Hell's Gate

It must have been someone's idea of a joke. Too many offended egos back at headquarters, too many influential people unhappy with him in Nairobi. And yet, with his record, almost impossible to dismiss. So where had they sent Mollel? Straight to Hell.

When Mollel, a former Maasai warrior turned detective, ends up in a small, fly-blown town on the edge of a national park, it looks as if his career has taken a nose-dive. His colleagues are a close-knit group and they have not taken kindly to a stranger in their midst. Mollel suspects they are guilty of the extortion and bribery that plague the force, but when the body of a flower worker turns up in the local lake, he wonders if they might be involved in something more disturbing...

For all is not as it seems in Hell's Gate. Amid rumours of a local death squad, disappearances and blackmail, Mollel is forced not only to confront his Maasai heritage, but also to ask himself where justice truly lies. In upholding the law, is he doing what is right?

“He has done something near-miraculous and made the figure of the incorruptible loner-detective fresh again.”

A compulsive whodunnit set in Kenya, where tribal politics can get you killed - MAIL ON SUNDAY

This is a smashing debut, as fleet-footed as the warrior himself. It will make you long for the next instalment - FINANCIAL TIMES on The Honey Guide

[An] outstanding debut ... a vivid and sensitive depiction of an alarmingly volatile situation, riven with tribal divisions ... This, however is more than mere local colour, with traditions, beliefs and conflicts being properly defining factors in the characterisation of a strong cast ... The good news is that it is the first in a projected series - more, please - Laura Wilson, the GUARDIAN, on The Honey Guide

THE HONEY GUIDE introduces Mollel, a former Maasai warrior ... Mollel's vulnerabilities gradually unfold, revealing a damaged but determined character who promises to be a fine addition to the ranks of fictional detectives - Joan Smith, the SUNDAY TIMES, on The Honey Guide

Richard Crompton is an ex-BBC journalist who moved to East Africa several years ago with his wife, a human rights lawyer who worked on the Rwanda genocide trials. Richard won the DAILY TELEGRAPH SHORT STORY AWARD in 2010.

It must have been someone's idea of a joke. Too many offended egos back at headquarters, too many influential people unhappy with him in Nairobi. And yet, with his record, almost impossible to dismiss. So where had they sent Mollel? Straight to Hell.When Mollel, a former Maasai warrior turned detective, ends up in a small, fly-blown town on the edge of a national park, it looks as if his career has taken a nose-dive. His colleagues are a close-knit group and they have not taken kindly to a stranger in their midst. Mollel suspects they are guilty of the extortion and bribery that plague the force, but when the body of a flower worker turns up in the local lake, he wonders if they might be involved in something more disturbing...For all is not as it seems in Hell's Gate. Amid rumours of a local death squad, disappearances and blackmail, Mollel is forced not only to confront his Maasai heritage, but also to ask himself where justice truly lies. In upholding the law, is he doing what is right?

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