The Whitewashed Tombs

Emma Djan Investigation #4

by Kwei Quartey

Vicious hate crimes are rocking the LGBTQ+ community in Accra, and prejudice and politics threaten to stymie PI Emma Djan’s efforts to find the killer.

Author Kwei Quartey tackles a timely and deeply personal issue as a very-real anti-gay bill threatens to tear Ghana apart if ratified by the president.

Marcelo Tetteh, a twenty-seven-year-old LGBTQ activist, is butchered to death one night after being lured on Grindr to a deserted building site. With high instances of homophobia in Ghana, Marcelo’s wealthy father doesn’t trust the Ghana Police Service to find the killer, so he goes to the Sowah Private Investigators Agency for help, partly because he still feels guilty for disowning his son when he came out.

Emma is assigned the case, but quickly learns of a complication that prevents her from teaming up as usual with Jojo, her trusted colleague. Emma is the only one at work who knows Jojo is gay, and now he reveals something else: for some time, Jojo was dating Marcelo, the victim.

Working with Manu, whom she’s never gotten along with at work, Emma goes undercover in several organizations including International Congress of Families, a powerful organization seeking to criminalize homosexuality in African countries. As Emma infiltrates the ICF, she uncovers a web of deceit and hypocrisy and discovers that the mastermind behind the murders is someone much closer than she ever imagined. Emma must race against time to unmask the killer, protect the vulnerable LGBTQ community, and bring justice to the victims, all while navigating the dangerous waters of politics, power, and personal secrets.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Politics, Audiobook, Ghana

336 pages, Hardcover

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

KWEI QUARTEY
Biography

Kwei Quartey is a crime fiction writer and physician based in Pasadena, California. In 2018, having practiced medicine for more than 15 years while simultaneously working as a writer, Quartey finally retired from medical practice to become a full-time novelist. Prior to that, though, he had balanced the two professions by dedicating the early morning hours to writing before beginning each day in his clinic.

Quartey was born in Ghana, West Africa, to a Ghanaian father and Black American mother, both of whom were lecturers at the University of Ghana. Quartey describes how his family’s home was full of hundreds of books, both fiction and nonfiction, which inspired him to write novellas as early as the age of eight or nine. By then, Quartey was certain he wanted to be an author.

But his interests shifted by the time he was a teenager, when he decided he wanted to be a doctor. Quartey began on a science-to-medicine track in secondary school. After the death of his father, Quartey’s mother returned to the United States. By then, Quartey had already begun medical school in Ghana. Transferring to a medical school in the United States wasn’t easy, but he successfully gained admission to Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC.

After graduation from his residency training in Internal Medicine, Kwei Quartey returned to his love of writing. He went to a UCLA extension course in creative writing, and wrote two novels while in a writing group that met every Wednesday evening. But it would be a few years yet before Quartey would create the Inspector Darko Dawson series.

As a crime fiction writer, Kwei made the Los Angeles Times Bestseller List in 2009. The following year, the GOG National Book Club voted him Best Male Author. The five Inspector Darko Dawson novels, set in Ghana, are WIFE OF THE GODS, CHILDREN OF THE STREET, MURDER AT CAPE THREE POINTS, GOLD OF OUR FATHERS, and DEATH BY HIS GRACE.

Two novels, KAMILA and DEATH AT THE VOYAGER HOTEL (e-book) are non-Darko books.

In January 2020, Quartey’s new detective series launched to critical acclaim with THE MISSING AMERICAN, the debut of the Emma Djan Investigations and the introduction of the first West African female private eye in fiction. The second in the series, SLEEP WELL, MY LADY, was released January 12, 2021, immediately garnering attention for its unusual style of time shifts in relation to the crime.

THE MISSING AMERICAN was nominated for the 2021 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best novel, and won the 2021 Shamus Award for Best First PI Novel.

LAST SEEN IN LAPAZ, the third Emma Djan novel, was released February 2023, and the fourth, THE WHITEWASHED TOMBS, is expected 2024.

Reviews

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Kwei Quartey, RBmedia/Recorded Books, and NetGalley.

This was delightful. This is the 4th book in the series, I haven't read the first 3 books in this series. None the less, I wasn't confused or lost starting with this book. This a blend of both police procedural and cozy mystery with elements of law & order, mixed in for spice. I loved Emma, her boss, and her team. This had that familiar character feel that sometimes occurs with cozy mysteries. At the same time, this was fairly police procedural in set-up, though this focused on a PI.

