Random Things Tours: A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley

There were many important things that happened to my blog this year, all good and bookishly-brilliant. One of them is that at least once the month I had the chance to read and review some great story published by the active and always surprising Orenda Books. Nothing against becoming an Orenda Books - Beautiful. Readable. Unforgettable - appreciation blog. And, in the end, that´s one of the aims of me blogging for such a long time: to become free to write and comment of what really interests me the most. I care about my audience, of course, but I will always share titles and stories of interest for me first and foremost. 

What I really like about the titles from Orenda Books I had the chance to review is the geographic and style coverage. The edition house not only features crime and thriller authors from diverse countries - Finland, Germany, New Zealand, South Africa - but also locations from all over the world, thus outlining various cultures and environments.

A Deadly Covenant by Michael Stanley - the common name of the authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, both South-Africa born retired academics - is set in Botswana, a country made famous among the crime and thriller readers by Alexander McCall Smith´s The No.1 Ladies´ Detective Agency, also turned into a movie. The book is the 8th from the series featuring Detective Kubu. It was the first for me and although I am interested in reading more books from the series, it was not difficult to understand the story as a stand-alone account.

During some pipeline construction related works near Okavango Delta, a skeleton is discovered. Than another one. And another one. Soon it seems that a massacre was committed there. But the locals are silents like the stones and refuse to give any details. And then, a local elder is killed but it may be more than a simple robbery. Detective Kubu´s mission is to shed light into this case and separate the doubts from certainties.

The story is fascinating because while it follows the crime novel format, it has a very local touch, integrating elements of culture and anthropology in a highly regarding approach to the culture and its people. I wish there are more and more crime novels placed outside our ´predictable´ Western world. Both detectives and crimes happen everywhere and the more diverse the coverage the better for the genre.

A Deadly Covenant is a very intelligent, page-turning novel with smart twists and a local story. A perfect combo for the chair travellers crime-lovers minds.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered as part of the book tour but the opinions are, as usual, my own