A Carrion Death;
By Michael Stanley; Hachette;
Pages: 566; Price: Rs 325
Buy Borrow Avoid
The birth of a detective is always good reason to cheer. And Detective David “Kubu” Bengu, the Assistant Superintendent in the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department, has been sired by two men — a team of two authors consisting Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip and collectively known as Michael Stanley. Detective Bengu lives in Botswana and is huge as a hippo or kubu in the local dialect. He loves opera, good food and wine, just as much Sherlock loved his pipe.
Kubu is an important man in his own right but is often cut to size by his wife Joy, a wonderful cook. His all-knowing mother Amantle, often reminds him that most murders are over women and money. But behind the hazy smoke of the desert, a bleached body is found almost eaten by a hyena and the fun begins! For a man’s got to do what he is got to do. In this case, this man Kubu, the detective, has to solve the case. The setting of the Kalahari is perfect for a murder for a dead body can be left in the desert for the wild animals to devour but when it is not fully devoured, we have a case.
What is it about Botswana that serves as a setting of various mysteries that are ready to be cracked and solved? Inevitable mention must be made about Mma Ramotswe, the woman detective belonging to the Motswana tribe, whose crime locale is the same country. Ramostwe is created by the Socttish but Zimbabwean-born writer Alexander McCall Smith’s of The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, who has last been heard, to be coming as a guest at this year’s Kolkata Book Fair.
In thrillers you cannot reveal much but what is exciting is the locale which becomes almost like a character. Vast stretches of the desert and the presence of a very colorful people give the book a unique flavor. The scenic landscape acts as a foil to the many nefarious activities that humans only can undertake. The plot takes us through the intrigues in five-star hotels and through the modern Botswanian society, with its fair share of diamond smugglers and miners nexus connected not only to the higher-ups but to an international crime chain as well. At the end of it all, by the time the murder is solved, your Afrikaans will have much improved. Ja!
What is interesting for those readers with a literary sense is that every section head of the chapters begins with an appropriate quote from Shakespeare and the most important of these is the one from Merchant of Venice — “A carrion death, within whose empty eye there is a written scroll! I’ll read the writing!” Need I add any more? The authors have a great sense of adventure and a subtle sense of humour which they combine with very good research to serve up a good punch.
This is the first case of Detective Kubu. A welcome edition to modern detective fiction. We look forward to more.
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