I like that this addressed the hypocrisy regarding anti-gay bills, which are human rights violations being pushed by white Americans. US christian hate groups target many West African nations with their horrible transphobia & homophobia. Those hate groups are run by racist far-right groups. Which is really just the cherry on the giant poop pie of this bizarre situation. Homosexual & transgender people aren't the result of white people bringing toxic culture to the Motherland. Rather, the phobia is what the white missionaries brought. The gay and Trans folks were already there😬 Prior to colonization and the spread of oppressive christianity, gay and trans folks were accepted. White christians brought the hatred and it spread like the infection it is.

The reveal was not who I guessed, and that's refreshing. This was a fast-moving, well-written mystery and procedural. This story does contain racism, sexism, DV/IPV, homophobia, and transphobia both mentions and scenes. This focuses on violence towards the LGBTQA+ community. I need to move the first 3 books in this series up to the top of my tbh list. 

This was narrated by possibly my favorite narrator, Adjoa Andoh. The narration was superb, sublime, perfection. It felt very much like having Lady Danbury personally narrate a book for me. I love how she handled the accents. It felt effortless and was engaging. I binged this in an afternoon/evening.

Thank you to Kwei Quartey, RBmedia/Recorded Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a fascinating context and setup, and investigates a really politically important topic, especially the links to far right American groups in anti-LGBTQ bills/laws in Ghana and other African countries.

Fast-paced, very readable with an unpredictable plot, there were a few times that I had trouble taking aspects seriously even though they were meant to be. But at other times I was cheering PI Emma along, especially when she literally grabs a bad guy by the balls and then emphatically uses the hand sanitizer on her way out of the room.

The four violen deaths of LGBTQ people, one after another, are difficult to swallow, especially the trans women. Read with caution. There are a lot of bad guys (and [white] women) it's hard to know who are the actual killers, and there is a lot of nastiness.

Is this a bit melodramatic? Yeah. Is it also kind of devastating? Yeah.

I was hoping for a bit more of Emma and Manu working together, him changing his mind about his homo/transphobic prejudice.

[Sarah-Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

CW: anti-LGBTQI+ violence

I have mixed feelings about The Whitewashed Tombs. It's Kwei Quartey's most recent Emma Djan novel, and I'm fond of this contemporary mystery series set in Ghana. I appreciate the author's efforts to write a mystery that requires me to adjust to a context both different from and similar to my own.

In The Whitewashed Tombs, Quartey is offering an solid mystery and also exploring the rise in homophobia and the harsh penalties for being found to be gay that are appearing in Ghana and other African nations—and are being helped along by charismatic/fundamentalist Christians. As I'm writing this review, we're in the middle of the Harris v. Trump Presidential race which offers, on the Trump side, similar levels of homophobia and a drive to place legislative limits on sexual orientation and gender identity. I'm very conscious that the settings for this series are not "foreign." In fact, the actors driving this rise in hate on both continents are basically the same people.

In Ghana, where homosexual sex is a criminal act and in February, 2024, Parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill, which would criminalize identifying as LGBT+, regardless of whether individuals are sexually active or not, and would outlaw the formation of LGBT-related groups. The sentence for the first would be up to three years in prison; for the second, it would be up to five years. Failing to report any person who does identify LGBT+ is also a criminal act under the bill. I've found lots of press regarding the passage of this bill. What I haven't been able to find out is whether the President of the country has signed off on it. (If you know whether he has signed it, please let me know in the comments section so I can update this review.)

The action in The Whitewashed Tombs parallels contemporary events. The International Confederation of Families is doing its best to have legislation like the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill approved—and those working toward this end include representatives of a number of religious denominations and government figures. The mystery that is central to the novel involves the murders two gay men and a transsexual woman. The father of one of the men has hired a private detective agency to determine who is responsible for his son's death.

Back to the mixed feelings business. This is absolutely a struggle that should be getting press, but presenting it via fiction at a time when it is becoming reality is discomfiting. I just don't know what to say beyond that. If I become wiser I'll write more.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley and Edelweiss; the opinions are my own.

[ancientreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

[Note: GR for some reason doesn't list the audiobook, but that's what I'm reviewing.]

"The Whitewashed Tombs" is, at a minimum, valuable for its premise, which draws on the real, and horrifically successful, efforts of US Evangelicals to import their queerphobia to Africa, or to intensify whatever preexisting queerphobia there may be. (The Nation has a useful article on the subject.) With "family values" in mind, just such an organization is visiting itself on the Ghana of investigator Emma Djan, and unsurprisingly this gives Emma some murders to investigate.

