Death of the Mantis

Publisher Harper Collins, September 6, 2011

The Kalahari: a place where men go to die.

When a Kalahari ranger is found dead in a dry ravine, his corpse surrounded by three Bushmen, the local police arrest the nomads. Botswana’s Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu investigates the case and is reunited with his old school friend Khumanego, a Bushman and advocate for his people. Khumanego claims the nomads are innocent and the arrests motivated by racist antagonism. The Bushmen are released, but soon after, another man is murdered in similar circumstances. Are the Bushmen to blame, or is it a copycat murder?

Then there is a third murder. Again it points to the Bushmen. Kubu journeys into the depths of the Kalahari to find the truth. What he discovers will test all his powers of detection – and his ability to stay alive.

“DEATH OF THE MANTIS is the best book yet in one of the best series going: a serious novel with a mystery at its core that takes us places we’ve never been, thrills us, and leaves us changed by the experience. I loved this book.”
–Tim Hallinan, author of Queen of Patpong