Facets Of Death by Michael Stanley
A dark and sophisticated thriller set in the heart of Botswana, introducing Michael Stanley’s beloved Detective Kubu
Recruited straight from university to Botswana’s CID, David ‘Kubu’ Bengu has raised his colleagues’ suspicions with his meteoric rise within the department, and he has a lot to prove.
When the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats worth of gems, and the thieves are found, executed, Kubu leaps at the chance to prove himself. First he must find the diamonds – and it seems that a witch doctor and his son have a part to play.
Does this young detective have the skill and integrity to engineer an international trap? Or could it cost him everything?
About the authors.
Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Both were born in South Africa and have worked in academia and business. Stanley was an educational psychologist, specialising in the application of computers to teaching and learning, and is a pilot. Michael specialised in image processing and remote sensing and taught at the University of the Witwatersrand.
On a flying trip to Botswana, they watched a pack of hyenas hunt, kill, and devour a wildebeest, eating both flesh and bones. That gave them the premise for their first mystery, A Carrion Death, which introduced Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. It was a finalist for five awards, including the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger. The series has been critically acclaimed, and their third book, Death of the Mantis, won the Barry Award for Best Paperback Original mystery and was shortlisted for an Edgar award. Deadly Harvest was shortlisted for an International Thriller Writers award. They have also written a thriller, Dead of Night, following the investigative journalist, Crystal Nguyen, who gets caught up in the war against rhino poaching and rhino-horn smuggling.
Review.
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.
