Scan barcode
booksbybindu's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, what a delight this book was! It was like the ‘No1. Ladies Detectives’ on crack. Such superb writing meant I was enraptured from the very first page. I now know what my April book budget is going on - every single book in this series. ‘Facets of Death’ is such a good introduction to this series if like myself you haven't read any before this one. It shows us how Kubu starts in the police force - everything is as brand new to him as it is to the reader. If you have read Michael Stanley books before, I'm sure this is a fascinating and intriguing look into how it all started.
‘Facets of Death’ begins with David ‘Kubu’ Bengu facing his first day in the police force. He has been recruited straight from University into CID and he is worried about his lack of experience and how his colleagues will react to him. To begin with, he is put on the case of missing bags from the airport but when a diamond mine is faced with an armed robbery it's all hands on deck! With such a high profile case Kubu hopes he can impress his boss and help recover the missing diamonds.
I was engrossed with this story right from the start. It was informative to see the narrative play out from different viewpoints and it meant I kept promising myself - just one more chapter, till it was 3 am and I had finished the book! I ADORED Kubu as a character - I felt as if I had to envelop him in a big hug. He has a brilliant analytical mind along with a huge heart. What a perfect combination?! I honestly can't wait now to read about his story in the rest of the series and whether he stays true to this initial impression.
Another hit from the Orenda team - an easy 5⭐️! Trust me this book will not disappoint.
‘Facets of Death’ begins with David ‘Kubu’ Bengu facing his first day in the police force. He has been recruited straight from University into CID and he is worried about his lack of experience and how his colleagues will react to him. To begin with, he is put on the case of missing bags from the airport but when a diamond mine is faced with an armed robbery it's all hands on deck! With such a high profile case Kubu hopes he can impress his boss and help recover the missing diamonds.
I was engrossed with this story right from the start. It was informative to see the narrative play out from different viewpoints and it meant I kept promising myself - just one more chapter, till it was 3 am and I had finished the book! I ADORED Kubu as a character - I felt as if I had to envelop him in a big hug. He has a brilliant analytical mind along with a huge heart. What a perfect combination?! I honestly can't wait now to read about his story in the rest of the series and whether he stays true to this initial impression.
Another hit from the Orenda team - an easy 5⭐️! Trust me this book will not disappoint.
kellyvandamme's review against another edition
4.0
I have been curious about the Detective Kubu series for quite a while now but somehow I’ve never taken the plunge. So when Facets of Death came along I knew the time had come to explore the series: a prequel to the existing novels was just the thing to dip my toe in and find out if a detective series set in Botswana might be something I’d enjoy.
Two chapters in (short ones at that), I already knew David “Kubu” Bengu and I would get along like a house on fire. Fresh-faced and hired as detective sergeant straight from university, Kubu is clearly intelligent enough but he’s also very driven and he has none of the cynicism I often encounter in literary police officers. I immediately loved how unapologetically himself he is. Kubu is the Setswana word for hippo, a nickname Kubu got because of his bulk, and he’s made it his own. Like one of the other characters says: he’s wonderful and he doesn’t even know it.
From the start there is no doubt Kubu will have his work cut out for him. A private plane was scheduled to transport diamonds but as the airport had to close because of sabotage, a contingency plan was set in motion: an armoured vehicle would transport the diamonds instead, and two decoy armoured vehicles would leave for the processing plant as well, each carrying a box of gravel instead of diamonds. When only the right vehicle is attacked, two guards are killed and the invaluable cargo is stolen, Botswana CID and its newest team member have to catch the culprits and bring them to justice.
Before Facets of Death I knew absolutely zilch about diamond mine operations and I didn’t know a whole lot about Botswana either. I learnt a lot while reading this but as the information is neatly woven into the narrative, I never felt like I was. Just the way I like it!
If you’re feeling a little hesitant about the Botswana setting, names and words, there is really no need. There is a map in case you need some geographical assistance, there is a list of the cast and the correct pronunciations of their names and there is a glossary for the words whose meaning you might not be able to glean from the context. I have to admit I felt some trepidation as well, mostly due, I think, to unfamiliarity. I don’t seem to come across many stories set in the southernmost countries of Africa and I’m much more familiar with Nordic Noir and Scandi detectives than Sunshine Noir, as this has been dubbed. However, I had an absolute ball with Kubu!
