A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley

 

First Line: Amos Sebina peered through the dust at the bucket of his backhoe.

 

When a backhoe operator unearths the skeleton of a long-dead Bushman while building a pipeline in Botswana's Okavango Delta, young detective David Bengu (called "Kubu") and Scots pathologist Ian MacGregor are sent to investigate. The first thing MacGregor finds is eight more Bushman skeletons.

 

The investigation becomes more confusing when an elder of the nearby village is murdered. Local police want to label it as a robbery gone wrong, but Kubu disagrees. A local woman, thought to be rather strange because she says she talks to a river spirit, doesn't think it was a robbery either, and then she is found dead... apparently grabbed by a crocodile on the riverbank.

 

When allegations of corruption are leveled and international outrage builds over the massacre of Bushman families, Assistant Superintendent Mabaku joins Kubu and MacGregor. The three men have their work cut out for them in trying to ascertain how these recent murders link to the dead Bushmen, but the more they investigate, they begin to uncover a deadly covenant that may well put their own lives in danger.

 

~

 

I am really enjoying these prequels in the excellent Detective Kubu mystery series. It is a treat to watch Kubu's occasional misstep as he learns the intricacies of his job. Assistant Superintendent Mabaku-- normally seen only at his desk in high dudgeon-- was a marvelous addition to the cast. The writing team of Michael Stanley shows us how Mabaku mentored the young detective, teaching him valuable lessons that would help him become the powerhouse investigator of the later books.

While Kubu investigates in A Deadly Covenant, some of the inner workings of village politics are laid bare, as well as the past and current treatment of Bushmen-- people who seem to be universally reviled while not being well-known at all. (Par for the course, eh?) Kubu learns much about interpersonal relationships and how to navigate them-- Mabaku sees to that-- while he shows what kind of young man he is, worrying about a backhoe driver who will go without pay if he cannot work. Perhaps the most telling of all is Kubu's response to the lackadaisical yet brutal local policeman. When the policeman says, "A promise like that is made so you can get rid of him. It does not obligate you to do anything," Kubu replies, "...when I make a promise, I intend to keep it." He's just the sort of person you want on your side.

As engrossing as the investigation is, the icing on this very delicious "cake" is Kubu's courtship of his future wife, Joy. He misses seeing her and agonizes over each thing he says to her during their brief phone calls. Did he just make a fool of himself? Why was she so abrupt? Will she ever want to see him again? He's such an idiot! The humor and hopefulness of these scenes are in perfect contrast to the often dark underbelly of the investigation itself.

Now I'm all caught up with Detective Kubu and must wait for his next investigation. Will it be another early one? Or will we see him as the established and well-known investigator? Does it really matter? Any book featuring this detective from Botswana will be one to look forward to with a great deal of anticipation... and to savor every word once it is in my hands.

A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley

ISBN: 9780997968989

White Sun Books © 2022

Paperback, 352 pages

 

Police Procedural, #8 Detective Kubu mystery (prequel)

Rating: A

Source: the authors

September 2022 New Mystery Releases!

 

After all the rain falling everywhere else but here at Casa Kittling, Mother Nature finally relented a bit and allowed us to have two lakes and a pond. (Yes, I measure monsoon storms by the amount of water left standing in the front yard.) The senita cactus, the Baja fairy duster, the yellow bells, the bougainvillea, they're all ecstatic. I swear I could look out the window and watch them grow.

 

But no matter how happy the plants and shrubs are at the front of the house, they don't hold a candle to the ones in the back. You see, evidently the rental property on the other side of the alley has been vacant for awhile, and no one's been around to raise the sluice gate to let the irrigation water flood the property for a good soak. Well, that water has to go somewhere once it backs up in the irrigation ditch, and it's been coming right over here. the oleanders, the Tombstone roses, and the Mexican birds of paradise are out of their minds in delight between the rains and the irrigation. I've never seen them so full and tall. 

 

So yes, I have been paying a lot of attention to the outside of the house, but you know that hasn't kept me from keeping my eyes peeled for new mysteries to read. I've grouped my picks for the best new crime fiction in September according to their release dates, and the covers and synopses are courtesy of one of my favorite showrooms, Amazon. Let's see if I've found anything that tickles your fancy!

 

 

=== September 1 ===

 

 

Title: A Deadly Covenant

Author: Michael Stanley

Series: #8 (but a prequel) in the Detective Kubu police procedural series set in Botswana.

395 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "This is the eighth book in the Detective Kubu series and the second with him as a young man.

While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the skeleton of a long-dead Bushman. Kubu and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons.

Then an elder of the nearby village is murdered at his home. The local police believe it was a robbery, but Kubu thinks otherwise. So does a strange woman who claims it was an angry river spirit. The situation gets more confusing when the strange woman is found dead, apparently killed by a crocodile.

Assistant Superintendent Mabaku joins them as accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families. But how do the recent murders link to the dead Bushmen, if at all? As Kubu and his colleagues investigate, they uncover a deadly covenant and begin to fear that their own lives may be in danger.

The young Kubu’s second big case mixes local mythology and tradition with smart police work to make for a satisfyingly immersive mystery that begs resolution until the last, unpredictable moment." 

