

Instead, he has been given the less glorious task of tracking down a cat burglar, nicknamed Yeshwant, who has been scaling apartment buildings in the dead of night to steal valuable pieces of jewelry. Aided-or perhaps hampered-by his old friend Axel Svensson, seeking Indian warmth from his troubles in winter-cold Sweden, Ghote fights to uncover Yeshwant's true identity.

And in so doing, unexpectedly finds that he may be the one to solve the murder of Anil Ajmani after all.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Crime

Audio Cassette

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Henry Reymond Fitzwalter Keating was an English writer of crime fiction most notable for his series of novels featuring Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID.

H. R. F. KEATING was well versed in the worlds of crime, fiction and nonfiction. He was the crime books reviewer for The Times for fifteen years, as well as serving as the chairman of the Crime Writers Association and the Society of Authors. He won the CWA Gold Dagger Award twice, and in 1996 was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for outstanding service to crime fiction.

Series:
. Inspector Ghote
. Harriet Martens

Series contributed to:
. Malice Domestic
. Perfectly Criminal

Reviews

[John Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second audio book acquisition and was one for my return journey.


I remember the Inspector Ghote books that I read many years ago now. He was the first of several rather portly Indian police inspectors that I have come across in literature. To hear this one read by the author with his native dialect and liberal sprinkling of indian words was a delight.


Similar to.the Sherlock Holmes on my outward drive, this was almost two cases in one. The first was a series of very particular and peculiar jewellery thefts. He considered himself relegated to this task while all other detectives in the Crime branch were assigned to a headline murder of Anil  Ajmani a multi millionaire in his heavily fortified home.


To add to his problems Ghote he is joined by his old swedish friend Axel Svensson who ,in escaping the winter at home for the Indian warmth ,seems prone to fall for all the street cons in Mumbai.


A most enjoyable few hours and perhaps a nudge to revisit some of Ghote's earlier books.

3rd September 2025

[Murat R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a great book. Keating books do not have a standard, they can be very good and they can be average. This one, unfortunately, belongs to the second category. I say unfortunately because this is the last book of Inspector Ghote series and I think he deserved a better. It was very becoming that Axel Svensson was there to say goodbye to his Bombay or rather now Mumbai friend. I really liked the yeshwant idea but characters are not true to life. I do not want to spoil the book which is still worth reading (or listening to as it was read HRF Keating himself) but it is an average reading. Do not have very high expectations.

[Rogue Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Ghote bears quite a bit and doesn't break or bruise, maintaining his sense of decorum and position and his generous spirit. I like him as a character and glad that there's so many in Keating's series. The brilliance is Keating's sense of place - the dialect, smells, class distinctions, extremes of poverty and wealth.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

A somewhat intering story but I found the characters to be unappealing. Although the book deals with the investigation of multiple robberies and a murder, the book, in my opinion lacks any sence of suspence or tension.

[Loretta · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, according to the synopsis for it, was the last book of the Inspector Ghote series. I gave it only 3 stars because you can tell H.R.F. Keating obviously had run out of steam for this series. Even the end sounded like he had had the story shelved somewhere and finally re-discovered it and decided he needed to finish it. It ends with a very BLAH ending.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very good book.
Never saw it coming..
Wow.

enjoy