A first novel saturated with local color New York Times Book Review, April 13, 2008   A first novel saturated with local color. . . . Happily, Kubu is also hugely appealing— big and solid and smart enough to grasp all angles of this mystery. Readers may be lured to Africa by the landscape, but it takes a great character like Kubu to win our loyalty.   This is a marvellous debut… Boston Globe April 14, 2008   … readers … will be rewarded by a complicated police procedural that`s more smart than bloody, particularly once Detective David Bengu, nicknamed "Kubu," is called in. So-called because his immense girth reminded an old school chum of a hippo, "kubu" in Setswana, this detective has both the seemingly slow and gentle manner and the underlying ferocity of his namesake. Like such great fictional detectives as Guido Brunetti (from Donna Leon`s Venetian series), Kubu appreciates the finer things in life, including good food, music, and the love of his intelligent wife, Joy. The story, with its interlocking strands, is complicated but well thought-out, with clues that will have readers flipping back chapters to check alibis and opportunities. … most of the characters in this first outing are utterly believable, for good or ill. And many, including Kubu`s new friend, Professor Bongani Sibisi, hold great promise as series regulars. Kubu himself is a marvelous creation, his distinctive characteristics - his weight, his taste in music - as well considered as the plot. And if his Botswana is more violent than McCall Smith`s, it is depicted with its distinctive beauty intact as well. This is a marvelous debut, and with any luck, Kubu`s next outing will be as filling and tasty as one of the large man`s dream meals.   The complete picture... Sarah Weinman, Los Angeles Times, April 13, 2008   Assistant Superintendent David Bengu . . . shares a number of traits with McCall Smith`s signature heroine. His nickname, "Kubu," is Setswanan for "hippopotamus," suggesting a traditional build confirmed by his penchant for wearing African shirts, size XXXL. His marriage to Joy is built upon the same practical foundations of love that bind Precious Ramotswe to her garage-owning husband, J.L.B. Maketoni. And like Precious, Kubu takes a warm-hearted approach to life`s incidentals -- especially if they happen to be accompanied by heaping plates of food. But Stanley, the merged name of the South African writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, makes clear early on that Kubu will travel down darker and more ghastly paths than Precious ever does. But then, murder investigation is Kubu`s job, and the discovery of two bodies in the wild with almost all possible identification marks eliminated means that the job quickly involves sifting through a labyrinthine mosaic of diamond smuggling, family strife and generations of closely guarded secrets that the Kalahari Desert cannot contain anymore. "A Carrion Death" gets much right: The plot twists are fair and well-placed, the Botswana setting has room to breathe and take shape as its own entity, and Stanley`s writing style is equal parts sprightly and grave. Perhaps there needn`t be so much concentration on Kubu`s home life, but when he lets his jovial nature recede and talks instead of how murder "never works out quite the way you expect," it forces the reader to look alongside him for the complete picture -- one that should take shape over several series installments.   Deliciously satisfying… Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, April 19, 2008   Set in Botswana, this debut novel introduces Detective David `Kubu` Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Kubu follows in the literary footsteps of Christie`s Poirot and Conan Doyle`s Holmes - brilliant male detective with a love of classical music, a palate for good food and fine wine, distant but compassionate, who solves crimes with reason and resolve. …[Michael Stanley’s] knowledge of Botswana, its history and its traditions, permeates every page. …This is a deliciously satisfying first mystery. I want seconds.   Well-plotted debut… Library Journal, March 1, 2008   This well-plotted debut introduces a new mystery series and will enthrall readers, who should be aware that the author`s detailing of the cultural and social background of the Botswana people shares equal footing with the solving of the murders. Stanley is the writing duo of South Africans Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, who have shared adventures in the Kalahari. For readers who enjoy crime novels with African settings, such as those by Richard Kunzmann and Deon Meyer.   A compulsively readable novel Publishers Weekly (starred review), February 25th, 2008   This impressive debut from Stanley, the South African writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, introduces overweight assistant superintendent David Bengu of the Botswana Police Department, whose nickname is, fittingly, Kubu (Setswanan for hippopotamus). In investigating the case of a partially consumed human body found in a remote area of a game reserve, Kubu keeps running across tangential links to Botswana Cattle and Mining, the country`s largest company. As more people connected to the case turn up dead, Kubu realizes that multiple murder may be just the byproduct of a much more heinous crime. The intricate plotting, a grisly sense of realism and numerous topical motifs (the plight of the Kalahari Bushmen, diamond smuggling, poaching, the homogenization of African culture, etc.) make this a compulsively readable novel. Despite a shared setting with Alexander McCall Smith`s No. 1 Ladies` Detective Agency series, this fast-paced forensic thriller will resonate more with fans of Patricia Cornwell`s Kay Scarpetta. (Apr.)   