Why a Booktrail?
2000s: “There’s no easy way to say this, Kubu. Your father’s dead. I’m afraid he’s been murdered.”
Death in the Family (Detective Kubu 5)
What you need to know before your trail
When Detective Kubu’s father is found murdered, things seem as if they can’t any worse. His grief is overwhelming but he tries to use his anger to find the man who killed his beloved dad. Not surprisingly, he is soon taken off the case before it even gets started. Too close and just what kind of justice would he want to dole out if he found the person responsible?
Kubu however struggles to stay away, and ‘meddles’ in the police investigation. His colleagues are only trying to do their jobs but he finds it hard to be sidelined in this way.
Given a case of a suspected suicide to work on, that of the deputy of the Department of Mines, Goodman Kanele, Kubu finds his investigative energy rising again. But once again his curiosity comes to the fore as he is convinced that this man was murdered and that he might be on the cusp of something altogether more sinister….
Locations
ResetTravel Guide
African culture
The death of a family matriarch in any culture is a tragic and painful time but there is a real sense of community here.
Kubu’s mother of course is at the centre of the arrangements but this is when the community aspect of the culture and of the place they live really shines since there are many people who come to help – a funeral here is a family and community affair and the funeral traditions of Botswana are both poignant and insightful. The women are the nurturers, taking care of everyone.
Kubu travelling to America.
An African detective travelling to America in order to investigate a suspected suicide and mining mystery is both a trial and a challenge. It can’t be easy carrying out an investigation in your own country but to move away to such an alien country so far away with new methods and ways of working is harder still.
To see America through the eyes of Kubu though is fascinating!
Mining Culture
Shosong is a town not far from where Kubu’s ancestors are from. There are problems with these mines since the communities are saying that the companies are going back on promises of jobs and money promised to the locals. The atmosphere gets heated and soon expands to struggles between the government and the foreign companies wanting to make money – and of course the workers stuck in the middle. Living in a country with rich resources that they never get to see.
Booktrailer Review
Susan: @thebooktrailer
This is only the second book I’ve read in the series but I feel as if I’ve known Kubu for ages. I felt a gamut of emotions with this book from sadness to fear as it was an eye opener in many ways to Botswana culture, looking at how death and its aftermath and how the local community come together but are still separated between male and female duties and expectations
I really felt for poor Kubu!
I also really enjoyed learning about the mining storyline – we all have some idea of how local people in countries such as Botswama suffer from the foreign companies and corrupt politicians when it comes to local resources. Definately a country in transition as well as a detective in inner turmoil.
There’s a lot going on in this novel – it’s not just the mines where there’s digging and buried things being discovered.
The story surrounding Kubu really pulled at my heartstrings and I thought it made for interesting read having two investigations with Kubu at the heart of both, albeit in different ways.
Where Next?
