A Carrion Death - (Detective Kubu) by Michael Stanley (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"[An] impressive debut. . . . The intricate plotting, a grisly sense of realism and numerous topical motifs . . . make this a compulsively readable novel." -- Publishers Weekly

A Carrion Death offers a gritty, authentic look at modern-day Africa teeming with poachers, deadly diamond dealers and the aftermath of apartheid.

They found the first body--what the hyena didn't ravage, that is--near a waterhole considered magical by the local people. A string of clues suggests that the victim was murdered and his identity hidden, a mysterious crime tailor-made for Assistant Superintendent David Bengu, nicknamed Kubu (hippopotamus in Setswana) for his ability to trample whatever lies in the path of his objective. Detective Kubu, a clever and resourceful lawman, is determined to rid Botswana of crime and corruption, even if his discoveries following a blood-soaked trail marked by lies and superstition leads him to the most powerful figures in the country: people who would make powerful, dangerous enemies.

A Carrion Death juxtaposes familiar themes of wilderness, superstition, tribal culture and colonialism with the new understandings of Africa's big business and modernity. It is an unforgettable debut.

From the Back Cover

Smashed skull, snapped ribs, and a cloying smell of carrion. Leave the body for the hyenas to devour--no body, no case.

But Kalahari game rangers stumble on the human corpse mid-meal. The murder wasn't perfect after all. Enter Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department, an investigator whose personality and physique match his moniker, the Setswana word for hippopotamus--which is a seemingly docile beast, but one of the deadliest, and most persistent, on the continent.

Beneath a mountain of lies and superstitions, Kubu uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country--cold-bloodedly efficient and frighteningly influential enemies who can make anyone who gets in their way disappear.

Review Quotes

"A first novel saturated with local color. . . . Readers may be lured to Africa by the landscape, but it takes a great character like Kubu to win our loyalty." -- New York Times Book Review

"More smart than bloody. . . . A marvelous debut." -- Boston Globe

"Delightful. . . . Plot twists are fair and well-paced, the Botswana setting has room to breathe and take shape as its own entity, and Stanley's writing style is equal parts sprightly and grave." -- Los Angeles Times Book Review

"[An] impressive debut. . . . The intricate plotting, a grisly sense of realism and numerous topical motifs . . . make this a compulsively readable novel. . . . This fast-paced forensic thriller will resonate . . . with fans of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"[A] fast-moving story . . . Rich with the atmosphere of modern Botswana, and peopled with interesting and well-drawn characters, this is an exciting debut." -- Booklist

"A stately debut whose pseudonymous authors, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, are both experts on the region. Their generously detailed portrait of Botswana and of larger-than-life Inspector Kubu augur well for the proposed series." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Set in Botswana, South Africa's neighbor to the north, the book is drawing rave reviews for its careful depiction of 21st-century Africa and for writing so seamless its hard to believe it was written by two people." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Gritty. . . . An unusual debut. . . . A clever, intricate plot. . . . I highly recommend A CARRION DEATH to you and look forward to more of this intriguing and colorful new series." -- Bookloons.com

"[Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip], writing under the pen name Michael Stanley, spin a fascinating yarn about a string of murders that turn out to be connected to people in high places. The novel also reflects the Africa of the 21st century, with not only its unstable politics but also the conflicts between tradition and modernity." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"A CARRION DEATH is that perfect combination of 'I don't want it to end' and 'I can't put it down.' Great African crime fiction." -- Deon Meyer, author of Dead at Daybreak