Unfortunately, "The Whitewashed Tombs" fell flat. I was eager to listen to it, because Adjoa Andoh, the narrator, is familiar to me from her brilliant work on Ann Leckie's books, as well as from an absolute knockout performance of "Pride and Prejudice." To my dismay, it turns out that even as terrific an actor and narrator as Andoh is, like apparently every other Briton, defeated by American accents -- the Southern/cornpone style she gives the Evangelicals is painfully OTT. And there's a lot of it to listen to, cringing the whole time.

So that was strike one. Strike two was Emma's investigation. She and her partner give false names at one point because they're "undercover" for reasons that eluded me. Later, Emma infiltrates the Evangelical organization, but she commences her infiltration before doing any research on the group, which struck me as incompetent to say the least.

Strike three was Emma's relationship with her boyfriend, Courage, specifically the scene when he confesses, during their reunion after a very long work-related separation, that he's been "unfaithful" -- to wit, he got in a car with a sex worker and let her take out his dick, then called a halt to proceedings. I'm sure my standards aren't a (typical?) Ghanaian woman's standards, but honestly, Emma, your historically loving BF stopped before much of anything happened, he's confessed to you, and he's practically on his knees apologizing. I get being peeved and hurt, but booting him and refusing to even talk to him? Holy overreaction, Batman.

Anyhow, I kind of lost interest in Emma at that point.

I did find value here -- in the premise, as I said, and also in the vivid and lively depiction of Accra. I'd say this is worth a listen, if you have more patience for relationship dramatics than I do, and you're not too picky about how a fictional investigator works. Thanks to RBMedia/Recorded Books and NetGalley for the audio ARC.

[Chris Farmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right away, let me say that I believe The Whitewashed Tombs, the latest in the Emma Djan series of detective novels, is one of his best so far. The character of Emma, although developed already in three other books, comes alive in these pages and comes into her own. She is smart, intuitive, and sensitive, but also relentless to the point of recklessness in her pursuit of a lead. One feels a pride of accomplishment riding above her natural sense of justice, and that makes her human.

The plot was well crafted, set against but not relying on the backdrop of a real and topical problem in Ghana and other countries in Africa. And this is where Kwei Quartey both succeeds and fails in my view.

I had been prepared not to like the book because of the media hype created around it. It was promoted by Quartey himself and his publishers as a piece of “literary activism.” Already this epithet diminishes the book in my eyes.

A work of fiction, a work of art, is not didactic. It is not a schoolmaster’s cane or whip with which we hapless readers are to be instructed in “right thinking”. I object to writers who wish to teach us something. If it is good and well written, we will learn without being leaned on heavily by the author.

The Whitewashed Tombs does not do this, and I was happily surprised and pleased by that. It is first and foremost a fiction: a good story expertly told. The fact that it causes us to think about the real-life issues around it is exactly what art is meant to do. As a professor of mine, Dr. Pelen used to say: “The Odyssey is not a book on how to build a boat.”

In real life, the proposed “Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values” law is an abomination against any kind of human decency. I am aware of it because of Kwei Quartey’s book, but I wish his promotional team had not linked them together.

Trust the reader to draw these conclusions.



(https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa...)

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a deeply disturbing story about rising homophobia in Ghana. When an LGBTQ+ activist, Marcelo Tetteh, is brutally murdered, his father contracts Sowah Private Investigators Agency to identify the perpetrators. Emma Djan is assigned to the case, and though she's looking forward to working it with her usual partner, Jojo, he cites a conflict of interest to Yemo Sowah, the agency boss, as he dated the dead man in the past.

Another gay man, who knew Marcelo, is found dead, and Sowah and company think there are likely connections between the deaths. Emma follows multiple lines of inquiry, and goes undercover with the International Congress of Families, a repellent and powerful Christian organization that has successfully convinced governments in other African countries to criminalize non-heterosexual lifestyles.

The representatives for ICF in Ghana are three Americans, married couple Christopher and Diana Cortland, and Gertrude Cortland, Christopher's sister. They have been working hard to convince politicians and religious leaders to back a hate-based, repressive law, and have used a variety of means, open, underhanded and criminal, to target all opponents.

Emma makes friends with a transwoman, who is also a very popular singer/celebrity, during her investigation, and through her meets one of the religious leaders in ICF's pocket.

People are butchered in this brutal case, and I had to keep putting this down as I found the hatred expressed and enacted by so many characters really difficult to handle. At the same time, the mystery story is compelling, and Emma proves herself to be, while sometimes reckless, an investigator with good instincts. I first met Emma in book one of this series, and liked her a lot, and thought she had much potential as a character. I must get back to this series and read books two and three.

I listened to this book and the wonderful Adjoa Andoh does her usual, fantastic job bringing the text to life. Much as I found some scenes difficult, Andoh's narration kept bringing me back.

