Nominated for the Sue Grafton Memorial Award
A Washington Post Best Mystery and Thriller of 2021
CrimeReads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2021
An Amazon Best of the Month Pick for January 2021
Praise for Sleep Well, My Lady
“About to strangle an icon of the Ghanaian fashion industry, the killer in the second Emma Djan PI novel takes a moment to muse that the R&B music playing in the victim’s bedroom is ‘a tasteful choice.’ It’s the kind of weird but revealing character detail that the Ghanaian American Kwei Quartey specializes in. The sweetly crafty Emma is the main attraction here, but her colleagues at the Sowah detective agency are also a companionable bunch in this beautifully crafted tale.”
—The Washington Post
“Set in the lavish Trasacco Valley—the Beverly Hills of Accra, Ghana—the second in a series by Quartey, a Ghanaian-American retired physician based in Pasadena, skewers class, wealth, political maneuvering and corruption.”
—Los Angeles Times
“Quartey’s work brings vivid life to his Ghanaian characters and setting, while reminding us that no matter the location, motivations for murder are the same everywhere.”
—CrimeReads
“Terrific . . . Stops at the morgue and a forensic lab, as well as an ongoing search for a unique murder weapon, contribute to the dark atmosphere. Along the way, Quartey skewers Ghanaian politics, religion, and the law. Smooth prose complements the well-wrought plot. This distinctive detective series deserves a long run.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“This excellent second in the series features fascinating characters in a unique setting.”
—Mystery Readers Journal
“An intriguing mystery that centers on the murder of a famous Ghanaian designer . . . Vividly invoking the noisy world of Accra, Ghana, Quartey has created a delightful character in Emma Djan, and a satisfyingly twisty mystery in Sleep Well, My Lady. Fans of Andrea Camilleri or Colin Cotterill are sure to enjoy Quartey’s talented writing.”
—Shelf Awareness
“Armchair detectives, this one’s for you.”
—We Are Bookish
“Intimate . . . The law may believe that fashion mogul Lady Araba Tagoe was murdered by her chauffeur, Kweku-Sam, but her aunt, Dele Tetteyfio, isn’t having any of it . . . But the case turns out to be more complex than Auntie Dele imagines, and there’s no guarantee that she’ll be pleased with the results Emma and her colleagues dig up by assuming false identities and going undercover at every waking moment. A gripping setup, some workaday sleuthing, and a neatly turned solution.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“This engaging and well-developed mystery will appeal to readers looking for a solid police procedural with compelling characters and an international setting. The local culture is vivid, and a glossary at the end aids readers with unfamiliar words.”
—Library Journal
“Brilliantly executed . . . Quartey, also the author of the Darko Dawson series, is one of the strong voices in the current wave of African crime fiction.”
—Booklist
“A tightly narrated detective crime fiction novel . . . The Emma Djan series is a welcome addition to both the African crime fiction catalogue and the international crime fiction scene.”
—Crime Fiction Lover (UK)
Praise for The Missing American
“Remarkably rare . . . A gem of a debut.”
—The Washington Post
“The adventures of a tenacious African female sleuth will likely ring bells for fans of Alexander McCall Smith’s best-selling Mma. Precious Ramotswe mysteries. The Missing American’s unflinching portrayal of Ghanaian criminals, their fetish priest handlers and corruption at the highest levels makes this intriguing debut a more bracing antidote to its cozier cousin.”
—Los Angeles Times
“An evocative new series.”
—The Seattle Times
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