Death by His Grace
-
-
3.5 • 2 Ratings
-
-
- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Vastly engaging . . . Apart from the thrill of the detecting, Death By His Grace offers an education in Ghana’s history, social life, eating habits and other customs."—The Toronto Star
Atmospherically set in Accra, Ghana, Chief Inspector Darko Dawson investigates the brutal murder of a high-society bride. In order to expose the truth, Darko must confront the pivotal role religion plays in Ghana—and wrestle with his old demons the investigation stirs up in the fifth entry to the African series.
Katherine Yeboah’s marriage to Solomon Vanderpuye is all the talk of Accra high society. But when it becomes apparent that Katherine is infertile, Solomon’s extended family accuses her of being a witch, hounding her until the relationship is so soured Solomon feels compelled to order Katherine out of the house they shared. Alone on her last night there, Katherine is brutally murdered by an intruder.
Chief Inspector Darko Dawson of the Ghanaian federal police has personal as well as professional reasons to find the killer fast: Katherine was the first cousin of his wife, Christine, who is devastated by the tragedy. As Darko investigates, he discovers that many people close to Katherine had powerful motives to kill her, including: Solomon, her husband; James Bentsi-Enchill, her lawyer and ex-lover; and her filthy rich pastor, Bishop Clem Howard-Mills. In order to expose the truth, Darko must confront the pivotal role religion plays in Ghana—and wrestle with his old demons the investigation stirs up.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Murder strikes close to home in Quartey's disappointing fifth mystery featuring Ghanaian Chief Insp. Darko Dawson (after 2016's Gold of Our Fathers). When Darko arrives at the scene of a double homicide, he's shaken to discover that one of the victims is Katherine Vanderpuye, his wife Christine's beloved cousin. Katherine was butchered with a machete, her head practically severed; her watchman, Gabriel, was also almost decapitated. Katherine was experiencing difficulty in her marriage. Her inability to conceive alienated her attorney husband, Solomon, and turned his family against her. Solomon's relatives accused her of being a witch, and Solomon claimed that she was deliberately remaining barren and was trying to poison him. Despite Darko's familial connection with the crime, he's kept on the case. He diligently considers suspects besides Solomon, including the flamboyant Bishop Clem Howard-Mills, who had been counseling the unhappy couple. The solution to the whodunit is not as clever as in Quartey's previous, more memorable books.
