KNYSNA NEWS – Local author Michael Sears and his co-author Stanley Trollip have recently released the seventh book in their renowned Africa-based crime series centered around Motswana crimefighter Detective Kubu.
The book, titled Facets of Death, acts as a prequel to the other six books in the series and provides the titular character with a back story 13 years after he was revealed to the world.
The duo author their books together under the pseudonym Michael Stanley, and their latest instalment in the Detective Kubu series was released earlier this month. Facets of Death provides a fitting beginning to the life of Gaborone-based detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
His nickname means 'Hippo' in Setswana, and the beginning of his story takes place in the 1990s when Kubu was assigned his first case - a massive diamond heist that took place on the road from Jwaneng, home of the world's richest diamond mines.
While he's trying to be accepted by the current staff and make a role for himself in the CID, he realises that there is more to the case than meets the eye. The story follows Kubu and his boss, assistant superintendent Mabaku, as they battle several obstacles along the way, culminating in a trap that could end their careers - in Kubu's case before it's even begun.
About Michael Stanley
Sears (73), who has lived in Knysna for three years now, was born in Johannesburg, raised in Cape Town and later Nairobi, while Trollip (74) was born and raised in Johannesburg. Sears is an alumnus of the South African College Schools in Cape Town and Nairobi School (formerly Prince of Wales School) in Nairobi. He also attended the University of Adelaide and Flinders University in Australia, finishing his studies with a PhD in pure mathematics.
Trollip, who used to have a holiday home in Knysna, meanwhile attended St John's College in Jo'burg followed by the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Illinois in the USA. He further holds a PhD in Educational Psychology with a specialisation in the use of computers in education. He has also been a Professor of Aviation.
Their journey thus far
Sears and Trollip have co-authored books for the past 13 years, with their first book, A Carrion Death, kicking off the Detective Kubu series. According to the duo, the idea for the book came while they were flying over Chobe National Park.
"Stanley is a pilot, and each year he used to fill a small plane with friends, food, and wine and do flying trips to Botswana and Zimbabwe," they said to KPH. They had the idea for the first book while watching hyenas kill a wildebeest in the Savuti area of the park.
"A large pack, they consumed basically everything, flesh and bones, over a period of hours. The perfect murder. No body, no case. Then, being academics, we spent the next twenty years talking about writing a mystery built around that premise," they said. With both being readers of crime fiction, and most of their academic work having been done in collaboration with other people, it seemed natural to them to work together on the novel. "Later, we discovered that it's quite unusual for people to write fiction together."
Never expected a thing
Neither Sears nor Trollip expected to be where they are today. "We feel very lucky to have been published in the first place. Fortunately, we were taken on by a great agent in New York, and she sold a two-book contract to Harper Collins within a few weeks," Sears explained.
"We've used serious contemporary issues in Southern Africa for backstories - blood diamonds, the aftermath of the war in Rhodesia, the plight of the Kalahari Bushmen, muti murders for human body parts, the growing Chinese influence in Africa, and biopiracy."
Trollip is just immensely grateful. "If you had told me when I retired that I would become an author of a popular detective series and a stand-alone thriller, I would have scoffed. But what a journey it has been!" he said.
"First, working closely with Michael for all these years has been a wonderful experience - demanding, challenging, and enormously enjoyable. Second is the group of writers and readers we've met around the world. In particular, the mystery-writer community is enormously supportive of each other."
Over the years, the Detective Kubu series has become critically acclaimed. It has been nominated for and won various awards in the mystery and crime fiction genre. For information on where to get your own copy of the book, visit the duos' website, www.michaelstanleybooks.com.
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