A Small Case for Inspector Ghote?

Inspector Ghote #26

by H.R.F. Keating, Sam Dastor

In his proud new position in the prestigious Bombay Police Crime Branch, Inspector Ganesh Ghote sees his career finally take off with the prospect of only the most high-profile murders to investigate. Unfortunately the Assistant Commissioner of Police has other ideas and chooses to keep Ghote busy with interminable paperwork.

Waiting to be given his first case, Ghote doesn't expect to find it planted in his waste bin...

H.R.F. Keating is best known as the creator of Inspector Ghote of the Bombay Police. He has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger, and in 1996 was awarded the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger. He lives in London with his wife, the actress Sheila Mitchell, who has read many of his books featuring Harriet Martens as audiobooks. They include A Detective at Death's Door and The Dreaming Detective.

Sam Dastor's theatrical experiences include a season at the National Theatre under Olivier in Volpone and in Zeffirelli's Much Ado about Nothing. His West End credits include Melon, Hidden Laughter and Cell Mates, and he has also made over 1,000 plays and readings for radio. Among his many television appearances are I, Claudius, Fortunes of War and Spooks, while his films include The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.

Genres: Mystery, Crime, India, Audiobook

MP3 Book

First published August 1, 2009

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

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
I wish to thank NetGalley and Severn House for the advanced digital copy of this book. It was first published in several formats in 2009, but I believe this reissue is the first as an ebook. I enjoy books that give a vivid impression of another country and culture, and this book set in Bombay (Mumbai) creates a picture of the chaos, the squalor, the divisions between extreme poverty and wealth, and social divisions due to caste.

Inspector Ghosted is proud of his new position in the esteemed Bombay Crime Branch and feels that his career will be on an upswing. Unfortunately, his Superior Officer, Divekar, keeps him busy with paperwork. Ghote waits hopefully but has become frustrated awaiting his first assignment to a major murder case. One day, while sitting idly at his desk, he discovers a severed head stuffed in an old shopping bag in his trash bin. This explains why his helper, Bikram, is absent from work, as the head belonged to him and he has been cruelly murdered. Bikram was a lazy drunk who belonged to the Untouchable (Dalit) Caste. Ghote believes that he was a human being and that he deserves justice. The perpetrator of this ghastly crime must be caught

When Ghote presents the case to his boss, Divekar, he is told that Bikar’s murder is not to be investigated because of his low social class. He tells Ghote that the Crime Branch only works on cases involving important prominent citizens. He orders Ghote to dispose of the head and get back to his paperwork. Ghote is determined to investigate on his own, even if it costs him his career and reputation. His wife is supportive. Looking for the killer is not much of an obstacle, as the department is barely aware of his presence.

Inspector Ghote is a police officer of great intuition and deductive reasoning. We get a lot of his internal dialogue as he figures out his next moves and how best to approach witnesses and suspects. Some readers might prefer less emphasis on his thinking process and more action, but it is by this very reasoning that he manages to solve some very complicated crimes. His solo investigation brings him to different sections of Bombay, from mansions to filthy novels.

During the time he is searching for Bikar’s killer, he is finally assigned his first murder case. Another police force was working on it with little progress. The new case brings him to the luxurious home of a rich widow who is the daughter of a wealthy, prominent businessman. Her husband, a professor, was murdered while she and their servants were away from their residence. Ghote believes he sees an unlikely connection between the killings of the professor and that of Bikram which he is still attempting to solve independently.

It turns out both murders are related to a corrupt businessman and politician, a killer for hire, and even corruption within the Bombay Crime Branch. Ghote needs to use all his intelligence to solve a very complex case.
I thought the characters were well developed, some with humour or pathos, and I enjoyed the mystery. There were several Indian words that I wish had been translated.

[eyes.2c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghote wins through!

Promoted to the Bombay Police Crime Branch, Inspector Ganesh Ghote finds himself relegated to Bandobast duty, overseeing organizational tasks. He's wondering why he's been promoted to if this is all he does? But when his duty servant's head appears wrapped up in his trash bin things take a definite u turn.
Although his superior, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr Ramprasad Divekar, has told him to not bother about it, to dispose of the head. There are more important matters, including the death of an important man's son-in-law. Ghote's ethics won't let the matter rest. After all, no matter their caste, Ganesh strongly feels that a victim is deserving of justice.
The path to the truth about the appearance of a head in his bin is arduous (sometimes painfully slow) yet Ghote moves forward spurred on by his wife Protima, and the god's own luck. I love that Ganesh gets caught up in the intricacies buying a shopping bag. Who knew the important factors that one must consider.
There is a edge of the times here with Ghote's voice having a sing song cadence that borders on the politically incorrect but given that this book was first published over twenty years ago we can perhaps forgive that.
Nethertheless, Ghote pursues his case with diligence and inspiration. I have come to appreciate this methodical man of law enforcement.

