Book Review: Death of the Mantis by Michael Stanley

I enjoyed reading about the country of Botswana and the people of the Kalahari Desert, the Bushmen. I also found the main character, Detective Kubu, a person with an endearing personality who does his best as Assistant Superintendent of the police force while trying to please his wife, Joy, who prefers to have Kubu spend more time at home with her and their new baby.

When a park ranger, Monzo, is found killed in the desert with three Bushmen by his side, suspicion is immediately cast on the Bushmen, who are often discriminated against in Botswana. Detective Kubu makes no such assumptions, however, but pursues the case with care and detail. When another man is killed in the desert, a man from the nearby country of Namibia, Kubu has to travel there to further investigate, much to Joy's dismay. He also has to travel further into the Kalahari, where he almost dies from the heat and lack of water.

There is suspense and intrigue about the Bushmen, who call themselves the people of the Mantis, and about their sacred places in the desert. I found the book intriguing and would read the previous mysteries in the series.

Title: Death of the Mantis: A Detective Kubu Mystery by Michael Stanley
Publisher: Harper Paperbacks; Original edition, September 6, 2011
Source: review copy from the publisher
Rating: 4/5
My rating of this book is in no way influenced by my receiving a complimentary copy for review.

For more information on the authors, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, and for a list of other reviews, visit Death of the Mantis Book Tour held by TLC Book Tours.