H. R. F. Keating (1926–2011)
Author of The Perfect Murder
About the Author
H. R. F. Keating (Henry Reymond Fitzwalter "Harry" Keating) was born in St. Leonards-on-Sea on October 31, 1926. He attended Merchant Taylor's School in London, England and Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. He worked for The Times (London) as the crime books reviewer from 1967 to 1983. His first show more novel, Death and the Visiting Firemen, was published in 1959. He wrote about 50 fiction and nonfiction works during his lifetime, but is best known for the Inspector Ghote series. His other works include the Harriet Martens Mysteries series and Sherlock Holmes: The Man and His World. Keating received the CWA Gold Dagger Award in 1964 for The Perfect Murder and in 1980 for The Murder of the Maharajah, the Edgar Alan Poe award in 1988, the George N. Dove Award in 1995, and the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for outstanding service to crime fiction in 1996. He died of cardiac failure on March 27, 2011 at the age of 84. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Disambiguation Notice:
Evelyn Hervey is a pseudonym of H. R. F. Keating
Image credit: http://hrfkeating.com/
Series
Works by H. R. F. Keating
The Perfect Murder / Inspector Ghote's Good Crusade / Inspector Ghote Caught in Meshes (1996) 16 copies
Inspector Ghote and the Miracle Baby 3 copies
Majumdar Uncle 2 copies
Brave New Murder 2 copies
The Old Shell Collector 1 copy
The Legs That Walked 1 copy
The Justice Boy 1 copy
Go West Inspector Ghote 1 copy
Associated Works
Great Stories of Crime and Detection, Volumes I-IV: Beginnings to the Present (2002) — Introduction; Contributor — 79 copies
Malice Domestic 8: An Anthology of Original Traditional Mystery Stories (1999) — Contributor — 49 copies
A Taste of Murder: Diabolically Delicious Recipes from Contemporary Mystery Writers (1999) — Contributor — 45 copies
Ellery Queen's headliners; 20 stories from Ellery Queen's mystery magazine. (1971) — Contributor — 15 copies
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Keating, H. R. F.
- Legal name
- Keating, Henry Reymond Fitzwalter
- Birthdate
- 1926-10-31
- Date of death
- 2011-03-27
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- UK
- Birthplace
- St. Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, United Kingdom
- Place of death
- London, England, UK
- Places of residence
- Dublin, Ireland
London, England, UK - Education
- Trinity College, Dublin
- Occupations
- critic
journalist
crime fiction writer - Organizations
- Detection Club
- Awards and honors
- Cartier Diamond Dagger (1996)
Malice Domestic Award for Lifetime Achievement (2005) - Disambiguation notice
- Evelyn Hervey is a pseudonym of H. R. F. Keating
Members
Reviews
Inspector Ghote plays a joker by H. R. F. Keating
fun, though the ending felt a bit abrupt.This is the first I have tried in the series and I will try more
I’ve been reading Agatha Christie books for as long as, well, as long as I can remember reading. So quite possibly from the time when this book was first published back in 1977. It’s a collection of essays about the Queen of Crime’s life and works. When I started reading, I didn’t quite realise how long ago it was originally published. Oddly, the commentary/opinions didn’t feel especially dated, other than references to (then) contemporary events.
I enjoyed the mix of personal insights, commercial “analysis” and commentary on her wide range of works: fiction, plays, memoir... And of course, now I’m in a mood to revisit some of her mysteries again.… (more)
I enjoyed the mix of personal insights, commercial “analysis” and commentary on her wide range of works: fiction, plays, memoir... And of course, now I’m in a mood to revisit some of her mysteries again.… (more)
I wanted very much to like this book. First, it is a mystery, which is one of my favorite genres. Second, it is set in India, with all Indian characters, and anyone who knows me even a little knows how much I love India. In spite of all this, I couldn't finish the book. It was just too painful to go through a plot where the caste structure, social customs, and religion don't allow for the questioning of authority, or for defense of one's dignity when it's insulted by someone of a higher position/caste. It's also a really boring read, knowing that the characters will never "step out of bounds". You just want to grab all the characters and clunk their heads together while yelling, "Oh my god please become interesting!"
This was my first Inspector Ghote book, and my problems with it are probably universal to the other books with this character. If you have liked other Inspector Ghote books, you'll probably like this one.
… (more)
This was my first Inspector Ghote book, and my problems with it are probably universal to the other books with this character. If you have liked other Inspector Ghote books, you'll probably like this one.
… (more)
A Peculiar Case
Review of the Penguin Classics Kindle eBook edition (2011) of the original Collins Crime Club hardcover (1964)
Somehow I missed reading HRF Keating's Inspector Ghote novels (1964-2009) when they were first released, but came across them only recently. This first book left a very odd impression and is surprising as a debut for a series that went on to 26 books. The lead Inspector Ghote is portrayed here as a rather naive detective who is belittled by his superiors in the Bombay (then the name of present day Mumbai) Police and its related government ministry and also henpecked at home by his shrewish wife. Together with his sidekick/Watson Axel Svensson (a Swedish criminologist sent to India to study international policing) they stumble towards an eventual solution.
