Hour of the Red God by Richard Crompton is a debut novel set in Kenya (available May 7, 2013).
In Richard Crompton’s Hour of the Red God, a woman is found mutilated in Uhuru Park, a normally peaceful gathering place in Nairobi, Kenya. Former Massai warrior and now-detective Mollel is called on to the case. Mollel, with his fine-tuned sense for justice, is determined to discover what happened to this young woman, regardless of her profession or her tribal affiliation.
The other investigating officers assume the murder is just the bad-end of a prostitution lifestyle. They also consider the possibility this is a female circumcision gone wrong, since the Massai still maintain the practice when women come of age. Mollel, unwilling to accept these explanations, follows the clues—through sewers, along back streets and alleys—all the way up to Nairobi’s upper classes.
One of the immediately intriguing parts of Hour of the Red God is the sense of place. Crompton has turned pre-election 2007 Nairobi into a character all its own. Filled with enough crime, corruption, and political maneuvering to rival any New York or Washington, D.C. setting, Crompton establishes that this is no New York in the opening sequence, as Mollel chases a purse snatcher through the marketplace:
Taking up an entire city block, with more ways in and out than a hyrax burrow, on a day like this the market’s dark interior is thronged with shoppers escaping the sun. Mollel considers yelling Stop, mwizi! or Police!—but calculates that this would lose him precious time. The thief leaps up the steps and deftly vaults a pile of fish guts, pauses a moment to look back —showing, Mollel thinks, signs of tiring—and dives into the dark interior. Mollel’s gaunt frame is just a few seconds behind, his heart pounding as he gulps lungfuls of air even as his stomach rebels at the powerful reek of fish.
Not only is Nairobi a well-established locale, but Crompton also creates a great sense of how the Nairobi police department functions—which is mostly corruptly and short-handed. It’s clear there is no backup. Mollel beats feet with his partner, plunging through sewers, canvassing neighborhoods, interviewing witnesses, and doing all the grunt work that generally is ‘assigned’ in other police procedurals. For example, when Mollel and his partner, Kiunga, get a lead on a witness, and they have to do something that a lot of other fictional police don’t have to do: wait.
—Now, if this was a movie, says Kiunga, I’d pick up my radio, put out an APB, get the driver’s name off the central computer, have him hand delivered to Central for questioning.
—Yep, says Mollel. But this is Nairobi. And we don’t have a radio, can’t put out an APB, and getting his name means waiting until Monday morning, going down to the motor vehicle licencing office, and hoping the clerk there will be in a good enough mood to fetch the card for you rather than making you go through the files yourself.
Mollel does the work, and the reader benefits for it. Watching Mollel in action is wonderful. He’s a cop, a father, a warrior, and an elder. But above all, he searches for justice. He follows the clues. If that means he has to face down a powerful religious leader, or question a tribal elder, or rebel against his superintendent, he will do it. And he does. Sometimes that’s likeable. And sometimes, such as when he leaves his kid in a strange shop for a couple hours, it’s not-so-likeable.
And Mollel is not the only character with a complex past. Even the side characters get powerful histories. Superglue Sammy is an informant who Mollel interviews early on in the novel, and Crompton describes how Sammy’s mother superglued his eyes shut in order to gain sympathy for begging:
The child—then a boy of six—was taken away. The good doctors found the skin of his eyelids fused to his corneas, some said because of the glue; others suggested a prenatal infection…they sent him back to Kibera, but his mother was not there anymore. She’d become so lonely without Sammy that she’d downed a bottle of the illegal local spirits, chang’aa, poured all her glue into a plastic bag, and stuck her head into it.
Hour of the Red God is an ultimately moving novel. Crompton’s story is complex, with layers upon layers, from family, to tribe, to society, to religion. All of these elements play a role in this story, which at its heart, is about the questions of justice: What is justice? Who delivers it? And what are the consequences if it never happens?
For more information, or to buy a copy, visit:
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To enter for a chance to win one of three copies of Richard Crompton’s Hour of the Red God, make sure you’re a registered member of the site, and then simply leave a comment below.
