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book_concierge's review
4.0
Audiobook performed Simon Prebble
Kalahari game rangers spot circling vultures, and always on the lookout for poaching activity they go to investigate. They find a human corpse, mostly eaten by hyenas, the remains scattered in the area. There are several unusual things about this body – most poachers are black, and this person was white; the deceased was also naked; and his/her teeth had all been knocked out and one forearm was missing. There have been no reports of any missing tourists or residents. Detective David “Kubu” Bengu of the Botswana CID is called in to investigate. He soon uncovers clues and additional crimes which all revolve around the powerful Botswana Cattle and Mining Company and its leaders.
This is a wonderful debut mystery with a great central character. Kubu got his nickname at school because of his size – Kubu is the Setswana word for hippopotamus. Like his namesake he is a seemingly slow and docile beast, but the detective is far from lumbering in his investigation. He combines intelligence, excellent education and sound police procedures with tenacity and a keen intuition to ferret out the truth. The author humanizes Kubu by his love of opera, good wine and his wife, Joy. I can just picture him driving across the desert landscape singing arias.
The plot is fast paced and complicated. This is a much darker and more dangerous Botswana than that portrayed in Alexander McCall Smith’s popular No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. There are plenty of suspects and several plot twists that I did not see coming. The book is divided into parts, and the first four alternate in time frame – March, January, March, January-February – before returning to the March “present” and continuing in a fairly accurate chronological sequence. This was a little confusing at first, especially since I was listening to the audiobook, but a quick check of the text helped me put things in the right order.
Simon Prebble is marvelous performing the audio book. His pacing is good and his acting brings the novel to life. There are a number of characters of different nationalities and he capably handled all the various accents.
I’ll definitely keep reading this series.
Kalahari game rangers spot circling vultures, and always on the lookout for poaching activity they go to investigate. They find a human corpse, mostly eaten by hyenas, the remains scattered in the area. There are several unusual things about this body – most poachers are black, and this person was white; the deceased was also naked; and his/her teeth had all been knocked out and one forearm was missing. There have been no reports of any missing tourists or residents. Detective David “Kubu” Bengu of the Botswana CID is called in to investigate. He soon uncovers clues and additional crimes which all revolve around the powerful Botswana Cattle and Mining Company and its leaders.
This is a wonderful debut mystery with a great central character. Kubu got his nickname at school because of his size – Kubu is the Setswana word for hippopotamus. Like his namesake he is a seemingly slow and docile beast, but the detective is far from lumbering in his investigation. He combines intelligence, excellent education and sound police procedures with tenacity and a keen intuition to ferret out the truth. The author humanizes Kubu by his love of opera, good wine and his wife, Joy. I can just picture him driving across the desert landscape singing arias.
The plot is fast paced and complicated. This is a much darker and more dangerous Botswana than that portrayed in Alexander McCall Smith’s popular No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. There are plenty of suspects and several plot twists that I did not see coming. The book is divided into parts, and the first four alternate in time frame – March, January, March, January-February – before returning to the March “present” and continuing in a fairly accurate chronological sequence. This was a little confusing at first, especially since I was listening to the audiobook, but a quick check of the text helped me put things in the right order.
Simon Prebble is marvelous performing the audio book. His pacing is good and his acting brings the novel to life. There are a number of characters of different nationalities and he capably handled all the various accents.
Spoiler
In fact his use of voices gave me a huge clue in determining the culprit; one character’s talent for mimicry would not be as evident on the page as it was on the audio.I’ll definitely keep reading this series.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
The first in the Detective Kubu series was a great introduction to the writing duo of Michael Stanley. I enjoy mysteries set in other countries, especially when they provide insights to the culture of the country and issues it is dealing with (in this case, Botswana). I appreciated the Foreward, the list of characters (with name pronunciations), and the glossary at the end -- they all helped with understanding the nuances of the story and place. The story was incredibly complex and had quite a wide cast of characters; I found it a bit grittier than the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series (also set in Botswana) but that made it easier not to focus on making comparisons. I think I enjoyed this one even more since I had a chance to meet the authors and hear one of them talk about why they had decided to set the series in Botswana rather than their native South Africa, and some of their experiences working with the police in Botswana to ensure they got the details right. I'm looking forward to reading the next one in the series and finding out which characters make another appearance. Although the murder mystery was solved, there are some loose ends from the case that could end up resurfacing. It'll be interesting to find out if that happens or if Kubu will have a new set of problems to solve with his next case.
soniapage's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Gabarone, Botswana, this first book of the series introduces Detective Kubu as he investigates an ugly murder which soon develops into several more. Kubu is a large, opera-loving policeman who is very clever (even though I was able to identify the first body before him). It was fun to visit the haunts of Mma Ramotswe again (wonder if they know each other). There was even a No. 1 Petrol Station.
I think this book would appeal especially to men because of the tough, male characters and sexy, willing women. Most of the major players were Europeans in the diamond trade, not what I was expecting. Maybe the other books will have more African characters.
I think this book would appeal especially to men because of the tough, male characters and sexy, willing women. Most of the major players were Europeans in the diamond trade, not what I was expecting. Maybe the other books will have more African characters.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
3.0
Set in Botswana, A CARRION DEATH introduces the reader to, amongst a lot of other characters, Assistant Superintendent David Bengu. David is a big man. A very big man. As a young man, his friend Angus coined the nickname Kubu - which means Hippopotamus in Setswana. That friend belongs to one of the families in Botswana - his father, until he died, and his uncle have run the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company for many years. His friend - Angus and his twin sister Dianna are about to reach the age at which they inherit and they can take over from their uncle Cecil.
