The Signare of Gorée

By: Laura Rahme

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

An Agatha Christie style mystery meets Isabel Allende.

1846. In the heat of West Africa, the French navy uncovers the corpses of two French soldiers. Inspector Maurice Leroux arrives at the island of Gorée. It seems death has come to this small colonial outpost off the Senegal coast, home to the prosperous mixed-blood women known as the signares.

The navy suspects that the Bambara people, emboldened by approaching emancipation, may be out for blood. While confronted by the locals’ strange magical beliefs, Maurice remains skeptical. Does malevolence play a part, or are these deaths accidental, brought upon by the brutality of nature in an island known as the white man's grave?

But when murder strikes, it becomes clear that a killer is stalking Gorée.

Swept by a mystery unlike any he has known, Maurice meets Signare Angélique Aussenac. The proud métis, deserted by her wealthy Bordeaux lover, casts her spell upon Maurice.

But beyond the throbbing sounds of the tam-tams and the glittering signare soirées, danger lurks. Someone is watching. And the deaths go on.

Could the killer be one of the rich Bordeaux merchants? Or are they hiding among the powerful signares?

A historical mystery spanning France and Sénégal, The Signare of Gorée explores a world of magic, murder, and passion.

Horrible

If you are worried about artificial intelligence doing away with humanity, listen to this virtual voice narration, and you will see that we have nothing to fear.
I bought this book because I did my PhD research in Senegal and traveled to Goree and up theSenegal river The author did her homework but some of the descriptions of the island read like index cards to a term paper . This is a workman like who done it, but the lack of inflection makes it difficult to understand who is talking and frankly to even follow the plot. The virtual voice reads French with an American pronunciation . I almost thought I was back at the Middlebury language school listening to the deputants during orientation . I thought Librevox narration was bad, but this took the cake.