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NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A purchase does not improve your chances of winning. Sweepstakes open to legal residents of fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 or older. To enter, fill out entry at www.criminalelement.com/blogs/2013/04/fresh-meat-hour-of-the-red-god-richard-crompton-jenny-maloney-kenya-africa beginning at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) April 26, 2013. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59 a.m. ET on May 3, 2013 (the “Promotion Period”). Void outside of the 50 US and DC and where prohibited by law. Please see full details and official rules at https://www.criminalelement.com/page/official-rules-hour-of-the-red-god-comment-sweepstakes. Sponsor: Macmillan, 175 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10010
Jenny Maloney is a reader and writer in Colorado. Her short stories have appeared or are forthcoming in 42 Magazine, Shimmer, Skive, and others. She blogs about writing at Notes from Under Ground. If you like to talk books, reading, publishing, movies, or writing feel free to follow her on Twitter: @JennyEMaloney.
Sounds intriguing
Sounds terrific! I like that it takes place in Africa.
I love mystery / detective fiction, but the Nairobi setting is a new one for me. Interesting. Can’t wait to check it out. Thanks for the giveaway!
This looks so good,
Thankyou,
This a great site for us mystery lovers.
This a great site for us mystery lovers.
looks quite interesting.
looks good
Groovy!
great! i’m all in
Finall…An idea that has been written a million times!
sounds like an interesting read
Very nice!
Sounds exciting! Would love to read it.
Book sounds great, can’t wait to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I enjoy debut novels. Look forward to Jenny Maloney’s first effort.
This sounds interesting.
Very interesting, I look forward to checking this out.
Interesting new setting for a mystery series. Thanks for the review.
This sounds as if it’s a rare story indeed!
This sounds like a great setting for an intriguing sounding mystery!
Looks to be a great book to read !
I’ve never read a murder mystery set in Africa. That fact alone makes this book one that I’d love to read.
I usually can’t get into settings that take place in Africa. Perhaps because the society there is so much different. However, the book does sound intriguing.
Right up my alley!
Sounds very intruiging! Hope I win a copy.
This African mystery story line sounds so fascinating!
Many thanks, Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
Sounds like a fascinating read in an interesting setting.
I would like to read this book.
Sounds interesting. Count me in.
Sounds interesting. Count me in.
Love it
Love it
Love it
I would love to receive this book.
This is a definite winner and I want to win it.
Sounds interesting, while Uhuru Park is safe durring the day, like many parks it is unsafe at night. I was in Kenya last year and would love to read this book.
[b]Sounds terrfic![/b]
interesting new setting for a crime novel.
Love reading debuts ..especially in new settings!
Massai warrior-detective! Yes!
Sounds like a good read.
Interesting concept. Would love to win it.
Always looking for a new mystery series. Sounds good.
African detective…in Africa! Mysteries are fun. Sign me up.
sounds great
I enjoy reading books set in Africa.
I can name at least 3 series set in Botawana (2 of which I’ve read at least some of the books), and another 2 in South Africa (again, that I’ve read – And I know there’s even more set there.) And toss in a couple set in Ghana … but I have not yet encountered one set in Kenya, and look forward to reading of Nairobi!!
Can’t wait!
This sounds like an interesting series, that I might get started with if I win a copy of this book.
I would love to win.
Unusual. I’d love to read it!
I would love a copy. It sounds great.
A new kind of African detective. As much as I like the No. 1 Ladies Detective stories I’d love to read this one too.
Looks great.
I thought the number 1 ladies detective agency books were great so would like to read another mystery set in africa.
Love Kenya, hope to win.
something for me, sounds great
I think this looks very good.
sounds like a great mystery
Sounds different
“What is justice? Who delivers it?” The Red God?
At first I thought it would not be of interest to me but as I continued to read what it is about, I know I would enjoy reading this book.
Sounds very complex and interesting. Good review!
Mystery set in Kenya. Sounds very interesting.
Bruce
Interesting, I have to give it a go
This sounds like an exciting read!
Cool, I’d love to win!
This sounds fascinating! Love to discover a new author!
This looks so good. My husband is currently deployed to Africa so I love that the setting is near where he is.
I would love to read this book
Love the setting!
Don’t cry for me! Send the book.
Thank you for the great giveaway please count me in 🙂
sounds like a good one!
Sounds great
Sounds great
Looks like a good read!
I would love to read the work of Richard Crompton!
I would love to read this!!
Exotic location – interesting character – would love to read this book
great
Looks sweet
looks good. Count me in
seems like a great read!
Awesome giveaway! Thanks
daveshir2005@yahoo.com
Sounds like a good one.
Sounds horrifying! Ack!
Count me in!
It sounds like a great read. Thanks for the giveaway.
This looks great
Sounds like a great book!!
Thanks for the review and I can’t wait to get my hands on this book!
Sounds good, i’m always on the lookout for new books and authors!