From Publishers Weekly
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.

From AudioFile
Sam Dastor is not the only narrator who can perfectly reproduce the voice and personality of Inspector Ghote, Bombay Crime Branch. In this superb narration Garard Green brings to life, not only Ghote, but all the colorful denizens of a seedy Bombay college: protesting students, inept administrators and "ivory-tower wallahs." Ghote is there to investigate the theft of examination papers and an attempted murder. Unlike mysteries with complicated plots which can be difficult to follow, especially while commuting, this simple story with its leisurely narration offers pure, undemanding pleasure. J.C. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine

From Booklist
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

From Kirkus Reviews
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.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In the both casual and cutthroat world of Indian higher education, today's student virtually demands the right to cheat, as a necessary and even commendable ruse. Nevertheless, the theft and sale of crucial exam papers in statistical techniques from the most deplorable of the outlying colleges of Bombay University has given New Delhi more than ample grounds for concern - and the consequent need for the practiced inquisitorial hand of Inspector Ghote. At the outset, the inspector must consider two seemingly imponderable facts. One, the room that stored the tests had been securely locked at all times, with the sole key in the possession of the principal himself. Two, the chief suspect, a student, is in a coma, apparently the result of an aborted suicide attempt. As Ghote follows what leads he can, he finds himself embroiled in the often farcical world of academic politics - and watching revolutionary student protests spark a high-level kidnapping and raise the specter of murder. Yet paradoxically, the ultimate solution to the case may well lie in its mounting mystifications. All Ghote needs are his instincts, luck, the insights of his ever intrusive wife, Protima, to get an A on his report. The trick is to do it before cheaters turn into killers.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

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. (Sept.)

AudioFile - Jo Carr