Carrion Death, A
Introducing Detective Kubu
-
-
3.8 • 9 Ratings
-
-
- $13.99
Publisher Description
“[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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This impressive debut from Stanley, the South African writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, introduces overweight assistant superintendent David Bengu of the Botswana Police Department, whose nickname is, fittingly, Kubu (Setswanan for hippopotamus). In investigating the case of a partially consumed human body found in a remote area of a game reserve, Kubu keeps running across tangential links to Botswana Cattle and Mining, the country's largest company. As more people connected to the case turn up dead, Kubu realizes that multiple murder may be just the byproduct of a much more heinous crime. The intricate plotting, a grisly sense of realism and numerous topical motifs (the plight of the Kalahari Bushmen, diamond smuggling, poaching, the homogenization of African culture, etc.) make this a compulsively readable novel. Despite a shared setting with Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, this fast-paced forensic thriller will resonate more with fans of Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta.
