Death of the Mantis
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braai/braaivleis South African term for a barbeque.
Bushman poison bulb Poisonous plant (Boophone disticha) with beautiful flowers. Used in small doses as a hallucinogen and for traditional medicines.
Bushmen A race small in size and number, many of whom live in the Kalahari area. They refer to themselves as “the people” (see Khoisan). In Botswana sometimes they are referred to as the Basarwa.
Debswana Diamond-mining joint venture between De Beers and the Botswana government.
donga A dry river course with steep sides.
dumela Setswana for “Hello” or “Good day.”
eland The world’s largest antelope (Taurotragus oryx).
gemsbok In southern Africa, the Cape oryx (Oryx gazella), a large antelope with long, straight horns.
Hoodia A cactus-like plant (Hoodia gordonii) eaten for energy and as a hunger suppressant.
IGwi The language spoken by the Gwi Bushman group.
Khoi Hottentots (see Khoisan).
Khoisan The name by which the lighter-skinned indigenous peoples of southern Africa, the Khoi (Hottentots) and the San (Bushmen), are known. These people dominated the subcontinent for millennia before the appearance of the Nguni and other black peoples.
kimberlite The host rock of almost all diamonds. It is an igneous extrusion from deep within the earth’s mantle.
knobkierie A short club made from hardwood with a knob on one end, used as a weapon.
Kola Tonic A sweet non-alcoholic syrup from spices and the Kola nut.
koppie Afrikaans for “small hill.”
kraal An enclosure for livestock, usually made from stones or thornbushes.
kubu Setswana for “hippopotamus.”
kudu A large antelope (Tragelaphus strepsiceros).
Landie Term of affection for a Land Rover.
lobola Bride-price (originally in cattle) paid to the bride’s parents in African tradition. Sometimes used to set up the newly married couple.
mankala A popular game throughout Africa, often played using holes in the ground and stones.
Mma Respectful term in Setswana used when addressing a woman. For example, Dumela, Mma Bengu means “Hello, Mrs. Bengu,” or “Hello, Ms. Bengu.”
Motswana Singular adjective or noun, e.g., “That man from Botswana is a Motswana.” See Batswana.
pan A basin or depression in the earth, often containing mud or water.
pap Smooth cornmeal porridge, often eaten with the fingers and dipped into a meat or vegetable stew.
pappa le nama Setswana for pap and meat.
pronk To leap straight up (to stot)—a behavior of springbok when being pursued by a predator.
pula Currency of Botswana. Pula means “rain” in Setswana. One pula = one hundred thebes.
Rra Respectful term in Setswana used when addressing a man. For example, Dumela, Rra Bengu means “Hello, Mr. Bengu.”
sambal A chili-based sauce used as a condiment, usually with curry.
San Bushman people. See Khoisan.
scherm A flimsy dwelling constructed from grass, often temporary.
Setswana Language of the Batswana peoples.
springbok A medium-size brown-and-white antelope (Antidorcas marsupialis). Has the ability to survive long periods without water. National animal of South Africa.
steelworks A drink made from Kola Tonic, lime juice, ginger beer, soda water, and bitters.
thebe The smallest denomination of Botswana currency. See pula. Thebe means “shield” in Setswana.
tsama melon A yellow-green melon abundant in the Kalahari. A major source of food and water for Bushmen.
About the Author
Michael Stanley is the writing team of Johannesburg natives Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Sears lives in Johannesburg and teaches part-time at the University of the Witwatersrand. Trollip was on the faculty at the universities of Illinois, Minnesota, and North Dakota, and at Capella University. A full-time writer, he divides his time between South Africa and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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Praise for Death of the Mantis
“Assistant Superintendent Kubu is back! In Death of the Mantis, a killer stalks the Kalahari Desert—and it’s a page-turner from start to finish. Michael Stanley’s enthralling series, with its very likable Botswana policeman, is a must-read for anyone who enjoys clever plotting, terrific writing, and a fascinating glimpse of today’s Africa. Kubu—Death of the Mantis—Michael Stanley: the perfect mystery trifecta for any crime fan.”
—Charles Todd, New York Times bestselling author of A Matter of Justice
“Death of the Mantis is the best book yet in one of the best series going: a serious novel with a mystery at its core that takes us places we’ve never been, thrills and informs us, and leaves us changed by the experience. I loved this book.”
—Timothy Hallinan, author of The Queen of Patpong and A Nail Through the Heart
Praise for the Detective Kubu Novels
“[Kubu is] the African Columbo. . . . Like the first book to feature Kubu, A Carrion Death, this is a smart, satisfyingly complex mystery. A.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“If you have yet to discover the charm of Detective Kubu and his extended family, and the lure of Botswana’s unique landscape, now is the time and this is the book.”
—William Kent Krueger
“A brilliant sequel to A Carrion Death. Suggest to fans of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, who will appreciate Kubu’s laid-back style and happy home life, and to Henning Mankell fans, who will respond to the complex plots and palpable sense of place.”
—Booklist (starred review)
“Stanley offers a lot more action ‘out bush,’ while delivering a tale every bit as evocative in its sense of a place and the people who live there.”
—Times-Picayune (New Orleans)
“A complex mystery that should appeal to both history buffs and armchair travelers.”
—Christian Science Monitor
“A dramatic opening. . . . More smart than bloody . . . with clues that will have readers flipping back chapters to check alibis and opportunities. . . . Kubu himself is a marvelous creation, as well-considered as the plot. This is a marvelous debut.”
—Boston Globe
“Delightful. . . . Plot twists are fair and well-paced, the Botswana setting has room to breathe and take shape as its own entity, and Stanley’s writing style is equal parts sprightly and grave.”
—Los Angeles Times Book Review
“Kubu follows in the literary footsteps of Christie’s Poirot and Conan Doyle’s Holmes—[a] brilliant male detective with a love of classical music, a palate for good food and fine wine, distant but compassionate, who solves crimes with reason and resolve. . . . This is a deliciously satisfying first mystery. I want seconds.”
—Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Also by Michael Stanley
A Carrion Death
The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu
Credits
Cover design and illustration by Milan Bozic
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEATH OF THE MANTIS. Copyright © 2011 by Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
; FIRST EDITION
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-0-06-200037-8
EPub Edition © 2011 ISBN: 9780062098894
Version 05242013
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