A young girl goes missing after getting into a car with a mysterious man. Soon after, a second girl disappears, and her devastated father, Witness, sets out to seek revenge. As the trail goes cold, Samantha Khama - new recruit to the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department - suspects the girl was killed for muti, the traditional African medicine usually derived from plants, sometimes animals, and, recently and most chillingly, human parts. When the investigation gets personal, Samantha enlists opera-loving wine connoisseur Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu to help her dig into the past. As they begin to discover a pattern to the disappearances, there is another victim, and Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race to stop a serial killer who has only one thing in mind... '... a fascinating police procedural ... the most complex book in this series. Besides being an intricate crime puzzle that Kubu and his team must untangle, it also looks at societal issues' St Paul Pioneer Press 'Compelling and deceptively written...' New York Journal of Books 'Richly atmospheric ... a gritty depiction of corruption and deception' Publishers Weekly 'A wonderful, original voice - McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly' Peter James 'Under the African sun, Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu investigates crimes as dark as the darkest of Nordic Noir. Call it Sunshine Noir, if you will - a must read' Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Smashed skull, snapped ribs, and a cloying smell of carrion. Leave the body for the hyenas to devour--no body, no case.

But Kalahari game rangers stumble on the human corpse mid-meal. The murder wasn't perfect after all. Enter Detective David "Kubu" Bengu of the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department, an investigator whose personality and physique match his moniker, the Setswana word for hippopotamus--which is a seemingly docile beast, but one of the deadliest, and most persistent, on the continent.

Beneath a mountain of lies and superstitions, Kubu uncovers a chain of crimes leading to the most powerful figures in the country--cold-bloodedly efficient and frighteningly influential enemies who can make anyone who gets in their way disappear.

When the body of a Bushman is discovered near the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the death is written off as an accident. But all is not as it seems.

An autopsy reveals that, although he’s clearly very old, his internal organs are puzzlingly young. What’s more, an old bullet is lodged in one of his muscles … but where is the entry wound? When the body is stolen from the morgue and a local witch doctor is reported missing, Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu gets involved. But did the witch doctor take the body to use as part of a ritual? Or was it the American anthropologist who’d befriended the old Bushman? As Kubu and his brilliant young colleague, Detective Samantha Khama, follow the twisting trail through a confusion of rhino-horn smugglers, foreign gangsters and drugs manufacturers, the wider and more dangerous the case seems to grow.

A fresh, new slice of ‘Sunshine Noir’, Dying to Live is a classic tale of greed, corruption and ruthless thuggery, set in one of the world’s most beautiful landscapes, and featuring one of crime fiction’s most endearing and humane heroes.

When a human skeleton is discovered at the site of a controversial new dam in remote northern Botswana, rookie Detective Kubu is drawn into a terrifying local feud, and discovers a deadly covenant that could change everything...

While building a pipeline near the Okavango Delta, a contractor unearths the remains of a long-dead Bushman. Rookie Detective David 'Kubu' Bengu of Botswana CID and Scottish pathologist, Ian MacGregor, are sent to investigate, and MacGregor discovers eight more skeletons. Shortly after the gruesome discoveries, the elder of a nearby village is murdered in his home. The local police are convinced it was a robbery, but Kubu isn't so sure ... and neither is the strange woman who claims that an angry river spirit caused the elder's death.

As accusations of corruption are levelled and international outrage builds over the massacre of the Bushman families, Kubu and his colleagues uncover a deadly covenant, and begin to fear that their own lives may be in mortal danger...

Girls are disappearing in Botswana. The rumor is they're being harvested for muti, a witch doctor's potion traditionally derived from plants and animals--and which, some believe, can be made more potent by adding human remains. Detective David "Kubu" Bengu joins the investigation with the police force's newest detective--and only woman--Samantha Khama, for whom the case is personal.

Soon one girl's father, convinced that his daughter's death is linked to the recent popularity of a political candidate, takes the law into his own hands. After the father flees, what Kubu and Samantha find in the politician's home confirms their worst fears: muti containing human DNA is real.

Now Kubu and Samantha are thrust into a harrowing race to stop a serial killer or killers--and those who would pay for their special, lethal muti.

Two vicious murders, only hours apart

Normally a peaceful wilderness retreat, the Jackalberry bush camp has suddenly become a ghastly crime scene--and the details are still emerging when Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is assigned to the case. Zimbabwean teacher Goodluck Tinubu and another tourist have been found bludgeoned to death, while another guest at the camp--rumored to be a dissident wanted in Zimbabwe--has disappeared without a trace.

With the local police unable--or unwilling--to provide much assistance, Detective Kubu relies on his own instincts to track down those responsible for the crimes. But a startling piece of forensic evidence from Goodluck Tinubu's murder adds a complicated twist to the investigation, and Kubu must work fast to solve a seemingly impossible riddle before any more Jackalberry guests meet their death. Suspecting that everyone at the camp has something to hide, the wily detective from Gaborone sets a clever trap to find the truth.

