From Publishers WeeklyThis brief, entertaining novel, the 17th featuring Bombay's Inspector Ghote, finds the dauntless detective summoned to the hill station of Ootacamund ("Ooty") in South India, where he must locate a "diabolically ingenious murderer." 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 who doggedly defends his theory that Pichu's slaying occurred because he was blackmailing some frequenter of the club. As Ghote stalks a motley group of suspects, he despairs of solving the homicide until the culprit's identity comes to him in a most unlikely fashion. Admirers of Keating's light, diverting mysteries will not be disappointed. Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

First published in 1975, A Remarkable Case of Burglary tells of Val Leary, who is handsome, charming and broke. On the morning of April Fools' Day 1871, while walking through one of London's wealthiest districts, he notices a young maidservant scrubbing the steps of 53 Northbourne Park Villas. In that instant he conceives the idea for a remarkable case of burglary. The set-up seems perfect, but chance intervenes in a succession of coincidences that place the jewels further and further beyond the reach of Val and his cronies - until... Set in the Upstairs, Downstairs world of Victorian England, this is an ingenious and gripping tale by the acknowledged master of the English crime novel.

Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), is plunged into the dazzling, chaotic world of Bollywood movies when the world's most famous screen villain is murdered in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. India's most famous screen villain, Dhartiraj, lies dead on a Bollywood film set, his neck snapped by a falling stage light. There's no doubt it's murder, and Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID, who's thrilled to be personally assigned such a high-profile case, quickly discovers that there's no shortage of suspects. The fading star who Dhartiraj toppled from his place; the superstar who stole Dhartiraj's wife, and whose mistress Dhartiraj stole in revenge; and Dhartiraj's secret-dealing stand-in - Ghote finds he could easily make a case for each of them wanting the great Dhartiraj off the boards and into permanent retirement. But his...

Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), investigates a highway robbery – and finds himself unexpectedly enmeshed in a world of espionage and intrigue. When an American visitor to India is killed on the lonely, dusty road between Poona and Bombay, it seems like a classic case of highway robbery. But what Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID learns from the victim's brother – the distinguished hydrology professor, Gregory Strongbow – soon makes him suspect that everything is not as it first appeared. Professor Strongbow is convinced that his brother, a prominent member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, was assassinated – and Inspector Ghote is inclined to agree. But convincing his boss, the irritable Deputy Superintendent Samant, is only his first challenge, in a case that quickly enmeshes the good detective in a world of espionage and intrigue. Soon, Ghote finds his own life in...

When the only daughter of a wealthy Indian newspaper magnate drops out of her Californian college and joins an ashram, hard-working Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), is sent to California to persuade her to return to Bombay, in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. Wealthy Indian newspaper magnate Ranjee Shahani has a problem. His daughter Nirmala, who he sent to California to finish her education before her upcoming arranged marriage, has dropped out of college. Not only that, but she has joined an ashram near Los Angeles and emptied her bank account. Unsure how to proceed, Mr Shahani turns to his good friend the Minister for Police for help. Hard-working, self-effacing Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID is dismayed to find that instead of spending his upcoming holiday with his wife, he's being sent to Los Angeles to wrest Ranjee...

In a small, provincial town in the heart of India, a politician's wife has done her husband's career a great service, by dying under suspicious circumstances. That the corpse and the trail have been cold for fifteen years hasn't saved Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID from being sent to investigate. But what chance does he have when his chief suspect is so powerful, when the whole district is against him, and when a holy man is fasting to the death to protest his prying?But still the good inspector dutifully goes, carrying just the honour of his police force and a box of double-sized eggs . . .

Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), investigates the curious case of a stolen exam paper in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. Bombay University is in the grip of a cheating scandal, centred on one of its most deplorable colleges. A final exam paper has been stolen and sold prior to the test, leading to calls for the principal's immediate resignation. The prime suspect for the theft, the student Bala Chambhar, is in a coma, after taking an overdose of sleeping pills. Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay CID is sent in to wrap up what appears to be a straightforward case: how did Bala steal the paper from Principal Bembalkar's locked office? But what he finds soon leads him to ask a different question: did Bala try to take his own life - or was he poisoned? Hindered by student protests, and under pressure from his superiors, Ghote...

