Customer Reviews

Wife of the Gods: A Novel

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(31)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Kwei Quartay's debut is an entertaining debut that not only focuses on Darko Dawson, the family man and the detective, but immerses the reader in Ghanaian culture and traditions, and introduces a cast of lively characters. The novel opens with the murder of a young AIDS prevention worker in the same remote region Darko's mother disappeared 25 years earlier while visiting her sister. He is assigned to support the local police because he speaks Ewe and dives into the case with a practiced, methodical approach despite objections from the local officials who suspect a young admirer of the victim (and town troublemaker) as the culprit. Darko initially treads carefully as he navigates between modern and traditional worlds; reverence for the tribal priests and practice of trokosi challenges his "progressive" thinking where women are viewed and treated equally to men and his non-belief in witchcraft and sorcery.

Darko is an exceptionally likeable character in that he is not the "perfect" detective; his love of marijuana mars his innocence along with repressed feelings of guilt and loss surrounding his brother's life-altering, childhood accident and his mother's unsolved disappearance. He also has a strained relationship with his father and mother-in-law, for good reasons; but loves his wife and son unconditionally. He is unbelievably human; he makes mistakes along the way, falls to anger which clouds his judgment, and at times, he prematurely jumps to the wrong conclusions at a cost. The other characters via their actions, environmental settings/way of life, and mindset provide the reader with a view into Ghanaian culture, sociology, social services (health care system, law enforcement, etc), which for me, was very enlightening.

The writing style works with the story -- it is simplistic, somewhat imperfect, but yet effective -- just like Dawson. I think most readers can and will figure out "whodunit" long before it is revealed, but it will not detract from the story. I am happy to see the author is planning another novel as I would definitely love to read it.

Reviewed by Phyllis
Date: June 16, 2009
APOOO BookClub

Inspector Darko Dawson has been sent to Ketanu, a village several kilometers away from his home base of Accra, the capital of Ghana, to investigate a murder. He has mixed emotions about going, since Ketanu is the site of his mother's disappearance more than 25 years ago. In fact, he still has relatives living there. While in Ketanu, not only must the urbane Dawson contend with a population fixated on witchcraft, but the murder investigation involves him with many local superstitions, faith healers, and priests with several wives.

While the publisher compares this book to Alexander McCall Smith's 1st Ladies Detective Agency series, the only similarity is the setting. This is a good police procedural, with well developed and believable characters, an engaging setting, and a cleverly twisting plot that kept me guessing until the end.

Dawson is an engaging character-- a dope smoking, firey tempered, independent, 'take no prisoners' detective. He reminds me very much of J.A. Jance's J.P. Beaumont character. While he fights his own demons, sneers at inept superiors and peers, and constantly annoys everyone, he befriends the helpless, listens to his inner senses, and cleverly solves the crime.

Dr. Quartey writes eloquently, in spare but beautiful prose. The book proceeds quickly from the opening to the end, in fact, the cliche 'page-turner' is quite apt. I couldn't put it down. I especially enjoyed having a glossary of Ghanian terms available. It made the dialogue (which is masterful) readily accessible to a reader unfamiliar with the area. It was good to see that he is already working on book #2. Both the character of Dawson and the author have the makings of a great series.

Meet Darko Dawson, Ghanaian police detective. He's a pretty good detective but he has issues ... although he doesn't drink, he does smoke marijuana. He is an insomniac. He has anger-management problems. His mother disappeared when he was a child. His brother is a paraplegic. His son has a serious heart problem. His mother-in-law is meddlesome and unbearable. His partner is a slacker. He gets sent to a small town out in the sticks to help solve a murder which is too mysterious for the bumbling local cops to handle. Oh, and by the way: Dawson's aunt and uncle live in this small town. It is the last place his mother was seen before she disappeared. As you can guess, Dawson becomes personally involved in the case.

The murder investigation moves slowly, and for most of the book it seems to take a back seat as Dawson deals with personal issues. This is postmodern detective fiction, in which the mystery is almost an afterthought, and the novel is really about something else. Dawson's inner personal conflict is one theme, as is the friction between two parts of Ghana's culture: traditional African magic versus "civilized" Western science. Suspects are eliminated one by one, and the murder case gradually comes into focus as the book progresses. The final reveal of the murderer is rather anti-climactic. By the time you find out who did it, it is no longer a surprise.

