The Iciest Sin

Inspector Ghote #18

by H.R.F. Keating

Treachery is in the Bombay air as Inspector Ghote tries to put a blackmailer away and instead ends up witnessing a shattering crime that leaves him town between his duties as a lawman and his own set of values. "What . . . Hillerman does for the Navaho nation . . . Keating does for the Indian subcontinent. . . ".--Publishers Weekly.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1990

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

[Cybercrone · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't really too happy with this book. The main character seemed like a major dweeb, much worse than in previous books, if memory serves.
BUT NOW - the real mystery.
I was recommending this series to another reader, and made mention that the name is pronounced 'Fish'. That came directly from the author in the first edition, first book in the series,back in the '60s. I remember how odd it seemed, but then the Brits are always playing word games. I distinctly remember the explanation (or part of it) - that the 'Gh' was pronounced like the gh in cough. I forget the rest.
But now, both his friendly forward writer and the author himself say the name is pronounced Go-tay, which is what one would think, just looking at it.
So what happened?
Was it changed in following editions because it was too colonialist? Considered racist? Or just that if a reader hadn't read the forward in the first book they would never know? All of the above?
If anybody else knows anything about this, or remembers when he was called Fish, I'd love to hear about it.

[Thomas S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny little book where not all that much happens. I was expecting a nail-biting "whodunnit" set in an exotic locale. Instead, this is more of a case study of Indian culture as narrated by the protagonist, Inspector Ghone, a quirky, introspective and somewhat neurotic Inspector with Bombay PD -- reminded me of a Hindu Woody Allen. The plot is very slow-paced and yet I found myself inexplicably enjoying the book. So much so that I have started another, The Perfect Murder.