Thank you to Netgalley and to RBmedia for this ARC in exchange for my review.

[Cursed Bog Witch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this one out to diversify my lgbt reads and and was intrigued by the premise. It was written well, the narrator of the audiobook was excellent, and I liked that we got insight into the current climate around lgbt issues in Ghana. However this was only a 3/5 stars for me, I liked it enough but I wasn’t gripped by the plot. This could also be due to the fact that I’m a big fantasy/scifi reader though.

There are lots of TWs for this one too, lgbt hate crime, domestic rape, sexual assault, religious violence, depictions of corpses.

Thanks to netgalley and rbmedia for an advance listening copy of this :)

[Mal Warwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANTI-GAY VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN WEST AFRICA IN THIS EXCELLENT MYSTERY NOVEL

Kwei Quartey has shined a bright light on life in contemporary Ghana in the ten mysteries and thrillers he has published to date. In his tenth novel, The Whitewashed Tombs, he writes about the persecution of people who identify as LGBTQ, pointing the finger at a massive nationwide campaign for anti-gay legislation bankrolled by right-wing American Christian zealots.

Born and raised in Accra and now a retired physician living in California, Quartey identifies himself in a prefatory author’s note to the latest book as a “queer Ghanaian-American writer.” And his pain and passion come through clearly on every page. He chronicles the murder of three prominent Ghanaian gay activists—and the protracted investigation into their deaths by the talented young private eye Emma Djan. The novel is an insightful guide to the dynamics of anti-gay laws in Africa.

MURDER MYSTERIES ILLUMINATING GHANA’S SOCIAL CHALLENGES

Emma Djan is the protagonist of four of Quartey’s novels to date. She is one of the younger investigators at the Sowah Detective Agency in Accra and the only woman. In the three previous books, she has investigated online identity theft, an overprotective religious family, and sex trafficking. All three are murder mysteries, as is the latest book.

In The Whitewashed Tombs, Djan teams up with an older man, himself homophobic, investigating the murder of Marcelo Tetteh, a vocal LGBTQ activist. And when first a second then a third gay activist dies a gruesome death by machete, Djan goes undercover at the American religious charity funding the government’s development of anti-gay legislation. The story is compelling and suspenseful all along the way.

OFFICIAL ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

As France 24 news reported on December 18, 2024, “Ghana’s Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed legal challenges against a controversial anti-LGBT bill, clearing the way for President Nana Akufo-Addo to sign it into law. The legislation, among Africa’s strictest, criminalises promoting LGBT rights, despite warnings it could jeopardise billions in international financing.” In The Whitewashed Tombs, the bill is still under consideration in the Ghanaian legislature. But the president did, in fact, later sign the bill into law. Ghana’s move followed developments in Uganda, which received extensive coverage in the US. There, “President Yoweri Museveni kickstarted the move to have the viral anti-gay rhetoric codified. . .into law.” But these two countries are in no way alone.

In fact, individuals identified as LGBTQ face substantial penalties in most of sub-Saharan Africa. The price they pay for living their lives in truth can be as severe as life imprisonment or even in three countries (Uganda, Nigeria, and Somalia) the death penalty. And, make no mistake about it: American right-wing activists played a leading role in nourishing and funding these developments, as Quartey demonstrates in this novel. Skeptical? Check out the article in Foreign Policy magazine (March 19, 2023) entitled “How U.S. Evangelicals Helped Homophobia Flourish in Africa.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

In an author’s note prefacing this novel, Kwei Quartey notes that this book is “a deeply personal narrative in a way that none of my other novels have been . . . [It’s] a reflection of my heritage and identity as a queer Ghanaian-American writer, my personal advocacy, and, indeed, quite some pain over the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill.”

Quartey is the author to date of nine detective novels set in Ghana, the country of his birth. Five are police procedurals featuring Inspector Darko Dawson of the Accra police (published from 2009 to 2017). Four later novels starring private investigator Emma Djan appeared from 2020 to 2024. Quartey is a retired physician who worked for nearly two decades as an urgent care doctor. He lives in Pasadena, California.

[Lizzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never read any books in this series – or, indeed, by this author – before, but I had a feeling that it would be brilliant either way. (And I was right!)

By nature of being a mystery series, while there are some inter-personal connections between the detectives that I’d missed out on, the story itself was brand new and fresh for this book. It’s an incredibly powerful story, that draws on many of the real-life challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in some of the most homophobic countries in the world. It’s a very current and urgent issue, which makes this book that much more important.