A Severn House ARC via NetGalley

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

A Small Case for Inspector Ghote? is the 26th (and final) book in the classic Inspector Ghote series by H.R.F. Keating. Originally published in 2009, this reformat and re-release by Severn House is 288 pages and will be available in ebook format (other editions available in most formats).

I've enjoyed Keating's books for decades and it's really nice to see these classic stories being re-released for a new audience. This is a very gentle book with a slow pace and meandering but intelligent main character. I have read other reviewers saying that Inspector Ghote's investigations will appeal to fans of Alexander McCall Smith and lovers of the old Columbo TV series and I can definitely see the similarities, but I think, respectfully, that H.R.F. Keating brings a unique pacing and sensibility to the cozy mystery. The inspector is very much inside his own head for much of the narrative and his internal monologues are whimsical and occasionally enlightening.

The setting (Bombay) provides atmosphere and exotic interest. This book explores the schisms between the classes/castes in India and is quite melancholy in places showing, as it does, the difference in importance and value placed on the lives of the poor vs. the wealthy. This would be a perfect read for a gentle train ride or cabin weekend.

Four stars. I am so pleased to see Severn House taking these up and re-releasing them.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Keith Currie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A head in a dust bin

Imagine the dismay of Inspector Ghote, lately promoted to the Bombay Crime Branch, when his cabin is filled with a rotten stench and his factotum Bikram fails to keep it clean. Consider his consternation when he finds the severed head of said Bikram in his trash can. But when his superior treats the news with complete equanimity and tells Ghote to simply get rid of the head, the indefatigable inspector finds that he must discover the killer, even if no-one else cares about the dead slum dweller.

This is a light, whimsical read, witty and humane. Inspector Ghote is not the most perceptive of investigators, but he is determined and persistent and his intentions are without fault. His researches take him from slum to corrupt business and political coverup and in the end his sense of the importance of justice wins through.

[Santosh Mani · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the first Inspector Ghote book I have read. Apparently his mysteries have been in print since 1964!

The unusual thing that I found in this book compared to other mystery books I have read was the way the story was described entirely from the perspective of the inspector. All his thoughts and his struggles were described in detail and were quite fascinating to share. No longer do we have a smart investigator who 'reveals all'. Instead, we have a down-to-earth policeman who does most of the basic leg work himself and works things out step by step allowing us to partake in the process.

Another interesting aspect of this book is the glimpse we get into the workings of the police in India. The fear that the police inspire in the common man and the fear that seems to even be the undercurrent of dealing between policemen and their superiors.

The ending of the book was a bit weak I felt and was a let down hence the two stars.

[Les Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In spite of other reviews, I enjoy all the Inspector Ganesh Ghote books. Most of which I have read more than once and will more than likely read them again.

[Diane Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Ghote has been promoted to the prestigious Bombay Crime Branch that investigates serious crimes involving India’s VIPs. However, the Inspector appears to be in disfavor already with the Branch’s Head, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Divekar, in A Small Case for Inspector Ghote?

And what is that “small case”? Ghote has found a bloody and dismembered head in his office trash can. The victim is Bikram, his frequently drunk and always incompetent peon. Even though Mr. Divekar tells him to just dispose of the head since it was only a peon of low caste, Ghote decides to investigate. Bikram was a citizen of the new Republic of India after all.

A Small Case for Inspector Ghote? was the twenty-sixth and final book in the Inspector Ghote series. Published in 2009, it has a slightly more modern feel than earlier series’ entries. In this one, Ghote, at least, feels that his peon deserves to have his murder investigated despite his low caste. Many of the other characters continue the racist stereotypes of previous Ghote tales. But the pacing is still languid. Plus the mystery was a bit too easy to solve. 3 stars.

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
Inspector Ghote has been promoted to the prestigious Bombay Crime Branch that investigates serious crimes involving India’s VIPs. However, the Inspector appears to be in disfavor already with the Branch’s Head, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. Divekar, in A Small Case for Inspector Ghote?

And what is that “small case”? Ghote has found a bloody and dismembered head in his office trash can. The victim is Bikram, his frequently drunk and always incompetent peon. Even though Mr. Divekar tells him to just dispose of the head since it was only a peon of low caste, Ghote decides to investigate. Bikram was a citizen of the new Republic of India after all.

A Small Case for Inspector Ghote? was the twenty-sixth and final book in the Inspector Ghote series. Published in 2009, it has a slightly more modern feel than earlier series’ entries. In this one, Ghote, at least, feels that his peon deserves to have his murder investigated despite his low caste. Many of the other characters continue the racist stereotypes of previous Ghote tales. But the pacing is still languid. Plus the mystery was a bit too easy to solve. 3 stars.

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Rog Harrison · Rating 1 out of 5]

I first came across this series back in 1978 (although the first book was published in 1964) but by 2001 I found the series had become formulaic though I did read another in 2013. However seeing this book in my local library I thought I would give it a go making it the twenty second Inspector Ghote book which I have read.

To be honest I struggled to get into this book and even considered giving up though I did persevere. I am not sure if this is actually worse than the earlier books or if it is simply that I am harder to please these days.