The memorable Kubu of "A Carrion Death" returns in this gripping story of murder, greed, and hidden motives. Set in northern Botswana, amid lush vegetation and teeming wildlife, "The Second Death of Goodluck Tinubu" captures the intense loyalties and struggles taking place at the country's borders--and the shattered dreams of those living just outside this modern democracy.

Detective Kubu's world is shattered when his father is violently murdered. Defying orders, he sets off on the killers' trail ... with shocking consequences... 'This fifth mystery featuring Detective Kubu is another fast-moving procedural notable for its warm characterizations and vivid sense of place. A natural for fans of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency' Booklist 'A wonderful, original voice - McCall Smith with a dark edge and even darker underbelly' Peter James 'Impossible to put down. Kubu's painstaking detecting skills make him a sort of Hercule Poirot of the desert ... This series can be recommended to a wide gamut of readers' Library Journal _______________ 'There's no easy way to say this, Kubu. Your father's dead. I'm afraid he's been murdered.' Faced with the violent death of his own father, even Assistant Superintendent David 'Kubu' Bengu, Botswana CID's keenest mind, is baffled. Who would kill such a frail old man? The picture becomes even murkier with the apparent suicide of a government official. Are Chinese mine-owners involved? And what role does the US Embassy have to play? When grief-stricken Kubu defies orders and sets out on the killers' trail, startling and chilling links emerge, spanning the globe and setting a sequence of shocking events in motion. Will Kubu catch the killers in time ... and find justice for his father? Set amidst the dark beauty of modern Botswana, A Death in the Family is a thrilling insight into a world of riots, corruption and greed, as a complex series of murders present the opera-loving, wine connoisseur detective with his most challenging - and personal - case yet. _______________ 'The perfect combination of "I don't want it to end" and "I can't put it down". Great African crime fiction' Deon Meyer 'My favourite writing duo since Ellery Queen' Ragnar Jonasson 'Bengu is a wonderful creation, complex and beguiling. The exotic smells and sounds of Botswana fill the pages as well as the changes and struggles of a country brimming with modern technology yet fiercely clinging to old traditions. Compelling and deceptively written...' New York Journal of Books 'Richly atmospheric ... a gritty depiction of corruption and deception' Publishers Weekly 'Under the African sun, Michael Stanley's Detective Kubu investigates crimes as dark as the darkest of Nordic Noir. Call it Sunshine Noir, if you will - a must read' Yrsa Sigurdardottir

In the southern Kalahari area of Botswana--an arid landscape of legends that speak of lost cities, hidden wealth, and ancient gods--a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dying from a severe head wound in a dry ravine. Three Bushmen surround the doomed man, but are they his killers or there to help? Detective David "Kubu" Bengu is on the case, an investigation that his old school friend Khumanego claims is motivated by racist antagonism on the part of the local police. But when a second bizarre murder, and then a third, seem to point also to the nomadic tribe, the intrepid Kubu must journey into the depths of the Kalahari to uncover the truth. What he discovers there will test all his powers of detection . . . and his ability to remain alive.

In these stories, seventeen writers from around the globe tell of dark doings in sunny places.

Join them in the Dominican Republic, the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, chic Mykonos, Seville at midnight, and on the morning beachfront of Ghana where a man has revenge on his mind. Follow an NGO worker kidnapped in Yemen, an engineer repairing a dam in turmoil-torn Ethopia, a foolish young Englishman hitchhiking across the Sahara. You will visit historic instabul and Mombasa and learn the secrets of family conflicts in Singapore, in Puerto Rico, in New Orleans.

The authors of these tales will convince you that evil under the sun makes for the most compelling, most entertaining crime fiction anywhere on earth.

A freelance journalist is dragged into a deadly investigation when researching an article on rhino-horn smuggling in South Africa. An unputdownable new thriller from the authors of the critically acclaimed Detective Kubu series. 'The perfect combination of "I don't want it to end" and "I can't put it down". Great African crime fiction' Deon Meyer 'My favourite writing duo since Ellery Queen' Ragnar Jonasson 'Compelling and deceptively written' New York Journal of Books _______________ When freelance journalist, Crystal Nguyen, heads to South Africa, she thinks she'll be researching an article on rhino-horn smuggling for National Geographic, while searching for her missing colleague. But within a week, she's been hunting poachers, hunted by their bosses, and then arrested in connection with a murder. And everyone is after a briefcase full of money that may hold the key to everything... Fleeing South Africa, she goes undercover in Vietnam, trying to discover the truth before she's exposed by the local mafia. Discovering the plot behind the money is only half the battle. Now she must convince the South African authorities to take action before it's too late. She has a shocking story to tell, if she survives long enough to tell it... Fast-paced, relevant and chilling, Dead of Night is a stunning new thriller that exposes one of the most vicious conflicts on the African continent... _______________ 'Promising series launch...an entertaining page-turner. Readers will look forward to the sequel' Publishers Weekly 'From Minnesota to South Africa to Mozambique to Vietnam, Michael Stanley's Dead of Night is an extraordinary tale of the extreme measures taken to combat international poaching and smuggling' C.J. Box 'As dark as the darkest of Nordic Noir' Yrsa Sigurdardottir 'A wonderful, original voice' Peter James 'Impossible to put down' Library Journal

