Inspector Ghote is thrilled to be visiting London, although he has qualms about taking the place of his ailing supervisor at an international drug conference. When, on his arrival, he is accosted by some obnoxious relatives of his wife's, who demand that he investigate the disappearance of their ward, he is drawn into a London which is very different from the one he pictured. In his quest to find the Peacock, he meets rock stars, lower-class criminals, drug merchants and haughty and incompetent British police and he is flummoxed at every turn. Ghote, however, is the most methodical of persistent detectives and he finds the surprising solution in a pair of peacocks in the park.

Keating's strength is in characterization. Inspector Ghote is charming and tenacious and his takes on English society are fun. The story seems a little thin, but I enjoyed it. ( )

Keating’s Inspector Ghote is one of the great fictional detectives. The Bombay (Mumbai) setting makes these stories doubly fascinating. ( )