Ghote finds a severed head in his rubbish bin in his office but when he reports it to the Assistant Commissioner of Police he is simply told to dispose of it! However Ghote decides to pursue his own private investigation. Later when Ghote is given an official murder case the Assistant Commissioner of Police shuts it down when Ghote suspects an important man is involved. The story is full of Ghote's indecisiveness and the language grates after a while so I was glad when I reached the end.

This is the final Inspector Ghote book as the author died after its publication.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the slowest, simplest and stylistically strangest whodunnit I have ever read. The whole book, though narrated in the third person, is the thoughts (and occasional actions) of Inspector Ghote, largely rendered in something that I presume is meant to be Indian English. (The author wrote two dozen crime novels set in India, several of which I hazily remember reading twenty-odd years ago, but I don’t remember this quirk! Perhaps I was a bit insensitive as a young person, or perhaps HRFK fell into this rather corny approach only in his later novels. Something to check the next time the mobile library rolls into the village, and by re-visiting The Murder of the Maharajah on my shelf…)

The mystery is slender, the repetitions irritating, the characters paper thin (except for Ghote himself, who we do get to know, inside out, perhaps more than we really need to, and can’t help respecting as a dogged, upright and courageous figure, albeit uninspiring!), the setting fairly interesting… I’m not selling it very well, am I!? Even the denouement left too many loose ends loose. And yet I still found it oddly endearing.

[Kumari de Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think these books are supposed to fall into the category of "cozy mystery" but oh my, our opening chapter includes a severed head which made me want to vomit. Nonetheless Inspector Ghote is not as freaked out as I am over this discovery. And we're on our way to another whimsical adventure. I like the descriptions of Bombay and the Indian police force. They are a little bit meant to be funny and exaggerated, and a little bit meant to give the reader insight into this other culture. I thought the author did a convincing job. But if you never read Inspector Ghote, try the Perfect Murder first, a severed head is TOO much.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Inspector Ghote mystery. I became interested because Vaseem Khan wrote an introduction for this prequel to the famous series. Numbered 26 it actually takes place prior to The Perfect Murder which appeared in 1964. Counted among the top detectives in fiction, Ghote explores his new responsibilities in the Crime Branch in the Bombay Police Department. His peon is murdered and no one seems to care so he undertakes an investigation himself. We follow the investigation from the perspective of Ghote's thinking. Well written and engaging.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did enjoy the story, but I'm not sure I enjoyed the writing. I felt like I was in the head of my mother-in-law that's deaf and talks to herself. Every single aspect was worked out into his thoughts. An interesting writing style, but not one I'm fond of. I have read another Keating book and it was much better. I may try another in the Ghote series to see if it's the character, writing, or story I really didn't like and could I enjoy a different one.

[Melisende · Rating 3 out of 5]

The re-issuing of Keating's Inspector Ghote series finds the reader being drawn into Ghote's world of 1960s and 1970s India. For those with a penchant for classic crime set outside of the UK or USA, these are well worth re-discovering. I managed to pick up two books in the series, though it was a pity I could not find more, especially the earlier ones.

See also "Melisende's Library"

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inspector Ghote is new to the Bombay Police Crime Branch. When he discovers a head in his waste bin, that of the peon Bikram he decides to investigate. Meanwhile ACP Divekar gives him the murder of Krishna Tabholkar to solve.
I just didn't like the writing style of this book resulting in a lot of effort to finish the story.
A NetGalley Book

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book i read in this series and it won't be the last as I enjoyed the characters and the plot.
It's an engrossing and enjoyable read that kept me hooked till the end.
I liked the mystery part as much as I liked the well thought characters and the vivid background.
Recommended.
Many thanks to Severn House and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

[Stephen Arnott · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Inspector Ghote as a character, but most of this book comprises his internal monologues about what he should do next, or not, or might do, later, perhaps, at some point, possibly tomorrow, all being well. It's a lot of verbiage that does little to disguise the fact that not an awful lot happens in the story. Certainly not much detective work goes on, but thankfully this is not necessary as the Inspector can always rely on blind luck to help him through - most of his leads are picked up through improbable coincidences. There's also a bizarre episode where he misses out on a good chance to catch a murderer just because his wife wants him to go somewhere else. The ending is a disappointment, it's as if the author reached the required word count then wrapped things up as quickly as possible.

[JackieB · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a humourous cozy crime. It had a very sistictive voice whoch half amused meand half irritated me. I think it was partly becuase it switched from thrid person voice to first person voice in a way I'd not come across. However, I was fascinated by it and I'll efinitaley read more of this series at leastuntil I decide what to make of it.

[Benjamin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. A lot of misogyny for a book written in 2009.

[latner3 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crime solving by Ghote? Didn't really do much for me,more sheer luck rather than Sherlock but the Bombay setting did make it quite a good read.

[Петр · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simply wonderful.

[Jenny Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

The crime and the solution are good as are the sights and sounds of India. Being inside Ghote’s head is not so good – his thoughts are way too detailed and very repetitive.