Honey Guide, The
Crompton, RichardUnlike his superiors, Mollel, a former Maasai warrior turned detective, is not prepared to relinquish the search for the killer of a prostitute found dead in a Nairobi park. His quest will take him from tower blocks to slums and everything between. Add a riot or two and rocketing tribal tensions and Nairobi is a powder keg just waiting to blow.
Set around the period of the 2007 Kenyan presidential elections, this is a compelling whodunnit that brings the streets of this turbulent African city to life.
Comments from Groups
'The Honey Guide' provided an interesting view of life in Nairobi, especially during the election of 2007. Hamilton 024 This was enjoyed by all. We found the ending a little contrived but this didn't detract from the book. We found the history, tribal affiliations, racial divide and background fascinating - they enriched the story.... Tauranga 018 Half of our members thought it was a well written detective yarn, despite 'our hero' being a bit formulaic; half thought the characters undeveloped . We had, as a result, a very good discussion! Greytown 001 Very interesting. We liked reading a crime story set in a different place than the West. Gave insight into the turmoil in Africa at the time.Timaru 011 A very good read - it certainly shed some light on modern Nairobi. A splendid merge of fact and fiction. Nelson 003 This was generally enjoyed for the 'local' interest - Masai culture intersecting with other tribal groups, plus insight into events in Kenya at the time. Lower Hutt 002 There was a full discussion on this book. The general view was that it covered a wide variety of issues, while maintaining momentum with the criminal investigation. Some disliked the use of the em dash to denote thoughts. Others liked it, as it distinguished between thought and dialogue. Auckland 307 This was an intriguing, informative and educational read - enjoyed by those who persevered. It explored themes of displacement, injustice, corruption and bribery.Mollel seeks justice, but his superior reminds him that, "Justice is a luxury....peace a necessity". We are reminded of how grateful we are to live in a country with both! Otaki 001 Most members commented that a murder-mystery would not have been their first choice of book but they enjoyed this one, and its relationship to real-life political events. Good discussion re social issues highlighted. Warkworth 006 A compulsive read at a fast pace - helped by the use of the 'em dash' rather than speech marks. An insight into the struggles and corruption of Kenyan society. Mangaweka 001
Pages
309
309
Year
2013
2013
Reviews
15-11-2023
An interesting book outlining the different cultures in Africa.
18-05-2022
Book made all THINK. We thought it was a realistic depiction of the types of events that occur in the 'slum' areas. Portrayed difficulties of achieving justice and peace. Highlighted how tribal issues affected life.
24-10-2021
An interesting storyline, with many historical aspects showing the absolute corruption of Kenya, while we learnt much about that time all agreed we wouldn't want to visit Kenya. There were elements in this story that shocked/disgusted you and pages of quite graphic content - but all were well-placed within this book.
23-08-2021
We all felt that the murder was secondary to the rest of the book. It was a great insight into the life, the tribal differences, and the corruption etc.
02-08-2021
An interesting book that raised a lot of questions and gave a glimpse into a different society. Although not everyone enjoyed the book, we agreed that it is very well-written and puts the reader in to the positions of and circumstances of the characters. All were invested in the characters. It did generate a lot of discussion. A journey back to place for me as I lived in Nairobi for 2 years in the 60s.
22-03-2021
Telegraph style was found jarring, but we got over that.
01-11-2019
This book picked up the pace towards the end. Quite a few of our members didn't finish it, and found the names a little hard to grasp.