Instruments of Darkness (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

by Robert Wilson (Author) "There were a few worse places to be in the world than outside warehouse 2 in Cotonou Port, but I couldn't think of them..." (more)
Key Phrases: bell heads, lifting gear, Madame Severnou, Fat Paul, Nina Sorvino (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
'Unmissable Unflinchingly imagined and executed. No hint of competition' Literary Review 'A class act' Sunday Times 'An atmospheric and absorbing debut, Instruments of Darkness vividly paints a credible picture of a world I know almost nothing about. Now I feel I've been there' Val McDermid --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

PRAISE FOR INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS

"A witty, fast-moving and picaresque tale . . . peopled by deliciously shady characters."--Nelson DeMille

"An atmospheric and absorbing debut ... Vividly paints a credible picture of a world I know almost nothing about. Now I feel I've been there." --Val McDermid

PRAISE FOR THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS:

"An espionage thriller of the first order--complex, exotic, romantic."--San Francisco Chronicle

PRAISE FOR A SMALL DEATH IN LISBON:

"A taut international thriller."--Time

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Harvest Books; 1 edition (July 1, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 0156011131 ISBN-13: 978-0156011136 Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies) Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews) Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books) This is item 1 in The Bruce Medway Series.

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First Sentence:
There were a few worse places to be in the world than outside warehouse 2 in Cotonou Port, but I couldn't think of them. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
bell heads, lifting gear

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Madame Severnou, Fat Paul, Nina Sorvino, Kate Kershaw, Mister Bruce, Elizabeth Harvey, Naoki Maru, Steven Kershaw, Porto Novo, Steve Kershaw, Clifford Harvey, Miss Perec, Hotel Sarakawa, Jack Obuasi, Bof Awolowo, Ivory Coast, James Wilson, German Restaurant, Gildas Sologne, Hotel de La Paix, Jack's Mercedes, New York, Benin Soir, French Embassy, Kamina Village

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 4 books:

• The Big Killing (Bruce Medway Mysteries, No. 2) by Robert Wilson on page 325
• The Company of Strangers by Robert Wilson in Front Matter
• A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson in Front Matter
• The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson in Front Matter

 

13 books cite this book:

• A Darkening Stain (Bruce Medway Series) by Robert Wilson in Front Matter, and Back Matter
• The Blind Man of Seville by Robert Wilson in Front Matter, and Back Matter
• Diplomacy, War, and Technology Since 1830 (Studies in Government and Public Policy) by Maurice Pearton in Back Matter
• Subregionalism and World Order by Glenn d. Hook on page 87
• Spying on Science: Western Intelligence in Divided Germany 1945-1961 by Paul Maddrell on page 18

See all 13 books citing this book

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

	38% buy the item featured on this page: Instruments of Darkness (Harvest Book) 3.6 out of 5 stars (8) $11.90
	18% buy The Ignorance of Blood 4.5 out of 5 stars (21) $17.82
	17% buy The Hidden Assassins 4.5 out of 5 stars (17) $10.20
	15% buy The Vanished Hands (Javier Falcon Thrillers) 4.5 out of 5 stars (15) $11.20

