Search results for ""Author Richard Crompton""

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Book Synopsis'A compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya, where tribal politics can get you killed' Ian Rankin Death is a fact of life in Africa's sprawling megacity - and life is cheap. Power and wealth are in the hands of a small elite. Riven by ethnic tension, Nairobi is a tinderbox. And the looming presidential elections have set sparks flying . . . When the brutalised body of a Maasai woman turns up in a park, the overworked police write her off as another dead prostitute. But Mollel - a good cop in a corrupt system - senses there is more to the case. When riots sweep through the city, Mollel puts his job and his family on the line. But this time he may have got too close . . .Trade ReviewA compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya, where tribal politicscan get you killed -- Ian Rankin * MAIL ON SUNDAY *[Crompton] has done something near-miraculous and madethe figure of the incorruptible loner-detective fresh again * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Smashing . . . It will make you long for the next instalment * FINANCIAL TIMES *Outstanding * GUARDIAN *Richard Crompton's accomplished debut novel...spins an enjoyable yarn headed up by a credible protagonist. A fine debut that holds the promise of other good adventures to come -- Fachtna Kelly * SUNDAY BUSINESS POST *A disturbingly informative debut novel from this former BBC journalist who also won the Daily Telegraph 2010 short story award * TELEGRAPH & ARGUS (BRADFORD) *a highly compelling crime story... The characterisation is particularly strong and the plot manages to be believable while still offering a few subtle twists. Some of the writing is outstanding. Once scene, in which Mollel and his partner talk while going up in a lift, their conversation unfolding floor by floor, is as good as anything I have read in crime fiction... A fine and very welcome new additional to the ranks of international crime novels and I am very much looking forward to the next in the series. -- Scott Pack * meandmybigmouth.typepad.com *Crompton's thrilling African mystery is accomplished, atmospheric, and engrossing. * THE GOOD BOOK GUIDE *

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Book SynopsisIn a corrupt system, can one man make a difference?How do you punish a detective who challenges the corrupt elite? Send him to Hell. Detective Mollel has been stationed in a beaten-up town on the edge of Hell's Gate National Park. He hasn't been there long before he senses his new colleagues might have something to hide. And when a body is found in the nearby lake, he realises the local police could be involved in more than just extortion and bribery. But in Hell, nothing is ever as it seems . . .'A compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya, where tribal politics can get you killed' Ian Rankin on the first Detective Mollel novel, THE HONEY GUIDETrade Review[Crompton] has done something near-miraculous and made the figure of the incorruptible loner-detective fresh again. -- Jake Kerridge * THE DAILY TELEGRAPH *Can Richard Crompton repeat the excellence of last year's The Honey Guide, his first novel? Few would have considered a Masai warrior turned Kenyan detective as a hugely attractive crime fiction hero. But in Hell's Gate Crompton does it again... Mollel tackles a variety of crimes, including corruption and murder, with a beguiling blend of moroseness, honesty, confusion and astute wisdom -- Marcel Berlins * THE TIMES *Hell's Gate is the second of [Crompton's] novels set in Kenya, and is every bit as good as The Honey Guide... Crompton writes with ease about traditional customs and the impact on Kenya of globalisation, creating a vivid portrait of a country struggling to come to terms with modernity -- Joan Smith * THE SUNDAY TIMES *Richard Crompton's second novel is a clever and frequently thrilling read... If Nordic noir is joined by its African equivalent at the top of the bestseller charts it may well be due to the reading public discovering Richard Crompton to be one of the most gifted crime writers of his generation. * SHOTS *Crompton very much delivers on the promise of his debut, The Honey Guide. This is an excellent police procedural which satisfies everything demanded of the genre... There are plenty of plot twists, and in Mollel we have a compelling protagonist... But what really elevates the book is Crompton's experience as a journalist. He is able to bring depth to the story by examining the difference between the law and justice, not just in everyday Kenyan life, but in international politics and in the way that globalism has not just brought wealth to the poorer countries but also suffering. In short, Hell's Gate is both entertaining and thought-provoking. * CRIMEFICTIONLOVER.COM *The struggle between the two sides of [Mollel's] nature makes him an interesting and sympathetic protagonist... The underlying conflicts at work in Kenyan society also become explicit through Mollel's thinking. The tribal divide is still a powerful factor - the Maasai, a tribe whose economy and life is based around their cattle; the Kikuyu, who have adapted better to the influx of Western technology and lifestyle; and the wandering Samburu, amongst others. Add to this the influence of a much richer West, and now the Chinese too, and it is easy to see the temptations and pressures which undermine stability. The picture of Africa is not that of Alexander McCall Smith, and the lack of fairness and justice is a consistently appalling background. Mollel's humanity and touches of humour here and there do, however, lift the mood. -- Chris Roberts * CRIME REVIEW *

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Book SynopsisOn Mollel's return from Hell's Gate he is put on duty in Dandora, a Nairobi slum infamous for its teeming rubbish dump - home to scavengers and shadowy rulers - and Night Runners, who are said to be possessed by the devil. While witnessing a near-riot, Mollel is approached by a young girl called Miriam who is refusing to speak to anyone other than the 'Masaai cop'. Miriam's sixteen-year-old sister Fatima has disappeared, and Fatima's school and father - an ambitious local councillor - seem to be covering something up. So begins an odyssey into Nairobi's underworld which will take Mollel - aided by his streetwise son Adam - from rap clubs to voodoo healers, as the detective tries to find the missing girl and come to terms with his fractured past in a city where no one will tell him the truth.Trade ReviewA compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya, where tribal politics can get you killed - Mail on Sunday[An] outstanding debut... The good news is that it is the first in a projected series - more, please - Guardian[Mollel] promises to be a fine addition to the ranks of fictional detectives - Sunday TimesA smashing debut, as fleet-footed as the warrior himself. It will make you long for the next instalment - Financial Times on THE HONEY GUIDE

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