The pace is slow and relaxing. The book seems longer than it actually is, but it is not boring or tiresome. The characters are very well fleshed-out and the setting is fascinating. I have never before read a book set in Ghana, so that part of it was a new experience for me. There is a glossary of select Ghanaian words in the back of the book, but it is not necessary to consult the glossary in order to understand the story.

The author's bio says he is working on his next novel, and I think Kwei Quartey may be an author to watch. Well done. Four stars.

This is an unbelievably polished and gripping debut. The book is so rich in atmosphere, and the characters are so finely nuanced that it is truly difficult to believe this is Kwei Quartey's first time out. He certainly has captured this reader's attention, and it was captured from page one! The dialogue is crisp, as well as fluid, and the plot will keep you up reading well into the night.

Meet Darko Dawson. He is a city detective accustomed to Accra's [Ghana's capital] ways. However, since he speaks the language of the locals in a rural village of Ghana, his superior orders him to investigate the murder of a young medical student in the village of Ketanu.

In detective inspector Darko Dawson we meet one very compelling character. He seems to have a weakness in situations where women and children are vulnerable - especially the Trokosi . Darko is a `good cop' who does not appear to mind playing `rough.' In Accra, he rides a motorcycle, has an occasional joint and likes non-alcoholic Malta.

Darko loves his wife and son, but he is still haunted by his mother's mysterious disappearance. Apparently, she went to visit her sister in Ketanu [approxmately 25 years ago], and she never returned. Therefore, when ordered to the village of Ketanu, in order to apply his finely honed investigative skills, he views this as a dual assignment.

In 'Wife of the Gods,' there are parallel stories, and this adds to the richness and vibrancy of this book. The main mystery is to solve the murder of a young medical student. Gladys Mensah also volunteered in an effort towards promoting AIDS/HIV awareness, therefore, angering the High Priests. The secondary mystery is the disappearance of Darko's mother.

The reader is immediately transported to Ghana. There is no `getting into this story' aspect of the book. Once you read the first page, you are hooked. You are able to see, taste and smell the varied foods of Ghana, visualize its varied people, its city life and country life and hear Ghana's music. [Oh, those lush mango trees!]

If you are seeking a police procedural that also contains some `enhanced interrogation scenes,' `woiko' to `Wife of the Gods.' Whether you are planning a vacation or just relaxing at home, this is an ideal book. In `Wife of the Gods,' you will meet warm or wicked characters whose dialogue never flags. It sparkles with excitement. This is an engaging read in every sense of the word. This was such a pleasant surprise for this reader. I, usually, stay clear of `adventure' reading vehicles. Quartey may have found a `convert' in me! His book's structure and prose style are superb. Bravo to Kwei Quartey! Encore - please!!
[5]

What a wonderful mystery! I think Kwei Quartey will be one of my new favorite authors! Oh please let it be a series!

The story takes place in Ghana, in city, town, and village. We meet detective inspector Darko Dawson, a very smart policeman, who is sent to solve the mystery of the murder of a medical student who was volunteering in AIDS education in a village.

Possible motives abound! Was it hatred of her modernity? Did a local fetish priest she troubled re his "wives" do it? Did a young man interested in her do it? Was it a witch?

Golly, the possible motives were interesting and led in so many directions! And then, also, there was good background on Darko Dawson, his family, the health problems of his son.

I really enjoyed this book and will add the author to my list of frequently checked names for new books! I plan to recommend this book to our local mystery book store! This is a wonderful discovery!

I'm a keen reader of literary novels, particularly those that provide insight into contemporary world issues. So let me confess upfront that I haven't read an unabashed detective novel in more than two decades. Despite this caveat, there was something special about "Wife of the Gods," by Kwei Quartey, that caught my eye. The promotional descriptions suggested unpretentious literary merit and a promise of multifaceted views of life in modern Ghana.

I'm attracted to books set in other cultures, and until I picked up this book, I had not yet read anything set in that vibrant West African country. I was also intrigued that the author was a medical doctor living and actively practicing medicine in Los Angeles, my hometown. Obviously, he'd know about my culture and probably do a good job making his native culture understandable and exciting to someone like me. I took a chance and got the book.

I was immediately pulled into the plot. The novel did not disappoint...at least not at first. In fact, reading this novel caused me to rediscover how fun and relaxing it can be to read a genre detective novel--a boldfaced who-done-it. But to do this, I had to switch off my analytical brain. As long as I was able to do that, the novel remained absorbing and compelling. But if I started to think too much about what I was reading...well, that's when the trouble started to creep in and fester.