Wide-ranging introduction to the history and culture of pre-modern medicines in China Numerology, talismans, and Daoist medicine Alchemy, medicine and religion Archaeological finds and medicine Global impact of Chinese medicine: transmission to Europe, the socialist worlds Traditional medicines that have become modern drugs

This edited volume presents the latest research on the intersection of religion and medicine in Asia. It features chapters by internationally known scholars, who bring to bear a range of methodological and geographic expertise on this topic. The book’s central question is to what extent ‘religion’ and ‘medicine’ have overlapped or interrelated in various Asian societies. Collectively, the contributions explore a number of related issues, such as: which societies separated out religious from medical concerns, at which times and in what ways? Where have medicine and religion converged, and how has such knowledge been defined by scholars and cultural actors? Are ‘religion’ and ‘medicine’ the best terms by which scholars can grapple with knowledge about the sacred and the self, destiny and disease? -- .

While it may be attractive to view sensors as simple transducers which convert physical quantities into electrical signals, the truth of the matter is more complex. The engineer should have a proper understanding of the physics involved in the conversion process, including interactions with other measurable quantities. A deep understanding of these interactions can be leveraged to apply sensor fusion techniques to minimize noise and/or extract additional information from sensor signals. Advances in microcontroller and MEMS manufacturing, along with improved internet connectivity, have enabled cost-effective wearable and Internet of Things sensor applications. At the same time, machine learning techniques have gone mainstream, so that those same applications can now be more intelligent than ever before. This book explores these topics in the context of a small set of sensor types. We provide some basic understanding of sensor operation for accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes, and pressure sensors. We show how information from these can be fused to provide estimates of orientation. Then we explore the topics of machine learning and sensor data analytics.

The Extractive Industries Sourcebook aims to provide developing countries with a technical understanding and practical options around oil, gas, and mining sector development issues. A central premise of the Sourcebook is that good technical knowledge can better inform political, economic, and social choices with respect to sector development and the related risks and opportunities. The guidance provided by the Sourcebook assumes a broad set of over-arching principles, all centred on good governance and directed at achieving positive and broadly-based sustainable development outcomes. The Sourcebook is intended for use by senior government officials and decision makers and by supporting domestic and international technical specialists. It has been developed through a partnership of universities, industry and civil society organizations, and the World Bank. The Sourcebook is available in print and in a constantly evolving online version at www.eisourcebook.org

Seven Truths for Prosperous Living is an inspirational book about understanding and applying simple, yet important, principles in daily life to live a prosperous and abundant life. If you are disillusioned by the 'church' and if you are tired of trying to 'perform' to please those in authority in the church, then this book is for you. This book will set you free and take you from living in the 'Language of the Law' to living in the 'Langauge of Love.'

Cain, a psychopathic sexual predator and serial killer abducts Brody from her bedroom in the early hours of a cold winters morning. Brody, eight months pregnant, is Cain's 9th victim. Cain takes Brody to his special place, his Garden of Evil; purposely built to feed his perverted, insatiable addiction. Cain has ingenious ways of torturing, brutalizing and killing his victims. A place so terrifying that seasoned investigators needed counseling to deal with the psychological shock they suffered after it was discovered. The race is on for the police and Rick, Brody's father and ex Special Forces soldier to save Brody and her unborn baby from the hands of this sadistic, cruel and cunning killer. Will Rick save them in time? Will Cain be stopped or will he continue killing?

The third novel in the fantastic Detective 'Kubu' Bengu crime series is set in the southern Kalahari area of Botswana - a place full of buried lost cities, incredible hidden wealth, ancient gods and, for thousands of years, home to the nomadic Bushmen. When a fractious ranger named Monzo is found dead, fallen into a donga - a dry ravine - surrounded by three Bushmen, the local police arrest the nomads. Detective 'Kubu' Bengu is on the case, which reunites him with his old school friend Khumanego, a Bushman and now an advocate for his people. Khumanego believes the arrests are motivated by racist antagonism from the police, as the Bushmen are claiming that they were at the murder scene because they were trying to help. Soon after Monzo's death, Detective 'Kubu' learns of another case involving two botany students on their way back from a specimen-collecting trip but who were later found dead, seemingly poisoned, at a campground. Could the deaths be connected?

A stunning debut crime novel set against a backdrop of poachers, witch doctors, diamond smugglers and corruption... They find the first body near a waterhole considered magical by the local bush people. A string of clues suggests that the victim was murdered and his identity hidden. For Assistant Superintendent David Kubu Bengu, it's obvious from the start that sinister forces are at work. A convivial figure on the surface, Kubu is a clever and resourceful lawman, well-versed in Botswana's deadliest secrets. As he follows a blood-soaked trail he uncovers a chain of crimes linked to the most powerful figures in the country - influential enemies who will stop at nothing to remove those who stand in their way...