Facets of Death is an entertaining crime thriller, with a main crime that I failed to work out and a fun side mystery I tried so hard to crack I hurt my head. The story comes alive with African cultural elements such as witch doctors and a truly wonderful main character. I can’t wait to read more Kubu! Recommended.
Two chapters in (short ones at that), I already knew David “Kubu” Bengu and I would get along like a house on fire. Fresh-faced and hired as detective sergeant straight from university, Kubu is clearly intelligent enough but he’s also very driven and he has none of the cynicism I often encounter in literary police officers. I immediately loved how unapologetically himself he is. Kubu is the Setswana word for hippo, a nickname Kubu got because of his bulk, and he’s made it his own. Like one of the other characters says: he’s wonderful and he doesn’t even know it.
From the start there is no doubt Kubu will have his work cut out for him. A private plane was scheduled to transport diamonds but as the airport had to close because of sabotage, a contingency plan was set in motion: an armoured vehicle would transport the diamonds instead, and two decoy armoured vehicles would leave for the processing plant as well, each carrying a box of gravel instead of diamonds. When only the right vehicle is attacked, two guards are killed and the invaluable cargo is stolen, Botswana CID and its newest team member have to catch the culprits and bring them to justice.
Before Facets of Death I knew absolutely zilch about diamond mine operations and I didn’t know a whole lot about Botswana either. I learnt a lot while reading this but as the information is neatly woven into the narrative, I never felt like I was. Just the way I like it!
If you’re feeling a little hesitant about the Botswana setting, names and words, there is really no need. There is a map in case you need some geographical assistance, there is a list of the cast and the correct pronunciations of their names and there is a glossary for the words whose meaning you might not be able to glean from the context. I have to admit I felt some trepidation as well, mostly due, I think, to unfamiliarity. I don’t seem to come across many stories set in the southernmost countries of Africa and I’m much more familiar with Nordic Noir and Scandi detectives than Sunshine Noir, as this has been dubbed. However, I had an absolute ball with Kubu!
Facets of Death is an entertaining crime thriller, with a main crime that I failed to work out and a fun side mystery I tried so hard to crack I hurt my head. The story comes alive with African cultural elements such as witch doctors and a truly wonderful main character. I can’t wait to read more Kubu! Recommended.
annieb123's review against another edition
5.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Facets of Death is the 7th book in the Detective Kubu mysteries by Michael Stanley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a fun departure from the rest of the strongly chronological series in the form of a prequel including David ("Kubu") Bengu's very earliest days as a detective in the Botswana police. I really enjoyed reading about his earliest days with his wife Joy, and finding his place in the police as a straight-from-university detective.
He's such an intelligent, humble, capable, and benign figure and it's nice to see him solving his early cases and winning over his resentful colleagues with his huge presence and personality. For readers who are unfamiliar with the series, this is a very good entry point to the series. Kubu is drawn into the interwoven subplots (stolen tourist luggage at the local airport along with a brutal and historic diamond heist) and his survival in the force and possibly his literal survival depend on his successfully navigating office politics and international smuggling and murder.
The writing is capable, full of good humor, gentle, and suffused with the warmth and beauty of Africa. I always look forward to each new book in this series, but it was especially fine to get to read about Kubu's early days in the force and his early relationships with people readers have come to know well over the course of the series.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Facets of Death is the 7th book in the Detective Kubu mysteries by Michael Stanley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a fun departure from the rest of the strongly chronological series in the form of a prequel including David ("Kubu") Bengu's very earliest days as a detective in the Botswana police. I really enjoyed reading about his earliest days with his wife Joy, and finding his place in the police as a straight-from-university detective.
He's such an intelligent, humble, capable, and benign figure and it's nice to see him solving his early cases and winning over his resentful colleagues with his huge presence and personality. For readers who are unfamiliar with the series, this is a very good entry point to the series. Kubu is drawn into the interwoven subplots (stolen tourist luggage at the local airport along with a brutal and historic diamond heist) and his survival in the force and possibly his literal survival depend on his successfully navigating office politics and international smuggling and murder.
