Wife of the Gods

A Novel

By: Kwei Quartey

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

Length: 9 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

Detective Inspector Darko Dawson, a good family man and a remarkably intuitive sleuth, is sent to the village of Ketanu - the site of his mother's disappearance many years ago - to solve the murder of an accomplished young AIDS worker. While battling his own anger issues and concerns for his ailing son, Darko explores the motivations and secrets of the residents of Ketanu. It soon becomes clear that in addition to solving a recent murder, he is about to unravel the shocking truth about his mother's disappearance.

Kwei Quartey's sparkling debut novel introduces readers to a rich cast of characters, including the Trokosi - young women called Wives of the Gods - who, in order to bring good fortune to their families, are sent to live with fetish priests. Set in Ghana, with the action moving back and forth between the capital city of Accra and a small village in the Volta Region, Wife of the Gods brings the culture and beauty of its setting brilliantly to life.

©2009 Kwei J. Quartey (P)2010 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Engrossing.... Quartey...renders a compelling cast of characters inhabiting a world precariously perched between old and new. ( Booklist)

Engrossing Mystery in a Fascinating Setting

What initially drew me toward this book is that it is read by Simon Prebble, one of my favorite narrators. My expectations for the book were really only that it would provide a reasonable diversion. Having read the McCall Smith Ladies No. 1 novels, I suppose I anticipated something similar. I was very happily mistaken. While I enjoy the AMS novels, they are light, frilly reads; Wife of the Gods is a substantial novel.

While the setting in Ghana is fascinating enough to provide an engrossing reading experience on its own, the mystery is deftly enough plotted to satisfy any mystery lover. After I was hooked on the novel, I looked up the author to discover that he is himself from Ghana, although now living in the US. His intimate knowledge of his setting shows in how quickly the reader is drawn into this--for most American readers--quite foreign world.

The main character, detective Dawson, is a fully-realized and realistic character. He is presented as a flawed individual coping at times not very well with difficult situations. As the mystery unfolds and clues are doled out, one can speculate on the outcome of this classical whodunit along with Detective Dawson. There's enough meat in this novel to discuss it endlessly, but suffice it to say whether you want a good mystery, a book about an exotic locale, or a book with significant social commentary, this is a good choice.

Finally, while I did enjoy hearing Simon Prebble read this book, I'm not sure he was the best choice as a narrator. His lovely British accent is always a pleasure to hear, but I can't help but wonder why someone who could have given the novel the added flavor of a lyrical African sound wasn't selected to read this novel which is about Ghana as much as it is about the mystery. Again, this isn't really a complaint--no star subtraction; Prebble brings life to each character skillfully as always.

A small story, entertaining and good

I actually prefer a good "local" mystery to the all over-the-top stories about mega-serial killers who torture and maim without ever seeming to be seen... Yes, some of the Big stories are fun too, but there can be plenty of intrigue without all that. And it's typically more believable. This story had good characters, and some interesting views into another culture. I didn't rate it higher only because i felt the pacing was a little slow, but i enjoyed the book and would recommend it. (Would have given 3 and 1/2 if that were possible.)

Difficult to get into

Some books grab you from the first sentence. This is not one of those books. It's a compelling story and I liked the characters but I had to make myself continue beyond the first hour. I was rewarded with a good story in the end but I'm not sure I'd recommend it to others.

Excellent debut novel

This is an excellent debut novel though it lacks the depth and insight which would set it apart as remarkable in any way. There is a good deal of fascinating cultural detail and the characters come to life sufficiently to make it a satisfying read and to perhaps pique our interest about how this writer will develop the character and setting in future books.

The protagonist quickly won my affection with his humanity and commitment. As a result, it was particularly painful to be looking over his shoulder when he did something professionally stupid or self destructive. That kind of compelling involvement with the character and the developing story was the strongest part of a book in which the plotting and use of language were relatively humdrum. The novel was worth the credit, and I think Darko's next investigation will be worth checking out.

Excellent, mysterious and very humanistic.

This is an excellent mystery. Set in Africa, it is more serious than the "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" books by Alexander McCall Smith. It's more comparable to the Detective Kubu books by Michael Stanely, but I think it has even more depth and sociological tones to it.

Detective Darko Dawson is very human and fallible, a product of his childhood as are we all.

This is a good mystery, a good read, great character study and presented by an excellent narrator, Simon Prebble.

This author has another book coming out next year. I can't wait!

A good story

The story is easy to get into. it is sometimes predictable but always interesting so one doesn't want to turn it off. One would think that the "unusual names" would make it easier to remember the characters but as there are so many it isn't. It is a well written book and the narrator gives it life . A good story.

Main character Ghanaian but story read by white English man with English accent?

The tile says it all. Weird and disorienting voice. I’ve heard the reader before and he’s great but NOT for this book.

Just wonderful

This book stirred up a lot of emotion for me. I was angry at times, crying, and I felt empathy for some of the characters. This book is also very suspenseful. The person I thought was the killer was incorrect. This is a wonderful book...now onto book 2 in the series Children of the Street.

A detective whodunit with a strong human element

'The of the Gods', is first novel in the Darko Dawson series of crime / detective novels by Kwei Quartey. The whodunit is really well-developed with a good amount of breadcrumbs, but the gritty human story is what makes this novel so special. 4.5/5

Extremely satisfactory

This was an extremely immersive audiobook with a very satisfying ending and levels of emotion to walk away from with. The performance given by Simon Prebble throughout the entire story was very enjoyable to listen to, especially the conclusion.