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The author handles gender and sexuality brilliantly, especially when it comes to different perspectives on the topic from straight people. The reactions some of the straight characters have to finding out that another character is gay or trans show both the best and the worst case scenarios. I particularly appreciated how the dangers that trans women face were highlighted, as they are one of the most vulnerable and also most discriminated-against groups within the queer community.

I also thought this book was excellent at shining a light on the way that Western values and principles are pushed onto other countries and cultures. A fair part of the plot is about an American organisation which lobbies for homophobic laws in African countries. The idea of Western laws and morals being pushed onto non-Western countries is often seen as a historic one, so it was good to highlight how it’s a modern issue as well.

The actual mystery plot itself was really gripping, full of twists and turns with plenty of moments that I audibly gasped. All the pieces fell into place at the exact right time – I love that feeling where you realise who the killer was just seconds before it’s revealed in the text.

Of course, the narration from Adjoa Andoh was excellent – I’d expect nothing less! She expertly took us through the stories, and showed off a huge variety of accents. Seeing that she’d narrated the audiobook was what first drew me in, and I’m so glad I went for it!

I received a free copy for an honest review.

[Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kwei Quartey is a must-read author for me, based on previous readings of his police procedural and detective fiction set in Ghana. Quartey can craft a vivid atmosphere like no other, describing urban and liminal spaces with brief but meaningful phrasing. One moment that comes to mind: the in-between space between a main road, a megachurch and urban sprawl, a potentially dangerous territory over which protagonist Emma Djan, a private investigator, escapes from evangelicals with violent motives. This novel presents the psychological and physical brutality of homophobia unsparingly, so readers may want to proceed with caution. I had to, but I also couldn't stop listening to this excellent audiobook. Adjoa Andoh's narration is superb, as one would expect from such an accomplished actor, and Quartey is impressively skilled at building tension and plot construction. The story moves quickly, and soon feels like a runaway train. Outright lies, secrets, disguises, a pair of unsettling brothers that earn their keep as hired muscle, Emma's undercover investigation -- these and other elements combine to make a firecracker of a story! Cultural and historical information flows smoothly within the story -- there's a conversation in which a Ghanian history of precolonial gay relationships rebuts the idea that homosexuality was brought into the country by outsiders. There's a lot of wry, accurate satire of the behavior of greedy American evangelicals (and their social-climbing Ghanian counterparts) more interested in large audiences and promoting dangerous homophobia than they are in housing and feeding the poor. Trans and gay characters are depicted as people deserving of kindness and respect, though (spoiler) as this is a crime novel, tragedy interrupts. For a relatively short novel, it is complex and engrossing, and private investigator Emma Djan is becoming one of my favorite characters -- and I'm usually squeamish about crime fiction. As a Librarian, I recommend Quartey’s fiction to fans of S.J. Cosby and Attica Locke.

[Diana]

The Whitewashed Tombs by Kwei Quartey; Narrated by Adjoa Andoh

The Whitewashed Tombs is the 4th in the Emma Djan series. I’ve read and enjoyed the previous three and when I saw the audio version for this book, I decided to listen to it. If Anjoa Andoh continues to narrate Quartey’s books, I’ll keep on listening.

Andoh has a wonderful ability to change the voice for each of the characters – male and female. Listening to the audio feels like I am watching the movie in my mind. The pacing is perfect and her ability to tell a story creates the atmosphere; the sense of tension, anticipation, danger, etc. can be felt in her expressive narration.

I’ve enjoyed this series because I learn about Ghana, it’s people, culture, traditions and political climate. This installment concerns Ghana’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws, along w/a newly proposed law that will make their lives even more dangerous. The story begins when the first victim, Marcelo, a gay man, fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, confronts the minister of the International Conference for Families (who is promoting marriage between a man and a woman – anything else is sinful and destroys the institution of marriage). Marcelo is escorted out of the audience and a few days later, found murdered. His father hires the Sowah Private Investigators Agency to investigate to find who was responsible for his son’s death.

While Emma works on the case, more murders occur in the LGBTQ+ community. We see the effects of the new and proposed laws - laws that include criminalizing advocacy, outing “suspected” LGBTQ+ people, conversion therapy, etc. A mix of actions and talk by the ICF religious leaders and members along w/local political leaders lead to violence against the LGBTQ+ community (along w/a feeling that it is deserved), all which seems to allow the police to turn a blind’s eye.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kwei Quartey, Adjoa Andoh and RBmedia
for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

[Terror F · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novel, I have not read a book by this Author before but I enjoyed their storytelling, and the message behind this book.

