From Publishers Weekly
This quiet, thoughtful novel by Gold Dagger winner Keating (Go West, Inspector Ghote) is crime fiction as philosophical disquisition-on right and wrong, ends and means, sin and redemption. From Bombay, the exquisitely courteous, ever persistent police detective, Inspector Ghote, travels to the holy city of Banaras to find the murderer of the much loved Mrs. Popatkar, "veteran freedom fighter, former Minister, upholder of a hundred good causes." In Banaras, H.K. Verma, respected political leader, frees himself from the sin of that murder (and its consequences) by bathing in the Ganges. The story continues with alternating points of view-Ghote gradually uncovering pieces of the puzzle and Verma longing to confess while simultaneously hatching schemes to foil the investigation. In spite of a leisurely pace befitting a country where foot-sore pilgrims, sacred cattle and auto rickshaws clog the roads, this is an absorbing tale and an illuminating tour of Banaras, its religious sites and ceremonies (and its brothels), with a distinctly Hindu denouement.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
One doesn't enjoy an Inspector Ghote mystery solely because of the delightfully odd variety of English as spoken by Indians. One probably doesn't read a Ghote story only because of the exotic settings. And the honest, dogged, and infinitely likable Bombay police inspector may not, by himself, be the main attraction. But all these factors combined make the series irresistible, and this latest installment is no exception. Mrs. Shoba Popatkar has been strangled after returning from a visit to Banares. The only clue is that someone speaking with a Banares accent asked directions to the victim's house the day of the murder. With only that slim lead, Ghote travels to Banares, where he is irritated by the talkative police liaison who seems determined to teach the inspector everything there is to know about the holy city. Finally, the frustrated Ghote is approached by a ragged American drug dealer with some information--but the price is more than the inspector is willing to pay. Vintage Ghote, not to be missed.
Stuart Miller
