Alexander McCall Smith fans interested in a different take on modern-day Botswana will find it in the intriguing third mystery from the team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, who write under the Stanley pseudonym (after 2009's The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu). Khumanego, a Bushman, asks his police detective friend, David "Kubu" Bengu, to intervene to prevent an injustice. Three fellow Bushmen have been charged with the bludgeoning murder of game ranger Tawana Monzo, despite the absence of solid evidence against them. Much to Kubu's satisfaction, his discovery of traces of an unknown other at the crime scene leads to the release of the accused Bushmen from custody. But the gourmand sleuth, who's adjusting to new fatherhood, soon feels less satisfied after another man is beaten to death in a similar manner. The cultural conflict between the Bushmen and their fellow countrymen lends color. (Sept.)
DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book I’ve read in a very long time. A fantastic read. Brilliant!” — Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author of Bury Your Dead
“DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book yet in one of the best series going: a serious novel with a mystery at its core that takes us places we’ve never been, thrills and informs us, and leaves us changed by the experience. I loved this book.” — Timothy Hallinan, author of The Queen of Patpong and A Nail Through the Heart
“Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back! In DEATH OF THE MANTIS, a killer stalks the Kalahari Desert—and it’s a page-turner from start to finish. Michael Stanley’s enthralling series with its very likable Botswana policeman is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today’s Africa. Kubu—DEATH OF THE MANTIS—Michael Stanley: the perfect mystery trifecta for any crime fan.” — A.J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Know-It-All
“Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back! A page-turner from start to finish. Michael Stanley’s enthralling series is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today’s Africa. Kubu—DEATH OF THE MANTIS—Michael Stanley: the perfect mystery trifecta for any crime fan.” — Charles Todd, New York times bestselling author of A Matter of Justice
“Impossible to put down, this immensely readable third entry. . . delivers the goods. Kubu’s painstaking detecting skills make him a sort of Hercule Poirot of the desert. . . . This series can be recommended to a wide gamut of readers.” — Library Journal (starred review)
“Stanley creates a seamless and complex mystery, replete with the unique atmosphere of modern Botswana. The mystery plot is neatly combined with scenes of Kubu’s home life and family.” — Booklist
“Kubu’s third recorded case is again alive with local color and detail and, refreshingly, offers his fullest mystery plot yet.” — Kirkus Reviews
Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back! A page-turner from start to finish. Michael Stanley’s enthralling series is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today’s Africa. Kubu—DEATH OF THE MANTIS—Michael Stanley: the perfect mystery trifecta for any crime fan.
DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book yet in one of the best series going: a serious novel with a mystery at its core that takes us places we’ve never been, thrills and informs us, and leaves us changed by the experience. I loved this book.
DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book I’ve read in a very long time. A fantastic read. Brilliant!
When his childhood friend Khumanego, a member of the nomadic first peoples of Botswana, begs for his help, Detective David "Kubu" Bengu (The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu) responds eagerly. A local park ranger has been killed in the Kalahari, and three nomads are being held for the murder. Kubu convinces the local authorities to free the trio, but he wonders what he's missing when a second murder—this one involving a Namibian PI—is discovered in the same region. As the secret lives of the victims are revealed, the variety of possible motives expands at a dizzying pace. Kubu is forced to reevaluate the evidence and make hard choices. VERDICT Impossible to put down, this immensely readable third entry from the duo of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip (who write under their combined first names) delivers the goods. Kubu's painstaking detecting skills make him a sort of Hercule Poirot of the desert. Grimmer than Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe mysteries but not oppressively violent, this series can be recommended to a wide gamut of readers.
A dedicated Botswana detective finds himself in the middle of simmering tensions between police and nomadic Bushmen.
A prologue set in the 1950s reveals a cave atop several desert hills as The Place, where one can meet "the spirits." In the present, rangers Ndoli and Vusi find their colleague Monzo dead in the desert at the bottom of a dry riverbed, a place well out of his bailiwick. The body is surrounded by Bushmen who vault to the top of the suspect list and are arrested. (A few weeks earlier, two University of Botswana students were found dead at a campground, and local gossip blames witchcraft.) Detective Sergeant Phinda Lerako, known to local natives as "Detective Stone Wall," won't listen to educated Bushman Khumanego's warnings against a rush to judgment. So Khumanego appeals to his old friend David "Kubu" Bengu, Lerako's subordinate in the department. The big boss, Mabaku, allows Kubu to investigate as long as he doesn't "stir things up." Unfortunately, evidence leads in a different direction, and the more Kubu follows the real trail, the harder Lerako comes down on him. Monzo's secret mistress provides some key clues, but before Kubu can put all the pieces together, a second, very similar murder raises the stakes and puts the pressure on the usually ebullient detective.
Kubu's third recorded case(The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu, 2009, etc.) is again alive with localcolor and detail and, refreshingly, offers his fullest mystery plot yet, along with a glossary, maps and a helpful list of characters.