This book is about LGBTQ+ people, specifically Trans Women in Ghana. Someone is violently murdering them, bodies callously left behind, seemingly due to the large amounts of homophobia in the church and other religious leaders in the community, no LGBTQ+ person is safe, and no one is investigating their death’s.

We meet Emma Djan, a Private Investigator who has a personal connection with one of the murdered victims, and she will do whatever she can to get justice, even if it comes at a cost to her safety. Danger is around every corner and you never know who you can trust.

I think the message behind this novel is so important and not discussed enough, LGBTQ+ people are not guaranteed safety, especially in countries where it is often criminalized or met with violence. This book was set in a time that is almost 30 years ago, and unfortunately not much has changed, LGBTQ+ and Trans lives are in Danger everyday, there was even a case recently in Georgia, where a Trans woman lost her life after she went public with her relationship, and was later murdered by her Partner for outing him. There are so many themes of that in this story so it really hit home for me. 4 ‘s

Thank you to the Author Kwai Quartey for writing this book, and for giving us a small look at what Trans people go through daily, all over the world. Thank you as well to the Narrator Adjoa Andoh for your incredible narration, everything down to the accents was great.

Big Thank you as well to RBmedia and NetGalley for my no cost Audiobook copy of “The Whitewashed Tombs”

I received this advance review copy at no personal cost and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received both an eARC and an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

4.75

I received an audio review copy of the previous book in this series, Last Seen in Lapaz, and it blew me away so I was excited to get an advanced copy of this year’s release. Shamefully, I still have not gone back to read the first two, but hopefully I will get to them before a new book is released, because reading this reminded me of how much I love this series.

Quartey continues to tackle tough topics with such care. The way he crafts a story has me immediately immersed in the situation and he keeps the tension high throughout making the reading experience compulsive. There are a number of potential triggers throughout and moments where I struggled reading about these hate crimes, especially in today’s political climate, but I appreciated that he tackled the hypocrisy of the situation. The story emphasizes that it’s white American far-right Christians forcing anti-LGBTQ laws through governments in West Africa ignoring that queerness existed there long before Christian colonizers brought their phobias.

Adjoa Andoh’s narration was excellent as always, though listeners to the first books might be thrown off as Robin Miles narrates the first three.

[Joana Francener · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d like to thank NetGalley and RB Media for making the audiobook available to me to review.

I was very happy to read Whitewashed Tombs, because I didn’t know Kwei Quartey and now I’ll be reading more of his work. The audiobook is absolutely delightful, if you like audiobooks, go for it! The legend Adjoa Andoh is the one reading it, and she really brings all the characters to life masterfully.

The plot is very interesting, intertwining foreign religious lobby meddling in other countries policies. Meanwhile thorough investigative work is done by our protagonist Emma. I did not see that plot twist coming!!

TW: LGBTQI+ violence, suicide, homophobia, transfobia, SA, among other difficult topics.

The reason I’m not giving this book 5 stars, is because I really didn’t like that all the trans people were killed and abused in such horrific ways. I think that even if reality is so so dreadful, we need fiction to provide us with some respite. I find that always having trans people in the receiving end of the ultimate violence can make our imagination populated by this kind of images. I wish that at least one of them had survived. The homofobia and transfobia that Paloma receives wasn’t even contested by Emma in one of the meetings, that didn’t sit well with me.

[Cecilia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. The Whitewashed Tombs (Emma Djan Investigation #4)
Author Kwei Quartey describes a picture of the importance of church influence on Ghanaian beliefs but not just the influence of local churches! Right wing U.S. religious groups that visit African nations have pushed the local churches to adopt a position of criminalizing LGBTQ individuals. These activist groups have exerted a power on Ghana's (and other countries') churches and politics.

The author paints a picture of a coalition being formed by bringing together several Ghanaian churches pushed and financially incentivized by an American religious activist and his organization. Their goal is to secure a local chief's backing to help forward their anti-LGBTQ political agenda. At the same time, it appears there might be a connection between some missing gay men, a high-profile murder, and what is going on with this activist group.

Emma does a deep dive into undercover investigating in this novel. As usual, Quartey does extensive research and presents a view of what is happening in Ghana today.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a difficult read whether one is an ally or an opposer of life choices that have been endemic in professions once all male throughout the ages. It delves into political twisting both by conviction and for monetary gain by both nationals and those from other continents. As usual, this sort of thing resulted in particularly violent murders. Emma Djan left the CID and went to work for a prestigious private firm, but that did not remove her from violent crime investigations or political abuses. It was sometimes difficult for me to follow the plot lines because of the multitude of necessary characters, but that helped me wade through the vitriolic rhetoric against people who have done no harm to their abusers.
This book will make you think.
Adjoa Andoh brings Emma and other characters to life.
I requested and received a free temporary audio EARC from RBmedia | Recorded Books via NetGalley. Thank you
#EmmaDjanInvestigationsBk4 #LGBTQ+ #HateCrimes #Ghana

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this series and this book was no exception. Emma is a fascinating and enlightening character, and since I know nothing about Ghana, she is the woman I imagine when I think about the area. She's clever and bold, relatable and admirable, and I cannot get enough. Plus, I love an audiobook with an African accented reader.