Culture conscious mystery… Madison County Herald, April 26, 2008   ...Michael Stanley introduces the reader to detective Kubu, the nickname for Assistant Superintendent David Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Kubu is Setswana for hippo; a playful appellation for his enormous girth and quick resourcefulness. Kubu loves his beautiful wife, fine food and wine, and classical music, which he sings aloud when travelling the bush to investigate crimes. The hyena-gnawed remains of a man are discovered near a water hole on the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Botswana. Forensics indicate murder; the body was dumped for quick devouring. Now Kubu must question reluctant suspects, including the wealthy and devious family that runs one of Botswana`s leading diamond mining companies. Poaching, political cover-ups, tribal rivalry and powerhungry scoundrels leave a blood soaked trail that even Kubu has difficulty trudging through. A Carrion Death produces a fascinating protagonist and a culture-conscious mystery debut for Michael Stanley.   Likable and durable character… (South African) Sunday Times, June 8, 2008   Set in Botswana, the world’s largest producer, by value, of gems, the most valuable assets by far are not the stones mined at the Maboane diamond mine — or even the Angolan blood diamonds that also feature — but that large Black Diamond, aka assistant inspector David Bengu of the Botswana CID. As is the case with tulips, black diamonds are the most valuable. For Michael Stanley have introduced a likeable and durable character in the shape of an opera singing (to himself, in the car), gourmet guzzling, larger-than-life (his nickname Kubu means hippo in Setswana) original. A Carrion Death is surely the first instalment in a successful franchise. All the boxes get ticked: exotic desert locations, bloodthirsty villains and beautiful girls, blackmail, more twists in the plot than a pretzel and, of course, murders most foul, galore. In all, a remarkable debut and sure to be a successful one…   Most readers happily turning the pages… Canberra Times June 28, 2008   A Carrion Death is an impressive murder mystery with a great detective … [whose] approach to crime-solving is delicate and cerebral. His investigation of the discovery of a half-eaten body in a waterhole near a local resort takes the reader on an entertaining journey through Botswana. The fluid writing and fascinating description of the Botswana countryside, and its people, will keep most readers happily turning the pages. Even the simplest interactions, such as Bengu`s visit to his parents, are full of interest and totally engaging. The criminal elements are also well handled and the multiple viewpoints employed by Stanley add to the   The police procedural story line is superb... Genre Go Round Reviews, February 9, 2008   Near a waterhole in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana, game rangers Andries and Bongani find the partial human remains; as the best cleaners of a crime scene, hyenas were not quite finished devouring the corpse. The rangers collected enough evidence to make the case that a homicide not a tragic accident occurred. Botswana Criminal Investigation Department Assistant Superintendent David "Kubu" Bengu leads the investigation. As Kubu follows clues partially concealed by local superstition and more so by powerful killers with high level contacts intent on hiding the crime and much more, he mimics the "hippopotamus" that he is nicknamed for as he calmly but resolutely makes inquiries. With Mozart and other classical greats to entertain him as he drives the dusty roads, Kubu risks his life from those who will kill anyone including a persistent detective’s loved ones to keep the truth from surfacing. The police procedural story line is superb with a strong obstinate hero; however the tale belongs to the insightful look at Botswana, a landlocked South African presidential representative democratic republic. The action-packed story line brings to life the people and cultures of a country struggling to avoid the problems besetting many of their neighbors to include tribal rivalries, government corruption, and avaricious poachers and smugglers ripping off the natural resources. The author team Michael Stanley provides the excellent debut of a police detective and readers will clamor for more investigations by this lover of the Magic Flute.   The realistic characters could step off the pages and shake your hand… ReaderToReader Reviews, June 22, 2008   …The mix of characters are those involved with the resort, owners of a diamond mine, and travelers as well as locals. They move in well described settings that bring life to the story. If you want to visit Africa, this book is an excellent way to get a feeling for this part of it. The realistic characters could step off the pages and shake your hand. …The story contains several motives for wanting a person to disappear--blackmail, theft of diamonds, control of a company, love, and others. The victim or killer could be any one of the many characters of the story and they will have you and Kubu guessing. Highly recommended. A Carrion Death is one of those books you may read again to pick up things missed on the first reading.   [A] fast-moving story... Booklist, February 1, 2008   Assistant Superintendent David Bengu earned his nickname, Kubu (hippopotamus), for his size, generally amiable nature, and occasional ferocity, all of which are evident in this lengthy but fast-moving story, the debut of writing team Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Kubu is called out to a remote tourist camp in Botswana when the manager finds a hyena chewing on human remains. What first seems to be a simple case of death by desert turns into something much more complex, as the Botswana Cattle and Mining Company turns up in every corner. Soon people start to go missing, beginning with a geologist whose specialty is diamonds. Rich with the atmosphere of modern Botswana, and peopled with interesting and well-drawn characters, this is an exciting debut, which will leave readers looking forward to reading the next investigation of Assistant Superintendent Kubu. Recommend to readers who like the Botswana setting of Alexander McCall Smith’s stories and all readers who enjoy international police procedurals with a strong sense of place.   A stately debut… Kirkus reviews, February 15, 2008   A stately debut whose pseudonymous authors, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, are both experts on the region. Their generously detailed portrait of Botswana and of larger-than-life Inspector Kubu augur well for the proposed series…