Library Notes
Betty Moore
Mysteries set in Africa

Combine your love of intriguing mysteries with a chance to explore locations in Africa you may never get a chance to visit in person. Rowan Public Library has several new mysteries that give readers a taste of less familiar locales while delving into some of each region’s social and cultural issues. The books have a lot of variety - from gentle humor to gritty realism, from life in modern cities to traditional villages to nomad camps.
Many mystery readers have already discovered Alexander McCall Smith’s gentle stories about Mma Ramotswe’s Number One Ladies Detective Agency in Botswana. The author’s love of that country and its people shines through his series.
That is also true of a new series by Michael Stanley set in Botswana that features police detective David Bengu. In the series debut, “Carrion Death,” he investigates the case of a body found in a remote game preserve and keeps finding links to the country’s largest company – Botswana Cattle and Mining. This forensic thriller contains well-developed characters and grisly realism in its intricate plot. It also looks at issues such as poaching, diamond smuggling, and the status of the Kalahari Bushmen. The second in the series is “The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu.”
Charlotte author Tamar Myers steps outside the box of her two long-time mystery series (Den of Antiquity and Pennsylvania Dutch) to pen “The Witch Doctor’s Wife,” a stand-alone mystery set in the Congo in the 1950’s. Amanda, a 23-year-old native of South Carolina, has come to the Congo to run a missionary guesthouse. As she struggles with culture shock, she becomes involved in the lives of local villagers. After Amanda hires the wife of a local witch doctor, the discovery of a large uncut diamond leads to that woman being charged with murder.
The novel is based on many of Myers’ own experiences growing up there as the daughter of white missionaries. She also weaves in African folktales and local customs. In a starred review, Publisher’s Weekly says, “This marks a major breakthrough for Myers.”
“Wife of the Gods,” Kwei Quartey’s debut, brings Ghana to life. It is the story of Detective Inspector Darko Dawson, who goes to the village of Ketanu to solve the murder of a young AIDS worker. He learns about Trokosi, a system where young teenage girls are sent to live with fetish priests to bring good fortune to their families. As he solves a recent murder, Darko discovers the shocking truth about his own mother's disappearance.
A physician who grew up in Ghana, author Quartey compares western medicine to traditional medicine and supernatural beliefs. He also looks at contrasts within Ghana between wealth and poverty, education and illiteracy, and more.
Three recent mysteries set in South Africa have all received starred reviews. “A Beautiful Place to Die” by film maker Malla Nunn explores the country’s divided society of the 1950s. “Cape Greed” by Sam Cole “combines the street smarts of Elmore Leonard with Deon Meyer’s gritty depictions of South Africa,” according to Library Journal. Deon Meyer’s own latest thriller, “Blood Safari,” is set mainly in the country’s game preserves.