Comments for H.R.F. Keating

Comment on News & Discussion by H.R.F. Keating

H.R.F. Keating — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:49:54 +0000

It has to be Harry’s wife, Sheila, replying now which is perhaps an excuse for the tardiness of this response. I. too am having difficulty in realising that Harry will no longer physically be there and part of the reason for this is that I have embarked on re-reading all of Harry’s fiction titles. Considering that he was not an author who wrote in the first person it is quite amazing how clearly his voice resonates from the page whether as Ghote, Harriet Martens or indeed Victorian governess Miss Unwin. Whether he would welcome it or not at the end of September he will be subjected to electronics – something he eschewed in is life-time – when eight of his back titles emerge in eBook form. (I believe Penguin will also be doing the four Ghote titles they have just published – and you are right the books do look very good) The new eBook company Bloomsbury Reader are delving back to some of Harry’s Victorian titles – the three Miss Unwins and ‘A Remarkable Case of Burglary as well as his only adventure title ‘The Strong Man’ and two of the stand alone novels with one off detectives that preceded the first Harriet ‘Hard Detective’ Martens – ‘The Soft Detective’ and the ‘Bad Detective’ and finally his straight novel set in the future ‘A Long Walk to Wimbledon’. Perhaps after all – pace Harry’s spirit – I’ll have to buy a Kindle to make my total re-read simpler.

Sheila Mitchell

Comment on News & Discussion by H.R.F. Keating

H.R.F. Keating — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:22:21 +0000

Dear Christine An ‘out-of-the-blue email such as yours is wonderfully heartening. Although it is now nearly 6 months since Harry died I still have difficulty in believing that he is no longer here. Part of the reason for this is that by re-reading his books, which I am currently doing, he remains so vividly alive. When I hear that there are others still getting enjoyment from doing the same thing I am convinced that his writing will be a lasting memorial – something which every author hopes for, Harry included.

You mention the Ghote books in particular and a wish to trace some of the titles you do not possess. If there is anything I can do to help you fill in the gaps then let me know. As you probably know Harry not only wrote about India and what you say about his ‘humour, insight into human nature and his ability with dialogue’, seems to me to be reflected in much of his other work such as the Harriet Martens detective series – all of which I had the pleasure of recording as Audio Books – and in the series he wrote, under the pseudonym Evelyn Hervey,about a Victorian governess. Miss Unwin, who ges involved in crimes. An interesting fact to emerge at Harry’s funeral was the singling out by our friend, the eminent crime writer, PD James, of Harry’s straight novel A Long Walk to Wimbledon, set in some future time when disaster has befallen London. Of coyrse I am prejudiced but it seems to me that his imagination knew no bounds.

Thank you for your cheering words Sheila (Harry’s wife)

Sheila Mitchell

Comment on News & Discussion by Christine Edwards

Christine Edwards — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 08:12:30 +0000

Of the countless crime novels I have enjoyed over several decades, those featuring Inspector Ghote are my favourites by far. I have re-read them all a second, even a third time, and will no doubt read them again. I love them for their gentle humour, insight into human nature and truly delightful dialog. They are the most treasured books in my vast collection. If only I could track down copies of the out-of-print ones I haven’t read! How sad it is to learn that such a wonderful writer – and no doubt a wonderful person – is no longer with us.

Comment on News & Discussion by John Harvey

John Harvey — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:59:42 +0000

Despite knowing that Harry had been ill for some time, it is hard, nonetheless, to take in the fact that someone who seemed so positive and permanent will no longer be a guiding presence on such occasions as meetings of the Detection Club. It is small recompense, therefore – but recompense, indeed – to have four of his marvellous Inspector Ghote novels newly available in such distinctive livery from Penguin – a chance to reimmerse oneself into quiet wit and mystery of a very particular fictional world.

Comment on Contact by Nick Rai

Nick Rai — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 02:20:37 +0000

Dear Sir/Madam

I am writing to say how sorry I am to hear about the passing of Mr Keating, please could you send my condolences to the family.

Nick

Comment on News & Discussion by Dave Eager

Dave Eager — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:19:24 +0000

Your comments Peter…concur with the emotions and questions I pondered throughout the whole of the book. Having read other Ghote stories, I was held enthralled wondering how Inspector Ghote would resolve the conflicts of the ethical and moral issues which “Under a Monsoon Cloud” raised….this was one of the main reasons I read it more quickly than I would with some other authors…I wanted to know the ending:-)

Comment on News & Discussion by Peter Widulski

Peter Widulski — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:58:44 +0000

One of the things I appreciate about the Ghote stories are the questions – often involving ethical issues – Ghote frequently has to deal with. There are references to Hindu teachings, but Ghote feels a responsibility to decide on his own the right thing to do and think. Right at the start of Monsoon Cloud, Ghote makes a decision that the remainder of the novel will cause him – and the reader – to question and rethink. All of us find ourselves in situations like that at some time or another. And often we find ourselves searching for an answer – in religious or other sources – to help us find certainty where certainty seems difficult to find. That’s why I think Monsoon Cloud is such a marvelous book. It shows Ghote shifting between different ways of resolving the problem he is confronted with, trying to find, in his relations to others and his experiences leading up to the hearing, some clue as to what he should do.

Comment on News & Discussion by H.R.F. Keating

H.R.F. Keating — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 19:23:54 +0000

You have interestingly given the answer to a different question when considering Ghote’s reactions and the final solution to ‘Under a Monsoon Cloud’. As you say Indian responses are not necessarily the same as Western ones and although I had possibly not consciously isolated this fact when I was considering Peter Widulski’s comments on the religious content of the book, I am absolutely certain that in 1986 when I wrote this title I was deeply involved with, the phrase you use, ‘the spirit and culture of India’ and so my subconscious ‘Indian’ mind took over.

Interestingly when my wife was helping me proof read for the forthcomimg Penguin reprints she said that when she found instances of possibly ungrammatical phrases in the narration she did not mark them because she realised that these occured because Ghote had taken over from HRF Keating.

Comment on News & Discussion by Dave Eager

Dave Eager — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:24:12 +0000

Enjoyed reading “Under a Monsoon Cloud” by the pool whilst lapping up sunshine in The Seychelles. As a regular visitor to India (Kerala) I appreciate that this title captures the spirit and culture of India. The novel devlopes in a way that had me curious, right until the end, as to how the “Indian culture” would sort things out and at the same time still manage to maintain a credible honesty for Inspector Ghote. I was not disappointed as the ending was true to real life India. A great read

Comment on Contact by H.R.F. Keating

H.R.F. Keating — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:54:27 +0000

Dear Jak Taberner,

You ask about research and imagination before I started to write about Inspector Ghote and the answer is a mixture of both. I researched extensively for about a year from my London home before starting to write, using books, newspapers, television and films about India. It was not until I had already published several of the novels that I had the opportunity of visiting India and seeing it all first hand.

You ask how it all began. First of all I had always wanted to be a writer and I had always read crime novels. My first four books (with English settings) were published in the UK but not in America so in order to increase my sales I decided to find a subject that would be acceptable to the Americans. I settled on India. The first Ghote title The Perfect Murder did well and achieved an American publisher.

I suggest that if you want to know more about my books and myself you explore my Web page which contains a wide variety of articles.

And I am pleased that Inspector Ghote has inspired you with the notion of writing – the best of luck.

Yours Harry Keating