At Cape Three Points on the beautiful Ghanaian coast, a canoe washes up at an oil rig site. The two bodies in the canoe - who turn out to be a prominent, wealthy, middle-aged married couple - have obviously been murdered; the way Mr. Smith-Aidoo has been gruesomely decapitated suggests the killer was trying to send a specific message - but what, and to whom, is a mystery. The Smith-Aidoos, pillars in their community, are mourned by everyone, but especially by their niece Sapphire, a successful pediatric surgeon in Ghana's capital, Accra. She is not happy that months have passed since the murder and the rural police have made no headway.
When the Ghanaian federal police finally agree to get involved, Detective Inspector Darko Dawson of the Accra police force is sent out to Cape Three Points to investigate. Pretty as the coast is, he is not happy to be sent away from his wife and two sons, the younger of whom is recovering from a heart operation. And the more he learns about the case, the more convoluted and dangerous it becomes. Three Points has long been inhabited by tribal villages of subsistence fishers, but real estate entrepreneurs and wealthy oil companies have been trying to bribe the tribes to move out. Dawson roots out a host of motives for murder, ranging from personal vendettas to corporate conspiracies.
"Starred Review. A complex plot, combined with a warts-and-all lead and an evocative portrayal of the author's native country, add up to a winner." - Publishers Weekly
"The windup may not be as satisfying as the complications, but Quartey (Death at the Voyager Hotel, 2013, etc.) lays out what feel like endless possibilities with exemplary patience and clarity, unveiling world beneath world in Dawson's Ghana." - KIrkus
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Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Based in Pasadena, California, Kwei Jones Quartey, M.D. is a writer of African crime fiction. He practiced medicine for more than 20 years while simultaneously working as a writer, balancing the two careers by writing early mornings before clinic. However, in 2018, he made the decision to retire from medicine to write full time.
Wife of the Gods, the acclaimed debut in his Inspector Darko Dawson series, was on the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List in 2009. A year later, G.O.G. National Book Club awarded him the title of Best Male Author.
In 2020, the Emma Djan Investigations series debuted with the highly praised The Missing American, followed by the sequel Sleep Well, My Lady.
In a starred review, Jane Murphy of Publishers Weekly says, " ... Quartey, also the author of the Darko ...
... Full Biography
Author Interview
Link to Kwei Quartey's Website
Name Pronunciation
Kwei Quartey: kway quart-ay
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