Tamar Myers

First Line: It was much cooler in the canyon that lay in front of, and below, the village.

Legends surround the birth of twins to a king in the Belgian Congo of the 1920s. This was the time when headhunters and cannibals still followed the old ways, a time when the birth of twins was a bad omen that must be dealt with swiftly. Due to his cunning, the king's twins both survived and grew to manhood.

Fast forward to the late 1950s. As independence for the Congo grows nearer, even the remote town show more of Belle Vue becomes acquainted with the stirrings of upheaval. Self-professed spiritual leaders travel through almost daily, speaking to large groups of natives, telling them of the delights to come-- to when they will inherit all the goods of the whites and all their knowledge of how to operate the technology. Some whites are nervous, others-- like Madame Cabochon-- who were born in the Congo and have lived there all their lives, seem willing to fight for their rights to remain in their homeland.

Into this unsettled time for Belle Vue arrive some strangers, a huge snake, and a horrendous storm that literally divides the town in half. As one person, then another, dies, it becomes obvious to readers that someone is willing to kill as many times as it takes for a secret to remain buried.

Tamar Myers' parents were missionaries; she grew up in the Belgian Congo. Her young American missionary, Amanda Brown, shows readers how difficult it could be to get used to the climate, the people, and the customs. In this book, Amanda has definitely become romantically involved with the police chief, Captain Pierre Jardin, and the natives who work for her-- Cripple and Protruding Navel-- are up to their usual tricks. Amanda is learning the language, she's learning the customs, and she feels as though she's becoming friends with Cripple, although there's still a lot she must learn from the wise little woman with the twisted back.

If you're looking for a traditional whodunit where the characters are actively out and about searching for clues, you're not going to find it here. The mystery, the clues, the resolution, all unfold gradually, naturally. Everything has been woven into this colorful fabric of story, and if one thread is pulled loose from the rest, the entire book suffers. Myers is skillful at her honest portrayal of the Congo during that era without becoming overly graphic, but it's the character of Cripple who shines brightest over this entire series of books.

If you've read all of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books, and are looking for something in the same vein, try Tamar Myers' books set in the Congo (The Witch Doctor's Wife, The Headhunter's Daughter, The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots). I wouldn't be at all surprised if-- like me-- you prefer reading about Amanda Brown and Cripple! show less

The Witch Doctor's Wife is a story of the waning days of the Belgian Congo. The reader is introduced to the exotic setting through the character of Amanda Brown, a young American newly arrived to run a missionary guest house in the town of Belle Vue. Through Amanda, the reader has an outsider's perspective, not just of the African society and customs, but also of the Belgian/European culture. The town is dominated by a diamond mining company, and the social pecking order mirrors the company show more hierarchy. The atmosphere is filled with greed, jealousy, ambition, animosity, and prejudice -- not just the European prejudice against the African population, but also European ethnic prejudice between Walloon and Fleming Belgians, and between Belgians and southern Europeans. There are whispers of Congolese independence in both the African and European communities. Myers draws the reader into the setting and the lives of the characters, then adds a large uncut diamond to the mix and lets events take their course.

I've read and enjoyed a few of the author's cozy mysteries. This book is completely different. I would classify it as general fiction rather than mystery. Don't be misled by the comparisons to Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency books. It seems like any new book with an African setting wants to link itself to McCall Smith's popular series. The authors' styles are different, and the Congo and Botswana are about as much alike as New Mexico and Massachusetts. Readers who like novels with a strong sense of place will find a lot to like about this book. It also has strong characters and a strong story, so it should appeal to a broad range of readers. Warmly recommended. show less

Aaron Miller is back in town, and intent on building a religious themed amusement park. This outlandish concept would destroy the quiet solitude of Hernia, but before it gets off the ground, Aaron is stopped dead. Literally. So now it is up to Magdalena to find out who hated Aaron more than she did, although she would not admit to that, hate being a sin. This book has all the same jokes and humor of the previous ones, but the plot falls a bit flat. It’s a long journey to the guilty party, show more and then the book is over in a flash. It just doesn’t have the pizazz of the previous books. show less

In a kidnapping plot gone wrong, a white infant is abandoned in a deserted area of the Belgian Congo, where she is discovered by a young boy of the Bashilele tribe. Not knowing what else to do, the boy takes the baby home. The boys' parents adopt her and raise her as a member of their tribe. Thirteen years later, missionary Amanda Brown accompanies the local police chief to find the white girl rumored to live among the Bashilele, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead to show more tragedy.

Issues of race and culture are at the heart of this story. The white population of the Belgian Congo, whether Catholic or Protestant, Belgian or American, see only the girl's white skin. They don't think it's suitable for a white girl to live as an African – never mind that the European culture is completely foreign to her and she can't speak any of its languages. In addition to the racial and cultural tensions between the black and white communities, there are tensions between cultural groups within each community. The Americans don't completely trust the Belgians, and the Flemish Belgians and Walloon Belgians are wary of each other. Amanda's head housekeeper, Protruding Navel, and his assistant, Cripple, are of different tribes that despise each other, but are united in their dislike of the Bashilele. With independence looming in the not-too-distant future, there are hints that things are going to become a lot worse.

The humor in the novel frequently made me uncomfortable. It's the kind of humor that comes at others' expense, far different from the affectionate humor of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels. Amanda is the kindest of the characters, yet even she is often motivated by self-interest rather than a desire to help others. It's an interesting place and time to read about, but it's not somewhere I want to linger. show less