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A Death in the Family: A Detective Kubu Mystery    by Michael Stanley Amazon.com order for
Death in the Family
by Michael Stanley
Order:  USA  Can
Minotaur, 2015 (2015)
Hardcover, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

A Death in the Family is the fifth in the Detective Kubu mystery series, set in Botswana and written by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. It stars portly Assistant Superintendant David Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. His nickname 'Kubu' is Setswana for hippo, hinting at his size, love of food, and determination.

One of the nicest aspects of this series has been Detective Kubu's close knit family. It's devastated this time around by the murder of his beloved father Wilmon, a traditional healer - why would anyone kills such an elderly man, who had been suffering increasing dementia? Of course, Kubu wants to keep close to the investigation and, of course, Director Mabaku insists that he stay well clear of it as his involvement would compromise an eventual case against the perpetrator.

The night he was killed, Wilmon had gone out to meet someone - who and why? Why did they ransack his house after his death and what has become of his will? As the investigation - and Kubu's frustration with it - develops, there is unrest in Shoshong, where the young men want the chief to sell land to a mining operation as it would give them jobs - violence erupts and deaths follow. Is there a connection between these events and Wilmon's murder?

Kubu keeps on digging, even after he is suspended - and the truth is finally uncovered, with an ironic twist in the ending. If you like cozies and foreign mysteries, then dive into this delightful series.

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