Gladys had been volunteering at an AIDS clinic in a nearby village the previous day and was expected that evening but she never arrived. The director of the clinic reported that she had left the village on schedule and several farmers along her usual route home had noticed her talking to a young man called Samuel Boateng.

A young girl, Efia is a trokosi, or “wife of the Gods.” Her family had suffered hardship which they attributed to a heinous act of a family member. They had been counseled and had learned in order to atone for this sin, they should offer one of their female children to the priest Togbe Adzima. Togbe took Efia as one of his many brides and she lives in a compound with his other wives. Out in the forest gathering plantains for Togbe’s meal, Efia discovers the body of Gladys Mensah.

Darko Dawson works for the Criminal Investigation Division of Homicide for the Ghana Police Service which is located in Accra. He is surprised to learn from his superior, Chief Superintendent Theophilus Lartey, that he will be leading the investigation into the death of Gladys Mensah. Gladys was a third year medical student and well thought of by the Minister of Health, Timothy Sowah. Sowah wants Dawson because not only is he more experienced but he originally hails from Ketanu and speaks the local dialect, Ewe.

Dawson is reluctant to take the assignment for two reasons. He doesn’t want to step on the toes of local law enforcement and he has some unresolved family issues from his youth which would be awakened were he to take the job. Unfortunately it is not his decision to make so he is off to Ketanu.

Wife of the Gods is a first novel by Kwei Quartey, a practicing physician in California. Having grown up in Ghana, the author is well acquainted with the indigenous customs and traditions. During the course of the novel he introduces his readers to many longstanding practices and ways of living which still exist side by side with the modern conveniences of today’s world. In parts of Ghana people still practice the custom of trokosi, live in homes with minimal electricity of plumbing and yet communicate by cell phone. While modern medical facilities are available in Ghana, many Ghanaians still consult those elders who practice herbal remedies.

The author does an excellent job of presenting not only the coexistence of modern and ancient ways of life, but illustrating the use of different languages, both tribal, English and some modern combinations of these. It is educational to learn how Ghanaians are making use of their heritage while taking advantage of modern conveniences and practices.

The mystery story itself suffers from being lost within the glitter of the description of the country and people. While Dawson has access to modern methods of police procedures, many of his clues are handed to him by individuals who have little reason to trust him with their knowledge. He also has bad habits such as smoking marijuana, and beating people which one would hope would not be tolerated in any police force.

The scope of the novel itself is a little too big. The languages, customs and traditions easily engage the reader, but are not really essential to the plot. If this effort is the first in a series of novels, Quartey might have saved a few tidbits about his major characters to be dribbled out over succeeding novels as there is really too much information which distracts rather than focuses the audience’s attention.

The author’s firsthand knowledge of medicine is apparent in the scenes which involve medical practice. As he develops as an author, I suspect the clues to the mystery and dialogue sequences will become smoother. I look forward to meeting Darko Dawson and his associates in another adventure.

--Andy Plonka