Asking Questions — H.R.F. Keating

The legendary Bombay inspector returns in his most perplexing and surprising case yet, sparked by an unexpected early-morning visit to Ghote's home by the Commissioner of Police. The commissioner, on behalf of India's reigning film star, would like Ghote to make discreet inquiries into a nearby institute for medical research. It appears that someone there is smuggling out a dangerous drug made from the venom of highly poisonous snakes. Ghote's interview with a talented young female scientist points him toward one obvious suspect - the snake handler. But when that man is found dead in the locked Reptile Room, a deadly viper slithering across his back, Ghote must battle the intricacies and foibles of international science to find a killer. His list of suspects includes an overanxious researcher, his overzealous disciples, and a national celebrity with a desperate interest in the scientists' secret project. Once Inspector Ghote starts asking questions, he finds it difficult to stop, and with every question, he grows closer to a fiendishly dangerous answer.