A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley

Happy Monday, everyone! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things tour for the latest Detective Kubu mystery, A Deadly Covenant!

A water pipeline could mean great benefit for a the small village in Botswana. But when bones are discovered at the proposed site, the project comes to a screeching halt. 

Detective Sergeant Kubu is sent to the scene along with a pathologist, to observe the recovery. Or at least that was the plan. It doesn't take long for them to realize there are in fact nine bodies at the site. And by all appearances the remains of Bushmen. The fact that the remains are bones means they've been there for some time, but a mass grave definitely warrants investigation. 

Unfortunately, the mass grave isn't the only problem in the area. Kubu learns of not one but two men who went missing right around the same time in the mid 70s and decides to look into the case. But there are more immediate concerns when a local man is murdered in what appears to be a burglary gone wrong. Neither case is exactly under Kubu's purview, but the locals seem determined to settle the blame on a man who very well may be innocent. 

This is the second book in the prequel series featuring a rookie Detective Kubu, following Facets of Death. 

This is really such a fun series! Whether you've read the early books from later in Kubu's career or are completely new to the books, A Deadly Covenant is a fabulous read!

These particular prequels are set in the 90s, early in Kubu's career. He's still learning the ropes and not quite the pro he'll become. But he is still more driven and more observant than many in his line of work!

One of the many things I adore about this series is Kubu's sense of justice. In this particular outing, when a Bushman appears at the crime scene and is later used as a scapegoat, Kubu is one of the ones determined to see the man freed. Not only does he suspect the man is innocent, but he quickly realizes the local police are willing to do whatever it takes to close the case quickly and easily, without worrying about evidence that goes against their theory. 

Of course politics play a big role as well—both local and wider. The treatment of the Bushmen is already fodder for international news and the story of a massacre and mass grave only make things worse. 

And that's literally just one small facet of what occurs in the book! A huge part of the fun is watching how the story unfolds as the authors weave together multiple threads to form a suspenseful and fascinating mystery!

Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip never fail to amaze me and never disappoint either!

A Deadly Covenant is out in the UK on December 8 from Orenda!

Facets of Death by Michael Stanley

Happy Wednesday! Today I'm a stop on the Random Things Tours for the latest Michael Stanley mystery, Facets of Death. 

It's Detective David Bengu's (aka Kubu) first day on the job and it appears he'll be delving into an exciting case of missing luggage. 

But then, an armored vehicle is reported stolen. 

Shortly after it goes missing, the vehicle is found. Two of the employees of the shipping company have been shot, a third is missing. And the cargo—a case from a local diamond mine—has disappeared. 

The case is one that fascinates the new detective and it's his first opportunity to work out in the field. The company usually transports their diamonds via plane but just that day the plane in question caught fire, landing the pilot in the hospital. And so an emergency plan was enacted: three identical cases would be loaded onto three different armored transport vehicles. Two of the cases are filled with gravel and the third is filled with uncut diamonds. No one is to know which case has the actual diamonds until they arrive at their destination. 

It's supposed to be a foolproof plan and one that only a small number of people know the details of. Obviously, the plan isn't as foolproof as believed and someone has been carefully planning this heist for some time!

I think that it would be safe to say that this is the book every Michael Stanley fan has been waiting for! 

Back in 2008, the authors made their debut in the series with A Carrion Death, but there were hints about Kubu's early days as a detective. Facets of Death is a prequel to the series, set before A Carrion Death. Which also means it's a great starting place for anyone who isn't familiar with the South African detective series!

Kubu comes across a bit like a Columbo in this one. His mind is always going and his very different track to detective—recruited rather than working his way up the ranks—means he has a different approach to the investigations at hand. Not that that's always a great thing! He's called out after questioning the airfield employee and pilot for not quite asking the right questions!

It's fun to see Kubu learning his way into the role! And as always, I enjoy the peek inside a culture and country that are so literally foreign to me!

Deadly Harvest by Michael Stanley

Morning, all! I'm a stop on the TLC blog tour today for Michael Stanley's Deadly Harvest, the latest in the Detective Kubu series.

When Lesego Betse goes missing, her sister Dikeledi knows that something terrible has happened. She tries to get the police interested but no one is convinced it's anything other than a simple runaway case. It's not until four months later that Samantha Khama, new to CID (and their first female detective), takes an active interest. The case reminds her of another, a friend of hers who was killed for muti years ago. Samantha knows this may not be the case with Lesego but feels the investigation deserves more attention than it's gotten. Then another girl disappears. Shortly thereafter, a rising politician is murdered and evidence of muti is discovered in his home. While much muti is made from plants, herbs, and even animals, the muti found in the politician's home contains human remains. It soon becomes clear that the murder is connected to Samantha's case, but can she and Kubu find the person responsible for this heinous crime?

I love the setting in this series. The authors, both of whom grew up in - and still reside in - South Africa, are clearly knowledgeable about the place and culture and are able to convey this both subtly and wonderfully. What I mean by this is that the book isn't overwhelmed by explanation simply for the benefit of the reader, nor is it a case where the setting is simply a gimmick. The details are a part of the story and the plot is very reliant on the culture. You have muti - the medicine or spells made by witch doctors - as well as political and other social aspects, both as part of the overall plot and as pieces of the characters' personal lives.

The case that drives Samantha Khama in her investigation is a real one. Segametsi Mogomotsi was a real victim of a muti murder (the authors mention a bit about the case both in the story and in the author's note). Interestingly the case inspired Alexander McCall Smith as well.

Deadly Harvest is the fourth Detective Kubu book penned by coauthors Stanley Trollip and Michael Sears (Michael Stanley). And as it's my first time diving into the series, it was nice to find that Deadly Harvest could essentially stand on its own. I had no problem at all starting at this point in the series but as with many series I've begun midstream, I definitely plan to go back and read the previous titles!

Here's the title list in order:
A Carrion Death
The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu
Death of the Mantis
Deadly Harvest

Rating: 4/5

To see more stops on the tour, check out the official TLC tour page here.

For more on the authors and the series, visit their website here (they've also got an excerpt from the book on the site). You can also like them on Facebook and follow Detective Kubu on Twitter.