There is a lot of heaving material being dealt with in this latest installment of Emma Djan Investigations.

I love how these stories play out. I love that we get realistic, serious situations that people encounter. I love how so much of the story is dedicated to the who, what, when, and why! These are more sophisticated mysteries as opposed to the cozy type a lot of people are more familiar with.

My only complaint is that I wish we could learn more about Emma Djan! This is the third installment in HER SERIES and we still really haven’t connected with her, she seems like more of a supporting character than the main protagonist.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for accepting my request to audibly read and review Last Seen in Lapaz.

Narrated by Robin Miles
Published: 02/07/23

Unfortunately this didn't work out like I had hoped. The mystery/thriller -- multicultural interest appealed to me. I am trying to branch out. I've read audibly beautiful stories from Scotland, Poland, England, Italy and Egypt. The list surprises me.

I tried audibly and the E-book, having a difficult time with the dialect. In addition, it had come to the point where I was needing a flow chart to track the names and places. These issues lead to the problem, I couldn't get into the characters, and subsequently the story. I finished and was confused at the end, and so disappointed I just let it go. I could always go back later and try again.

I do not believe this being the third in a series and my first by the author played a part.

I love this series more with each book! Watching Emma grow into her role of PI and in her relationship with Courage is my favorite part of this series. I love a good, strong woman MC and that is exactly what you get with this series! I can't wait for the next in the series!

#LastSeeninLapaz
#NetGalley

DNF at 21%

I typically love any story taking place in Nigeria, but this bored me. It was too slow moving. I loved the narrators accents but it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked I haven’t read any previous book in the series (I wasn’t aware it was a #3 when I started).

I very much appreciated the authors note at the beginning. Thank you for writing about critical issues without “trauma porn”

Thanks netgalley for my ARC.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

This was a great mystery! It was enlightening and thrilling, with a well-paced plot with stories of peril and danger. I was lost in the beginning with names and places unfamiliar, and keeping track of characters was difficult for me. I absolutely adore African accents but I thoroughly struggled with some of the dialog, unable to make out what the narrator was saying. It didn't seem to take away from the story too much, though. The pro and con of audiobooks with international settings and other accent is you get to hear how all these unfamiliar names are properly pronounced, but if you don't understand what's being read, you are out of luck. I'd still recommend it, and I'll read more by this author.

Private Investigator Emma Djan is a dynamite main character. She goes to extremes to solve the mysteries placed on her case. When a young Nigerian girl, Ngozi, goes missing in Accra, Emma and her partner Jojo jump into the case and follow clues throughout Accra and into Benin City and Lagos, Nigeria.

Femi, the protagonist, has a sordid past. After falling into crime as a young boy, he ended up in prison for eight years. Upon his release, he finds an old friend who helps him get into his business. Unfortunately, his business is trafficking humans. Femi and his friend encourage Nigerians looking to improve their lives to make the treacherous journey to Europe to start over, crossing desert and sea to get there. Femi learns of an opportunity closer to home with sex workers at Accra hotels, and lures Ngozi to help him. When Femi winds up dead and Ngozi goes missing, the detective work begins.

Told in various timelines (present day and flashbacks) we get a full picture of all the characters that ultimately lead to the whodunnit moment - it’s probably not who you think it is! Robin Miles is a magnificent narrator who switched seamlessly between her American accent when narrating and Ghanaian and Nigerian accents when speaking for various characters. Brilliantly read.

This is my first book by Quartey but it won’t be my last! I look forward to reading his other books in this series and more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Recorded Books for the audio ARC.

This was my first foray in the Emma Djan mystery series, but it will not be my last.

Although this is the third in the series,all the characters and the various settings were all easy to grasp.

The novel concerns Emma going undercover as a sex worker to investigate the disappearance of an
18-year-old diplomat’s daughter. Emma is fun to follow- sharp, observant, diplomatic in speech—following her gave me a flavor of her West African world.

Robin Miles is one of my favorite narrators, and as ever, she is brilliant. Her accents are not heavy, but add real flavor to the story. I cannot imagine a better narrator for this series.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance listening copy.

Last Seen in LaPaz by Kwei Quartey
Narrator, Robin Miles
This is book three in the Emma Djan series. I have read the previous two books and thought they were all good, including this one. Although it has to be said there are some very difficult scenes including trafficking of women into sex work, rape, torture and the terrors of attempting to migrate to Europe without the legal papers to do so safely.
Also, the book is very long and the detectives don’t play much of a part until the book is over half done.
This may not be the place to start the series because it really is a tough read. But I am glad I read it, even with all that said,
As usual, Robin Miles does an excellent job with all the characters and accents.
Thanks to NetGalley

4.75

I read Kwei Quartey’s debut, Wife of the Gods, last year and enjoyed it enough that when I saw his newest release as an audio narrated by Robin Miles on NetGalley, I thought I’d try it out as I love her narration.

Told in nonlinear format and with shifting perspectives and a relatively slow pace, Last Seen in Lapaz takes the reader across West Africa and through some truly harrowing experiences. This is by no means a light novel. Quartey explores human trafficking and the treatment and exploitation of migrants trying to make better lives for themselves. The cast of characters is large and the way the story is told had me so engrossed in the human elements of the story that at times I lost sight of the Femi/Ngozi mystery without noticing. While initially it was jarring to switch from Emma’s perspective to Femi’s backstory, I trusted that Quartey would pull it all together in the end and I was not let down.

The writing is insightful and vivid. The way he is able to craft a sense of place was good in his debut and has only gotten better. I also really liked Emma, though she was less of a main character than I would have expected for a series with her name in the title. I will absolutely be looking at picking up the first two installments at some point, and any other work by Quartey.

5/5 stars to Last Seen in Lapaz. I’ve been wrapped up in this for the last couple of days, and have barely seen my family.

This book is my introduction to Quartey’s writing, and to Emma Djan, a PI that—sorry to compare characters, but—Mma Ramotswe can only dream of being.

The firm Emma works for, based in Accra, Ghana, and headed by Mr Sowah, is brought in to investigate the disappearance of Sowah’s Nigerian friend’s daughter, Ngozi. Ngozi has become tangled up with a flashy young man, and has apparently been kidnapped.

This book is exceptionally well-written, with wonderful characters, great structure, and an excellent plot. It’s brilliant on the level of the whodunit. Additionally, it also explores very important themes in West and North African social life: dangerous migration to Europe, and the reasons for it, the exploitation of women and sex workers, and some of the criminal activity young people get caught up in. All of the characters in the book are doing the best they can, and the social complexities that create their circumstances and the baddies are well explored.

This is also a really fun read, even as it deals with pain and trauma. CW for rape, drug abuse, graphic violence, torture and death; but none of these events in the book are at all gratuitous. Somehow Quartey manages the balance between telling a good story, and showing the seedy underbelly that costs so many young lives.

Once again, an excellent book; adding it immediately to my list of top reads of 2023, and highly recommended. I’m confident that everyone will enjoy it.

Robin Miles is an excellent narrator, and made this book truly enjoyable. Thank you very much to NetGalley and to RB Media for access.

The story flowed well but I couldn’t connect to the characters. I did like it better than the last book. I would like more depth to the characters. The audio was well done which helped me finish it.

****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****