annieb123's review against another edition
5.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Facets of Death is the 7th book in the Detective Kubu mysteries by Michael Stanley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a fun departure from the rest of the strongly chronological series in the form of a prequel including David ("Kubu") Bengu's very earliest days as a detective in the Botswana police. I really enjoyed reading about his earliest days with his wife Joy, and finding his place in the police as a straight-from-university detective.
He's such an intelligent, humble, capable, and benign figure and it's nice to see him solving his early cases and winning over his resentful colleagues with his huge presence and personality. For readers who are unfamiliar with the series, this is a very good entry point to the series. Kubu is drawn into the interwoven subplots (stolen tourist luggage at the local airport along with a brutal and historic diamond heist) and his survival in the force and possibly his literal survival depend on his successfully navigating office politics and international smuggling and murder.
The writing is capable, full of good humor, gentle, and suffused with the warmth and beauty of Africa. I always look forward to each new book in this series, but it was especially fine to get to read about Kubu's early days in the force and his early relationships with people readers have come to know well over the course of the series.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Facets of Death is the 7th book in the Detective Kubu mysteries by Michael Stanley. Due out 7th Jan 2020 from Poisoned Pen Press, it's 336 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is a fun departure from the rest of the strongly chronological series in the form of a prequel including David ("Kubu") Bengu's very earliest days as a detective in the Botswana police. I really enjoyed reading about his earliest days with his wife Joy, and finding his place in the police as a straight-from-university detective.
He's such an intelligent, humble, capable, and benign figure and it's nice to see him solving his early cases and winning over his resentful colleagues with his huge presence and personality. For readers who are unfamiliar with the series, this is a very good entry point to the series. Kubu is drawn into the interwoven subplots (stolen tourist luggage at the local airport along with a brutal and historic diamond heist) and his survival in the force and possibly his literal survival depend on his successfully navigating office politics and international smuggling and murder.
The writing is capable, full of good humor, gentle, and suffused with the warmth and beauty of Africa. I always look forward to each new book in this series, but it was especially fine to get to read about Kubu's early days in the force and his early relationships with people readers have come to know well over the course of the series.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
pickachu780's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? No
4.5
usbsticky's review against another edition
5.0
Probably the best of the Kubu series I've read so far. It's a prequel and deals with Kubu's first day on his job, his meeting his boss, colleagues and wife for the first time. For those not familiar with this series, it's a police procedural set in the southern African country of Botswana, which is a stable democratically run country. Kubu is a CID assistant superintendent in most of the series but he is just a sergeant just out of university in this one.
Spoiler/synopsis. This book deals with an armored car hijack and the investigation to catch the crooks. I like this book because it's relatively straightforward without some of the author's sometime digressions which can prolong the story with sidetrips. In fact, this is the shortest of the Kubu books I've read, finishing it in a couple of days.
I generally like the series because I'm a fan of Kubu the character. He is an avid eater and food is on his mind a lot. But mostly I like him because he is a very pleasant character in a good mood most of the time, intelligent, determined and good at solving cases. He also has self-doubts and not afraid to question himself, making him very a realistic character instead of some cardboard cut-out detective. I also like his family and support staff. The Botswana setting is very nice. I don't think I'll ever be able to visit the country but this seems to be the next best thing.
I highly recommend this series if you like exploring new countries and police protocols
Spoiler/synopsis. This book deals with an armored car hijack and the investigation to catch the crooks. I like this book because it's relatively straightforward without some of the author's sometime digressions which can prolong the story with sidetrips. In fact, this is the shortest of the Kubu books I've read, finishing it in a couple of days.
I generally like the series because I'm a fan of Kubu the character. He is an avid eater and food is on his mind a lot. But mostly I like him because he is a very pleasant character in a good mood most of the time, intelligent, determined and good at solving cases. He also has self-doubts and not afraid to question himself, making him very a realistic character instead of some cardboard cut-out detective. I also like his family and support staff. The Botswana setting is very nice. I don't think I'll ever be able to visit the country but this seems to be the next best thing.
I highly recommend this series if you like exploring new countries and police protocols
harrisoncrerar's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: April 9th 2021
"It doesn't matter what you think; it's what other people believe that's important."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
Even though this series has been on my radar for quite some time, somehow it has managed to slip between the cracks of my TBR mountain until now... And I'm definitely kicking myself for not finding time for this series sooner now that I have had the chance to read this prequel! Although I guess Facets Of Death also ended up being a great way to finally introduce myself to Detective Kubu right at the beginning of his career. And I will most definitely come back for more in the future!
The first thing that stands out in Facets Of Death is of course the setting. I love a book that takes me to a different country or even continent, so having this story take place in Botswana (and to a lesser extent in South Africa) was a huge bonus for me. The descriptions of the different settings were thorough, vivid and really made them come alive for me. The addition of words and phrases in the local languages gave the story an original touch, and really spoke to my inner philologist. It was also great to test my (I confess limited) knowledge of Afrikaans along the way, but no worries: the story provides you with a glossary in case you cannot deduce the meaning of the foreign elements from the context.
