"What if the truth is more terrible than the forest?" Darko Dawson is an up-and-coming police detective in Accra, the capital of Ghana. He has a great job, a family he loves, and yet he carries a deep sorrow from the disappearance of his mother in his childhood when she was returning from a visit to her hometown Ketanu, a town set on the edge of the great forest.When a young medical student is found dead in that same town of Ketanu and an influential official presses for a big-city detective to be assigned to the case, Dawson is the natural choice because he speaks Ewe, the local language, has relatives in town, and understands the complicated local landscape. Indeed all of his local contacts and knowledge will be called into service as he goes through the list of murder suspects: a suspected juvenile delinquent,, an abusive priest and his "trokosi" (women who are given to the shrine to atone for a relative's crime or misdemeanor and forced into plural marriage with the priest), a smooth-talking local herbalist, and an idealistic but lustful government health worker. As Dawson delves into the intricacies of the case, he hopes to shed light on the mystery that continues to haunt his own life.Quartey grew up in Ghana and is half-Ghanaian; he now practices medicine in LA. Apparently he gets up early every morning before rounds to write. His intimate knowledge of the country, the culture and its people bring the book to life and make you feel like you are in this bush, fingering a characteristic "adinkra" fabric, or smelling Dawson's aunt's rich spicy groundnut stew. He is unflinching in his portrayal of sexism in Ghana, the continuing beliefs in witchcraft, and the inadequate responses to the AIDS crisis. His inexperience as a writer shows here and there when he tells us what a character is like instead of showing it, but overall the book is great. Wonderful twisty plot. Can't wait to see what my group will make of it! I would have preferred to give it a 3.5Set in Ghana it was an interesting detective story with excellent back story, conflicted and less than perfect characters - I really enjoyed it.Darko, the main detective, is sent out to solve the murder of a female university student. Fetish priests with multiple wives, unscrupulous police officers and vivid descriptions make this book an interesting read.
Do You like book Trokosi (2011)?
Very interesting detective book set in Africa. Highly recommend!
—Cris
Great into to a new detective, likeable & interesting
—jeaniebee
good mystery and good social commentary.
—agentlivid