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Customer Reviews

8 Reviews 5 star:  (1) 4 star:  (3) 3 star:  (4) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 3.6 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews 12 of 13 people found the following review helpful: 4.0 out of 5 stars (4.5) The dark side of the Dark Continent, January 9, 2004 By  Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)       "This is Africa, where everybody has mastered the art of waiting." Wilson's first African mystery/suspense novel, introduces Bruce Medway, a fixer, negotiator, and manager who lives on the coast of West Africa and does the odd service for his expatriate clients. Completing a shipping deal at the docks, one that involves transporting rice across state borders illegally, Medway incurs the wrath of the infamous Madame Severnou when he unknowingly conducts the transaction contrary to her wishes. The well-connected woman sends her armed goons on a midnight visit to teach Medway a lesson. Luckily, he is one step ahead of the game and anticipates the attack. The next morning, Medway is hired to find a missing person, Stephen Kershaw, perhaps to draw his attention from the real implications of the Severnou deal. Kershaw has disappeared, leaving a dead woman behind. In the course of his investigation, and tangentially the murder, Medway meets one of the series' most endearing characters, the noble Inspector Bogado. A wily and subtle police detective, Bogado proves indispensable to Medway, in this novel and future works. His solemn physiognomy a familiar presence, Bogado offers his intelligent perspective and enduring friendship, often appearing just in the nick of time. Medway and Bagado sift through clues and half-truths, searching for answers to complex and intertwining mysteries with improbable solutions. Medway is involved with some hard-drinking expats who walk the thin edge of the law. In the murky business affairs of West Africa, expediency is the bottom line. From Medway's first deal, moving rice into Nigeria, to the second, searching for a man who turns up dead, the situations become more convoluted and dangerous, involving illegal drug shipments, murder and police corruption. The cast ranges from wealthy entrepreneurs to hustlers, muscle men and beautiful women posing as art exporters, party girls and/or spies. To further complicate things, there is increasing political unrest, as the age of the dictator passes and the people anticipate a democracy, not anticipating the ensuing chaos and violence that comes with the changing of the guards. In this first endeavor, establishing the Medway series and the characters that will populate the other suspense/mysteries, Wilson carefully lays the groundwork for an interesting character, a man who finds himself embroiled in a variety of schemes with nefarious characters that take all his skills to survive. With the help of the intrepid Inspector Bogado, Medway not only emerges in one piece, but the author paints a fascinating portrait of life in a part of the world filled with violence, imminent danger and political uncertainty. The next Medway adventure, The Big Killing, ratchets up the action even more, offering another series of adventures to test Medway's mettle. Wilson pens a mystery/adventure novel that is virtually impossible to put down, a great read. This is a quality of writing that leaves the reader begging for more. Luan Gaines/2004. 6 of 7 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars Read it for the setting and imagery, not the story itself, September 30, 2003 By A Customer I hesistated between 3 and 4 stars. The author has a deep knowledge of the region and people. Delving into the protagonist's mindset was thoroughly enjoyable. Wilson has enough analogies in this book to fill several novels. They're great, but there's just too much. The book is a murder mystery at some level. The premise and the high level plot is pretty good, but the story ties together at the end messily. Very James Bond / Desmond Bagley-like. You know -- tidy it all up with the bad guys volunteering all the missing pieces to the good guy. I recommend this book for the West African setting and its substantial, grey characters. This is my first Wilson book; I would read another. 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful: 3.0 out of 5 stars promising start to series, July 8, 2004 By  Simon Crowe (Greenville, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    Robert Wilson's INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS is the first in a series of mysteries set in Africa featuring a white British character named Bruce Medway. Medway does odd jobs for a collection of eccentric Africans operating on both sides of the law. The plot is so baroque as to be almost incomprehensible, but what's really going on is lots of atmosphere. Wilson knows Africa and he gets the details right....Much darker than the No. 1 Detective Agency books, will appeal to fans of Le Carre, Graham Greene, etc.....Funny and exciting, lively 1st person narration.....recommended....		Ad feedback   Most Recent Customer Reviews 3.0 out of 5 stars One of the better Medway novels I have found the Bruce Medway novels - this is the second one I read - disappointing. That's largely because they're not nearly as good as his later Iberian novels. Read more Published 3 months ago by Daniel Berger 3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't Hold My Interest Having read his European thrillers, I'm a big fan of Wilson and I even enjoyed his African novel, "A Darkening Stain". But this book just didn't grab me, for some reason. Read more Published on June 1, 2007 by zorba 4.0 out of 5 stars Standard private eye stuff with an unusual setting Robert Wilson has become something of a bestselling author with a series of books dealing with espionage and detectives in the Iberian peninsula, either in Spain or Portugal... Read more Published on January 7, 2007 by David W. Nicholas 5.0 out of 5 stars Graham Greene Territory Robert Wilson is a writer whose other thrillers I've read with interest, but this one took me someplace I've never been before and kept me there for every one of its 300 and some... Read more Published on June 29, 2006 by Timothy Hallinan 4.0 out of 5 stars Instruments of Darkness There is no denying that the author knows his stuff. The setting and characters were fascinating. My problem though was that I continually found myself distracted by the overuse... Read more Published on July 31, 2004 by A. Martin Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews

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This product's forum (1 discussion)   Discussion Replies Latest Post ***IMPORTANT**In Case There Is Any Confusion Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Wilson ARE NOT the Same Person! 0 November 2006 › See all discussions...   [Start the discussion] Start a new discussion Topic: First post: Receive e-mail when new posts are made Prompts for sign-in   [Cancel] Guidelines Active discussions in related forums   Discussion Replies Latest Post mystery Please help an insomniac who needs mystery recommendations, Vol. II 7568 5 minutes ago mystery Ian Rankin's The Falls: #12 in his DI John Rebus Series 265 1 hour ago thriller Shamelss self-promotion by author (2) 9404 5 hours ago thriller Books that would make great films 174 12 hours ago thriller Can you recommend a page-turing, chair gripping, thriller by a new or unknown author? 268 12 hours ago mystery Mystery Community Off Topic & Introduction Thread 194 12 hours ago thriller Crimson Orgy - best new thriller of '08? 2935 16 hours ago thriller Help! Looking for books with non-stop action, suspense & intrigue 151 16 hours ago