In the meantime a body is found in a wash near a waterhole. It seems the location has been carefully chosen - the waterhole is popular with local animals and there are a lot of predator animals who should have disposed of the remains before they were found. Unfortunately for the killers, a young scientist is working in the area and it is his team that make the discovery. There are some very odd things about this body - most likely a white man, there are very few missing white men in Botswana, and the body is missing an arm, perhaps to further confuse identification, but there are distinctive old breaks in both legs so surely it won't be that hard to match the body to a name. Kubu investigates, from the wash and the nearby tourist resort, back to the capital of Gaborone, through the boardrooms of big business and into the dust and dirt of the desert and the diamond mines.
A CARRION DEATH has a real feel of Africa for a number of reasons. The character of Kubu is somebody you can just see: a tall, stately, large, unflappable man methodically sailing through the investigation. The setting also means that whilst there is some concentration on the city locations, a large part of the book takes place in the desert, in the diamond mines, in the sand and dust and heat of the place. Maybe that is part of the reason why some parts of the book proceed slowly - at a stately pace - thinking more and more about that aspect makes me think that that was a quintessentially African thing. The investigation meanders at points, there's the occasional foray into various private lives, there is Kubu's relationship with his much loved wife and his own parents. It seemed, to somebody who has never been there, to give the entire book an overwhelming atmosphere of Africa. There are a lot of messages about the place and the people woven into the story as well and again, these seem on initial reading perhaps to have been padding, but if you think about it - this is a book set in a place and amongst a people of which the majority of us will know very little.
You will have to slow down to read this book, you will have to revel in the side roads and the meanderings. You may even have to forgive a few investigational hiccups that might not occur somewhere where speed and outcomes are all the rage. You will most likely also find that the last parts of the book drags slowly. But this was a good debut, with an interesting central character, supported by a fantastic location. Hopefully you won't be left like I was - with an overwhelming desire to try Kubu's favourite thirst quencher - a Steelworks. The glossary provided at the back of the books says this is made from cola tonic, ginger beer, soda water and bitters.
Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, two South African-born friends who have travelled frequently to the magnificent Botswana wilderness and A CARRION DEATH is their debut novel.
jkkb332's review against another edition
3.0
- Writing style somewhat irritating at times (grammar usage, unnecessary descriptions)
+ Interesting mystery but not wrapped up as neatly as I usually like
- Actually, very unsatisfied with the ending, big question left unanswered (WHY?) but that's realistic at least
+ Nice look at African life and culture
- I get it, Kubu likes food
- Just didn't suck me in like some books do
+ Interesting mystery but not wrapped up as neatly as I usually like
- Actually, very unsatisfied with the ending, big question left unanswered (WHY?) but that's realistic at least
+ Nice look at African life and culture
- I get it, Kubu likes food
- Just didn't suck me in like some books do
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
This was… okay. Very twisty turny, but also very, very long. I enjoyed it mostly but there were times when I had to convince myself to keep reading since it just felt very slow from about 30-60% (approximately). I am interested to see how the rest of the series goes. Kubu was a very likable main character.
This was… okay. Very twisty turny, but also very, very long. I enjoyed it mostly but there were times when I had to convince myself to keep reading since it just felt very slow from about 30-60% (approximately). I am interested to see how the rest of the series goes. Kubu was a very likable main character.
iceangel9's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The first in the Detective Kubu mysteries. Set in Botswana, Detective Kubu is called in when a hyena is found eating what's left of a man's body near a water hole. His attempt to discover the identity of the man and arrest his killer leads him into the midst of some very powerful people with some very dangerous secrets. A very good crime novel with characters and a setting you will want to visit again.
saracook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
usbsticky's review against another edition
4.0
Spoiler/synopsis: A partly eaten body is found near a waterhole in Botswana. Meanwhile a whistle-blower geologist is making noises a diamond mine. Are the two connected?
This the first Detective Kubu book I've read. I picked it because the series has a decent number of books and it's set in Botswana, a country I don't know much about.
The writing is pretty easy to read and follow and I like the characters and the setting. Kubu is quite a large fellow and he works (and eats) tirelessly to crack the case. But despite his best efforts, no one involved is inclined to help him. The supporting case of characters are also quite well done and they include members of his family as well as members of his police department. There is enough detail about Botswana to make it interesting.
The first part of the book read like one of Wilbur Smith's African books, which is a compliment. But the book is a bit overly long though. The police procedural part is fairly standard, Kubu questions witnesses, makes observations and hypothesis and follows up. He does this over and over to chase down the answer. We do see some of the action from the criminals' point of view, but not all of it so we can see what else is going on. I kept thinking how long this book was, the writing could be a bit crisper. In the end, I thought the mystery part was satisfying but the ending was a bit too abrupt, it seemed like the author didn't know quite how to write an ending. But I enjoyed it and I'm reading # 2 now.
This the first Detective Kubu book I've read. I picked it because the series has a decent number of books and it's set in Botswana, a country I don't know much about.
The writing is pretty easy to read and follow and I like the characters and the setting. Kubu is quite a large fellow and he works (and eats) tirelessly to crack the case. But despite his best efforts, no one involved is inclined to help him. The supporting case of characters are also quite well done and they include members of his family as well as members of his police department. There is enough detail about Botswana to make it interesting.
The first part of the book read like one of Wilbur Smith's African books, which is a compliment. But the book is a bit overly long though. The police procedural part is fairly standard, Kubu questions witnesses, makes observations and hypothesis and follows up. He does this over and over to chase down the answer. We do see some of the action from the criminals' point of view, but not all of it so we can see what else is going on. I kept thinking how long this book was, the writing could be a bit crisper. In the end, I thought the mystery part was satisfying but the ending was a bit too abrupt, it seemed like the author didn't know quite how to write an ending. But I enjoyed it and I'm reading # 2 now.