Book Review: Devil-Devil by G.W. Kent

Devil-Devil is the first book in the Sister Conchita and Sergeant Kella Mysteries by G.W. Kent.

The story is set in the Solomon Islands in 1960.  Sergeant Ben Kella, a native of the Solomon Islands, is the hereditary peacemaker, or aofia of the Lau people as well as a member of the Solomon Islands police force.  He has been told to make enquiries in Malaita about a missing American anthropologist.  However, only two days into his trip things take an unexpected turn, one that involves murder, curses and magic.  Soon, he finds that there is much more going on in Malaita than anyone had anticipated…

Sister Conchita is a young American nun that is sent to the Solomon Islands to work at the Roman Catholic Mission.  She is fiercely independent and strong-willed, something that means she often finds herself in trouble, even when she is trying hard not to avoid it.  Working at the mission station in Ruvabi with Father Pierre should have kept her out of trouble, but nothing could have prepared her for the trouble she finds on Malaita…

Naturally, the paths of Sergeant Kella and Sister Conchita cross and together they eventually manage to determine who is behind a number of murders on the island.

I was very much reminded of The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith as I read this, which is no bad thing as I enjoy reading those books.  I loved the front cover.  It’s not often that I write about book covers as part of my reviews, but Devil-Devil’s bright illustrations were what made me pick up the book in the first place.  Sometimes you just know that you will like a book when you pick it up and this was one of them.

I loved both Sister Conchita and Sergeant Kella, and the exotic location of the story was colourful and engaging, as was the storyline itself and the people.  I think the two main characters really worked well together, and the supporting cast were just as interesting.  The dialogue flowed smoothly as did the change between the viewpoint of Kella and Sister Conchita.

What more is there to say?  I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

Devil-Devil is a charming cosy mystery that captures the imagination.  I highly recommend this refreshing read to mystery book fans.