 

 

=== September 6 ===

 

 

Title: Back to the Garden

Author: Laurie R. King

Standalone mystery set in California the 1970s and the present day.

336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "A magnificent house, vast formal gardens, a golden family that shaped California, and a colorful past filled with now-famous artists: the Gardener Estate was a twentieth-century Eden.

And now, just as the Estate is preparing to move into a new future, restoration work on some of its art digs up a grim relic of the home’s past: a human skull, hidden away for decades.

Inspector Raquel Laing has her work cut out for her. Fifty years ago, the Estate’s young heir, Rob Gardener, turned his palatial home into a counterculture commune of peace, love, and equality. But that was also a time when serial killers preyed on innocents—monsters like The Highwayman, whose case has just surged back into the public eye.

Could the skull belong to one of his victims?

To Raquel—a woman who knows all about colorful pasts—the bones clearly seem linked to The Highwayman. But as she dives into the Estate’s archives to look for signs of his presence, what she unearths begins to take on a dark reality all of its own.

Everything she finds keeps bringing her back to Rob Gardener himself. While he might be a gray-haired recluse now, back then he was a troubled young Vietnam vet whose girlfriend vanished after a midsummer festival at the Estate.

But a lot of people seem to have disappeared from the Gardener Estate that summer when the commune mysteriously fell apart: a young woman, her child, and Rob’s brother, Fort.

The pressure is on, and Raquel needs to solve this case—before The Highwayman slips away, or another Gardener vanishes."

Title: The Rising Tide

Author: Ann Cleeves

Series: #10 in the Vera Stanhope police procedural series set in the North of England.

384 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "For fifty years a group of friends have been meeting regularly for reunions on Holy Island, celebrating the school trip where they met, and the friend that they lost to the rising causeway tide five years later. Now, when one of them is found hanged, Vera is called in. Learning that the dead man had recently been fired after misconduct allegations, Vera knows she must discover what the friends are hiding, and whether the events of many years before could have led to murder then, and now . . .

But with the tide rising, secrets long-hidden are finding their way to the surface, and Vera and the team may find themselves in more danger than they could have believed possible . . ." 

 

 

Title: Deadly Spirits

Author: Mary Miley

Series: #3 in the Mystic's Accomplice historical series set in 1920s Chicago.

224 pages

 

Synopsis: "Summer, 1924. Young widow Maddie Pastore has been working for fraudulent spiritual medium Madame Carlotta for nearly a year - if 'work' you could call it. Investigating Carlotta's clients, and attending seances as her shill, keeps Maddie and her young son Tommy fed and clothed, and she's grown to love the kind, well-meaning spiritualist like family.

Still, Maddie - estranged from her abusive parents for over a decade - can't help but wonder what fates befell her brothers and sisters. So when she lucks into two free tickets to a glamorous Chicago speakeasy and recognizes the star performer as her pretty little sister Sophie, she's beyond delighted.

But before Maddie can meet with Sophie again, the telephone rings. It's Sophie's husband, calling in a panic to tell her that his wife is locked in the Cook County jail, charged with first-degree murder . . .

Enter a dark and deadly world of seances and speakeasies, populated by fake mediums, sultry singers and dangerous mobsters! An ideal pick for readers who enjoy glitzy Jazz Age mysteries with feisty female sleuths." 

Title: Killers of a Certain Age

Author: Deanna Raybourn

Standalone thriller

368 pages

 

Synopsis: "Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills.
 
When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they’ve been marked for death.
 
Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They’re about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman—and a killer—of a certain age." 

 

 

=== September 13 ===

 

 

Title: The Perfect Crime: 22 Crime Stories from Diverse Cultures Around the World

Edited by Vaseem Khan and Maxim Jakubowski

Short Story Anthology

448 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "From Lagos to Mexico City, Australia to the Caribbean, Toronto to Los Angeles, Darjeeling to rural New Zealand, London to New York – twenty-two bestselling crime writers from diverse cultures come together from across the world in a razor sharp and deliciously sinister collection of crime stories.

 

Featuring Oyinkan Braithwaite, Abir Mukherjee, S.A. Cosby, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, J.P. Pomare, Sheena Kamal, Vaseem Khan, Sulari Gentill, Nelson George, Rachel Howzell Hall, John Vercher, Sanjida Kay, Amer Anwar, Henry Chang, Nadine Matheson, Mike Phillips, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Felicia Yap, Thomas King, Imran Mahmood, David Heska Wanbli Weiden and Walter Mosley."

 

 

Title: Murder on the Vine

Author: Camilla Trinchieri

Series: #3 in the Tuscan Mysteries set in Italy and featuring former NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle.

336 pages

 

Synopsis: "On a late October Sunday morning in Gravigna, local maresciallo Perillo is having breakfast with ex-NYPD detective Nico Doyle when he is called back to the station in Greve. Laura Benati, the young manager of Hotel Bella Vista, is worried—her bartender and good friend eighty-year-old Cesare Costanzi has been missing for three days. 
 
The next morning, Jimmy, co-owner of Bar All’Angolo, Gravigna’s local café, where Nico is a frequent patron, runs out of gas on his way back from Florence. When Nico meets him to help, Nico’s dog, OneWag, reacts to the smell coming from Jimmy’s trunk. Inside Nico finds a body wrapped in plastic: Cesare Costanzi, stabbed several times in the chest.
 
