"From Minnesota to South Africa to Mozambique to Vietnam, Michael Stanley's Shoot the Bastards is an extraordinary tale of the extreme measures taken to combat international poaching and smuggling." —C.J. Box, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Wolf PackWhen her friend Michael Davidson goes missing while researching a National Geographic story on rhino poaching and rhino-horn smuggling, investigative journalist Crystal Nguyen wangles a NG assignment to try to find him and finish his story. Within a week in Africa she's been hunting poachers, hunted by their bosses, and arrested in connection with a murder. Plus, everyone is after a briefcase full of money that she doesn't want, but can't safely get rid of.Crystal quickly realizes how little she knows about Africa and about the war between poachers and conservation officers. What she does know is she must find Michael and she's committed to preventing a major plot to secure a huge number of...

Diamonds can be deadly...David Bengu has always stood out from the crowd. His personality and his physique match his nickname, Kubu—Setswana for "hippopotamus"—a seemingly docile creature, but one of the deadliest in Africa. His keen mind and famous persistence have seen him rise in the Botswana CID. But how did he get his start?Inauspiciously. His resentful new colleagues are suspicious of a detective who has entered the CID straight from university, skipping the usual beat cop phase. Nearly broke, with no car or wife, Kubu has the support of his parents, but success will depend on self-reliance. He is immediately plunged into investigations at two airports.One takes him to the airport near Gaborone where something criminal is going on in baggage claim.The other begins at Jwaneng Airport, where a plane bursts into flames. It's the opening move in a brutal heist of stones from the world's richest diamond mine. The robbers die in a...

Michael Stanley's Dying to Live is the sixth crime novel to feature the humble and endearing Detective Kubu, set against the richly beautiful backdrop of Botswana."A fantastic read. Brilliant!" -Louise Penny, New York Times bestselling author of The Long Way HomeA Bushman is discovered dead near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve in Africa. Although the man looks old enough to have died of natural causes, the police suspect foul play, and the body is sent to Gaborone for an autopsy. Pathologist Ian MacGregor confirms the cause of death as a broken neck, but is greatly puzzled by the man's physiology. Although he's obviously very old, his internal organs look remarkably young. He calls in Assistant Superintendent David "Kubu" Bengu. When the Bushman's corpse is stolen from the morgue, suddenly the case takes on a new dimension.

Girls are disappearing in Botswana. The rumor is they're being harvested for muti, a witch doctor's potion traditionally derived from plants and animals--and which, some believe, can be made more potent by adding human remains. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu joins the investigation with the police force's newest detective--and only woman--Samantha Khama, for whom the case is personal.Soon one girl's father, convinced that his daughter's death is linked to the recent popularity of a political candidate, takes the law into his own hands. After the father flees, what Kubu and Samantha find in the politician's home confirms their worst fears: muti containing human DNA is real.Now Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race to stop a serial killer or killers--and those who would pay for their special, lethal muti.

In the southern Kalahari area of Botswana--an arid landscape of legends that speak of lost cities, hidden wealth, and ancient gods--a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dying from a severe head wound in a dry ravine. Three Bushmen surround the doomed man, but are they his killers or there to help? Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is on the case, an investigation that his old school friend Khumanego claims is motivated by racist antagonism on the part of the local police. But when a second bizarre murder, and then a third, seem to point also to the nomadic tribe, the intrepid Kubu must journey into the depths of the Kalahari to uncover the truth. What he discovers there will test all his powers of detection . . . and his ability to remain alive.

In the southern Kalahari area of Botswana – an arid landscape of legends that speak of lost cities, hidden wealth, and ancient gods – a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dying from a severe head wound in a dry ravine. Three Bushmen surround the doomed man, but are they his killers or there to help? Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu is on the case, an investigation that his old school friend Khumanego claims is motivated by racist antagonism on the part of the local police. But when a second bizarre murder, and then a third, seem to point also to the nomadic tribe, the intrepid Kubu must journey into the depths of the Kalahari to uncover the truth. What he discovers there will test all his powers of detection...and his ability to remain alive.

