Cheryl R. (Spuddie) -
Helpful Score: 1
#2 in the Detective David "Kubu" Bengu series set in Botswana. This book has Kubu venturing far from home in Gaborone to the north of Botswana to a tourist camp in the jungle where two brutal murders beg to be solved. One of the men killed turns out to be a South African policeman. The other, Goodluck Tinubu, appears to be not what he seems--which was a quiet, well-loved teacher from a school in Mochudi. According to his fingerprints, he had already died once in the Rhodesian war thirty years previously.
Since his body was mutilated after death in a way that indicates it was a gang killing related to the political upheavals in Zimbabwe, and since another man staying at the camp left sooner than planned and has now disappeared, it is assumed that he is the killer they're looking for. But as Kubu and Tatwa, the local detective in charge, begin investigating, they discover that some of the camp's other guests are not exactly who they seem to be either, and some have dark secrets of their own.
A twisty tale of political unrest, smuggling, and old festering wounds, this book reads much more quickly than its 480 pages would have you think. Great characters, a lot of information--not all of it pleasant, with the history of these African countries--and immersion into the culture without being 'teachy or preachy.' Good mystery too, although I had a gut feeling about the killer. Hope there will be more in the series!
Since his body was mutilated after death in a way that indicates it was a gang killing related to the political upheavals in Zimbabwe, and since another man staying at the camp left sooner than planned and has now disappeared, it is assumed that he is the killer they're looking for. But as Kubu and Tatwa, the local detective in charge, begin investigating, they discover that some of the camp's other guests are not exactly who they seem to be either, and some have dark secrets of their own.
A twisty tale of political unrest, smuggling, and old festering wounds, this book reads much more quickly than its 480 pages would have you think. Great characters, a lot of information--not all of it pleasant, with the history of these African countries--and immersion into the culture without being 'teachy or preachy.' Good mystery too, although I had a gut feeling about the killer. Hope there will be more in the series!
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 1
First Line: The farewells had been said many years ago, so Goodluck hugged his old comrade and left without a word.
Not too long ago, I read a book called A Carrion Death and fell in love with a country and a character. The country is Botswana. The character is a policeman with the unlikely nickname of Kubu ("hippopotamus"). When I discovered that the second book in this mystery series was about to be published, I succumbed to temptation and pre-ordered it. I'm glad I did. The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu fulfills the promise contained in the first book.
This time around, two men are found murdered in a bush camp on the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is assigned to the case. One victim is a tourist from South Africa. The other is Goodluck Tinubu, a Zimbabwean who had been teaching in Botswana for several years. A third person, thought to be a dissident wanted in Zimbabwe, has disappeared. The local police seem unable or unwilling to provide much help, so Detective Kubu must rely on his own instincts to track down the killers. Almost from the beginning he realizes that everyone involved has something to hide and that unraveling each clue will take all his skill.
The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu delves a bit more into the political side of life in Botswana: life in remote villages far off the grid, how the police of Botswana and South Africa try to work together, and how tense life can be when a border is shared with a country like Zimbabwe. The setting of the Okavango Delta is wonderful, especially for someone like me who's grown up watching dozens of National Geographic specials.
Political-- and wild-- animals aside, the true strengths of this book can be found in the labyrinthine plot where no one is who he seems to be and no one's motivations are clear-- and in the excellent characterizations. In fact this is one of the few series where I enjoy the main character's home life and family as much as I do the mystery.
Kubu, his co-workers and his extended family are delineated with such care, respect and gentle humor that I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that each one of them is a real person. Even if they are not, they became real in my mind as the pages turned. Reading these books is to learn of traditional family life in Botswana, and to learn that co-workers around the world love to joke with each other:
"Kubu, I've got to go. See if you can arrange things for the rest of the day so that you don't drown any of my detectives, don't start a war with Namibia, and don't release a horde of murderers into the community. Do you think you can handle that?"
