Longtime fans of Michael Stanley's wonderful Detective Kubu series should love this prequel. Readers who've never met the wily detective before can easily start with Facets of Death, find themselves hooked, and move on to the rest of the series.
We meet Kubu on his very first day on the job, and we also get to see him meet the woman who will become his wife. We see how Kubu deals with jealousy in the workforce, and-- heavens above-- does this young man soak up knowledge like the proverbial sponge! He makes mistakes, learns from them, and begins to learn to trust his instincts. Facets of Death is great for learning Kubu's backstory.
But, as in all of Michael Stanley's books, that's not all we learn. There are two excellent mysteries to solve (the diamond robbery and the missing luggage at the airport), and we learn how the police forces in Botswana and South Africa cooperate with each other. If that's not enough, there's information about the diamond business to absorb as well.
Some readers love Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I read three or four of them and found them a bit too precious (pun intended). I was thrilled when I discovered Detective Kubu. Michael Stanley provides the same insights into the people and culture of Botswana, the same knowledge of the country, but with mysteries that have more bite. I'd no more miss a Detective Kubu mystery than I would forget to brush my teeth in the morning. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting David "Kubu" Bengu, get your hands on a copy of Facets of Death. You can thank me later.
We meet Kubu on his very first day on the job, and we also get to see him meet the woman who will become his wife. We see how Kubu deals with jealousy in the workforce, and-- heavens above-- does this young man soak up knowledge like the proverbial sponge! He makes mistakes, learns from them, and begins to learn to trust his instincts. Facets of Death is great for learning Kubu's backstory.
But, as in all of Michael Stanley's books, that's not all we learn. There are two excellent mysteries to solve (the diamond robbery and the missing luggage at the airport), and we learn how the police forces in Botswana and South Africa cooperate with each other. If that's not enough, there's information about the diamond business to absorb as well.
Some readers love Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I read three or four of them and found them a bit too precious (pun intended). I was thrilled when I discovered Detective Kubu. Michael Stanley provides the same insights into the people and culture of Botswana, the same knowledge of the country, but with mysteries that have more bite. I'd no more miss a Detective Kubu mystery than I would forget to brush my teeth in the morning. If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting David "Kubu" Bengu, get your hands on a copy of Facets of Death. You can thank me later.