Detective Kubu is definitely the star of the show, and I knew Kubu and me were going to get along almost from the moment I met him. There is just something about his character that is extremely likeable, and both his personality and way of investigating things definitely helped turning Facets Of Death into a success for me. I like how the story not only focuses on the missing diamonds and investigation, but also gives us information about Kubu's personal life as well as hints of growth in his character. I will most definitely be looking forward to see how he will evolve in the rest of the series!
The plot itself of Facets Of Death is likewise a big success. We have a multiple murder investigation, we have a huge amount of missing diamonds, we have a witch doctor angle, we have a possible international connection... And lots of intrigue, action, plot twists and hidden facts along the way. Due to the nature of the case, there are a lot of people involved in the investigation, but new detective Kubu is very present along the way and I really liked his contributions to the case. And there were definitely a few twists I didn't see coming either!
In short, Facets Of Death turned out to be a more than successful introduction to Detective Kubu and I will most definitely be starting the rest of the series very soon. If you enjoy a well written and suspenseful detective thriller with an original setting and a likeable main character, I can recommend giving this series a go.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
robinwalter's review against another edition
informative
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
A very satisfying prequel, with both the story and the characters delivering well. The diamond heist was well constructed, and seeing Kubu start on the job and his life was great fun.
kittymewers's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little puzzle! I'd love to read more of Detective Kubu's cases.
beckylej's review
4.0
It's Detective David Bengu's (aka Kubu) first day on the job and it appears he'll be delving into an exciting case of missing luggage.
But then, an armored vehicle is reported stolen.
Shortly after it goes missing, the vehicle is found. Two of the employees of the shipping company have been shot, a third is missing. And the cargo—a case from a local diamond mine—has disappeared.
The case is one that fascinates the new detective and it's his first opportunity to work out in the field. The company usually transports their diamonds via plane but just that day the plane in question caught fire, landing the pilot in the hospital. And so an emergency plan was enacted: three identical cases would be loaded onto three different armored transport vehicles. Two of the cases are filled with gravel and the third is filled with uncut diamonds. No one is to know which case has the actual diamonds until they arrive at their destination.
It's supposed to be a foolproof plan and one that only a small number of people know the details of. Obviously, the plan isn't as foolproof as believed and someone has been carefully planning this heist for some time!
I think that it would be safe to say that this is the book every Michael Stanley fan has been waiting for!
Back in 2008, the authors made their debut in the series with A Carrion Death, but there were hints about Kubu's early days as a detective. Facets of Death is a prequel to the series, set before A Carrion Death. Which also means it's a great starting place for anyone who isn't familiar with the South African detective series!
Kubu comes across a bit like a Columbo in this one. His mind is always going and his very different track to detective—recruited rather than working his way up the ranks—means he has a different approach to the investigations at hand. Not that that's always a great thing! He's called out after questioning the airfield employee and pilot for not quite asking the right questions!
It's fun to see Kubu learning his way into the role! And as always, I enjoy the peek inside a culture and country that are so literally foreign to me!
But then, an armored vehicle is reported stolen.
Shortly after it goes missing, the vehicle is found. Two of the employees of the shipping company have been shot, a third is missing. And the cargo—a case from a local diamond mine—has disappeared.
The case is one that fascinates the new detective and it's his first opportunity to work out in the field. The company usually transports their diamonds via plane but just that day the plane in question caught fire, landing the pilot in the hospital. And so an emergency plan was enacted: three identical cases would be loaded onto three different armored transport vehicles. Two of the cases are filled with gravel and the third is filled with uncut diamonds. No one is to know which case has the actual diamonds until they arrive at their destination.
It's supposed to be a foolproof plan and one that only a small number of people know the details of. Obviously, the plan isn't as foolproof as believed and someone has been carefully planning this heist for some time!
I think that it would be safe to say that this is the book every Michael Stanley fan has been waiting for!
Back in 2008, the authors made their debut in the series with A Carrion Death, but there were hints about Kubu's early days as a detective. Facets of Death is a prequel to the series, set before A Carrion Death. Which also means it's a great starting place for anyone who isn't familiar with the South African detective series!
Kubu comes across a bit like a Columbo in this one. His mind is always going and his very different track to detective—recruited rather than working his way up the ranks—means he has a different approach to the investigations at hand. Not that that's always a great thing! He's called out after questioning the airfield employee and pilot for not quite asking the right questions!
It's fun to see Kubu learning his way into the role! And as always, I enjoy the peek inside a culture and country that are so literally foreign to me!
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last as I found it gripping and entertaining.
I loved the vivid descriptions of Africa, the well thought cast of characters, and the well crafted plot.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other stories in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I loved the vivid descriptions of Africa, the well thought cast of characters, and the well crafted plot.
The mystery is solid and it kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading other stories in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.