In only the second book of what I hope is a very long series, I savored a complex plot, a setting that can literally sink its teeth into a reader, and cast of characters that live and breathe on the page. All of this is written by two talented men who aren't afraid to shake things up and let me know that I should not take Detective Kubu or any of the others for granted. Life is short. Life is uncertain. Bad things can happen to good people. I am most definitely looking forward to the third book in this series!
I know that some of you probably saw "Botswana" and immediately thought of the series written by Alexander McCall Smith. You're probably wondering how Detective Kubu "stacks up" against Precious Ramotswe. I've read Smith's series. Both are wonderful at portraying Botswana for the armchair travelers amongst us who like to be taken to faraway lands. However, for a true mystery lover like me, Detective Kubu definitely has the edge. Michael Stanley's series is one not to be missed.
Note: The book contains maps, a cast of characters (with the pronunciations of each name) and a glossary, all of which can be very helpful for readers. I scanned the maps and the cast of characters before I began reading and seldom referred to them again, so don't be afraid that you're going to wear those pages out once you've started reading the book!
Not too long ago, I read a book called A Carrion Death and fell in love with a country and a character. The country is Botswana. The character is a policeman with the unlikely nickname of Kubu ("hippopotamus"). When I discovered that the second book in this mystery series was about to be published, I succumbed to temptation and pre-ordered it. I'm glad I did. The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu fulfills the promise contained in the first book.
This time around, two men are found murdered in a bush camp on the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is assigned to the case. One victim is a tourist from South Africa. The other is Goodluck Tinubu, a Zimbabwean who had been teaching in Botswana for several years. A third person, thought to be a dissident wanted in Zimbabwe, has disappeared. The local police seem unable or unwilling to provide much help, so Detective Kubu must rely on his own instincts to track down the killers. Almost from the beginning he realizes that everyone involved has something to hide and that unraveling each clue will take all his skill.
The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu delves a bit more into the political side of life in Botswana: life in remote villages far off the grid, how the police of Botswana and South Africa try to work together, and how tense life can be when a border is shared with a country like Zimbabwe. The setting of the Okavango Delta is wonderful, especially for someone like me who's grown up watching dozens of National Geographic specials.
Political-- and wild-- animals aside, the true strengths of this book can be found in the labyrinthine plot where no one is who he seems to be and no one's motivations are clear-- and in the excellent characterizations. In fact this is one of the few series where I enjoy the main character's home life and family as much as I do the mystery.
Kubu, his co-workers and his extended family are delineated with such care, respect and gentle humor that I wouldn't be at all surprised to discover that each one of them is a real person. Even if they are not, they became real in my mind as the pages turned. Reading these books is to learn of traditional family life in Botswana, and to learn that co-workers around the world love to joke with each other:
"Kubu, I've got to go. See if you can arrange things for the rest of the day so that you don't drown any of my detectives, don't start a war with Namibia, and don't release a horde of murderers into the community. Do you think you can handle that?"
In only the second book of what I hope is a very long series, I savored a complex plot, a setting that can literally sink its teeth into a reader, and cast of characters that live and breathe on the page. All of this is written by two talented men who aren't afraid to shake things up and let me know that I should not take Detective Kubu or any of the others for granted. Life is short. Life is uncertain. Bad things can happen to good people. I am most definitely looking forward to the third book in this series!
I know that some of you probably saw "Botswana" and immediately thought of the series written by Alexander McCall Smith. You're probably wondering how Detective Kubu "stacks up" against Precious Ramotswe. I've read Smith's series. Both are wonderful at portraying Botswana for the armchair travelers amongst us who like to be taken to faraway lands. However, for a true mystery lover like me, Detective Kubu definitely has the edge. Michael Stanley's series is one not to be missed.
Note: The book contains maps, a cast of characters (with the pronunciations of each name) and a glossary, all of which can be very helpful for readers. I scanned the maps and the cast of characters before I began reading and seldom referred to them again, so don't be afraid that you're going to wear those pages out once you've started reading the book!
