Synopsis
Investigating an apparent open-and-shut case on Kanpur campus at Bombay University, where students were able to purchase exam scores and degrees, Inspector Ghote encounters a bigger web of deceit than he anticipated
Reviews
The 19th Inspector Ghote novel finds the lovable Indian detective embroiled in an academic cheating scandal, under pressure from his superiors and vexed by pressing domestic business. When a final exam paper is circulated throughout Bombay's Oceanic College prior to the test, Ghote is sent to investigate, only to find his prime suspect in a coma, having tried to commit suicide (Or was it a murder attempt?). Suddenly the inspector finds himself dealing with a surplus of suspects, a student protest, a harassed professor and a kidnapping, all the while attempting to placate his impatient boss and successfully handle his strong-willed wife, Protima. The warmly sparring relationship between Ghote and Protima sets the tone for this novel, which ambles along to a pleasant conclusion. Ghote remains a valuable comic invention--funny but not bumbling, with just the right level of confidence in his limited abilities.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
In the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation's concise, polished, and utterly unhelpful report on a cheating scandal at Bombay's Oceanic College, Inspector Ghote is sent to ascertain how Bala Chambhar, the student now near death after an overdose of sleeping pills, could have purloined an exam paper from Principal Bembalkar's locked office. It doesn't take long for Ghote to figure out that this locked room was rather porous after all, but by that time he's realized that Chambhar, though he was selling copies of the exam all over Bombay, can't have been the person who took it in the first place; the thief (and poisoner) must have been somebody who wanted to discredit the Principalji. One of his aspiring successors, perhaps: the potbellied Dean, the unruffled Head of English, the self-styled Professor of Astrology? Or an aggrieved lecturer in English looking for revenge after getting tarred by disaffected students? Or one of the revolting students themselves? Giving his usual sublimely convincing imitation of a ``totally stupid police officer,'' Ghote stumbles through a maze of confrontations with student protesters, amateur kidnappers, and the pettiest of petty bureaucrats before a hint from his wife sets him on the path to Chambhar's would-be killer. Something of a holiday from the intensity of Ghote's last appearance (The Iciest Sin, 1990) and Keating's most recent novel (The Rich Detective, 1993)--a return to the foolishly endearing manner that masked the sly social commentary of Ghote's earliest adventures. -- Copyright ©1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
Keating's Bombay police inspector Ghote, dignified, imperturbable, respected, and feared, faces what appears to be a straightforward, even simple case: determine who's responsible for stealing examination papers at Kampur College. After all, an inspector with Ghote's experience and skills can surely cajole answers from a few unruly students. But when Ghote visits the campus, he finds corruption, scandal, and chaos everywhere--students cheat openly, professors take bribes to look the other way, administrators are oblivious, and the trustees are engaged in an open power struggle. Luckily, Ghote is an astute, persistent chap, and soon the thief is behind bars, the students are behaving respectfully, and the case is solved. Keating is an immensely talented author who has delighted fans for decades with his wonderfully witty Inspector Ghote. His latest, the nineteenth in the series, doesn't disappoint. The plot is engaging, the solution intriguing, the setting exotic, and best of all, Ghote is funnier, wiser, and more appealing than ever. A worthy addition to every mystery collection. Emily Melton
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