
Added by 27 of our members
Barry Awards Best First Novel (nominee)
Macavity Awards Best First Novel (nominee)
Smashed skull, snapped ribs, and a cloying smell of carrion. Leave the body for the hyenas to devour—no body, no case.
But when Kalahari game rangers stumble on a human corpse midmeal, it turns out the murder wasn't perfect after all. Enough evidence is left to suggest foul play. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department is assigned to the case.
The detective's personality and physique match his moniker. The nickname "Kubu" is Setswana for "hippopotamus"—a seemingly docile creature, but one of the deadliest on the continent. Beneath Kubu's pleasant surface lies the same unwavering resolve that makes the hippopotamus so deceptively dangerous. Both will trample everything in their path to reach an objective.
From the sun-baked riverbeds of the Kalahari to the highest offices of an international conglomerate, Kubu follows a blood-soaked trail in search of answers.
Beneath a mountain of lies and superstitions, he uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country—influential enemies who will kill anyone in their way.
A memorable detective makes his debut in this gritty, mesmerizing thriller. Set amid the beauty and darkness of contemporary Africa, A Carrion Death is the first entry in an evocative new series cutting to the heart of today's Botswana—a modern democracy threatened by unstable neighbors, poachers, and diamond smugglers. Those trying to expose the corrupt ringleaders will find themselves fighting for their lives. . . .
Genre: Mystery
But when Kalahari game rangers stumble on a human corpse midmeal, it turns out the murder wasn't perfect after all. Enough evidence is left to suggest foul play. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department is assigned to the case.
The detective's personality and physique match his moniker. The nickname "Kubu" is Setswana for "hippopotamus"—a seemingly docile creature, but one of the deadliest on the continent. Beneath Kubu's pleasant surface lies the same unwavering resolve that makes the hippopotamus so deceptively dangerous. Both will trample everything in their path to reach an objective.
From the sun-baked riverbeds of the Kalahari to the highest offices of an international conglomerate, Kubu follows a blood-soaked trail in search of answers.
Beneath a mountain of lies and superstitions, he uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country—influential enemies who will kill anyone in their way.
A memorable detective makes his debut in this gritty, mesmerizing thriller. Set amid the beauty and darkness of contemporary Africa, A Carrion Death is the first entry in an evocative new series cutting to the heart of today's Botswana—a modern democracy threatened by unstable neighbors, poachers, and diamond smugglers. Those trying to expose the corrupt ringleaders will find themselves fighting for their lives. . . .
Genre: Mystery
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Used availability for Michael Stanley's A Carrion Death
Hardback Editions
April 2008 : UK Hardback
April 2008 : USA Hardback
Paperback Editions
March 2009 : USA Paperback
October 2008 : UK Paperback
October 2008 : UK Paperback
April 2008 : UK Paperback
Audio Editions
March 2021 : Audio CD
March 2021 : Audio CD
August 2008 : USA Audio edition

Title: A Carrion Death: Introducing Detective Kubu
Author(s): Michael Stanley
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Availability: Amazon
August 2008 : Canada Audio edition

Title: A Carrion Death: Introducing Detective Kubu
Author(s): Michael Stanley
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Availability: Amazon CA
July 2008 : USA Audio CD
July 2008 : USA Audio CD
July 2008 : USA MP3 CD
2008 : USA Audio CD

Title: Carrion Death, A - on Playaway
Author(s): Michael Stanley
ISBN: 1-60640-138-6 / 978-1-60640-138-5 (USA edition)
Publisher: Playaway
Availability: Amazon
Kindle Editions
November 2010 : Australia, UK Kindle edition
October 2009 : USA, Australia, Canada, UK Kindle edition