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; 1 edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156011131
• ISBN-13: 978-0156011136
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #35,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

• This is item 1 in The Bruce Medway Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars (4.5) The dark side of the Dark Continent, January 9, 2004

By	Luan Gaines "luansos" (Dana Point, CA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"This is Africa, where everybody has mastered the art of waiting." Wilson's first African mystery/suspense novel, introduces Bruce Medway, a fixer, negotiator, and manager who lives on the coast of West Africa and does the odd service for his expatriate clients.

Completing a shipping deal at the docks, one that involves transporting rice across state borders illegally, Medway incurs the wrath of the infamous Madame Severnou when he unknowingly conducts the transaction contrary to her wishes. The well-connected woman sends her armed goons on a midnight visit to teach Medway a lesson. Luckily, he is one step ahead of the game and anticipates the attack.

The next morning, Medway is hired to find a missing person, Stephen Kershaw, perhaps to draw his attention from the real implications of the Severnou deal. Kershaw has disappeared, leaving a dead woman behind. In the course of his investigation, and tangentially the murder, Medway meets one of the series' most endearing characters, the noble Inspector Bogado. A wily and subtle police detective, Bogado proves indispensable to Medway, in this novel and future works. His solemn physiognomy a familiar presence, Bogado offers his intelligent perspective and enduring friendship, often appearing just in the nick of time. Medway and Bagado sift through clues and half-truths, searching for answers to complex and intertwining mysteries with improbable solutions.

Medway is involved with some hard-drinking expats who walk the thin edge of the law. In the murky business affairs of West Africa, expediency is the bottom line. From Medway's first deal, moving rice into Nigeria, to the second, searching for a man who turns up dead, the situations become more convoluted and dangerous, involving illegal drug shipments, murder and police corruption. The cast ranges from wealthy entrepreneurs to hustlers, muscle men and beautiful women posing as art exporters, party girls and/or spies. To further complicate things, there is increasing political unrest, as the age of the dictator passes and the people anticipate a democracy, not anticipating the ensuing chaos and violence that comes with the changing of the guards.

In this first endeavor, establishing the Medway series and the characters that will populate the other suspense/mysteries, Wilson carefully lays the groundwork for an interesting character, a man who finds himself embroiled in a variety of schemes with nefarious characters that take all his skills to survive. With the help of the intrepid Inspector Bogado, Medway not only emerges in one piece, but the author paints a fascinating portrait of life in a part of the world filled with violence, imminent danger and political uncertainty. The next Medway adventure, The Big Killing, ratchets up the action even more, offering another series of adventures to test Medway's mettle. Wilson pens a mystery/adventure novel that is virtually impossible to put down, a great read. This is a quality of writing that leaves the reader begging for more. Luan Gaines/2004.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read it for the setting and imagery, not the story itself, September 30, 2003

By A Customer

I hesistated between 3 and 4 stars. The author has a deep knowledge of the region and people. Delving into the protagonist's mindset was thoroughly enjoyable.

Wilson has enough analogies in this book to fill several novels. They're great, but there's just too much. The book is a murder mystery at some level. The premise and the high level plot is pretty good, but the story ties together at the end messily. Very James Bond / Desmond Bagley-like. You know -- tidy it all up with the bad guys volunteering all the missing pieces to the good guy.

I recommend this book for the West African setting and its substantial, grey characters. This is my first Wilson book; I would read another.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars promising start to series, July 8, 2004

By	Simon Crowe (Greenville, SC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Robert Wilson's INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS is the first in a series of mysteries set in Africa featuring a white British character named Bruce Medway. Medway does odd jobs for a collection of eccentric Africans operating on both sides of the law. The plot is so baroque as to be almost incomprehensible, but what's really going on is lots of atmosphere. Wilson knows Africa and he gets the details right....Much darker than the No. 1 Detective Agency books, will appeal to fans of Le Carre, Graham Greene, etc.....Funny and exciting, lively 1st person narration.....recommended....