Death of the Mantis (Detective Kubu Book 3)

Description

The third novel in the fantastic Detective 'Kubu' Bengu crime series is set in the southern Kalahari area of Botswana - a place full of buried lost cities, incredible hidden wealth, ancient gods and, for thousands of years, home to the nomadic Bushmen. When a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dead, fallen into a donga - a dry ravine - surrounded by three Bushmen, the local police arrest the nomads. Detective 'Kubu' Bengu is on the case, which reunites him with his old school friend Khumanego, a Bushman and now an advocate for his people. Khumanego believes the arrests are motivated by racist antagonism from the police, as the Bushmen are claiming that they were at the murder scene because they were trying to help. Soon after Monzo's death, Detective 'Kubu' learns of another case involving two botany students on their way back from a specimen-collecting trip but who were later found dead, seemingly poisoned, at a campground. Could the deaths be connected?

Michael Stanley is the writing team of native Africans Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. The two friends have had many adventures together, including tracking lions at night, fighting bush fires on the Savuti plains in northern Botswana, surviving a charging elephant, and losing their navigation maps while flying over the Kalahari. Sears lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. Stanley divides his time between South Africa and Minneapolis, MN.

"DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book I've read in a very long time. A fantastic read. Brilliant!"--Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author of Bury Your Dead "Impossible to put down, this immensely readable third entry. . . delivers the goods. Kubu's painstaking detecting skills make him a sort of Hercule Poirot of the desert. . . . This series can be recommended to a wide gamut of readers."--Library Journal (starred review) "Kubu's third recorded case is again alive with local color and detail and, refreshingly, offers his fullest mystery plot yet."--Kirkus Reviews "Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back! A page-turner from start to finish. Michael Stanley's enthralling series is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today's Africa. Kubu--DEATH OF THE MANTIS--Michael Stanley: the perfect mystery trifecta for any crime fan."--Charles Todd, New York times bestselling author of A Matter of Justice "DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book yet in one of the best series going: a serious novel with a mystery at its core that takes us places we've never been, thrills and informs us, and leaves us changed by the experience. I loved this book."--Timothy Hallinan, author of The Queen of Patpong and A Nail Through the Heart