Wife of the Gods: A Novel (A Darko Dawson Mystery Book 1)

I certainly enjoyed reading Kwei Quartey's Wife of the Gods. It's a mystery. The setting is Africa, Accra and surroundings. The main detective or policemen is Dawson. He is searching for who murdered a woman named Gladys Mensha.Gladys' work involved keeping in touch with people who were HIV positive or had Aids. She also worked to educate the community about the illnesses. From the very beginning, I liked Gladys. I never had a doubt about her good character. So I really wanted to know who had hurt her so brutally.As the book went on I could never figure out who killed her. Well, I did guess the right person. I just couldn't come up with their motive or motives for murder. While Dawson hunts down Gladys Mensha's killer, he also contends with problems at home. His son has a hole in his heart and needs treatment. It is during this situation that Dawson's flaw in character shows up. When a medicine healer is careless while giving treatment to Christine and Dawson's son, Dawson flips out. His way of reacting seems over the top.I did like the fact that the detective/policeman wasn't perfect. At the same time, I wanted Dawson to quickly take anger management classes. In the novel, there are other police officers who seem to have anger problems. In this instance, I felt sickened by the way Samuel is treated after he is arrested and jailed. He is almost forced to make a confession of guilt. His treatment is ghastly. Is the way we get statements from people in some police precincts here or abroad so reckless and brutal? I pray not. Samuel is one of the unforgettable characters in the novel.I think most of the incidents in Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey are quite serious and not to be flipped over. He gives so much information about family life, religion and justice in Africa. I look forward to heading back there with Kwei Quartey and eating cooked plaintains along the way in another mystery.kweiquartey.com/

I read the third book in this series first as I picked it up at a bookstore while traveling. I enjoyed that book and wanted to read what had happened to the main characters in their earlier books. I've read all of the books in this series and I enjoyed all of them, except for the last one. I learned quite a bit from them, but I felt the last book was rushed and it was very obvious the author was tired of his characters. Which is disappointing as the series was enjoyable until the final book in this series (been over 2 years since it was written and he's now writing another series). So, read the series if you don't mind knowing ahead of time there doesn't seem to be any more books in it.

Darko, the child is frightened as the mother disappears into nothing; Darko Dawson, the adult, has a recurring dream: his mother walks with him through the forest and urges him along... It is not any forest, but a forest he remembers from his childhood, near the village of Ketanu, the place where his mother disappeared all these years ago. A powerful beginning for Kwei Quartey's debut novel, "Wife of the Gods", no question. And the village and the forest around, beautifully evoked, take centre stage in the action when Darko, now a Detective Inspector returns to "assist" the local police in a murder investigation. Not being generally drawn to crime or police procedural stories, I have recently been intrigued by several of those by African writers, eg. Moussa Konate (Mali) and Michael Stanley (South Africa). In fact, I have found that their ability to successfully embed a fast-moving murder mystery into a broader-based portrayal of cultural environments that allows us glimpses, or more, into the socio-cultural diversity of their society. Kwei Quartei follows this emerging African genre with his story, set in the Volga region of northern Ghana, an area where long-held beliefs clash with modern (urban) convictions, where a traditional healer and a fetish priest can have more power over the local people than any efforts to apply justice and/or to protect innocents.The novels title, 'Wife of the Gods', refers to a local tradition, the "trokosi": young girls are "offered" to the fetish priest to sacrifice their lives at the religious shrine to atone for a crime comitted by one member of their family. When they are old enough, the young women serve the priest in every way and bear his children. Gladys Mensah, a volunteer with the Ghana Health Service, has been supporting the "wives" in whatever way possible. The spread of AIDS is one serious concern to her. One day Gladys is found dead in the forest and DI Darko Dawson is sent from Accra to ensure that the guilty person is convicted of the crime...Darko is a personable sort of character, a family man, usually jovial, yet with a few flaws of character, and his own sense of justice - sometimes. His assignment takes him back to that forest of his childhood nightmares and Ketanu, the village that he had not visited in 25 years, since his mother didn't return from a stay at her sister's place there. There is much ground to cover in this novel, starting with the murder suspects, the victim and her environment, and the fetish priest, his "trokosi" and their surroundings to the actual details of the murder investigation. While, understandably in a cross-genre novel like this, not all aspects can be covered with as much detail or depth as I for one would have liked, Quartey does provide good insights into the conflicts that are affecting remote rural communities like Ketanu. At the same time, I found the essence of the murder mystery component less satisfactory. After some detractions and sidelining leads, Dawson seems to be less smart than the reader in identifying the real culprit. The ending was predictable and somewhat disappointing for me. Still, this being Quartey's first foray into the world of fiction and murder mysteries, I look forward to the next adventure of DI Dawson. [Friederike Knabe]

I keep seeing mention of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency in reviews of this book. This is unfair.Yes, this story is set in Africa, but there the comparisons should stop. This book stands up in own right.Wife of the Gods is set in Ghana roving between Accra and the Volta River region, as well as Kumasi. It is a murder story and the chief protagonist is Detective Inspector Darko Dawson - based in the capital city, but sent to the regions in order to find the murdere[s].For me Ghana is a interesting new setting and I am thoroughly enjoying both the story and the regional settings.In general, I like the writing, but some of the dialogue clunks. Some of the story is moving. I am fine with that, but the husband and wife conversations made me shudder.Words from the local dialect and regional languages are used, but do not interfere with one's understanding of the storyline - well done Kwei Quartey, the author, for achieving this.But there is a darker feel to this story than I have ever come across in The No. 1...Police cells, prisoners being beaten, suicide, the not infrequent use of marajuana, the main character's inner demons driving him to harsh, violent actions - such elements make this at times a grittier, more realistic and less cosy read.Not to the book's detriment.I have to say that I am finding all the characters, major and minor, plausible with genuine traits, foibles and quirks.It is interesting to see how traditional African cultures meet modern day trends, fashions and behaviours.Editor, proof reader, author - please work on the dialogue, hence 4*.I will, however, definitely read the next story concerning DI Darko Dawson.

I can't really add much more than previous reviews other than, WARNING - Darko Dawson is addictive. I've read all five one after the other.

Loved it! Very quick read

Ich hatte viel Gutes über das Buch gehört, und die Geschichte ist eigentlich interessant, die für uns fremden Gebräuche, die Ausführung, da kann ich gar nichts dagegen sagen. Dennoch ist Darko Dawson für mich kein überzeugender Protagonist, als Polizist, der Marihuana raucht und sich gerne einmal mit einem Verdächtigen prügelt, so gerechtfertigt das auch scheinen mag, und so menschlich ihn das machen soll, scheint es mir doch eher, als würde dieser Stil hier lobend unterstützt. Andere Polizisten in der Geschichte werden wohl wegen Verdacht auf Polizeibrutalität vernommen, doch ihm passiert praktisch nichts, oder es wird zumindest offen gelassen. Das offene Ende, viele Stränge versanden einfach so, ist ebenfalls etwas enttäuschend.Gewalt gegen Frauen ist an der Tagesordnung, das mag wohl stimmen, aber hier ist es irgendwie als akzeptiert abgetan. Ein netter Versuch, hat mich aber nicht wirklich überzeugt.

Cannot believe this is the first novel written by the author. Plot is good. Writing is smooth. Also, the quality of the book is great. M.Vincent.