Why would anyone kill Cesare, and how did he end up in Jimmy’s car? That’s for Nico to find out, as Perillo once again turns to Nico for help with the investigation." 

Title: Marple: Twelve New Mysteries

Authors: Agatha Christie, Naomi Alderman, Leigh Bardugo, Alyssa Cole, Lucy Foley, Elly Griffiths, Natalie Haynes, Jean Kwok, Val McDermid, Karen M. McManus, Dreda Say Mitchell, Kate Mosse, and Ruth Ware

Short Story Anthology 

384 pages

 

Synopsis: "Jane Marple is an elderly lady from St Mary Mead who possesses an uncanny knack for solving even the most perplexing puzzles. Now, for the first time in 45 years, Agatha Christie’s beloved character returns to the page for a globe-trotting tour of crime and detection.

Join Marple as she travels through her sleepy English village and around the world. In St Mary Mead, a Christmas dinner is interrupted by unexpected guests; the Broadway stage in New York City is set for a dangerous improvisation; bad omens surround an untimely death aboard a cruise ship to Hong Kong; and a bestselling writer on holiday in Italy is caught in a nefarious plot. These and other crimes committed in the name of love, jealousy, blackmail, and revenge are ones that only the indomitable Jane Marple can solve.

Bringing a fresh twist to the hallmarks of a classic Agatha Christie mystery, these twelve esteemed writers have captured the sharp wit, unique voice, and droll ingenuity of the deceptively demure detective. A triumphant celebration of Christie’s legacy and essential reading for crime lovers, Marple is a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains one of the most famous detectives of all time."

 

 

=== September 20 ===

 

 

Title: Mother Daughter Traitor Spy

Author: Susan Elia MacNeal

Standalone historical thriller based on a true story. Set in World War II Los Angeles.

336 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "June 1940. France has fallen to the Nazis, and Britain may be next—but to many Americans, the war is something happening “over there.” Veronica Grace has just graduated from college; she and her mother, Violet, are looking for a fresh start in sunny Los Angeles. After a blunder cost her a prestigious career opportunity in New York, Veronica is relieved to take a typing job in L.A.—only to realize that she’s working for one of the area’s most vicious propagandists.

Overnight, Veronica is exposed to the dark underbelly of her new home, where German Nazis are recruiting Americans for their devastating campaign. After the FBI dismisses the Graces’ concerns, Veronica and Violet decide to call on an old friend, who introduces them to L.A.’s anti-Nazi spymaster.

At once, the women go undercover to gather enough information about the California Reich to take to the authorities. But as the news of Pearl Harbor ripples through the United States, and President Roosevelt declares war, the Grace women realize that the plots they’re investigating are far more sinister than they feared—and even a single misstep could cost them everything.

Inspired by the real mother-daughter spy duo who foiled Nazi plots in Los Angeles during WWII, Mother Daughter Traitor Spy is a powerful portrait of family, duty, and deception that raises timeless questions about America—and what it means to have courage in the face of terror." 

Title: Forsaken Country

Author: Allen Eskens

Series: #6 in the Max Rupert series set in Minnesota.

352 pages

 

Synopsis: "Max Rupert has left his position as a Minneapolis homicide detective to live in solitude. Mourning the tragic death of his wife, he's also racked by guilt—he alone knows what happened to her killer. But then the former local sheriff, Lyle Voight, arrives with a desperate plea: Lyle’s daughter Sandy and his six-year-old grandson Pip have disappeared. Lyle’s certain Sandy's ex-husband Reed is behind it, but the new sheriff is refusing to investigate. 

When Max reluctantly looks into their disappearance, he too becomes convinced something has gone very wrong. But the closer Max and Lyle get to finding proof, the more slippery Reed becomes, until he makes a break for the beautiful but formidable Boundary Waters wilderness with vulnerable Pip in tow.

Racing after the most dangerous kind of criminal—a desperate father—and with the ghosts of their own pasts never far behind, Max and Lyle go on the hunt within a treacherous landscape, determined to bring an evil man to justice, and to bring a terrified child home alive." 

 

 

=== September 27 ===

 

 

Title: Treasure State

Author: C.J. Box

Series: #6 in the Cassie Dewell P.I. series set in Montana.

288 pages

 

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

 

Synopsis: "Private Investigator Cassie Dewell’s business is thriving, and her latest case puts her on the hunt for a slippery con man who’s disappeared somewhere in the “treasure state”. A wealthy Florida widow has accused him of absconding with her fortune, and wants Cassie to find him and get it back. The trail takes Cassie to Anaconda, Montana, a quirky former copper mining town that’s the perfect place to reinvent yourself. As the case develops, Cassie begins to wonder if her client is telling her everything.

On top of that, Cassie is also working what's easily one of her strangest assignments ever. A poem that promises buried treasure to one lucky adventurer has led to a cutthroat competition and five deaths among treasure-hunters. But Cassie’s client doesn’t want the treasure. Instead, he claims to be the one who hid the gold and wrote the poem. And he’s hired Cassie to try to find him. Between the two cases, Cassie has her hands full.