A fast-paced, relevant, standalone thriller from bestselling, award-winning author duo Michael StanleyFreelance journalist Crystal Nguyen heads to South Africa to research a feature on rhino hunting, with devastating results...When freelance journalist, Crystal Nguyen, heads to South Africa, she thinks she'll be researching an article on rhino-horn smuggling for National Geographic, but within a week she's been hunting poachers, hunted by their bosses, and then arrested in connection with a murder. And everyone is after a briefcase full of money that she doesn't want, but can't get rid of... Fleeing South Africa, she goes undercover in Vietnam, trying to discover the truth before she's exposed by the local mafia. Discovering the plot behind the money is only half the battle. Now she must convince the South African authorities to take action before it's too late, both for the rhinos and for her. She has a powerful story to tell, if she survives long...

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…

"There's no easy way to say this, Kubu. Your father's dead. I'm afraid he's been murdered."Faced with the violent death of his own father, Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu, the smartest detective in the Botswana police, is baffled. Who would kill such a frail old man? Kubu's frustration grows as his boss, Director Mabaku, bans him from being involved in the investigation.The picture becomes even murkier with the apparent suicide of a government official. Are Chinese mine-owners involved? And what role does the US Embassy have to play?Set amidst the dark beauty of modern Botswana, A Death in the Family is a thrilling insight into a world of riots, corruption, and greed, as a complex series of murders presents the opera-loving detective with his most challenging case yet. When grief-stricken Kubu defies orders and sets out on the killers' trail, startling and chilling links emerge, spanning the globe and setting a sequence of shocking events...

A bundle of the first and second in a series in which the quick-witted Detective Kubu (which means hippopotamus in the Setswana language) must solve dark mysteries in Africa. Also included is an exclusive excerpt of the third book in the series, Death of the Mantis.

Detective Kubu faces his most disturbing investigation yet when he finds himself caught up in a case of betrayal and mistaken identity on the outskirts of northern Botswana.Goodluck Tinubu, an ex-Zimbabwean who has taught in Botswana for many years, is viciously murdered at the Jackalberry bush camp, situated on an isolated peninsula in northern Botswana. Peter Sithole, a guest at the camp, is found bludgeoned to death a few hours later. Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu is sent from Botswana’s capital, Gaborone, to assist the local CID in this puzzling investigation. Meanwhile, another guest at the camp – Ishmael Zondo – leaves the camp suddenly the next morning and disappears without a trace. The Zimbabwe police are unable to trace him. And, as fingerprints are matched, records reveal that Tinubu was killed in the Rhodesian civil war thirty years earlier…

Deadly Harvest in Michael Stanley’s beloved Detective Kubu series tracks a series of murders and a mysterious witch doctor whose nefarious potions might hold the key to a web of missing persons.When young girls start to go missing, Samantha, a new detective on the Botswana police force suspects that muti, a traditional African medicine, is the reason. She and Detective David “Kubu” Bengu race to stop a serial killer, all as the father of one of the victims threatens to take matters into his own hands.Weaving together a thrilling mystery with a fascinating look at modern-day Africa, Deadly Harvest is filled with elements suspense and plot twists that will keep you captivated until the very end.Review“Kubu is also hugely appealing—big and solid and smart enough to grasp all angles of this mystery. Readers may be lured to Africa by the landscape, but it takes a great character like Kubu to win our loyalty.” (New York Times Book Review )“Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back....Michael Stanley’s enthralling series is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today’s Africa.” (Charles Todd, New York times bestselling author of A Matter of Justice )“[Kubu is] the African Columbo.” (Entertainment Weekly )“Deadly Harvest is number four in this fascinating crime series. Detective David ‘Kubu’ Bengu is a wonderful creation, complex and beguiling…Compelling and deceptively written, it’s the perfect summer read.” (New York Journal of Books )“These darker, grittier entries featuring the portly and perceptive Detective Kubu blend intricate plotting and a compelling cast.” (Booklist ) From the Back CoverGirls are disappearing in Botswana. The rumor is they're being harvested for muti, a witch doctor's potion traditionally derived from plants and animals—and which, some believe, can be made more potent by adding human remains. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu joins the investigation with the police force's newest detective—and only woman—Samantha Khama, for whom the case is personal.Soon one girl's father, convinced that his daughter's death is linked to the recent popularity of a political candidate, takes the law into his own hands. After the father flees, what Kubu and Samantha find in the politician's home confirms their worst fears: muti containing human DNA is real.Now Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race to stop a serial killer or killers—and those who would pay for their special, lethal muti.