Books by Michael Stanley
Michael Stanley is the writing duo Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip. Both are retired professors who have worked in academia and business. Sears is a mathematician, specializing in geological remote sensing. Trollip is an educational psychologist, specializing in the application of computers to teaching and learning, and a pilot. They were both born in South Africa.
“Recently, we’ve been writing prequels to A Carrion Death. The first book, Facets of Death starts when he joins the force as a detective sergeant in the CID. It’s his first big case at the CID. The second book is set in a different part of Botswana. We try to set the books around Botswana, and to have at least a theme which connects with other areas of Botswana, because it’s a very fascinating country in terms of diversity of culture and environment. We’re busy working on the third book at the moment, which links the three prequels with A Carrion Death. So you could start with A Carrion Death, as the first book that introduces Kubu. Or you could start with Facets of Death, which is the day he joins the CID.” Read more...
Best Southern African Crime Fiction
Michael Stanley, Thriller and Crime Writer
“Our first book was called A Carrion Death, and it had the backstory theme of blood diamonds. It introduced Kubu and his family and that would possibly be where people would like to start. The idea for the book came because Stan is a pilot, and we used to do fly-in trips to different areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe. On one occasion, we saw a pack of hyenas attack and pull down a wildebeest. Hyenas are scavengers if there’s one of them, but if there are 50, they’re very successful hunters, which there were in that pack. Over the period of an hour or so, they’d eaten everything. They crunched the bones and ate the skin. There were some horns left and perhaps some bits of hoof, but that was it. We thought that this would make a great way of getting rid of a body in a murder mystery. After all, how can the police trace a murderer if there’s no body—if it’s been processed by hyenas? That’s the premise that starts the book. An ecologist and a game ranger discover a body being eaten by a hyena (the discovery is too soon for the disappearance of the body to actually occur). After we start writing, the question was, ‘Why was it important that this body be completely removed from the world?’ That led to A Carrion Death. Kubu appears fully fleshed out, literally and metaphorically in A Carrion Death and there’s no backstory for him because he wasn’t going to be the main character. We just needed a detective to investigate this murder. But he appeared and took over the series. There are six books in that series.” Read more...
Best Southern African Crime Fiction
Michael Stanley, Thriller and Crime Writer
Interviews with Michael Stanley
Best Southern African Crime Fiction, recommended by Michael Stanley
From high-stakes thrillers to cosy mysteries, from South African township life to Zimbabwe’s independence, Southern African crime fiction is a flourishing genre. Michael Sears, half of the crime-writing duo Michael Stanley, talks us through some of the best Southern African crime books out there and explains how they shed light on important issues.
Interviews where books by Michael Stanley were recommended
Best Southern African Crime Fiction, recommended by Michael Stanley
From high-stakes thrillers to cosy mysteries, from South African township life to Zimbabwe’s independence, Southern African crime fiction is a flourishing genre. Michael Sears, half of the crime-writing duo Michael Stanley, talks us through some of the best Southern African crime books out there and explains how they shed light on important issues.