Holy cow, though. The story really skewers the Christian LDS missionaries and the hypocritical mission work to render all LGBTQ people both criminals and worthy of death. I can believe there are many countries where homophobia is still a majority-led prejudice, and attacks on gay people are still so frequent and seldom prosecuted, but it's been a while since I'd read/heard about such hatred and violence, it took me quite aback. Plus the domestic violence, the infidelity, and the murders! Great mystery, satisfying ending, and I look forward to the next adventure for our girl Emma.

[Rachael McDowell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this one. Overall, I enjoyed the main character and the pacing of the story and very much enjoyed the audiobook narration and production. I struggle with the need for accurate representation versus engaging in gratuitous violence and I feel like this missed the mark for me. Because there is a bill in real life and this is the struggle LGBTQ people in Ghana face, but the violent murder of every activist in these stories was hard for me to listen to. I also feel that the ending was rushed and did not really wrap up any plot line besides who committed the murders (what happens with the bill, does anyone get justice). This is just a me thing but I was also unhappy the main character took back a cheater after she was such a strong and formidable character in the book.

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this audiobook production in exchange for an honest review

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, author Kwei Quartey has given readers a tense, compelling mystery that takes them right into the heart of politics, power, and the LGBTQ+ community. I found The Whitewashed Tombs (a very apt title) to be chilling in the scope of what homophobic organizations are trying to do to force everyone to kowtow to their vision of what the world should be. There's no doubt that, if successful in this quest, they would turn their gimlet eye on heterosexuals. But I digress.

The Sowah Private Investigations Agency is a strong cast of characters: Sowah himself, Jojo, the less likable Manu, and Emma herself. They all work together well with Dr. Rosa Jauregui, the Cuban forensic pathologist, and DCI Boateng of the Ghana Police Service. In The Whitewashed Tombs, Emma's mother proves to be not just annoying but helpful as well, and Emma has troubles with her boyfriend, Courage to deal with. If there's any one thing that bothers me, it's Emma's lack of undercover skills. She can be so heavy-handed and obvious at times that it's a miracle her body hasn't already been hidden in a landfill somewhere.

However, she does have time to learn, and for that I'm grateful. I enjoy her investigations, and I look forward to another visit to Ghana with Kwei Quartey and his characters.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

[Susanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author, Soho Crime and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fourth in a series, and the second book of the series that I have read. This is again a huge sprawl of characters and plot lines that intersect at times, very finely drawn into a cohesive narrative that I could not put down. Sadly, the main thrust of the story is all too prescient, and rampant homophobia financed by foreign interests, covered with a veneer of - often hypocritical - Christianity and linked to political interests is happening as we speak in Ghana and other African countries. Familiar from the past books in the series, we dive deeper with the staff of the detective agency, and see how they rise to the dangerous challenge of uncovering lies, deceit and murder. Highly recommend!

[Tamisha booklovertamisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to read the newest book in the Emma Dijan series. In this one, Kwei Quartey highlighted the effects of the anti LGBTQ bill in Ghana. Though a fictional novel, the story rang true based on the current cultural climate.

An activist has been brutally murdered & his father comes to the Sowah PI Agency for answers. As the investigation heats up, more deception and acts of violence occur.

This story had the suspense and twists that I've come to expect from the author. I love Emma and the Sowah Agency characters. They pursue the case at all costs. I do wish Emma would be more cautious in her quest for the truth. She puts herself in some sticky situations that she barely makes it out of. This book opened my eyes to how social justice issues are addressed on a global scale. This is definitely a book I would recommend!

[Skip · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling story about homophobia/hatred in Ghana. An LGBTQ activist is butchered with machetes. His wealthy father knows the Ghanaian police will not work the case so he hires the Sowah Private Investigators Agency to solve the crime. Emma Djan is assigned the case, but cannot work with her usual partner (Jojo) because he knew the victim. When another man is hacked up, Emma goes undercover at the International Congress of Families, a powerful Christian organization seeking to criminalize homosexuality in African countries. ICF align itself with sympathetic religious, political, and criminal groups to push forward a bill, targeting any and all opponents. Emma befriends several of the opponents only to see them become prey, until she is able to solve the mystery and bring the guilty parties to justice.

