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Death Of The Mantis A Detective Kubu Mystery (2011)

by Michael Stanley(Favorite Author)

3.88 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

HarperCollins

series

Detective Kubu

review 1: Fascinating look at the darker side of Botswana, a nice contrast to Alexander McCall Smith. The plight of the Kalahari Bushmen (the Khoisan), the challenges of everyday life, the family traditions, the heat, the immensity of the desert are all vividly rendered. And of course there is an intriguing police procedural behind it all, led by the charming and thoughtful, but by no means infallible, overweight detective Kubu (his nickname, which means Hippopotamus.
review 2: Although it's not the first Lt. Kubu mystery, it's the first I've read, because it was on sale one day at the Kindle store. I'll certainly be reading more. Set in Botswana, a largely Black African-run country which also has white residents and Bushmen, this book explores the tensions between the B... moreushmen and the majority of somewhat Westernized blacks in the country.Lt. Kubu (a nickname meaning "hippo" in the Setswana language) is a new father in this story, torn between the demands of his job and his wife's need to have him help more with the overwhelming needs of their daughter. When an old friend from schooldays, a Bushman who works as an advocate for his people, comes to him for help, Kubu sticks his neck out and comes in conflict with other policemen who (with some reason) suspect Bushmen in the death of a park ranger. The story becomes far more complicated as more murders occur, and eventually Kubu finds himself in great danger both physically and emotionally.I've never read Alexander McCall Smith's tales of the No. One Ladies' Detective Agency, but I've been told that the Kubu series (by two South Africans, one who lives in Johannesburg and one in Minneapolis) is much more true to the reality of Botswana. There is humor in the book, but there is also respect. Though the two countries and the eras are very different, Death of the Mantis reminded me more of James McClure's excellent series set in apartheid-era South Africa. I'd recommend this one very highly. less

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