Death Of The Mantis (edition 2011)

Although it's not the first Lt. Kubu mystery, it's the first I've read, because it was on sale one day at the Kindle store. I'll certainly be reading more. Set in Botswana, a largely Black African-run country which also has white residents and Bushmen, this book explores the tensions between the Bushmen and the majority of somewhat Westernized blacks in the country.
Lt. Kubu (a nickname meaning "hippo" in the Setswana language) is a new father in this story, torn between the demands of his job and his wife's need to have him help more with the overwhelming needs of their daughter. When an old friend from schooldays, a Bushman who works as an advocate for his people, comes to him for help, Kubu sticks his neck out and comes in conflict with other policemen who (with some reason) suspect Bushmen in the death of a park ranger. The story becomes far more complicated as more murders occur, and eventually Kubu finds himself in great danger both physically and emotionally.

I've never read Alexander McCall Smith's tales of the No. One Ladies' Detective Agency, but I've been told that the Kubu series (by two South Africans, one who lives in Johannesburg and one in Minneapolis) is much more true to the reality of Botswana. There is humor in the book, but there is also respect. Though the two countries and the eras are very different, Death of the Mantis reminded me more of James McClure's excellent series set in apartheid-era South Africa. I'd recommend this one very highly. ( )

In Botswana, a local has died in a fall (or perhaps that bash on his head is something else), a Namibian visitor is killed, another Namibian has his rear window shot out. Detective Kubu is on the case, and so is an American journalist. Kubu's friend, a bushman he knows from school days, when both of them were teased and bullied, is worried that blame will fall on his people whose way of life, delicately sustained in the harsh Kalahari, is threatened. Very interesting, particularly for the insights into an indigenous culture. Fans of the series will also welcome a return of series characters, who are a fun and genial group. This series has a lot of appeal and can be enjoyed by fans of traditional and cozy mysteries as well as by those who tend toward the grittier, harder-boiled side.

am loving this detective. he reminds me of Hercule Poirot. ( )

I have realised as I write this review that I have missed out on reading #2 in this series (THE SECOND DEATH OF GOODLUCK TINUBU). I reviewed the first A CARRION DEATH in 2010 and really did mean to read #2 - I'm sure I have it somewhere..

I have really enjoyed DEATH OF A MANTIS. 'Kubu' Bengu has grown dramatically in stature as a detective and is held in high regard by the Botswana police force. Kubu still acts impulsively, makes decisions that are not always wise - in fact one puts his life in great danger. But now he has family responsibilities: a wife, a baby girl.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS is one of those books that makes the reader think. For a start - who is "the Mantis"? One of the themes is the conflict between modern Western-style life and the indigenous culture of the Bushmen of the Kalahari. How far will the Bushmen go to preserve the old ways, to keep the sacred places hidden, and yet at the same time how do they pass on their culture?

Kubu is torn because one of his best childhood friends is a Bushman although Khumanego says he is trying to preserve the old ways by being an advocate for his people.
There are many reminders too that this is a dangerous land that Kubu is living in.

DEATH OF THE MANTIS is tightly plotted, has excellent character development, as well as passing on to the reader a great depth of information about Kalahari life. There's an interesting juxtaposition of technologies too - old maps and records, overlaid by GPS printouts.

Check what the authors have to say about the background to the book. You can also read the Prologue and the first chapter there. ( )

This is a contemporary police procedural mystery that looks into family vs friendship and native rights vs modern advancement. It's a unique look at African nation of Botswana. A murder has happened and a friend of Detective Kubu asks him to make sure that the wrong people are being blamed. After a second murder is found to be connected, Detective Kubu is on the case. ( )