[Elizabeth Sanders · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content Warnings: Homophobia, Transphobia, Descriptions of Corpses
Note: This book is the 4th in a series but can be read as a standalone book.

Quartey’s mystery combines a solid murder mystery with social commentary. In particular, Quartey’s attention to showcasing how super conservative organizations in countries like the United States foster anti-LGBTQ sentiment in Ghana, as in many other places, was well thought out, well written, and poignant.

Unfortunately, I found the book’s writing to be dry and flat. I never felt particularly immersed in the setting, characters, or events as a result. This matter-of-fact tone may not bother anyone else, though, which is why I’m putting it as a minor weakness.

[Tom Godfrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

What mostly sticks out here is how insidious the Western influence has been/still is in Africa. The economic exploitation of the continent, closely followed by cultural assault has been dreadful. In this outing, Mr. Quartey's fourth book set in Ghana, we find a nation, with its arbitrary borders, unsure as to what lies ahead and what they wish to retain. They have two national languages in addition to English, which still has echoes of their former relationship with their one-time masters. There is also a white Christian crusade determined to drag the country into what is "right". The actual story struck me as of less interest, but as an expose of what is economic and social colonialism it is on target.

[Vonetta Augustine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a great story and so layered. The horrific accounts of what's happening in African nations towards LBGTQIA+ community is eye-opening. This novel is set in Ghana and it's opens with the murder of a prominent gay rights activist and his father asking for his murder to be investigated. It takes off from there and grabs you. Emma is still brilliant, empathetic, and courageous. You also find out her colleagues' stance about gay rights with the murder investigation of a gay man who Jojo (one of the investigators) was once involved with.

The anti-gay bill is being championed by colonizing religious fanatics and closeted gay folks in Ghana. Chris, the white minister is an abuser and wife rapist. Gertrude his sister is a "reformed" adulteress with lots of skeletons in her crowded closet. Diana, the wife turns out to be the mastermind behind 3 horrific murders and one attempted murder. She clowned Chris and Gertrude at the end basically letting everyone know about their past filled with sexual abuse at the hands of their father.

It was a surprise that Paloma was trans and her murder was so horrible but accurate. A man who is a religious fanatic and homophobic would kill his partner when he finds out they were once a man. Him killing himself wasn't surprising either.

This was such a good read. This is my second book in this series and I'm hooked.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this, but can't find the Audiobook version here on Goodreads. The narrator was very good. The book is not so much a mystery as an extended, legitimate diatribe against American evangelicals spreading anti-LGTBQ hate in African countries. There's a lot that's ugly in here; violence and murder of LGBTQ activists, domestic rape and violence, drugging and raping of women, abject hypocrisy, and much more that's pretty gross. Time and again, too, despite the protagonist being a woman, certain decisions in how the story was told reminded me that the author was a man. So, appreciate the message entirely, if not the vehicle entirely.

[Lady Tamakloe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⁣
I finished this book a while back, and I’ve been struggling to gather my thoughts on it. And honestly? I’m still speechless. There are no words,absolutely none!⁣
⁣
𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺 𝘪𝘵?⁣
Yes, definitely.⁣
⁣
𝘞𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵?⁣
Yes, but with a word of caution. This book delves into heavy themes, particularly the violence faced by 𝘓𝘎𝘉𝘛𝘘+ individuals. It’s not an easy read and might not be for everyone.⁣
⁣
What’s truly mind-boggling is that it’s a work of fiction. Yet, as you turn the pages, the narrative feels so raw and real, almost like you’re witnessing these events firsthand.⁣

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This is a great mystery but so much more. It paints a picture of modern life in Ghana and the struggles of the LGBTQ community there. Someone is eliminating the strongest voices in that community and although there are many potential culprits, it falls to Private Investigator Emma Djan to search out and discover the killer. Not an easy assignment, but it's a reading pleasure to follow her investigation. I received a digital ARC and I'm happy to provide this review.

[A J Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Accra, Ghana, the story revolves around gumshoe Emma Djan, who is tasked with investigating the murder of a prominent LGBTQ+ activist. As Emma delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of corruption, homophobia, and secrets within the Ghanaian society. An eye-opening account of homophobia in Western-Africa coupled with a very decent whodunnit. Quartey always delivers with an intriguing gumshoe whodunnit.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent novel but it's also the chilling and heartbreaking story of how homofobia is becoming stronger due to a mix of political and para-religious goals.
It's good but it talks about something that is happening in real life and is expanding.
A book I strongly recommend as it's well plotted and solid.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine