Detective Kubu

Smashed skull, snapped ribs, and a cloying smell of carrion. Leave the body for the hyenas to devour-no body, no case. But Kalahari game rangers stumble on the human corpse mid-meal. The murder wasn't perfect after all. Enter Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department, an investigator whose personality and physique match his moniker, the Setswana word for hippopotamus-which is a seemingly docile beast, but one of the deadliest, and most persistent, on the continent. Beneath a mountain of lies and superstitions, Kubu uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country-cold-bloodedly efficient and frighteningly influential enemies who can make anyone who gets in their way disappear.

The second book in the Inspector Kubu series-penned by a pair of Crime Writers' Association Award-winning South African authors writing under the name Michael Stanley-The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu treats readers to a gripping and atmospheric story of money, murder, and hidden motives at a remote bush camp in northern Botswana. Set in a country immortalized by Alexander McCall Smith in his The #1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu again features an unforgettable lead character.

In the southern Kalahari area of Botswana-an arid landscape of legends that speak of lost cities, hidden wealth, and ancient gods-a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dying from a severe head wound in a dry ravine. Three Bushmen surround the doomed man, but are they his killers or there to help? Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is on the case, an investigation that his old school friend Khumanego claims is motivated by racist antagonism on the part of the local police. But when a second bizarre murder, and then a third, seem to point also to the nomadic tribe, the intrepid Kubu must journey into the depths of the Kalahari to uncover the truth. What he discovers there will test all his powers of detection . . . and his ability to remain alive.

Deadly Harvest in Michael Stanley's beloved Detective Kubu series tracks a series of murders and a mysterious witch doctor whose nefarious potions might hold the key to a web of missing persons. When young girls start to go missing, Samantha, a new detective on the Botswana police force suspects that muti, a traditional African medicine, is the reason. She and Detective David "Kubu" Bengu race to stop a serial killer, all as the father of one of the victims threatens to take matters into his own hands. Weaving together a thrilling mystery with a fascinating look at modern-day Africa, Deadly Harvest is filled with elements suspense and plot twists that will keep you captivated until the very end.

"I found A Deadly Covenant completely intriguing and engrossing, and the Bushman scenes fascinating. Vividly painted scenery, and I can feel the oppressive heat. Talk about Sunshine Noir!" – Kwei Quartey, author of the Emma Djan and Darko Dawson mysteries "The unmatched beauty, spirit, and mystery of Africa never fails to come to life in Michael Stanley's award-winning Botswana-based Detective 'Kubu' series. A Deadly Covenant is an irresistible page-turner and a powerful contribution to the Kubu saga." – Jeffrey Siger, author of the Andreas Kaldis series This is the eighth book in the Detective Kubu series and the second with him as a young man.While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the skeleton of a long-dead Bushman. Kubu and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons.Then an elder of the nearby village is murdered at his home. The local police believe it was a robbery, but Kubu thinks otherwise. So does a strange woman who claims it was an angry river spirit. The situation gets more confusing when the strange woman is found dead, apparently killed by a crocodile.Assistant Superintendent Mabaku joins them as accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families. But how do the recent murders link to the dead Bushmen, if at all? As Kubu and his colleagues investigate, they uncover a deadly covenant and begin to fear that their own lives may be in danger.The young Kubu's second big case mixes local mythology and tradition with smart police work to make for a satisfyingly immersive mystery that begs resolution until the last, unpredictable moment.

This BOXED SET contains all the Michael Stanley short stories included in the successful Detective Kubu Investigates 1 & 2 and African Mysteries collections. It features thirteen twisty cases from Botswana and elsewhere. There's also an interview with Kubu himself, and exclusive excerpts from the new Kubu novel A Deadly Covenant to be released in 2022. A man is killed while rhino poaching, but is it as straightforward as it appears? A garbage collector makes a horrifying discovery in a bin. Is he the culprit or a victim? And a witch doctor sets out to solve crimes with the help of the spirits. How does that work out? A man is stabbed outside a bar. Is it just a jealous fight or is there something much more sinister behind it? A writer at a weekend party is writing a noir short story set in the house where he's staying, but it seems to be coming true. In seven of the stories Kubu investigates crimes in Botswana. Four detectives with very different styles and methods solve cases in South Africa, and there are two bonus stories set outside Africa. Best-selling British mystery author Peter James wrote of Michael Stanley's work, "I was gripped and entranced from the first page. A wonderful, original voice-McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly." Michael Stanley is the pen name of two South Africans-Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip-who write fiction together. Their award-winning novels featuring Detective Kubu are A Carrion Death, The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu (A Deadly Trade, outside North America), Death of the Mantis, Deadly Harvest, A Death in the Family, Dying to Live, and Facets of Death. They also have a stand-alone thriller Shoot the Bastards (Dead of Night, outside North America).