“Quartey’s mastery of the art of misdirection serves him well in his third mystery featuring Accra, Ghana, homicide detective Darko Dawson . . . A winner” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
A canoe washes up at a Ghanaian offshore oil-rig site. Inside it are the bodies of a prominent, wealthy couple, Charles and Fiona Smith-Aidoo, who have been ritualistically murdered. Pillars in their community, they are mourned by everyone, but especially by their niece Sapphire.
When months have passed since the murder and the local police have made no headway in figuring out who committed the gruesome crime, Sapphire is not happy. Det. Inspector Darko Dawson of the Accra police force is sent out to Cape Three Points to investigate. The more he learns about the case, the more convoluted it becomes. Three Points has long been occupied by traditional fishing populations—but real estate entrepreneurs and wealthy oil companies have been trying to bribe the indigenous inhabitants to move out. Soon, Dawson unearths a host of motives for murder, ranging from personal vendettas to corporate conspiracies . . .