There's a wonderful dichotomy in this fascinating Botswana-set series: Detective 'Kubu' Bengu is a portly hero, a good detective who can veer towards comical moments at times. There's plenty of humour salted in, but the events and underlying issues in the books delve into some very dark places.

Co-writers 'Michael' Sears and 'Stanley' Trollip, a pair of retired university professors, strike a great balance between light and dark. They do a fine job sprinkling in some laughs while addressing serious and often nasty issues - some specific to the African setting, and others more universal. They also tread the line really well in terms of exposing readers to a variety of themes and issues without hopping on a soapbox or becoming polemic. Coupled with a great narrative drive that makes DYING TO LIVE a really good read with layers of setting and theme adding to the mystery storyline, giving it more depth and texture rather than slowing or overwhelming it as can happen elsewhere.

In this sixth instalment, Kubu ("Hippo" - an appropriate nickname given his manner and build - seemingly slow and serene but deadly when roused) is distracted from his police work because his little adopted daughter Nono is very ill. As the Bengu family search for answers, tensions rise and beliefs are put to the test. Kubu has to rely even more on his team as they investigate the strange death of the old-yet-young Bushman, the subsequent theft of the body, and the disappearance of a local witch doctor. Kubu puts Detective Khama on the latter case, testing whether she can overcome her ingrained hatred of witch doctors to find justice for anyone. As Michael Connelly's Harry Bosch would say, "Everybody counts or nobody counts".

Like Connelly's masterful series, Michael Stanley's books are well-balanced and very good across the board - intriguing mystery storylines, engaging and interesting characters, and a vividly evoked setting that transports readers to the scene - all entwined with thought-provoking real-life issues.

The authors give readers a wonderful taste of Botswana - the good and the bad. The integration of cuisine, language, history, and cultural issues unique to the locale adds great flavour. In each book I learn more about the country, and in DYING TO LIVE challenging topics like AIDS and biopiracy are addressed, along with muti (traditional medicine, delivered by witch doctors) and poaching.

There's plenty here for both long-time Kubu fans and new readers. (You don't need to have read the previous books to thoroughly enjoy this one). A great instalment in a highly engaging series.

Detective Kubu is investigating another Botswana case in Dying to Live. Michael Stanley portrays an active and honest police service tracking multiple murders, including an unusually old bushman, a witch doctor and an American businessman. Longevity treatments from herbs and smuggling of rhinoceros horn to China also add complications. Complex cases with satisfying resolutions. Interesting social dynamics in Botswana.

Once again, the writing team of Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip has crafted another excellent mystery in a series I think is the best one set in Botswana. There are many interwoven threads in the plot: motives, suspects, the actual crimes committed-- and they all keep the reader guessing as the story progresses.

In addition to one fine mystery, these two writers bring their setting to life, and they always teach me something about the country, the people, and the culture. This time, the crimes involve muti (charms and/or spells concocted by witch doctors), AIDS, animal poaching, and biopiracy. Also, I found one historical fact stone cold sobering: the last permit to hunt a Bushman was issued in 1936. Always nice to know that at one time you could obtain a permit to legally hunt human beings, isn't it?

As good as the mystery is, as good as the setting is, it's the characters that make this a winning book (and series) for me. Kubu is distracted in Dying to Live because his little adopted daughter, Nono, is very ill. He may be an astute investigator, but he is also a family man and takes his responsibilities there very seriously.

Since he is distracted, we get to see more of a new character, Detective Samantha Khama, who takes her job so seriously that she can forget to smile or laugh. This time, she is not happy with Kubu. Kubu has assigned a missing persons case to her. The missing person is Botlele Ramala, a witch doctor. Kubu knows that Samantha loathes witch doctors and the tragedies their muti potions can cause, and this is his way of teaching her that everyone counts, or nobody counts. Since readers know from the beginning how Samantha feels about this particular case, it is very interesting indeed to watch her work it. I am glad that she's joined the cast of characters.

Strong, complex mysteries. Wonderful settings that pull you right into the heart of the story. Characters that grow and change over time and endear themselves to readers. Haven't read one of Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu mysteries? I suggest you start with the first book, A Carrion Death. You've got some excellent reading ahead of you!

4.5 stars

While Dying to Live is the sixth Detective Kubu book, this installment is the first one I have read in the series, and I am so glad I did because the book is fantastic! While I am sure reading the earlier books first would have provided me with more history about Detective Kudu and his family, I did not feel like I was dropped into the midst of a storyline that I knew nothing about. The plot was easy to follow, the premise was unique and timely, and I adored the carefully crafted and highly likeable main characters.

I am a huge mystery lover and am always thrilled to find a new series especially one that has numerous titles already. Even more enjoyable was the fact that the series is set in Botswana. Embarrassingly enough before I began Dying to Live, I did not know exactly where Botswana was located within Africa nor that Gaborone was the capital. The authors, Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip writing as Michael Stanley, incorporate the setting and culture of the Batswana (a term I learned from this book) so vividly that I frequently felt like I was there in Botswana with Detective Kubu and his family and other cohorts. Their integration of the language, food, and other cultural issues and items unique to the Bushmen and Batswana made the story both fascinating and very enjoyable. They even include a glossary at the end of the book explaining various terms and expressions that were used in the book which I found very helpful. I was thoroughly delighted to learn so much about the region and truly cannot wait to go back and read the first five volumes. The only reason I am giving the book a 4.5 versus a 5 was that the resolution of the plot slowed down a bit towards the end, and I wish that the ending had come a bit sooner. Other than that small complaint, the book was perfect.

I have been very pleased in the last year or so to be introduced to genuinely well-written mysteries that are not too dark (I am not a fan of super dark stories) and take place in locales with which I am not as familiar. These series include this series by Michael Stanley, Vaseem Khan’s Baby Ganesh Agency stories set in India, Jane Harper’s The Dry set in the Australian Outback, and Tracee de Hahn’s fledgling series set in Lausanne, Switzerland (I am anxiously awaiting the next book in both Harper’s and de Hahn’s series). As the world continues to grow smaller and more accessible, gaining knowledge and understanding of other cultures is a must, and what better way to learn than to read a great mystery?!

I highly recommend Dying to Live to anyone who loves a good, well-thought out mystery with a unique and beautiful setting. Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm an avid reader of Michael Stanley's Detective Kobo books since I discovered the first in the series when it was issued in paperback and featured in a display at the now departed Borders in my town. Dying to Live doesn't let the reader down, succeeding to continue the series' focus on Kubu and his family while, more importantly, to give us a gripping story of the place of witchcraft in Botswanan culture and the international quest for and trade in materials purported to offer eternal youth. I raced through the book while not wanting it to end. The Michael Stanley writing duo is at the top of its game and must be ranked highly for not only bringing us insights into the culture of Southern Africa but for gifting us with darned good mystery stories. May the partnership thrive.