In Montana, a killer view can mean more than just the scenery, and Cassie knows much darker things hide behind the picturesque landscape of Big Sky Country. Treasure State, C. J. Box's highly anticipated follow-up to The Bitterroots, is full of more twists and turns than the switchbacks through the Anaconda Range."

 

 

Title: Shrines of Gaiety

Author: Kate Atkinson

Standalone thriller set in 1920s England.

416 pages

 

Synopsis: "1926, and in a country still recovering from the Great War, London has become the focus for a delirious new nightlife. In the clubs of Soho, peers of the realm rub shoulders with starlets, foreign dignitaries with gangsters, and girls sell dances for a shilling a time.  
 
The notorious queen of this glittering world is Nellie Coker, ruthless but also ambitious to advance her six children, including the enigmatic eldest, Niven, whose character has been forged in the crucible of the Somme. But success breeds enemies, and Nellie’s empire faces threats from without and within. For beneath the dazzle of Soho’s gaiety, there is a dark underbelly, a world in which it is all too easy to become lost.
 
With her unique Dickensian flair, Kate Atkinson gives us a window in a vanished world. Slyly funny, brilliantly observant, and ingeniously plotted, Shrines of Gaiety showcases the myriad talents that have made Atkinson one of the most lauded writers of our time." 

Holy moley-- what a line-up for September! The only authors I haven't read in these picks of mine are in the two short story anthologies. All the rest-- King, Cleeves, Miley, Raybourn, Trinchieri, MacNeal, Eskens, Box, Atkinson-- I've read and enjoyed, and at least half of them have been on my Best Reads lists over the years. What an embarrassment of riches!

Which books on my list are on your own wish lists already? Did I tempt you to add any new ones? Do tell-- you know how inquiring minds want to know!

I Have Michael Stanley's A Deadly Covenant Covered!

 

I recently told all of you about Michael Stanley's newest Detective Kubu mystery, A Deadly Covenant, which will be officially released on September 1, so I thought it was time for a Cover-Off.

 

Let's jump right in!

 

 

 

 

Once again, we have two very different covers, don't we? Normally when this happens, I tend to strongly prefer one cover over the other, but that isn't what happened this time.

 

Both covers have bold colors. Both covers have well-chosen fonts that stand out well against their backgrounds. Neither cover contains a blurb (!), and both have strong graphics that are fully capable of grabbing the attention of any browsing reader in a bookstore or library.

 

So... which one do I choose?

 

I really like the African graphics. They're eye-catching and strong, and it's easy to see from them that the book is a mystery. But, for me, there are so many emotions that come to the surface when I see those two clasped hands on the US cover. Yes, those two clasped hands make quite a statement on the more understated US cover, so... by a gnat's whisker... I choose the US cover as my favorite.

 

What about you? Which cover do you prefer? US? UK? Neither one? Too close to call? Inquiring minds would love to know! 

On My Radar: Michael Stanley's A Deadly Covenant!

 

If you've been reading Kittling: Books for any length of time, you'll know that I've been a fan of Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu series set in Botswana from the very first book, A Carrion Death. The talented writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip knows the perfect blend of character, setting, and mystery to keep me turning the pages and eagerly waiting for more.  When I learned that there was a new Detective Kubu mystery in the works, you know what happened. (Thankfully, no one was around so my Happy Dance isn't on video.)

 

Let me tell you more about the book!

 

 

Available September 1, 2022!

 

Synopsis: 

 

"Perfect for fans of William Kent Krueger, Kwei Quartey, Tony Hillerman, and Alexander McCall Smith.

 

A Deadly Covenant is a prequel to the series and flashes back to Kubu’s early career with the Botswana CID.
 
It is set in the evocative Okavango Delta in Northern Botswana, with its lush vegetation, sweeping waterways, abundant wildlife, and compelling African cultural heritage. Local mythology and superstition entwine with socio-political and geo-political themes to make for a satisfyingly immersive mystery that begs resolution until the last, unpredictable moment.
 
While digging a trench for a new water project, a backhoe operator unearths the skeleton of a long dead Bushman. Kubu and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to sort out the formalities, but the situation rapidly gets out of hand. MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons—a massacre of Bushmen including women and children. However, the locals deny any knowledge of the event.

When an elder of the village is murdered at his home, the local police believe it was the result of a robbery gone wrong. Kubu thinks otherwise. So does an elderly woman who believes it was the work of Mami Wata, a powerful river spirit. When she dies in an apparent crocodile attack, suspicions rise. Things become still more complicated when a mysterious Bushman appears at the massacre site, collapses, then disappears again, but seems connected to the murders in some way.

Kubu’s boss, Assistant Superintendent Mabaku, joins them as accusations of corruption are levelled at the water project, and international anger over the massacre of the Bushman families builds. But how do the recent murders link to the dead Bushmen? As they investigate, they uncover a deadly covenant made many years before by an unknown group, and they begin to fear that their own lives may be in danger."

 

This is another favorite series of mine that I wish more people would read, and since this is a prequel, those reluctant to begin a series at the end should feel no guilt whatsoever-- especially if they're armchair traveling sleuths who love learning about other countries' cultures while they solve a mystery. 

 

A Deadly Covenant is available soon, and I hope you take this opportunity to sample an excellent series!

