The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu - (Detective Kubu) by Michael Stanley (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

"The African Columbo. . . . Like the first book to feature Kubu, A Carrion Death, this is a smart, satisfyingly complex mystery. [Grade] A." -- Entertainment Weekly

The second book in the Detective Kubu series--penned by a pair of Crime Writers' Association Award-winning South African authors writing under the name Michael Stanley--The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu treats readers to a gripping and atmospheric story of money, murder, and hidden motives at a remote bush camp in northern Botswana.

Goodluck Tinubu, an ex-Zimbabwean who has taught in Botswana for many years, is viciously murdered in his tent at the Jackalberry bush camp on an isolated peninsula in northern Botswana. Peter Sithole, allegedly a tourist from South Africa and another camp guest, is bludgeoned to death a few hours later. Detective David Kubu is sent from Botswana's capital to assist the local Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in solving the crime, and sets a clever trap to identify the real criminals. Set in a country immortalized by Alexander McCall Smith in his The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu again features an unforgettable lead character the New York Times Book Review calls, "Hugely appealing--big and solid and smart enough to grasp all angles of [a] mystery."

From the Back Cover

Normally a peaceful wilderness retreat, the Jackalberry bush camp has suddenly become a ghastly crime scene--and Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is assigned to the case. Zimbabwean teacher Goodluck Tinubu and another tourist have been found bludgeoned to death, while another guest at the camp--rumored to be a dissident wanted in Zimbabwe--has disappeared without a trace.

With the local police unable--or unwilling--to provide much assistance, Detective Kubu must rely on his own instincts. But a startling piece of forensic evidence from Goodluck Tinubu's murder adds a complicated twist to the investigation, and Kubu has to work fast to solve a seemingly impossible riddle before more Jackalberry guests meet their deaths.

Review Quotes

"[Kubu is] the African Columbo. . . . Like the first book to feature Kubu, A Carrion Death, this is a smart, satisfyingly complex mystery. A." -- Entertainment Weekly

"Following his spectacular debut, A Carrion Death, Stanley comes roaring back with an even better tale. Bringing a love of Africa similar to Alexander McCall Smith's popular "No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" series, the author has created an excellent new venue for those who love to read about other cultures while enjoying a good mystery. Highly recommended." -- Library Journal

"Botswana's Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu is back in The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu. That's good news for readers who loved the big policeman's 2008 debut adventure, A Carrion Death." -- St. Paul Pioneer Press

"Michael Stanley has penned another winner. Along with a compelling mystery, THE SECOND DEATH OF GOODLUCK TINUBU delivers a fine portrait of an African nation and people caught up in dramatic change. In David 'Kubu' Bengu, readers will find a unique character wonderfully large in many respects: appetite, size, humor, and heart. If you have yet to discover the charm of Detective Kubu and his extended family, and the lure of Botswana's unique landscape, now is the time and this is the book." -- William Kent Krueger

"Complex. . . . Should satisfy all armchair travelers and most mystery fans." -- Kirkus Reviews

"A first novel saturated with local color. . . . Happily, Kubu is also hugely appealing--big and solid and smart enough to grasp all angles of this mystery. 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

"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

"Kubu is a well-drawn character, clever and impish, but with a core of honesty and a determination that has earned him his nickname. . . . Both authors know the country well." -- BookPage (Mystery of the Month Pick)

"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

"Fans of 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' novels who wish there were just a little more meat to the mysteries, may we introduce Botswanan detective Kubu Bengu? . . . Echoes of Zimbabwe's war for independence, as well as its current tragic status, resonate throughout a complex mystery that should appeal to both history buffs and armchair travelers." -- Christian Science Monitor

"Builds very impressively on [A Carrion Death]. . . . This is a richly complicated world, vividly evoked, but so deftly you scarcely notice as you get to know the detective and follow the police work." -- Ellenville Shawangunk Journal

"The South African writing team of Micheal Sears and Stanley Trollip couldn't bear to leave this evocative setting. Readers will feel the same way." -- Publishers Weekly