Hardcover book**

From Poirot to Miss Marple, from The Mousetrap to Witness for the Prosecution, this a fascinating look at the life and work of Agatha Christie, the world's most successful and popular crime writer.Agatha Christie was not only the most successful author of detective stories the world has ever known, she was also a mystery in herself, giving only the rarest interviews—declining absolutely to become any sort of public figure—and a mystery, too, in the manner in which she achieved her astonishing success. Distinguished crime novelist (and acclaimed critic) H. R. F. Keating brings together a dozen noted writers from both sides of the Atlantic to throw light on the ever-intriguing Dame Agatha. Some essays analyze Christie's art itself; some explain the reasons for her success—not just the books, but also in film and theatre. The myriad of critical angles explored here are penetrating, affectionate, enthusiastic,...

Some crooks have tried to snatch the plump son of a business tycoon, and have accidentally made off with his playmate instead. But they're not changing their plan: a payment is to be delivered to them or a small corpse is to be delivered to Inspector Ghote.But what kind of ransom can a mere tailor's boy demand? And, as something more unpleasant than just a ransom note arrives from the kidnappers, are the police helping keep the boy in one piece?

Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), is sent undercover to find corruption within the very police force where he works, in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. There are bats everywhere. Swooping and darting overhead, portending darkness and its renewed flurry of uncheckable pickpocketing. In the back garden, terrifying Inspector Ghote's wife and child and stripping his prized plantain tree of fruit. But the modest yet determined Bombay detective must contend with more serious bats - the five, possibly corrupt, CID officers who make up the Black-money and Allied Transaction Squad, the anti-fraud team known as the Bats. His assignment has come from the top: join the squad and spy on their every move, to uncover which of the high-flying officers is leaking information to the very criminals they're meant to be arresting. Ghote, who is...

Indian Inspector Ghote, officer of the Bombay Police, is on leave to accompany his wife to Calcutta where she has inherited a house from a relative. Protima, Ghote's wife, has fond childhood memories of the house, and hopes to live there. Upon their arrival, they face a frustrating legal maze in trying to obtain the property. The city seems corrupt on every level. Ghote can trust no one and suspects that control of the house is part of a conspiracy to develop the nearby wetlands. Grave danger threatens Ghote before he can discover the slippery truth.

Bombay's red-light district is the scene of the crime, when gentle Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), is forced to take on his most embarrassing investigation yet in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay CID is in the worst trouble of his career so far. Given a task which at first seems merely embarrassing - that of escorting an aging British film star on a tour of Bombay's notorious red-light district, the 'Cages' - he is, before long, confronted with something infinitely worse: murder. But this isn't the end of his troubles. For the sole suspect is none other than the Sheriff of Bombay: respected holder of the honorary legal office, an ex-Rajah and former captain of India's cricket team. And he is a suspect only because Ghote had a swift glimpse of his face - as he hurriedly left a house of...

A delegation of visiting firemen arrives at Southampton, greeted by a stagecoach which carries a reception committee in early 19th century costume. This Old English greeting has been arranged between their president, Foster P. Schelemberger, and George Hamyadis, the flamboyant travel agent who is handling all the details of their visit to Britain. During an overnight stop in Winchester, Hamyadis reveals his plan for a little surprise to entertain the delegates during the journey to London the next day. But the surprise, when it comes, turns out to be a very grim one indeed - especially for Hamyadis...About the AuthorH. R. F. Keating was born at St Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex, in 1926. He went to Merchant Taylors, leaving early to work in the engineering department of the BBC. After a period of service in the army, which he describes as 'totally undistinguished', he went to Trinity College, Dublin, where he became a scholar in modern languages. He was also the crime books reviewer for The Times for fifteen years. His first novel about Inspector Ghote, The Perfect Murder, won the Gold Dagger of the Crime Writers Association and an Edgar Allen Poe Special Award.

Inspector Ghote, 'one of the great creations of detective fiction' (Alexander McCall Smith), is assigned Bombay's second most important case: catching a mysterious cat burglar, who's stealing priceless jewellery from the city's richest, most influential women, in this classic mystery - with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan. All Bombay is buzzing with news of the murder of influential millionaire Anil Ajmani, who 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 the good-hearted Inspector Ganesh Ghote. Unfortunately for Ghote, he is assigned another, less glorious, task: that of tracking down a cat burglar, known as Yeshwant, who has been scaling apartment buildings in the dead of night to steal valuable pieces of jewellery. Aided - or perhaps hampered - by his old friend and colleague Axel...