The main character, Detective Darko Dawson, stands out as strong and believable, but many of the supporting characters are shameless stereotypes. As the novel drew to a close, I was unable to keep my analytical brain disengaged--I couldn't stop focusing on how hackneyed and ordinary it all was. When I turned the last page, I was totally turned off--this was, after all, just another run-of-the-mill detective novel, albeit one set in a fascinating, authentically portrayed foreign locale. The writing was satisfactory, pulling the story along and not calling too much attention to itself (which is probably good for a detective novel). But if I let my analytical mind take control, I started cringing at prose on every page.

I decided to give this novel three stars because, for most of the book, it provided me with a good, enjoyable reading experience. In particular, I loved learning about life in modern Ghana...and I didn't figure out who the murderer was until I was almost finished.

I would definitely recommend this book to any readers looking for a light vacation novel and wanting to learn about Ghana. This would be an especially good choice for travelers headed toward West Africa.

The murder of an attractive med student/AIDS worker summons Detective Inspector Darko Dawson from the capital to the rural Ghanaian village of Ketanu in Quartey's debut.

Dawson dislikes leaving his wife and delicate young son (born with a heart defect, the boy needs expensive surgery) behind in Accra, but his mother was from Ketanu and he speaks the language. Dawson's mother disappeared twenty-five years earlier after a visit to her sister there and Dawson has not seen his relatives since.

The reunion is naturally bittersweet. Childhood memories, foods and relationships are renewed, but so is the pain of his mother's mysterious disappearance. Did she commit suicide? Was she killed? Did she run away?

While he mulls these questions, Dawson rejects the most obvious suspect in the student's murder- an impoverished teenager - and questions a prominent healer and a local priest, upsetting the status quo and gaining himself new enemies.

Quartey, a Ghanaian-American physician who was raised in Ghana, explores the clash between modernity and traditionalism, particularly medicine and shamanism, which Dawson angrily dismisses as superstition. The title comes from the ancient practice of trokosi, young girls dedicated as slave wives to local priests - Wives of the Gods -to placate the spirit world.

The whodunit part takes a backseat to the vivid Ghanaian setting and culture.
The character of Darko Dawson - a pot-smoking, tee-totaler with a quick temper and a modern sensibility - is appealing and complex and readers will look forward to seeing more of him, his family and his country.

This was an excellent read! The story was smart; the plot was well-developed; and the characters were rich and intriguing. The author writes vividly and paints generous images of people, environments, emotions etc.

I found the story very gripping. The relationships between key characters made the story that much more compelling. There were plenty of surprises and misdirects to keep the reader working to solve the mystery on his or her own.

This has been my favorite summer read thus far. I must say I gasped a few times while reading which is always a good sign when reading a mystery. I highly recommend it.

When a brilliant young medical student is murdered in a tiny village in Ghana, a police detective is sent from the capital city of Accra to help with the investigation.

The detective, Darko Dawson, has a local tie to the area - his mother vanished years ago from the same village and his aunt and uncle and cousin still live there.

Dawson is a flawed character (anger management issues, a taste for illegal pot) but still likable (he is a loving husband and father, and his temper seems to be set off primarily over endangered women and children). He is very much a 21'st century man from a big modern city and a believer in modern high tech medicine and science - and experiences quite a bit of culture shock and clash in the tiny village, where many people still believe in local fetish priests, herbal healers, and witchcraft.

Over the course of this well written and often quite moving story, Dawson must try to figure out answers to the current mystery - while facing down demons from his own past and the mystery surrounding his vanished mother.

Very well written debut novel with a unique and rich setting.

"Wife of the Gods," by Kwei Quartey is an excellent police procedural. The story of a murdered medical student is spiced with the customs and realities of a country struggling to reconcile its past with what it wants for the future.
Detective Inspector Darko Dawson is sent to the town of Ketanu from the Ghanaian capital of Accra to discover who would have wanted Gladys Mensah dead. The town holds painful memories for him because it was from there that his mother vanished twenty-five years earlier.
Dawson would be easy to dislike: he smokes marijuana, looses his temper a lot, and beats up suspects. But his tenderness toward his wife and sickly son, his burning need to protect the weak and his love and respect for the detective who investigated his mother's disappearance keep him from being a monster. All he really wants is to bring justice to those who too often are denied it.
I had a suspicion who the guilty party was pretty early on, but the all the details of life in Ghana, the traditions, and the conflict between modern and traditional medicine made this book a keeper for me. Great character, interesting story - all you need for a good mystery. I can't wait to read the next one.