Sunday, September 11, 2011

Nairobi Heat by Mukoma Wa Ngugi

A murder in the US leads a black detective to Africa...

Courtesy of Melville International Crime, a division of Melville House Publishing, and Net Galley, I got a ebook to review (thank you).  This book will be published in a couple of days and you can get a copy at your local bookstore.  If you enjoy international mysteries, this is a story for you.

I enjoy reading about other parts of the world in my books.  It's a way to see places I will never travel and I also learn about their cultures and practices.  The darkest part of this story is set deep in Africa.  The world is different there.  With genocide, extreme poverty and illness, life is fleeting and filled with danger.

When Detective Ishmael goes to Africa to get more background on the African Peace Activist whose front steps held the body, he's not sure what he will find.  He's also never been to Africa before.  What he finds will amaze him, horrify him, and rejuvenate him.

The story is complex, greed is a major player, none of the characters are without fault (most humans aren't, but these are nastier than most), and there is no happy ending.  But those who were greedy pay the price for killing innocent souls and re-routing money paid to help the poor into their personal coffers.

This was a very good read.  It's full of hard facts about life in Africa (and the US) and it's a bit depressing, but there is still hope.  If one lonely detective could accomplish what he did in this book (and one could), then there is hope for the world.

Happy reading!


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