The writing is capable, full of good humor, gentle, and suffused with the warmth and beauty of Africa. I always look forward to each new book in this series, but it was especially fine to get to read about Kubu's early days in the force and his early relationships with people readers have come to know well over the course of the series.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
pickachu780's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.5
usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the best of the Kubu series I've read so far. It's a prequel and deals with Kubu's first day on his job, his meeting his boss, colleagues and wife for the first time. For those not familiar with this series, it's a police procedural set in the southern African country of Botswana, which is a stable democratically run country. Kubu is a CID assistant superintendent in most of the series but he is just a sergeant just out of university in this one.
Spoiler/synopsis. This book deals with an armored car hijack and the investigation to catch the crooks. I like this book because it's relatively straightforward without some of the author's sometime digressions which can prolong the story with sidetrips. In fact, this is the shortest of the Kubu books I've read, finishing it in a couple of days.
I generally like the series because I'm a fan of Kubu the character. He is an avid eater and food is on his mind a lot. But mostly I like him because he is a very pleasant character in a good mood most of the time, intelligent, determined and good at solving cases. He also has self-doubts and not afraid to question himself, making him very a realistic character instead of some cardboard cut-out detective. I also like his family and support staff. The Botswana setting is very nice. I don't think I'll ever be able to visit the country but this seems to be the next best thing.
I highly recommend this series if you like exploring new countries and police protocols
Spoiler/synopsis. This book deals with an armored car hijack and the investigation to catch the crooks. I like this book because it's relatively straightforward without some of the author's sometime digressions which can prolong the story with sidetrips. In fact, this is the shortest of the Kubu books I've read, finishing it in a couple of days.
I generally like the series because I'm a fan of Kubu the character. He is an avid eater and food is on his mind a lot. But mostly I like him because he is a very pleasant character in a good mood most of the time, intelligent, determined and good at solving cases. He also has self-doubts and not afraid to question himself, making him very a realistic character instead of some cardboard cut-out detective. I also like his family and support staff. The Botswana setting is very nice. I don't think I'll ever be able to visit the country but this seems to be the next best thing.
I highly recommend this series if you like exploring new countries and police protocols
harrisoncrerar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: April 9th 2021
"It doesn't matter what you think; it's what other people believe that's important."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Even though this series has been on my radar for quite some time, somehow it has managed to slip between the cracks of my TBR mountain until now... And I'm definitely kicking myself for not finding time for this series sooner now that I have had the chance to read this prequel! Although I guess Facets Of Death also ended up being a great way to finally introduce myself to Detective Kubu right at the beginning of his career. And I will most definitely come back for more in the future!
The first thing that stands out in Facets Of Death is of course the setting. I love a book that takes me to a different country or even continent, so having this story take place in Botswana (and to a lesser extent in South Africa) was a huge bonus for me. The descriptions of the different settings were thorough, vivid and really made them come alive for me. The addition of words and phrases in the local languages gave the story an original touch, and really spoke to my inner philologist. It was also great to test my (I confess limited) knowledge of Afrikaans along the way, but no worries: the story provides you with a glossary in case you cannot deduce the meaning of the foreign elements from the context.
Detective Kubu is definitely the star of the show, and I knew Kubu and me were going to get along almost from the moment I met him. There is just something about his character that is extremely likeable, and both his personality and way of investigating things definitely helped turning Facets Of Death into a success for me. I like how the story not only focuses on the missing diamonds and investigation, but also gives us information about Kubu's personal life as well as hints of growth in his character. I will most definitely be looking forward to see how he will evolve in the rest of the series!
The plot itself of Facets Of Death is likewise a big success. We have a multiple murder investigation, we have a huge amount of missing diamonds, we have a witch doctor angle, we have a possible international connection... And lots of intrigue, action, plot twists and hidden facts along the way. Due to the nature of the case, there are a lot of people involved in the investigation, but new detective Kubu is very present along the way and I really liked his contributions to the case. And there were definitely a few twists I didn't see coming either!
In short, Facets Of Death turned out to be a more than successful introduction to Detective Kubu and I will most definitely be starting the rest of the series very soon. If you enjoy a well written and suspenseful detective thriller with an original setting and a likeable main character, I can recommend giving this series a go.
markdudley's review against another edition
5.0
Totally outside my usual reading, this was a delight from start to finish.
robinwalter's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
A very satisfying prequel, with both the story and the characters delivering well. The diamond heist was well constructed, and seeing Kubu start on the job and his life was great fun.
kittymewers's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little puzzle! I'd love to read more of Detective Kubu's cases.