Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

Rich, complex and earthy. It sounds more like I'm trying to describe a wine but seriously, this is beautiful, vivid storytelling. At it's simplest this is a whodunnit, but there's so much more going on... family and culture, myths and legends.

"Sonokrom is a place that has not changed for hundreds of years; the men and women speak the language of the forest, drink aphrodisiacs with their palm wine and commune with the spirits of their ancestors. However, the woman's intrusion and ensuing events lead to an invasion from Accra, the capital city, spearheaded by Kayo; a young forensic pathologist convinced that scientific logic can shatter even the most inexplicable of mysteries."

Warning: cruelty to woman, cruelty to children