Deadly harvest : a Detective Kubu mystery

Format:

Book

Title:

Deadly harvest : a Detective Kubu mystery

Author:

Stanley, Michael.

ISBN:

9780062221520

Edition:

1st ed.

Publication Information:

New York : Bourbon Street Bks., 2013.

Physical Description:

xiv, 477 pages ; 21 cm

Series title(s):

Detective Kubu mystery.

Summary:

"Introducing Detective Samantha Khama"--Cover.

Girls are disappearing in Botswana. The rumor is they're being harvested for muti, a witch doctor's potion traditionally derived from plants and animals--and which, some believe, can be made more potent by adding human remains. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu joins the investigation with the police force's newest detective--and only woman--Samantha Khama, for whom the case is personal. Soon one girl's father, convinced that his daughter's death is linked to the recent popularity of a political candidate, takes the law into his own hands. After the father flees, what Kubu and Samantha find in the politician's home confirms their worst fears: muti containing DNA is real. Now Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race to stop a serial killer or killers--and those who would pay for their special, lethal muti. -- [p. 4] of cover.

Subject(s):

Geographic Term:

Genre:

Holds:

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Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... Monmouth Public Library	Fic (m) Stanley, M. 2013	Searching... Unknown

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Summary

"Detective David 'Kubu' Bengu is a wonderful creation, complex and beguiling. The exotic smells and sounds of Botswana fill the pages as well as the changes and struggles of a country brimming with modern technology yet fiercely clinging to old traditions. Compelling and deceptively written, it's the perfect summer read." -- New York Journal of Books

Deadly Harvest in Michael Stanley's beloved Detective Kubu series tracks a series of murders and a mysterious witch doctor whose nefarious potions might hold the key to a web of missing persons.

When young girls start to go missing, Samantha, a new detective on the Botswana police force suspects that muti, a traditional African medicine, is the reason. Though muti is a term for traditional African medicine derived from plants and sometimes animals, there is recent evidence that suggests human parts are being incorporated into potions to conjure up a more potent formula. She and Detective David "Kubu" Bengu race to stop a serial killer, while the father of one of the victims threatens to take matters into his own hands.

Weaving together a thrilling mystery with a fascinating look at modern-day Africa, Deadly Harvest is filled with elements suspense and plot twists that will keep you captivated until the very end.

Reviews (3)

Publisher's Weekly Review

The real-life phenomenon of African witch doctors committing murder to get ingredients for their spells drives the richly atmospheric fourth Detective Kubu mystery (after 2011's Death of the Mantis) from Edgar-finalist Stanley (the South African writing team of Stanley Trollip and Michael Sears). The Botswana Criminal Investigation Department assigns its first female detective, Samantha Khama, to a cold case-the four-month-old disappearance of a 10-year-old orphan, Lesego Betse. Samantha believes that the girl is the victim of a witch doctor who uses human remains to prepare the medicine known as muti. After another girl goes missing, Samantha gains the active assistance of David "Kubu" Bengu, the department's assistant superintendent. Their investigation takes place during a time of political instability in the country when the prospect that an opposition party could finally be gaining traction spawns violence. The gritty depiction of corruption and obsession serves as a striking counterpoint to Alexander McCall Smith's blood-free No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, also set in Botswana. Agent: Marly Rusoff, Marly Rusoff Literary Agency. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

Booklist Review

This popular whodunit series created by the South African writing team of Stanley Trollip and Michael Sears shares its Botswana backdrop with McCall Smith's Mma Ramotswe mysteries, though the similarities between the two largely end there. These darker, grittier entries featuring the portly and perceptive Detective Kubu blend intricate plotting and a compelling cast. In this fourth offering (after Death of the Mantis,2011), Detective Kubu and new recruit Samantha (the first woman on the Botswana police force) investigate the disappearance of two young girls they fear were killed for a muti, a traditional African medicine rendered by witch doctors. (Though muti typically contains animal and plant parts, the two detectives suspect that the powerful potions in question have human remains.) Meanwhile, the father of one of the missing girls pegs a prickly politician as his daughter's abductor and seeks immediate and deadly revenge. Though the cat-and-mouse chase that ensues propels the novel ever forward, Stanley also peppers the tale with richly detailed descriptions of Botswana and the spirited lives of its citizens.--Block, Allison Copyright 2010 Booklist

Library Journal Review

Newcomer Det. Samantha Khama helps Det. David "Kubu" Bengu when a serial killer targets girls in Botswana, possibly to use their bodies in a potion called muti. A father, devastated by loss, seeks revenge by murdering a politician in this complicated case, Kubu's fourth (after Death of the Mantis). (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.