I know that it is fashionable to set murder mysteries in Scandinavia these days. And to make the murders as grisly as possible. But I recently came across a series by G W Kent, set in the Solomon Island, that are an enjoyable exception to the rule.
There are still murders, but they are altogether less gratuitous, and usually tied up with some cultural taboo or ancient tradition. G W Kent spent eight years living in the Solomon Islands and it shows.
Now, I’m by no means an expert on the genre of crime. But I really liked the character of Ben Kella, a local police sergeant who has to balance his role as an officer of the law and of sofia, local magic man. And the way GW Kent writes about the Solomons makes me want to jump on the first plane to Honiara.
OK, so neither Devil-Devil or One Blood are going to win the Booker. But if you’re looking for an enjoyable, easy read for the summer holidays you could do a lot worse.
LINKS
Buy Devil-Devil Amazon UK | US
Wanderlust interview with G W Kent
I did an interview with G W Kent for Wanderlust. The guy spent a lot of time in the Solomons and has a lot of fantastic stories to tell. You can read it here.