A Carrion Death: Introducing Detective Kubu

I actually got the story on CD so my take on the book is a little different. I loved the characters, especially Detective Kubu. The mystery takes place in Botswana and the plot is unusual and different than any book I've read. It's a definite read.

He's a good-sized man, is David Bengu. Jokingly referred to - even by himself - as " Kubu" [hippo in Setswana], there's more to David than bulk. Referring to him as a "jolly fat bloke" would be a mistake. He's rather more like the hyena found feasting on the remants of a human corpse near a stream-bed. Confronted with a mystery, he works at it with dogged ["hyenaed"?] persistence until he's obtained every relevant piece of information. The biggest mystery in this case is that the corpse was a white man. And nobody's been reported missing from the white population around Gaborone. For a copper like David Bengu, such circumstances demand explanations and solutions. Taught to observe as a child by a Kalahari Bushman, "Kubu" has a fine sense for detail. The circumstances surrounding the mysterious corpse turn out to be only the first in a string. Even as Assistant Superintendent Bengu is sifting through the early items, new ones begin to pile up. And that's not even counting the corpses. Soon, Bengu finds himself attempting to unravel a set of intricate and deeply puzzling events. The story goes far beyond a lonely skeleton as Kubu is swept up in international corporate plots in the diamond mining business. Diamond mining plays a major role in Botswana's economy as Bengu's boss, Director Mabaku, never tires of reminding him. The local extraction firm is run by Cecil Hofmeyr, whose twin nephew and niece, Angus and Dianna, will be soon taking over. The Board Meeting announcing the handover proves a key pivot point in a twisted and convoluted plot. A side link here is that Angus and Kubu were school-mates. In fact, it was Angus who dubbed David "kubu" in admiring jest. "Twisted" and "convoluted" here are not a negative assessment of this story. This pair of authors ["Michael Stanley" is two people] has crafted an immensely captivating tale. There are almost countless threads to be tracked as the story unfolds, but the authors keep the reader informed just enough to provoke continued interest. While there are characters who are never fully explained, they are depicted with clarity. None of them fails any plausibility test, although the "African" conditions may be alien to some readers. Through it all "Michael Stanley" is able to convey the beauty of Botswana, even to Bengu's sense of discomfort when his desert background is forced to cope with South Africa's more humid coastal area. We are given the geology underlying diamond mining, but it's hardly a classroom lecture. The reader is also introduced to the spiritual traditions of Africa, which even an education in science cannot eradicate. In short, this is a superb introduction of a new character by new authors. They have left unfulfilled circumstances in the book. Lacking a "clean" ending, it's clear that Kubu will have much to cope with in future stories. While everything in this tale is clear, nothing in it is simple. It is not for the lazy reader, but offers many

There are detectives you develop an instant liking to - and there many you would never want to meet - in fiction or reality. David Bengu, "Kubu", central character of this attention-grabbing and highly entertaining tale, clearly belongs into the first category. A gentle giant whose nickname was well chosen by his school chum Angus. It means hippopotamus in Setswana, the language of the people of Botswana in Southern Africa. Kubu is the creation of a new South African writing team, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, two long-standing safari pals with a deep affinity to Botswana and African wild spaces. This is exciting, intricate and sometimes mind-bending stuff. Intended as the first in a series of novels, it is very easy to get hooked on Kubu. In a game park in Southern Botswana, a hyena is feasting on her dinner. Vultures are circling high above indicating a lion kill or some such. Approaching the remote Kassami waterhole, conservation researcher Bongani and the assistant game warden initially don't see anything unusual. However, Bongani's astute observation reveals that the "prey" is human. Was the victim left for the animals to destroy any evidence of a possible murder? Kubu, the Assistant Superintendent of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Division is called upon to investigate: establish the identity of the body and the circumstances of his death. This quest is at the centre in what turns into a multi-layered story of love and hate, personal and corporate greed, intrigue and revenge. At the centre of the action are the people running the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company, in particular one of their diamond mines. Angus Hofmeyr, Kubu's school-years friend, and his twin sister Dianna are to inherit controlling shares on their upcoming 30th birthday. Since their father's fatal accident some years before, their uncle Cecil has been running this lucrative, and for Botswana, important venture. He also happens to be a friend of Jacob Makabu, Kubu's boss. Complications abound as the story unfolds, more murders, related or not, increasingly upset even the level-headed detective. What is really going on? As he pursues an ever-increasing circle of witnesses and suspects, his well-trained observation skills comes to the fore. He is assisted by his new young friend Bongani, whose unusual connections introduce additional clues. While we as readers are sometimes led to believe that we are perhaps ahead of Kubu in deducing new associations, most of the time we have to accept that we, like the investigators, are being tricked into a dead end. In smooth easy-going prose, the authors introduce us not only to believable, well-developed characters, they also familiarize us with the natural beauty of Botswana and its fragility. There are hints of McCall Smith's Botwana and of the traditional ways of life encapsulated in Mma Ramotswe, the No 1 Lady's Detective. Yet, Botswana reality as described here is not so easy-going and gentle. Michael S