I Have Michael Stanley Covered!

 

When I held a Cover-Off for Emma Stonex's The Lamplighters (a book I just finished, by the way), I received an email pointing me in the direction of two more book covers that couldn't be more different if they tried. I already had Val McDermid lined up, so this newest one had to wait until today.

The writing team known as Michael Stanley (Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip) writes a marvelous police procedural series set in Botswana that features Detective Kubu as well as the landscape, people, and culture of the country. (Don't tell anyone, but I much prefer it to another series that has a main character named Precious...)

The covers I want to take a look at today are for the latest book in the series, Facets of Death. Here's the synopsis of the book, since it can sometimes be helpful to have an idea of what the book is about before you take a look at the covers.

David Bengu has always stood out from the crowd. His personality and his physique match his nickname, Kubu―Setswana for "hippopotamus"―a seemingly docile creature, but one of the deadliest in Africa. His keen mind and famous persistence have seen him rise in the Botswana CID. But how did he get his start?

His resentful new colleagues are suspicious of a detective who has entered the CID straight from university, skipping the usual beat cop phase.

Mining diamonds is a lucrative business, but it soon proves itself deadly. Shortly after Kubu joins the CID, the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats of diamonds in transit. The robbery is well-executed and brutal. Police immediately suspect an inside job, but there is no evidence of who it could be.

When the robbers are killed execution-style in South Africa and the diamonds are still missing, the game changes, and suspicion focuses on a witch doctor and his son. Does Kubu have the skill and the integrity to engineer an international trap and catch those responsible, or will the biggest risk of his life end in disaster?

 

Now let's take a look at those covers.

 

 

 

See what I mean about radically different covers?

The UK cover focuses on the witch doctor aspect of the mystery with that bird skull, which is probably some sort of fetish, as well as the chalky white font that's used. Bird skull, title, author. "Detective Kubu's first case may also be his last." That's not bad for a hook to get readers to crack open the book. Two blurbs, top and bottom, by authors better known in the UK than the US (naturally). Even though I don't think they're absolutely necessary, I do think that both blurbs are helpful. Peter James (if you haven't read any of his mysteries, you're missing out) says, "A wonderful, original voice-- McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly." While Ragnar Jónasson (if you don't know how I feel about Jónasson, you're a newcomer to the blog, so welcome!) says, "My favorite writing duo since Ellery Queen."

The stark colors used in the UK cover really make it stand out, too.

Now what about the US cover?

It's a lot brighter and a lot busier, that's for certain. It's identified as a Detective Kubu mystery and has the title and author name-- very unlike the normal US cover that tends to rely heavily on blurbs. As I said, the graphics are busy. One part of the graphic layout looks like some sort of textile, and the border resembles a movie theater marquee's lights running around the edge. The central graphic focuses on the diamond heist, with the getaway van speeding away in a cloud of dust. That sun makes sweat pop out on my forehead, and I can almost see giraffes grazing in those trees. 

Now... which cover do I prefer?

I'm leaning toward the UK cover for its stark black and white color scheme and that bird skull that hints of strange goings-on in a culture very different from mine. Yes, the UK cover "speaks" to me more than the US cover. 

But what about you? Which cover do you prefer? US? UK? Too close to call? Or does neither one float your boat? Inquiring minds would love to know! (And if you haven't read this series, it was the very first one I recommended in my post Celebrating Mysteries with a Strong Sense of Place: Africa and Australasia. It's good!)

Celebrating Mysteries: Africa and Australasia

 

We share a lot of reading DNA, so I know that many of you also love reading mysteries with a strong sense of place. You may enjoy reading such books because you're reminded of a place you visited and loved, or you may enjoy reading them because it's a place you've never been and you want to learn more about it. For whatever reason, books with a strong sense of place can really take us out of our daily grind.

I've decided to write a series of posts that shine a spotlight on mysteries that exhibit such a strong sense of place that you almost feel as though you're there as you turn the pages. This week, I'll be focusing on Africa and Australasia. Clicking on the link in the book title will take you to my review of that book.

Let's get started!

Botswana

If you're interested in excellent mysteries and strong characters-- as well as learning about the landscape, customs, and food of Botswana, you can't beat reading Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu mysteries. 

A Carrion Death, the first Detective Kubu mystery

The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu, the second in the series

Death of the Mantis, the third book

This series currently has seven books.

Ghana

Kwei Quartey is another author I've been following since his first book. I first got hooked on his police procedural series featuring Darko Dawson, and now he's begun a new series with a female private investigator named Emma Djann.

Wife of the Gods, the first Darko Dawson mystery

Children of the Street, the second in the series

The Missing American, the first Emma Djann mystery

The Darko Dawson series has five books.

The Emma Djann series currently has two books.

South Africa

Sally Andrew has a marvelous series featuring Tannie Marie, who lives in the Klein Karoo of South Africa... and she certainly knows how to cook! 

Recipes for Love and Murder is the first book in the series.

The Satanic Mechanic is the second book.

There is a third book in the series, Death on the Limpopo, but it only seems to be available in South Africa, which does not make me happy.

American Samoa

John Enright introduced me to American Samoa, and I was hooked. His Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua is an excellent guide to the area, and I love Enright's poetic descriptions of the landscape.

