I’m thrilled to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for brilliant crime thriller Facets of Death by South African writing duo Michael Stanley, which is a prequel to their critically acclaimed Detective Kubu series of books. Thank you to Anne Cater and Orenda Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this exciting and suspense filled book.
About the book:
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 author:
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.
My Review:
I’m ashamed to say that Facets of Death by South African writing duo Michael Stanley was the first book I’d read featuring Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu but definitely won’t be my last. A prequel to the critically acclaimed series, Facets of Death is a perfect introduction to the character as we see him recruited straight from University and into Botswana’s CID. I loved Kubu from the moment he was introduced and can’t wait to sink my teeth into the rest of what I’m sure is a fantastic series of books!
Going in cold I had no preconceived ideas of what to expect, but the intelligent writing and short, snappy chapters drew me in and kept me riveted throughout. Kubu himself is a larger than life character who you can’t help but fall in love with. Determined to earn the trust of his new colleagues, Kubu is eager to get stuck in and is soon investigating two very different cases, with the second taking precedence over the first as news comes in of a suspected diamond heist.
What follows is an exciting and fast paced thriller that takes place under the oppressive heat of Botswana, with the authors painting such a vivid sense of place that you almost feel as though you were there. The beliefs and superstitions of the local people are very much a part of the story, with talk of black magic and Witch Doctors not just dismissed out of hand but incorporated into the fabric of the plot in an understated but believable way.
With a large and varied cast of characters, Facets of Death is not only a clever and thoroughly entertaining diamond heist mystery but also a great introduction to the larger than life character of Detective Kubu. Michael Stanley’s writing is sharp and intelligent, weaving an intricate tale of intrigue and suspense that will keep you guessing from beginning to end. What more can I say? I loved this superb introduction to Detective Kubu and can’t wait to read the rest of the books in the series to see what the future did indeed hold in store for this fascinating and utterly mesmerising character.
An exciting and cleverly written thriller that I would highly recommend. Fantastic!
Facets of Death by Michael Stanley is available to purchase in ebook format now and in paperback from April 29th:
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Thanks so much for your wonderfully generous comments, Cal! We’re delighted that you enjoyed the book so much and want to read the “older Kubu” books. If you do, we’d love to know what you think. We’re currently working on another Kubu book bridging this one and when he’s the senior detective and Mabaku is director of the CID.
Best wishes
Michael.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much for taking the time to read Facets of Death. We’re delighted you enjoyed it. Thanks too for the great review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the blog tour support Cal x
LikeLiked by 1 person