The book feels like a bait and switch right off the bat as the so-called "Perfect Murder" is revealed to be a non-fatal assault on a Mr. Perfect, the secretary of a rich man named Mr. Arun Varde. The initial outrage announcing a "murder" from the household has been broadcast further by the scurrilous press and is the basis for a running joke throughout. The farce continues when Ghote and Svensson arrive to investigate and are met with denials and obstruction by everyone in the household, except for the secretary who is still unconscious and unable to be interviewed. It is all dragged out to book length with one fruitless interview after another with a diversion to another case involving the supposed theft of a single rupee note from the office of the Minister in charge of the Police.
See DVD cover at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/The_Perfect_Murder_%28film%29.jpg
The cover for the DVD release of the 1988 film adaptation of "A Perfect Murder". Actor Naseeruddin Shah as Inspector Ghote doesn't even get on the poster, which instead features Stellan Skarsgård (criminologist Axel Svensson) and Madhur Jaffrey (Mrs. Lai, renamed from the Mrs. Varde in the novel). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
Ghote and Svensson still solve both cases in the end and the reason for the obstruction becomes clear. It is an odd beginning to what apparently was a popular series. I think I will try at least one more to find out if the later books became more standard procedurals. Otherwise this would be cringe reading to have a protagonist who is belittled throughout his own books.
Trivia and Links
The Perfect Murder was adapted as the same-titled England/India film in 1988 directed by Zahar Hai, produced by Merchant Ivory Productions. I haven't watched the whole film, but from the opening scenes it seems to have been adapted as a comedy farce along the lines of the Inspector Clouseau films. You can watch the whole film on YouTube here.
There was a May 2020 announcement that the Inspector Ghote/HRF Keating novels were to be adapted for an Indian TV series. No TV series has yet appeared though. You can read the announcement in Variety here.… (more)
Review of the Penguin Classics Kindle eBook edition (2011) of the original Collins Crime Club hardcover (1964)
It was called the Perfect Murder right from the start. First the Bombay papers plastered it all the way across their pages. And then it was taken up by papers all over India.
The Perfect Murder: Police at House.
The Perfect Murder: New Police Moves.
The Perfect Murder: Police Baffled.
- opening sentences of "A Perfect Murder".
Somehow I missed reading HRF Keating's Inspector Ghote novels (1964-2009) when they were first released, but came across them only recently. This first book left a very odd impression and is surprising as a debut for a series that went on to 26 books. The lead Inspector Ghote is portrayed here as a rather naive detective who is belittled by his superiors in the Bombay (then the name of present day Mumbai) Police and its related government ministry and also henpecked at home by his shrewish wife. Together with his sidekick/Watson Axel Svensson (a Swedish criminologist sent to India to study international policing) they stumble towards an eventual solution.
The book feels like a bait and switch right off the bat as the so-called "Perfect Murder" is revealed to be a non-fatal assault on a Mr. Perfect, the secretary of a rich man named Mr. Arun Varde. The initial outrage announcing a "murder" from the household has been broadcast further by the scurrilous press and is the basis for a running joke throughout. The farce continues when Ghote and Svensson arrive to investigate and are met with denials and obstruction by everyone in the household, except for the secretary who is still unconscious and unable to be interviewed. It is all dragged out to book length with one fruitless interview after another with a diversion to another case involving the supposed theft of a single rupee note from the office of the Minister in charge of the Police.
See DVD cover at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9b/The_Perfect_Murder_%28film%29.jpg
The cover for the DVD release of the 1988 film adaptation of "A Perfect Murder". Actor Naseeruddin Shah as Inspector Ghote doesn't even get on the poster, which instead features Stellan Skarsgård (criminologist Axel Svensson) and Madhur Jaffrey (Mrs. Lai, renamed from the Mrs. Varde in the novel). Image sourced from Wikipedia.
Ghote and Svensson still solve both cases in the end and the reason for the obstruction becomes clear. It is an odd beginning to what apparently was a popular series. I think I will try at least one more to find out if the later books became more standard procedurals. Otherwise this would be cringe reading to have a protagonist who is belittled throughout his own books.
Trivia and Links
The Perfect Murder was adapted as the same-titled England/India film in 1988 directed by Zahar Hai, produced by Merchant Ivory Productions. I haven't watched the whole film, but from the opening scenes it seems to have been adapted as a comedy farce along the lines of the Inspector Clouseau films. You can watch the whole film on YouTube here.
There was a May 2020 announcement that the Inspector Ghote/HRF Keating novels were to be adapted for an Indian TV series. No TV series has yet appeared though. You can read the announcement in Variety here.… (more)
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