There are four books in the Jungle Beat series:

Pago Pago Tango

Fire Knife Dancing

The Dead Don't Dance

Blood Jungle Ballet

I wish he had written more!

the Solomon Islands

Graeme Kent's Native police sergeant Ben Kella and American nun Sister Conchita had me living in the Solomon Islands during the 1960s as I read the books.

Devil-Devil is the first book in the series

One Blood is the second book

In researching this post, I was thrilled to discover that there's a third book in the series, Killman, and I immediately bought it.

Australia

When it comes to the crime fiction of Australia, there are several wonderful authors, but Adrian Hyland and Jane Harper are two of my particular favorites. 

 

Adrian Hyland wrote a much too brief  two-book series featuring part-white, part-aborigine Emily Tempest who lives in the Outback. These two books give a very different perspective of the Land Down Under.

Moonlight Downs is the first book (APA Diamond Dove)

Gunshot Road is the second

 

Jane Harper has written a (so far) two-book series featuring Federal police officer Aaron Falk and a couple of standalone thrillers. All of them take you right to the heart of Australia.

The Dry is the first Aaron Falk mystery

The Lost Man is a standalone thriller

I hope I've piqued your interest in these books and authors and that I've added to your Need to Read lists. But this is a two-way street. As far as Africa and Australasia are concerned, which mysteries do you turn to that have not only excellent stories but a strong sense of place as well? Inquiring minds would love to know!

Next up at a future date: Europe!

Facets of Death by Michael Stanley

First Line: The early-morning sun promised a scorcher of a day, and David "Kubu" Bengu's clothes were already damp with sweat-- not unusual for a man of his size in a hot climate.

Fresh from university, David "Kubu" Bengu is a newly minted sergeant in the Botswana police force-- and some of his co-workers resent the fact that he hasn't come up the hard way like they have. Dealing with them will be a test of his people skills, but right now, he has more important fish to fry.

The richest diamond mine in the world has just been robbed of 100,000 carats of diamonds. Police immediately suspect an inside job, but when the robbers are found killed execution-style and the diamonds are still missing, the investigation changes.

Now Kubu not only has to find the diamonds and the mastermind of the robbery, but he's also working on a case of missing luggage at the Gabarone airport. It's not going to be long before everyone knows why he's on the fast track.

Longtime fans of Michael Stanley's wonderful Detective Kubu series should love this prequel. Readers who've never met the wily detective before can easily start with Facets of Death, find themselves hooked, and move on to the rest of the series. 

We meet Kubu on his very first day on the job, and we also get to see him meet the woman who will become his wife. We see how Kubu deals with jealousy in the workforce, and-- heavens above-- does this young man soak up knowledge like the proverbial sponge! He makes mistakes, learns from them, and begins to learn to trust his instincts. Facets of Death is great for learning Kubu's backstory.

But, as in all of Michael Stanley's books, that's not all we learn. There are two excellent mysteries to solve (the diamond robbery and the missing luggage at the airport), and we learn how the police forces in Botswana and South Africa cooperate with each other. If that's not enough, there's information about the diamond business to absorb as well.

Some readers love Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I read three or four of them and found them a bit too precious (pun intended). I was thrilled when I discovered Detective Kubu. Michael Stanley provides the same insights into the people and culture of Botswana, the same knowledge of the country, but with mysteries that have more bite. I'd no more miss a Detective Kubu mystery than I would forget to brush my teeth in the morning. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting David "Kubu" Bengu, get your hands on a copy of Facets of Death. You can thank me later.

Facets of Death by Michael Stanley

eISBN: 9781464211287

Poisoned Pen Press © 2020

eBook, 336 pages

Police Procedural, #7 Detective Kubu mystery (prequel)

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

January 2020 New Mystery Releases!

Since I'm still supposed to be keeping this ornery leg of mine elevated, I really don't have time for a lengthy introduction. I know you'll forgive me because the books are the important things, right?

The following are my picks of the best in new crime fiction being released throughout the month of January. They are grouped by their release dates, and the covers and synopses are courtesy of Amazon.

Let's take a look and see if I managed to include any titles that tickle your fancy, too!

=== January 1 ===

Title: Script for Scandal

Author: Renee Patrick

Series: #3 in the historical mystery series set in Hollywood featuring Lillian Frost and Edith Head.

240 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "1939, Los Angeles. Lillian Frost is shocked when her friend, glamorous costume designer Edith Head, hands her the script to a new film that's about to start shooting. Streetlight Story is based on a true crime: the California Republic bank robbery of 1936. Lillian's beau, LAPD detective Gene Morrow, was one of the officers on the case; his partner, Teddy, was tragically shot dead.

It seems the scriptwriter has put Gene at the center of a scandal, twisting fact with fiction - or has he? With Gene reluctant to talk about the case, the movie quickly becoming the hottest ticket in town, a suspicious death on the Paramount studio lot and the police reopening the investigation into Teddy's death, Lillian is determined to find answers. Can Lillian and Edith uncover the truth of what happened that fateful day and clear Gene's name?"

Title: Lady of Perdition

Author: Barbara Hambly

Series: #17 in the Benjamin January historical mystery series set in 1840s Texas.

