Dignified, hard-working Inspector Ghote, ‘one of the great creations of detective fiction’ (Alexander McCall Smith), is handed a case that has the potential to destroy his career in this classic mystery – with a brand-new introduction by bestselling author Vaseem Khan.

Ramrao Pendke, heir to a massive country fortune, is in Bombay recovering from a kidney transplant operation when he’s bludgeoned to death at the Tick Tock Watchworks. The murderer, the watch shop’s owner, promptly confesses. So Inspector Ganesh Ghote of the Bombay CID is puzzled to be called in by the head of the whole State police force, to investigate such an open-and-shut case further.

To Ghote’s dismay, he soon discovers he’s been handed a political hot potato. For the alleged murderer has influential relations – who are adamant their dreamy, watch-obsessed cousin could not have committed such a violent crime. And, worse, the dead man had an unpleasant cousin of his own . . . who now stands to inherit a vast fortune, in his place.

Did ‘bad hat’ Ganpatrao Pendke kill his cousin? Ghote must investigate, whilst knowing an unpleasant truth: he’s been chosen for this case specifically because he’s considered expendable, so a single misstep could end his career.