Title: Facets of Death
Author: Michael Stanley
ISBN: 9781464211270
Publisher: Orenda Books
Pages: 338
Source: ARC from Publisher for Blog Tour
Blog Tour: Organised by Anne Cater from Random Things Tours
Recruited straight from university to Botswana’s CID, David ‘Kubu’ Bengu has raised his colleagues’ suspicions with his meteoric rise within the department, and he has a lot to prove.
When the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats worth of gems, and the thieves are found, executed, Kubu leaps at the chance to prove himself. First, he must find the diamonds – and it seems that a witch doctor and his son have a part to play.
Does this young detective have the skill and integrity to engineer an international trap? Or could it cost him everything?
Official Summary
This crime thriller is set in Botswana and tells the story of a young man starting his career as a police detective, his desire to perform well and impress his bosses. He is faced with judgement from his new colleagues and when he can least afford it, he meets a woman that makes it difficult for him to think straight.
Picking up this book I was not sure what to expect, fiction based in Africa do not usually appeal to me. However, the author created a very realistic storyline filled with characters you like from the beginning. The only thing I can say didn’t gel for me was the timeline – this is Africa after all and nothing ever happens that quickly. The rest of the story was realistic and believable.
David “Kubu” Bengu walks into the Botswana CID on his first day, eager to start his career as a detective. Straight out of university, with no street experience, he finds his colleagues are rather suspicious of him and he needs to work hard to gain their trust and assistance.
When a diamond heist results in the loss of 100,000 carrots of diamonds the young detective is eager to prove himself. The involvement of a witch doctor leaves a lot of people uncomfortable, but Kubu, who does not believe in the power of a witch doctor, takes unexpected risks to get to the bottom of this mystery.
I quickly lost myself in Kubu’s world, racing through this book in two days. I enjoyed the hunt for the truth and Kubu’s inexperience made this an enjoyable read. The author managed to keep the man behind the crime well hidden, leaving you eager to find out who the brain behind the plan was. Only right to the end do all the pieces fit together. The story was realistic, even if things happened a little faster than they would have in real life.
The author kept his characters realistic and I found myself rooting for the inexperienced Kubu to show what he could do. Picking a favourite, well I would have to say that Colonel Venter was simply brilliant. This old school South African policeman left me smiling.
I found Facets of Death to be a realistic, entertaining reading and yes, I have added this book to my loved list for 2021.
If you enjoy a crime thriller that keeps you wondering, this book is guaranteed to entertain you. As a thriller fan who normally steers clear of African fiction, I have no problem saying this book was a refreshing change and something I would recommend to crime and thriller enthusiasts.
Watch the Book Trailer:
About The Author
Author bio from the author’s site
Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip.
Both are retired professors who have worked in academia and business. Sears is a mathematician, specializing in geological remote sensing. Trollip is an educational psychologist, specializing in the application of computers to teaching and learning, and a pilot. They were both born in South Africa.
They have been on a number of flying safaris to Botswana and Zimbabwe, where it was always exciting to buzz a dirt airstrip to shoo the elephants off. They have had many adventures on these trips including tracking lions at night, fighting bush fires on the Savuti plains in northern Botswana, being charged by an elephant, and having their plane’s door pop open over the Kalahari, scattering navigation maps over the desert. These trips have fed their love both for the bush and for Botswana.
It was on one of these trips that the idea surfaced for a novel set in Botswana.
Since I started participating in blog tours with Random Things Tours, I have expanded my reading tenfold. Thank you, Anne Cater, from Random Things Tours, for including me in this blog tour. This book was not in my usual comfort zone and I loved every minute of it. To Michael Stanley, thank you for a wonderfully entertaining read. If you have not read this book yet, get a copy! When you do, let me know what you think of Facets of Death by leaving a comment below. Until next time….. Happy Reading!
Nice review – sounds like an interesting read!
Thanks
Great review. Will check this book out.
It’s a great “local” story
Thanks for the blog tour support xx
It’s a pleasure!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review Facets of Death. We’re delighted you enjoyed it. We had great fun writing it as we explored Kubu’s early years.
We hope your readers will visit our website at http://www.michaelstanleybooks.com. There’s information about our other books, and you can download a couple of short stories for free.
Cheers,
Stan Trollip (half of Michael Stanley)
Reading the book was time well spent – enjoyed every minute.
Thanks so much for the review, Zelda! We take your point about the speed at which things happen in Africa. In fact, generally speaking forensics and DNA take much longer than fiction suggests.
All the best
Michael.
The book was a really good read – I loved it!