A Carrion of Death introduces readers to Detective David "Kubu" Bengu, Assistant Superintendent in the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Bengu was given the nickname Kubu, which means hippopotamus in Setswana, by a school chum because of his physique. However, the name is appropriate in other ways as well. As with the hippopotamus, Kubu's outward appearance is a bit deceptive. While the hippopotamus appears to be a gentle giant lying in the river, it is in reality ill tempered and move with considerable speed to get what it is after. To those who don't know better, Kubu appears to be much more interested in his next meal or Steelworks drink than the case at hand. They would be wrong. While Kubu is indeed fond of his food and drink, his mind is always working on the smallest of details. There are two main threads in the complex plot of the book In the first, we meet Kubu when he is called in to investigate the death of a half eaten human body found near a watering hole by game wardens. When it is determined that the body is that of a white person, there is much concern that the death will hurt the all important tourist trade. That concern grows when it becomes apparent that the person was murdered. The second thread revolves around a family drama being played out over the control of Botswana's largest company, Botswana Cattle and Mining Company (BCMC). When Roland Hofmeyr was killed in a plane crash, the running of the company was left to his brother Cecil until Roland's children, Dianna and Angus, turned 30. They have reached that age, but Cecil is desperate to maintain control. Through this part of the story readers get an fascinating look into the diamond trade, both legal and illegal in Africa today. The author has woven these two seemingly unrelated threads together into an exceptionally fine mystery. A Carrion of Death is a wonderful way to take a mini vacation to Africa. There is a sense of place that just settles over the reader allowing the reader to experience the rhythms of Botswana-both new and old. Kubu and his wife live in the city of Gaborone, but Kubu's parents still live in a small village where electrical power is sporadic at best, and indoor plumbing is not yet the standard. While Kubu is a very modern policeman, the local witch doctor also plays an important role in this book. At the beginning of the book, a map and a list of characters is included. At the end there is a glossary of terms. Each of these additions is an appreciated gift to the reader. As several characters have similar names, having the list at the beginning makes it easy for the reader to flip back and clarify who someone is. Likewise with the map and glossary. It was nice to be able to quickly check on where something occurred or what something is. Each was a nice finishing touch to a terrific book.

Carrion Death was a pleasure from beginning to end. Detective Kubu is the hard-hitting mirror of Mma Precious Ramotswe in Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series. Both, though, share a "traditional" build and a fierce love of Botswana. A well-written plot is accompanied by the feeling that you're privy to the real Africa, not the oft-seen touristy Africa of the Travel channel. Solid research accompanied by the author's obvious encyclopedic knowledge of southern Africa makes the story come alive. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

This is a thoroughly enjoyable mystery novel. Clues are left for you to ponder and puzzle over and if you pay good attention to the right ones, you might guess who the real villain is, my definition of a well written mystery. The ending does not come out of the blue, but rather, if you've been paying attention you will think, "I should have figured that out!" Detective Kubu is a great character, a realistic policeman with both strengths and weaknesses (especially for wine and food). Intertwined with an interesting mystery, of course, is an enjoyable tour of Botswana culture, politics and nature.