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A review by fictionfan
The Perfect Murder by H.R.F. Keating
2.0
Not quite perfect...
This is a light-hearted crime mystery set in Bombay. The hero, Inspector Ghote, is an attractive character, warm-hearted and honourable, trying to do the right thing by his job and his family in a system filled with corruption and incompetence. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters too often seemed like caricatures, and unlikeable ones at that. Everyone is portrayed as either foolish, incompetent, lying or corrupt – and that’s just the police! And then poor Ghote has to go home to his deeply awful wife. He seems to love her – can’t think why!
The plot was OK but moved along at a snail’s pace and with constant repetitions. I think the lengthy descriptive passages were spoiled for me by the fact that so much is made in the blurb and introduction of the fact that the author had never actually been in Bombay – so how authentic is the picture of the city?
All-in-all, a reasonably enjoyable, undemanding read but I won’t be putting the second volume on my wish list.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com
This is a light-hearted crime mystery set in Bombay. The hero, Inspector Ghote, is an attractive character, warm-hearted and honourable, trying to do the right thing by his job and his family in a system filled with corruption and incompetence. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters too often seemed like caricatures, and unlikeable ones at that. Everyone is portrayed as either foolish, incompetent, lying or corrupt – and that’s just the police! And then poor Ghote has to go home to his deeply awful wife. He seems to love her – can’t think why!
The plot was OK but moved along at a snail’s pace and with constant repetitions. I think the lengthy descriptive passages were spoiled for me by the fact that so much is made in the blurb and introduction of the fact that the author had never actually been in Bombay – so how authentic is the picture of the city?
All-in-all, a reasonably enjoyable, undemanding read but I won’t be putting the second volume on my wish list.
NB This book was provided for review by Amazon Vine UK.
www.fictionfanblog.wordpress.com