256 pages 

Synopsis: "April 1840. Benjamin January knows no black person in their right mind would willingly go to the Republic of Texas but when his former pupil Selina Bellinger is kidnapped and enslaved, he has no choice. Once there he is saved from being hanged by Valentina Taggart, wife of the wealthy landowner of Rancho Perdition. 

After Valentina is accused of the murder of her husband, she, in turn, calls on Benjamin for help. To do so, he must abandon the safe haven of New Orleans, where people know he's a free man, to return to the self-proclaimed "Slaveholders' Republic".

In a land still disputed between vengeful Comanche, disgruntled Mexican Tejanos, Americans who want to join the United States and those who want to keep Texas free, January must uncover what happened to Valentina's husband. Behind lies, betrayals and rising political tensions lies the answer... but finding it could cost Ben his life."

Title: The Hocus Girl

Author: Chris Nickson

Series: #2 in the Simon Westow historical mystery series set in 1820s Leeds, England.

224 pages

Synopsis: "Leeds, May 1822. Thief-taker Simon Westow owes Davey and Emily Ashton everything - the siblings gave him sanctuary when he needed it most. So when Davey is arrested for sedition and Emily begs Simon for help, he starts asking questions, determined to clear his friend. Are the answers linked to rumors of a mysterious government spy in town?

Davey's not the only one who needs Simon's help. Timber merchant George Ericsson has been 'hocussed' by a young woman who spiked his drink and stole his valuable ring and watch. Who is she, and how does she know one of Simon's assistant Jane's deepest secrets? The path to the truth is twisted and dangerous. Simon and Jane encounter murder, lies, betrayal and a government terrified of its own people as they attempt to save Davey and find the hocus girl."

=== January 7 ===

Title: Facets of Death

Author: Michael Stanley

Series: #7 in the Detective Kubu police procedural series set in Botswana.

336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "David Bengu has always stood out from the crowd. His personality and his physique match his nickname, Kubu―Setswana for "hippopotamus"―a seemingly docile creature, but one of the deadliest in Africa. His keen mind and famous persistence have seen him rise in the Botswana CID. But how did he get his start?

His resentful new colleagues are suspicious of a detective who has entered the CID straight from university, skipping the usual beat cop phase. 

Shortly after he joins the CID, the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats of diamonds in transit. The robbery is well-executed and brutal. Police immediately suspect an inside job, but there is no evidence of who it could be. The robbers die in a shoot-out, but the diamonds remain missing. So who masterminded the crime? Rumors of a witch doctor's involvement send the detectives down a dark path. Ultimately, new recruit Kubu finds himself engineering a risky trap. Will his first major case prove his worth―or kill his career?"

Title: There's a Murder Afoot

Author: Vicki Delany

Series: #5 in the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop cozy series set in London.

336 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Gemma Doyle and her friends travel to London for a Sherlock Holmes convention--but will Gemma's father take the fall for a felonious forger's fatality?

The 6th of January is Sherlock Holmes's birthday, and lucky for Gemma Doyle, January is also the slowest time of the year at both the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium, and Mrs. Hudson's Tea Room. It's a good time for Gemma and her friends to travel to England for a Holmes Convention. For Gemma, the trip provides an opportunity to visit her parents, Jayne Wilson is excited about seeing all the sites London has to offer, and Ryan Ashburton just wants to spend some time with Gemma. But the trip is immediately derailed when Gemma's father Henry recognizes his brother-in-law Randolph Denhaugh, who disappeared more than thirty years ago on the night he stole a valuable painting from his own parents.

Henry, a retired detective with Scotland Yard, has been keeping tabs on the man's career as a forger of Old Masters and he warns Randy to stay away from his family. It's up to Gemma, with the help of her friends, to plunge into the "lowest and vilest alleys" of London to save her father from prison." 

=== January 14 ===

Title: The Missing American 

Author: Kwei Quartey

Series: #1 in the Emma Djan private investigator series set in Ghana.

432 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "When her dreams of rising through the Accra police ranks like her late father crash around her, 26-year-old Emma Djan is unsure what will become of her career. Through a sympathetic former colleague, Emma gets an interview with a private detective agency that takes on cases of missing persons, theft, and infidelity. It’s not the future she imagined, but it’s her best option.

Meanwhile, Gordon Tilson, a middle-aged widower in Washington, DC, has found solace in an online community after his wife’s passing. Through the support group, he’s even met a young Ghanaian widow he’s come to care about. When her sister gets into a car accident, he sends her thousands of dollars to cover the hospital bill—to the horror of his only son, Derek. Then Gordon decides to surprise his new love by paying her a visit—and disappears. Fearing for his father’s life, Derek follows him across the world to Ghana, Internet capital of the world, where he and Emma will find themselves deep in a world of sakawa scams, fetish priests, and those willing to kill to protect their secrets."

Title: The Hollows

Author: Jess Montgomery

Series: #2 in the Kinship historical mystery series set in 1920s Ohio.

352 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "Ohio, 1926: For many years, the railroad track in Moonvale Tunnel has been used as a shortcut through the Appalachian hills. When an elderly woman is killed walking along the tracks, the brakeman tells tales of seeing a ghostly female figure dressed all in white.

