Facets of Death: A Detective Kubu Mystery

Thriller Award–finalist Stanley’s entertaining seventh mystery featuring policeman David “Kubu” Bengu (after 2017’s Dying to Live), a prequel, focuses on Bengu’s early days with the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. In 1998, Bengu, who’s earned the nickname Kubu (meaning hippo) because of his girth, has been hired as a detective sergeant straight out of university, despite lacking experience as a beat cop. That special status makes his new colleagues jealous, even as Kubu dives into two baffling cases. One involves tourist luggage that keeps disappearing on flights from Botswana to Europe and that provides Bengu an opportunity to display his cleverness. The other, more important case involves identifying the mastermind behind an attack on an armored vehicle carrying diamonds that left numerous guards dead. Series followers will enjoy the backstory to a significant personal relationship for the endearing lead. Stanley (the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip) should win fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, likewise set in Botswana, with this outing. [em]Agent: Jacques de Spoelberch, J. de S. Assoc. (Jan.) [/em]