Wife of the Gods, by Kwei Quartey

Wife of the Gods is a debut mystery novel from Kwei Quartey. Set in Ghana, it introduces Inspector Darko Dawson, of the Accra's Criminal Investigative Department (CID). Dawson is a deeply flawed, but earnest man, haunted by personal loss, though blessed with a loving and understanding family.

When a beloved and beautiful medical student unexpectedly dies in Ketanu, an outlying town in Ghana, Dawson is assigned to investigate the death because he speaks Ewe, his mother's native tongue. He spent time in Ketanu in his youth, and still has family ties there. It is also the last known location of his mother, who vanished when he was eleven years old.

Dawson goes to Ketanu, falls out with the local constabulary, and doggedly pursues the truth in the face of mounting criticism. Mr. Quartey does a fine job in executing this novel. The level of authenticity seems very good; from describing local customs and superstitions, use of dialect, and the tragic impact of AIDS.

I ended up really enjoying Wife of the Gods. For a time, I was not sure I would. Quartey's style is very different than most writers I've read. His turns of phrase, odd cadence, and use of dialect take some getting used to. At first I took it as the telltale sign of a debut novelist. But as I read on, and got used to it, I found it an almost brilliant technique to pull the reader into the story. I really got a sense of what it was like to live and work in Ghana. The cadence, phrases and dialog all serve to add to the overall authenticity of the characters and setting. Well done.

~jon

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