Newly elected Sheriff Lily Ross is called on to the case to dispel the myths. With the help of her friends Marvena Whitcomb and Hildy Cooper, Lily follows the woman’s trail to The Hollows―a notorious asylum―and they begin to expose dark secrets long-hidden by time and the mountains."

=== January 21 ===

Title: The Words I Never Wrote

Author: Jane Thynne

Standalone suspense novel set in the present day and 1930s Europe.

400 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "New York, present day: On a whim, Juno Lambert buys a 1931 Underwood typewriter that once belonged to celebrated journalist Cordelia Capel. Within its case she discovers an unfinished novel, igniting a transatlantic journey to fill the gaps in the story of Cordelia and her sister and the secret that lies between them.

Europe, 1936: Cordelia’s socialite sister Irene marries a German industrialist who whisks her away to Berlin. Cordelia, feistier and more intellectual than Irene, gets a job at a newspaper in Paris, pursuing the journalism career she cherishes. As politics begin to boil in Europe, the sisters exchange letters and Cordelia discovers that Irene’s husband is a Nazi sympathizer. With increasing desperation, Cordelia writes to her beloved sister, but as life in Nazi Germany darkens, Irene no longer dares to admit what her existence is truly like. Knowing that their letters cannot tell the whole story, Cordelia decides to fill in the blanks by sitting down with her Underwood and writing the truth.

When Juno reads the unfinished novel, she resolves to uncover the secret that continued to divide the sisters amid the turmoil of love, espionage, and war. In this vivid portrait of Nazi Berlin, from its high society to its devastating fall, Jane Thynne examines the truths we sometimes dare not tell ourselves." 

Title: The Blaze

Author: Chad Dundas

Thriller set in Montana.

384 pages

Synopsis: "Having lost much of his memory from a traumatic brain injury sustained in Iraq, Army veteran Matthew Rose is called back to Montana after his father's death to settle his affairs, and hopefully to settle the past as well. It's not only a blank to him, but a mystery. Why as a teen did he suddenly become sullen and vacant, abandoning the activities and people that had meant most to him? How did he, the son of hippy activists, wind up enlisting in the first place?

Then on his first night back, Matthew sees a house go up in flames, and it turns out a local college student has died inside. And this event sparks a memory of a different fire, an unsolved crime from long ago, a part of Matthew's past that might lead to all the answers he's been searching for. What he finds will connect the old fire and the new, a series of long-unsolved mysteries, and a ruthless act of murder."

=== January 27 ===

Title: Mortal Music

Author: Ann Parker

Series: #7 in the Silver Rush historical mystery series set in 1880s San Francisco.

448 pages

*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books.

Synopsis: "All Inez Stannert wants for Christmas is for the struggling music store she owns in San Francisco to be a success. When diva Theia Carrington Drake asks Inez to be her accompanist for several high-profile personal appearances, Inez is thrilled. This is the chance she was waiting for―a way to make some extra money and bring her store into the limelight of the city's polite society to enhance her business. 

But things are far from pitch-perfect. An unknown threat is stalking Theia; her pet bird is found slain, and her signature gown is destroyed. Soon, Inez realizes that a murderer is stalking the city's opera halls, and that it's only a matter of time before Theia is his next victim. She'll have to enlist the help of private investigator Wolter Roeland de Bruijn and uncover the killer before Theia's celebrated voice is silenced―permanently." 

=== January 28 ===

Title: The Truants

Author: Kate Weinberg

Standalone suspense set in England.

320 pages

Synopsis: "People disappear when they most want to be seen.

Jess Walker has come to a concrete campus under the flat gray skies of East Anglia for one reason: to be taught by the mesmerizing and rebellious Dr. Lorna Clay, whose seminars soon transform Jess's thinking on life, love, and Agatha Christie. Swept up in Lorna's thrall, Jess falls in with a tightly knit group of rule-breakers--Alec, a courageous South African journalist with a nihilistic streak; Georgie, a seductive, pill-popping aristocrat; and Nick, a handsome geologist with layers of his own.

But the dynamic between the friends begins to darken, until a tragedy shatters their friendships and love affairs, and reveals a terrible secret. Soon Jess must face the question she fears most: what is the true cost of an extraordinary life?"

Title: Hi Five

Author: Joe Ide

Series: #4 in the IQ private investigator series set in Los Angeles.

352 pages

Synopsis: "IQ is back- and working a case that involves juggling many more personalities than he expected. Cristiana is the daughter of the biggest arms dealers on the West Coast, Angus Byrne. She's also the sole witness and number one suspect in the murder of her boyfriend found dead in her Newport Beach boutique.

Isaiah Quintabe is coerced into taking the case to prove her innocence. If he can't, Angus will harm the brilliant PI's new girlfriend, ending her career.

The catch: Christiana has multiple personalities. Five radically different ones. Among them, a naïve, beautiful shopkeeper, an obnoxious drummer in a rock band, and a wanton seductress.

Isaiah's dilemma: no one personality saw the entire incident. To find out what really happened the night of the murder, Isaiah must piece together clues from each of the personalities- before the cops catch up."

What a lineup of excellent reading! Which books made you add them to your own wishlists? Inquiring minds would love to know!