iceangel9's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The first in the Detective Kubu mysteries. Set in Botswana, Detective Kubu is called in when a hyena is found eating what's left of a man's body near a water hole. His attempt to discover the identity of the man and arrest his killer leads him into the midst of some very powerful people with some very dangerous secrets. A very good crime novel with characters and a setting you will want to visit again.
saracook's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
tobyyy's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This was… okay. Very twisty turny, but also very, very long. I enjoyed it mostly but there were times when I had to convince myself to keep reading since it just felt very slow from about 30-60% (approximately). I am interested to see how the rest of the series goes. Kubu was a very likable main character.
This was… okay. Very twisty turny, but also very, very long. I enjoyed it mostly but there were times when I had to convince myself to keep reading since it just felt very slow from about 30-60% (approximately). I am interested to see how the rest of the series goes. Kubu was a very likable main character.
usbsticky's review
4.0
Spoiler/synopsis: A partly eaten body is found near a waterhole in Botswana. Meanwhile a whistle-blower geologist is making noises a diamond mine. Are the two connected?
This the first Detective Kubu book I've read. I picked it because the series has a decent number of books and it's set in Botswana, a country I don't know much about.
The writing is pretty easy to read and follow and I like the characters and the setting. Kubu is quite a large fellow and he works (and eats) tirelessly to crack the case. But despite his best efforts, no one involved is inclined to help him. The supporting case of characters are also quite well done and they include members of his family as well as members of his police department. There is enough detail about Botswana to make it interesting.
The first part of the book read like one of Wilbur Smith's African books, which is a compliment. But the book is a bit overly long though. The police procedural part is fairly standard, Kubu questions witnesses, makes observations and hypothesis and follows up. He does this over and over to chase down the answer. We do see some of the action from the criminals' point of view, but not all of it so we can see what else is going on. I kept thinking how long this book was, the writing could be a bit crisper. In the end, I thought the mystery part was satisfying but the ending was a bit too abrupt, it seemed like the author didn't know quite how to write an ending. But I enjoyed it and I'm reading # 2 now.
This the first Detective Kubu book I've read. I picked it because the series has a decent number of books and it's set in Botswana, a country I don't know much about.
The writing is pretty easy to read and follow and I like the characters and the setting. Kubu is quite a large fellow and he works (and eats) tirelessly to crack the case. But despite his best efforts, no one involved is inclined to help him. The supporting case of characters are also quite well done and they include members of his family as well as members of his police department. There is enough detail about Botswana to make it interesting.
The first part of the book read like one of Wilbur Smith's African books, which is a compliment. But the book is a bit overly long though. The police procedural part is fairly standard, Kubu questions witnesses, makes observations and hypothesis and follows up. He does this over and over to chase down the answer. We do see some of the action from the criminals' point of view, but not all of it so we can see what else is going on. I kept thinking how long this book was, the writing could be a bit crisper. In the end, I thought the mystery part was satisfying but the ending was a bit too abrupt, it seemed like the author didn't know quite how to write an ending. But I enjoyed it and I'm reading # 2 now.
bookcraft's review against another edition
4.0
A well-written and gripping mystery. I like the character of Detective Kubu, and the details about Botswana's culture are fascinating. I figured out the identity of the murder victim ahead of the reveal, but not as far ahead as I usually do, and I intuited the other major plot point very early, but that had more to do with an "ooh, wouldn't it be cool if..." guess than picking up on any clues in the narrative, so I'm not going to ding the authors for that. :-)
I discovered this series while looking around for more books read by Simon Prebble, whose narration I enjoy, and I'm definitely going to be sticking around for more books in the series.
I discovered this series while looking around for more books read by Simon Prebble, whose narration I enjoy, and I'm definitely going to be sticking around for more books in the series.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: May 29th 2021
“Words can be more important than we might think!”
After finally meeting Detective Kubu in the prequel Facets Of Death in last month, I knew I wanted to return to the series very soon. I fell in love with both the Botswana/South Africa setting and the main character Kubu himself, and I've been looking forward to return to the series to see what will happen to Kubu and the other characters in the first book A Carrion Death. And I most definitely liked what I found! While I do have to say that the story is a tad too long and drawn out, as a whole I still had a great time reading this story. This both has to do with the main character Kubu, who is very easy to like, and the extensive descriptions of the many different settings throughout the story and investigation. The descriptions really made Botswana (and South Africa) come alive for me and I really enjoyed learning more about the local flora and fauna as well as customs. The story also brought back great memories of my time in Portugal, and the investigation itself was fascinating to follow. I did guess part of the final twist right early on, but as a whole A Carrion Death turned out to be an entertaining and well written detective series with a brilliantly described setting. If you like the genre, make sure to schedule a trip to Africa to meet Detective Kubu!
susanatwestofmars's review
3.0
I like this well enough; it kept me engaged and was a good read. I really liked how it was structured, breaking away from a traditional police procedural plot. I loved the setting and the immersion into Botswana. But overall, this didn't grab me and hold me, and Kubu wasn't distinctive enough for me to follow through with this series. Not when there are so many others out there.
I read a criticism the other day that publishing is overfull. Maybe it is. But I know this turned into a long-running series and that the cream rises to the top.
Maybe it just wasn't my thing, as much as I wanted it to be.
Five bucks says one day I'll be somewhere and run across the second in the series and give it a whirl. Because, really, the biggest problem with this book is that there's too much else out there demanding my attention. And that's not fair to the book or to its authors.
I read a criticism the other day that publishing is overfull. Maybe it is. But I know this turned into a long-running series and that the cream rises to the top.
Maybe it just wasn't my thing, as much as I wanted it to be.
Five bucks says one day I'll be somewhere and run across the second in the series and give it a whirl. Because, really, the biggest problem with this book is that there's too much else out there demanding my attention. And that's not fair to the book or to its authors.
dlmoldovan's review
3.0
Definitely not a cozy. The plot is somewhat choppy, and the authors skip around a bit, so we see the perspective of several of the characters. The setting is beautifully done, the detective and the rest of the regular cast are well developed for a first novel, and the authors give us an introduction to life in Botswana. Hopefully in their next novel the two authors will simplify their plot a bit, and continue to develop their main characters.
mactammonty's review
4.0
So many twists and a very open ended finish. A very good book. I will be returning for more.