I didn't realize at first this was a long running series. Ghote is a retiring sort, but does comes across as a classic detective in these crime stories.

A new entry in one of my favorite mystery series and it does not disappoint. The mystery as always keeps you guessing until the end. I highly recommend the whole series for any mystery lover.

Hi,

My next review is as follows:-

"A Small Case For Inspector Ghote?” written by H.R.F. Keating and published Kindle by Severn House Publishers on 4th February 2020 208 pages ASIN: B0845P7PXY

I hate to give negative reviews but I found this book extremely hard going to read. I have never read any of the Inspector Ghote books before and was very disappointed by this one from this new author to me. The story seems to wholly consist of the character Inspector Ghote thinking and considered in internal monologue fashion all possible ways he might solve the rather improbable situation he is put in.

Fortunately, it was a very short book so I did not waste too much time on it but as I found it so hard to read I kept putting off finishing it and instead read much better plotted books. I was extremely disappointed by this book
(Advance copy from the publisher in exchange for a fair review).

The problem with this book is that the mystery is basically incidental to the writing. Instead it is a book-length stream of consciousness of a newly-minted inspector in Bombay's CID in an independent India. I don't find Ghote interesting as a character and this way of telling a story was tiresome, not charming.

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.

there have been a lot of books in this series. The mystery was easy to solve and the pace of the book was too slow for me.

I found A Small Case for Inspector Ghote by H.R.F. Keating to be a wee bit slow and just not as good as the others in the series.

That being said, it is a book to get lost in if you just want an "old school" mystery to fall into.

Not my typical cozy. Others may enjoy this series but I had a hard time completing the book. It didn't keep my interest..

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.

Ghote has been recently promoted. He's hoping for a murder case so he has something to do besides the clerical work his boss has given him. Every time he gets called to his superior's office he's hopeful. All for naught. Then he notices a smell in his office...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can grab a copy now.

When he locates the smell, it's shocking. It's the head of the peon who is supposed to be helping him in the office. Someone beheaded him. When he shows it to his boss and wants to take on the case, he's told no. Just to dispose of it. He doesn't want to do that. He takes the head home and tries to hide it in his apartment. Then he sneaks out and starts trying to solve the case.His boss gives him a case to work on so he works on both.

He goes to the place his peon called home. He finds no one there but a man runs away. The neighbor lady tells him who he is and that he stole her shopping bag. Ghote knows where the shopping bag is. It's holding that head. He and his wife go shopping and pick her out a nice sturdy new bag.

He finally chases down the man he saw. What he never imagined was who was involved in the mess of a murder that he knew.

The ending surprised me. It was well done.

This is a review for both Inspector Ghote's Good Crusade & A Small Case... since my rating and sentiments are the same for both. The betrayal of another culture was interesting, and the plots reveal themselves gradually. These are evenly, slow plotted stories that are clean and with broad appeal that are well written and a little dated. Solid mysteries that are a good bet for readers seeking a laid back story.

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

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.

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.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Did not realise this was Book 26 in the series so wished I had read the earlier books. Saying that I enjoyed this.

A Meandering With Ghote.....
A gentle meandering with Inspector Ganesh Ghote. When Ghote is ordered to cover up the murder of a subordinate his conscience begins to play him up. No convoluted plot here though, rather much wanderings of Ghote’s internal battles - but, as ever, delightfully written and laced with gentle humour.

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 must be considered.
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

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.

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 into 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.

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.