I’m thrilled to welcome you today to my stop on the blog tour for excellent crime thriller A Deadly Covenant by South African writing duo Michael Stanley, second in the series of books that feature the early cases of Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu.
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:
While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the remains of a long-dead Bushman. Rookie Detective David ‘Kubu Bengu of Botswana CID and Scottish pathologist, lan MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers the skeletons of eight more men.
Shortly after the gruesome discoveries, the elder of a nearby village is murdered in his home. The local police are convinced it was a robbery. but Kubu isn’t so sure … and neither is the strange woman who claims that an angry river spirit caused the elder’s death.
As accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the bushman families. Kubu and his colleagues uncover a deadly covenant, and begin to fear that their own lives may be in mortal danger..
About the author:
Michael Stanley is the writing team of South African authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip.
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 ‘Kubu’ Bengu of the Botswana CID. It was a finalist for five awards, including the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger.
The third in the series, Death of the Mantis, won the Barry Award for Best Paperback Original mystery and was a finalist for an Edgar award. Deadly Harvest was a finalist for an International Thriller Writers’ award. A Death in the Family and Dying to Live are the latest in the Detective Kubu series, published by Orenda Books.
A prequel to the Detective Kubu series, Facets of Death, was published in 2021 and A Deadly Covenant follows Kubu’s second case.
My Review:
Facets of Death by South African writing duo Michael Stanley was the first book I’d read featuring Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu. A prequel to their critically acclaimed series, Facets of Death was a perfect introduction to the character as we saw him recruited straight from University and into Botswana’s CID.
I loved Kubu from the moment he was introduced and in A Deadly Covenant, the next book in the series, we once again join Kubu as he begins to investigate a second complex case.
The intelligent writing and short, snappy chapters had me hooked from the outset, keeping me glued to the page from beginning to end. Kubu himself is a larger than life character who I couldn’t help but fall more and more in love with as his story continued. I still haven’t caught up with the series of books that first introduced an older, wiser Detective Kubu, but will do so as soon as time allows. I have a feeling I’m going to love them!
In A Deadly Covenant, rookie detective Kubu is eager to get stuck in as he is sent with Scottish pathologist, lan MacGregor, to investigate after a contractor unearths the remains of a long dead Bushman. As more gruesome discoveries are made, the elder from a nearby village is murdered in his home. With the local police convinced it is a robbery gone wrong, Kubu is almost certain that they are mistaken and that there are more sinister things at work.
As accusations of corruption are thrown around and outrage builds over the macabre discovery of the nine skeletons, Kubu and his team discover a deadly covenant that leads them to believe they may be in mortal danger themselves…
What follows is an exciting and original 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. As with The Facets of Death, the beliefs and superstitions of the local people are very much a part of the story, interwoven into the fabric of the plot in an understated but believable way.
With a fascinating cast of characters, A Deadly Covenant is an atmospheric and intricately plotted tale that once again shines a light on the inexperienced but larger than life Detective Kubu. Michael Stanley’s writing is sharp and intelligent, weaving an intense tale of intrigue and suspense that will keep you on your toes throughout. I would go as far as to say that this second book in the series is even better than the first and hope to revisit even more of Detective Kubu’s early cases in the future.
An exciting and cleverly written thriller that I loved, A Deadly Covenant is a book that I would highly recommend.
A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley is available to purchase now:
Check out what these other fabulous bloggers have to say about this book:
Cal Turner Reviews 
Thanks for the blog tour support x
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