This is the first in what appears to be a series of mysteries featuring D. I. Darko Dawson of Accra, Ghana. Because he speaks the language, Dawson is dispatched to the bush to help solve the murder of a young and beautiful medical student. Tied up in all of this is the mystery of the disappearance of Dawson's own mother in the very same village more than 20 years ago. While this book is a bit loose in spots, it holds together well enough in the end. In this first book, Darko Dawson is not perfect and at times he isn't even very likeable but he is smart and intuitive and I think that given time, the author will mold him into a complex and very human character. I'll definitely be looking for subsequent books y Kwei Quartey featuring Darko Dawson.