Facets of Death

When a Botswana mine is robbed of 100,000 carats of diamonds and the thieves are murdered execution-style, Botswana's Detective Kubu's first case becomes a terrifying international investigation ... The stunning, chilling PREQUEL to the award-winning Detective Kubu series.
'A wonderful, original voice - McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly' Peter James
'My favourite writing duo since Ellery Queen' Ragnar Jónasson
'A thrilling and intriguing ride-along with Botswana's Number 1 good-guy detective' Tony Park
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Detective Kubu's first case may also be his last...
Recruited straight from university to Botswana's CID, David 'Kubu' Bengu has raised his colleagues' suspicions with his meteoric rise within the department, and he has a lot to prove...
When the richest diamond mine in the world is robbed of 100,000 carats worth of gems, and then the thieves are killed, execution-style, Kubu leaps at the chance to prove himself. But where are the diamonds? And what role does a witch doctor and his son play?
Does this young detective have the skill - and integrity - to engineer an international trap? Or could it cost him everything, including his life...?
A riveting, chilling prequel to the award-winning Detective Kubu series, Facets of Death introduces the beloved Kubu and his richly described native Botswana, in a dark, sophisticated thriller that will leave you breathless. 
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'Great African crime fiction' Deon Meyer
'Easily one of the best heist novels I've read since Gerald Browne's classic 11 Harrowhouse' Bookpage
'A natural for fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' Booklist
'The series you didn't know you needed in your life ... an absolute joy' Grab this Book
'Original, mind-bending and twisty ... it's impossible to tell the innocent from the guilty until the grand finale' Loarn Paterson
'Twists a classic heist story with local legends and beliefs in a believable and entertaining way ... thoroughly intriguing' Jen Med's Book Reviews
'You will be captivated by the chilling, snappy chapters and the exquisite, atmospheric writing' The Reading Closet
'Under the African sun, Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu investigates crimes as dark as the darkest of Nordic Noir. Call it Sunshine Noir, if you will - a must read' Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
'Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is a wonderful creation, complex and beguiling. The exotic smells and sounds of Botswana fill the pages as well as the changes and struggles of a country brimming with modern technology yet fiercely clinging to old traditions. Compelling and deceptively written...' New York Journal of Books
'Impossible to put down' Library Journal
'Richly atmospheric ... a gritty depiction of corruption and deception' Publishers Weekly

Michael Stanley is the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Both were born in South Africa and have worked in academia and business. On a flying trip to Botswana, they watched a pack of hyenas hunt, kill, and devour a wildebeest, eating both flesh and bones. That gave them the premise for their first mystery, A Carrion Death, which introduced Detective 'Kubu' Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. It was a finalist for five awards, including the CWA Debut Dagger. The series has been critically acclaimed, and their third book, Death of the Mantis, won the Barry Award and was a finalist for an Edgar award. Deadly Harvest was a finalist for an International Thriller Writers' award, and book five, A Death in the Family, was an international bestseller. Their first standalone thriller, Dead of Night, was published in 2019.