It is with great sadness that we learned of the death on 27 March 2011 of H.R.F. Keating, at the age of 84. The avuncular Harry Keating won the 1996 CWA CArtier Diamond Dagger, and was the creator of the sequence of adroitly written novels featuring Inspector Ghote of the Bombay CID. Keating also produced several other equally acclaimed crime fiction outings, several non-crime novels, and some excellent studies of the crime genre such as Whodunit?

CWA Chair Tom Harper said “As well as being one of Britain’s foremost crime writers, he was a great supporter of the CWA. His gentle good humour and his wisdom about all things to do with crime writing will be greatly missed by his many friends in the Association. Our thoughts are with his wife, Sheila, and his family.”.

The first Inspector Ghote novel, The Perfect Murder (1964), was a popular winner of the CWA Gold Dagger, as was The Murder of the Maharajah (1980). In 1996 Harry Keating received the Cartier Diamond Dagger for a lifetime’s achievement. He was Chairman of the CWA from 1970-1971 and in 1985 was made President of the Detection Club. As well as being a hugely talented writer, he was one of the great characters of the crime fiction field.

“The recipient of the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award is chosen by the members and committee of the CWA and is very much an honour awarded by the author’s peers and this makes it special.”