From Publishers Weekly
The take-charge Inspector Ghote (Asking Questions, etc.) of the Bombay police is decidedly out of his element on a trip to Calcutta. He is accompanied to that boisterous yet decaying city by his domineering wife, Protima, so that she might inspect her inheritance, presumably an impressive mansion. But as this slow, convoluted, yet wryly comic novel shows, little in Ghote's life is as it appearsAparticularly in a city where incessant rot and unparalleled beauty exist side-by-side. Ghote is suspicious when he discovers that Protima's mansion, now in a state of total disrepair and inhabited by hostile squatters, already has someone eager to buy. The property, he learns, will have the only access to a secretly planned housing development. In seeking who has the most to gain from swindling Protima, Ghote runs into corrupt figures at every level, including the shameless lawyer who mishandled the original will (for a bribe), the crusading newspaper editor who might be a fraud and the sinister police chief who is the ultimate cynic. But why is an innocent law clerk killed? Ghote is determined not to be outwitted, and his obstinate wife ultimately cooperates toward this goal. Rich in history and charm, though not in excitement, this is a modest addition to a beloved, long-running series. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Inspector Ghote, of the Bombay police, accompanies his wife to Calcutta in order to take possession of an inherited house. The hassles they encounter reveal corruption, conspiracy, and more. For series fans. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews
Before she met and married Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay Crime Branch, Protima was a Calcutta Bengali, and now that she's inherited an estate from her ``cousin-uncle'' Amit Chattopadhyay, she has every intention of rounding off her life in the land of her childhood. There are only three problems. One, Inspector Ghote isn't quite ready to retire and become plain Mr. Ghote; he doesn't even like being treated as a civilian by the likes of the decedent's smiling lawyer, A.K. Dutt-Dastar. Two, the estate turns out to be a tumbledown house that's been occupied by squatters for the years Protima's cousin-uncle has been languishing in the hospital. Three, an anonymous purchaser has expressed an interest in buying the house, and he won't take no for an answer. When Protimadetermined to evict the squatters, refurbish the, house, and move insets her face against the mysterious buyer, Inspector Ghote (Asking Questions, 1997, etc.) feels himself trapped uncomfortably between two fearsome opponents, neither of whom he truly wants to win. His attempts to find out the identity and motives of the purchaser, and to take arms against him despite the marsh of local intrigue he's sinking into, form the backbone of this leisurely, shaggy tale, whose final revelation may be too subtle for all but Ghote's most devoted followers. Despite Protima's demurrals, though, it's reassuring to find Calcutta just as corrupt as Ghote's beat back in Bombay. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Inspector Ghote, an officer of the Bombay Police, is not a happy man. His wife has inherited a beautiful house in Calcutta - and she is determined that they both move from his beloved Bombay to live a life of luxurious retirement there.. "When the couple travel to the noisy but vibrant city to view her legacy, they find their property in a terrible state of disrepair, a decaying ruin inhabited by squatters. Their lawyer, A.K. Dutt-Dastar, advises them to sell it immediately - but Ghote detects a whiff of corruption and is determined to get to the bottom of it.. "And before they know it, Ghote and his wife are putting themselves in grave danger.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The take-charge Inspector Ghote (Asking Questions, etc.) of the Bombay police is decidedly out of his element on a trip to Calcutta. He is accompanied to that boisterous yet decaying city by his domineering wife, Protima, so that she might inspect her inheritance, presumably an impressive mansion. But as this slow, convoluted, yet wryly comic novel shows, little in Ghote's life is as it appears--particularly in a city where incessant rot and unparalleled beauty exist side-by-side. Ghote is suspicious when he discovers that Protima's mansion, now in a state of total disrepair and inhabited by hostile squatters, already has someone eager to buy. The property, he learns, will have the only access to a secretly planned housing development. In seeking who has the most to gain from swindling Protima, Ghote runs into corrupt figures at every level, including the shameless lawyer who mishandled the original will (for a bribe), the crusading newspaper editor who might be a fraud and the sinister police chief who is the ultimate cynic. But why is an innocent law clerk killed? Ghote is determined not to be outwitted, and his obstinate wife ultimately cooperates toward this goal. Rich in history and charm, though not in excitement, this is a modest addition to a beloved, long-running series. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Inspector Ghote, of the Bombay police, accompanies his wife to Calcutta in order to take possession of an inherited house. The hassles they encounter reveal corruption, conspiracy, and more. For series fans. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Before she met and married Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay Crime Branch, Protima was a Calcutta Bengali, and now that she's inherited an estate from her "cousin-uncle" Amit Chattopadhyay, she has every intention of rounding off her life in the land of her childhood. There are only three problems. One, Inspector Ghote isn't quite ready to retire and become plain Mr. Ghote; he doesn't even like being treated as a civilian by the likes of the decedent's smiling lawyer, A.K. Dutt-Dastar. Two, the estate turns out to be a tumbledown house that's been occupied by squatters for the years Protima's cousin-uncle has been languishing in the hospital. Three, an anonymous purchaser has expressed an interest in buying the house, and he won't take no for an answer. When Protima—determined to evict the squatters, refurbish the, house, and move in—sets her face against the mysterious buyer, Inspector Ghote (Asking Questions, 1997, etc.) feels himself trapped uncomfortably between two fearsome opponents, neither of whom he truly wants to win. His attempts to find out the identity and motives of the purchaser, and to take arms against him despite the marsh of local intrigue he's sinking into, form the backbone of this leisurely, shaggy tale, whose final revelation may be too subtle for all but Ghote's most devoted followers. Despite Protima's demurrals, though, it's reassuring to find Calcutta just as corrupt as Ghote's beat back in Bombay.