Inspector Ghote Draws a Line

Inspector Ghote #11

by H.R.F. Keating

How do you guard a man who passes off anonymous threats on his life as mere foolishness? 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 - perhaps his beautiful, high-strung daughter or his lunatic son; a militant American priest or the editor of a leftist newspaper who has a crush on the Judge's daughter....

Genres: Mystery, Crime

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

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

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read an Inspector Ghote book before, but as a lover of detective stories in general, when I saw this second hand at a book sale I bought it for one euro (I lived in France at the time).
It was certainly worth one euro, but I don't know that I will be reading any more of this series. I enjoyed the final 40 ish pages when it was fast paced and exciting but the previous 150 felt like 1,500. As to the fabled insight into human nature, I must have missed it, as I found it quite repetitive and a little dull
It was ok but it's certainly not a book I will ever re-read. 3 stars.

[Bill Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taught psychological puzzle mystery. A judge under a ticking clock threat of death refuses to help himself or provide any information / clues regarding possible suspects. Why?
Inspector Ghote is an engaging detective with a soul who must labor under the most restrictive conditions to sort out a group of people who are at once very likely suspects, but whose actions provide zero support to their candidacy.
I appreciate Keating's understatement of his character's positive qualities - qualities which of course enable him to solve the mystery and restore equilibrium irrespective of "right" or "justice" to society. Today, for me, this portrayal is a nice counterpoint to today's virtue shrieking society that will beat you over the head with what they "stand for" and regard this as "action". Ghote is conned, ignored and even vilified throughout for trying to save a man's life while no one else seems even vaguely interested. He does not use shaming, guilt-tripping or lecturing to accomplish his goal, but simply sets out to perform every act he can to accomplish his task. In Ghote's world, substance replaces style and posturing as a prime mover.

[Lenora Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something light and, well, fluffy. Inspector Ghote filled the bill. I don't often read British mysteries, but I thought I'd try this one. It takes place in India, and Insp Ghote is sent from Bombay, his home base, to the hinterlands to stop a murder from happening. The about-to-be-victim is not interested in helping, until it becomes painfully obvious the soon-to-be-perpetrator is a member of his household.

This is not what I would call a page burner, but it was fun. Especially to see some of India, and how the cultures mix and mesh.

For my purposes, it was perfect. Gave me a much needed escape from my reality, and I felt better when I finished the story than when I began it.

[Maya Gopalakrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the God forsaken far from civilization manor of Sir Asif, retired judge who passed a controversial judgement before independence, inspector Ghote unravels the plot to murder the judge facing the sweltering heat and a stone wall of Sir Asif. Usual Ghote mystery with lots of atmosphere, simple question and limited suspects.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Post Golden Age mystery with a different flavor than usual (set in a remote village in India) and set of dialogues between detective and prospective victim (which is apparently Keating's MO). This didn't blow my socks off (the whodunnit is a tad weak), but it was a nice change of pace that made me glad I've got a few more Keating books to try.

[Петр · Rating 4 out of 5]

Errr-bock Errr-bock, a brilliant Inspector Ghote novel, much more than a detective story.

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not too much happened in this book, but it was an okay filler read.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspector Ganesh Ghote is sent into the country by the Superintendent of the Bombay Police to protect a retire judge. Thirty years before (just before independence) the Judge has sentenced a group of Indian Revolutionaries to be hanged. It was a very unpopular decision for most people felt that the men would have been released after independence.

Now thirty years later some one is sending letters to the Judge which say he will be killed by an explosion on the thirtieth anniversary of the judges decision. The judge doesn't want Ghote there and gives him no help as to who it might be.

Like a lot of the Ghote books, it's not exactly difficult to figure out who the attempted assassin might be and even though there are lots of suspects, you can figure it out easily. So OK but nothing to write home about. (Though the book was written in 1979 and is very much a book of it's time.)

[Margaret Fast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost gave up hope on this book. Evocative and informative but took forever to move along until the final chapters. Very repetitive. Was thinking of ripping out pages when the err bock fan was mentioned again and again and again. Last few chapters may, in fact, have been written by a different person. They were simply more focussed and the story moved along. Other than Ghote and Asif and Raman, the characters were not overly well- developed.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

C1979: FWFTB: judge, death, threats, household, remote.This is one of those series with a likeable protagonist in a less than usual setting. I suppose it helped his writing a lot to be The Times crime books reviewer for many years. He would have known what worked ie sold and knew enough people to get his writings published – and I am so glad that he did.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another very enjoyable Inspector Ghote book.

[Virna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. but the end is abrupt.

[Chris Nagy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Well written and humorous. Great depictions of life in rural India. The atmosphere and characters are very well conceived.