
Wife of the Gods
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Simon Prebble
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By:
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Kwei Quartey
About this listen
Detective Inspector Darko Dawson, a good family man and a remarkably intuitive sleuth, is sent to the village of Ketanu - the site of his mother's disappearance many years ago - to solve the murder of an accomplished young AIDS worker. While battling his own anger issues and concerns for his ailing son, Darko explores the motivations and secrets of the residents of Ketanu. It soon becomes clear that in addition to solving a recent murder, he is about to unravel the shocking truth about his mother's disappearance.
Kwei Quartey's sparkling debut novel introduces readers to a rich cast of characters, including the Trokosi - young women called Wives of the Gods - who, in order to bring good fortune to their families, are sent to live with fetish priests. Set in Ghana, with the action moving back and forth between the capital city of Accra and a small village in the Volta Region, Wife of the Gods brings the culture and beauty of its setting brilliantly to life.
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Critic reviews
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I take issue with a previous reviewer who decried its "cruelty" and violence. This was a story with very little violence, but when it did appear it was an integral part of illuminating a crucial aspect of a character or a way of life, and viewed as the abhorrent behaviour it was. It was not glorified, certainly not enjoyable or admirable. It is not offered as entertainment; this is no "24." Rape takes place off stage, with none of the slavering and lascivious delight in the barbaric that some American writers like to wallow in. New Paragraph:
While occasionally the descriptions seemed hackneyed and the dialogue seemed false, Simon Prebble still presented with complete faith in the narrative, bringing us through the rough spots with aplomb and his cloak flourished over the puddles. My guess is this book listens better than it would read, and the credit for that belongs with Mr. Prebble. I look forward to their next collaboration.
An outstanding debut!
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes, it brings the police procedural to African belief systems for a really original read.Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?
The lead character--you get inside him.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, there are many complex elements you desperately want the author to bring together. And he does!Any additional comments?
An occasion when a mystery introduces you to new cultures and mores, so you take away more than a mystery.Original and compelling!
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Modern Day Ghana Blended with History and Traditio
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Fascinating glimpse into Ghana, nice "who done it"
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The story opens with the death of a beautiful young health worker who is spreading information about the cause and treatments for AIDS. Darko seeks to determine whether her death is connected to her conflicts with the local's practices of traditional ways , or is perhaps connected with someone whose 'love' was not welcomed by her. The local police immediately arrest a young man they are determined to make confess to her murder.
Darko's hard handed ways are finding lots of clues, but few answers. In the process he comes into conflicts with the local tradition of young girls being given to fetish priests as 'trokosi' , or Wives of The Gods. His outspoken dispute with the local police chief comes to a head concerning interrogation methods. Along the way, local beliefs about the connection of witchcraft and AIDS makes him friends and more enemies.
Darko deftly puts all he learns together with the facts of the case to surprise the reader with more solutions than we were expecting. I believe DI Darko Dawson will soon become a familiar name for all true mystery lovers! With the addition of these Ghanian based mysteries, Kwei Quartry has added an exciting, rather unfamiliar, home base for the mystery genre.
DI Dawson of Ghena is great find!!
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Twists and Turns
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great story set in Ghana
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Hoped for better, this was not it!
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I love that this story is set in Ghana just like a Michael Connelly book is set in California or a Steig Larsson book is set in Sweden. It's the setting where the author is comfortable and the best place to tell a particular story. Which might make more sense if I can explain what the book is not.
It's not a story about westerners in Africa. It's not a story about the struggle and strife of life in Africa as written by a non-African. It's not a cartoon-ish depiction of native Africans (like Alexander McCall Smith's books can sometimes be). It simply takes place there. Which means that their are interesting cultural details that are included because of the place setting, but those details are not included to make a political point or to be set up against a comparable western standard.
To put this in context - I love reading about Africa. I've read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction set within and about South Africa. And as wonderful as many of those stories are, they are almost always written by a non-native African or tell the story through western eyes.
I love that Kwerty's book just tells a story about the people who live their everyday lives in Ghana. The detective story is well done (Admittedly, I did kind of know who the murderer was given some of the early fore-shadowing and was disappointed by this at first. But the way the story unfolded was still satisfying and I had some moments of doubt as different suspects were investigated.) The main character is wonderfully flawed. I hope the author keeps this guy around. I'm guessing that he has future plans for Detective Dawson.
It looks like they are promoting Kwerty as another McCall Smith and while I understand that they are trying to capitalize on the success of the Mma Ramotswe stories, I think this book stands on it's own.
Great Story. Wonderful New Author.
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A good "read."
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