Death at the Voyager Hotel

by Kwei Quartey

In the city of Accra, the Voyager Hotel is widely known as a well-run lodging perfectly suited to cash-strapped tourists. But one early March morning, hotel guest Heather Peterson, a beautiful, young Oregonian teacher, is found dead at the bottom of the pool. The police authorities deem it an accidental drowning, but that raises doubts. Heather was a strong swimmer. How could she have drowned, and why was she naked? Paula Djan, principal of the school at which Heather was a volunteer, suspects foul play and begins to dig around. As she discovers an increasing number of suspects, she encounters hostility from the police investigators, who take a dim view of her snooping. But much more than stepping on a few toes, she may be headed down a dangerous path where the killer lies in wait with every intention to make Paula the second death at the Voyager Hotel.

Genres: Mystery, Africa, Ghana, Fiction, African Literature, Adult, Thriller

166 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2013

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

[Barbara Albin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A new novella by Kewi Quartey, Death at the Voyager Hotel. There will be no spoilers here, but when I first downloaded this to my Kindle, I promised I was going to read it slowly so that I could enjoy every chapter. I failed, as this is one of the best "who dun its" I have read in a long time. They just don't write books like this anymore, as it was a great mystery, strong characters, which included the men and of course the WOMEN. I would suggest you download this on any e-reader you have now, put what you are reading aside and enjoy a good old fashioned mystery. This does not mean that I will not be looking forward to Darko Dawson 2014!

[K.J. Charles]

The excruciatingly bad formatting as it interfaced with Kobo (two paragraphs a page, one at the top, one at thee very bottom) made this almost impossible to read, but nevertheless she persisted, mainly because of the vivid and lightly conveyed Ghanaian setting and the very likeable detective. The murder plot was rather thin, writing is workmanlike, but this is an early novella so. Will try one of his Darko Dawson novels next.

[Carolien · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a very satisfying mystery with interesting characters set in Accra, Ghana. The setting is authentic with the ebook allowing you to click through to view some of the locations in the book. I really enjoyed it as an introduction to the author's books.

[Wildlifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contrary to the his previous two Novels, this Novella doesn't feature Detective Darko. It is a story centred to Paula, who takes matters in hand and decides to find the truth abouth the death of her workmate, Heather Petersen, who found naked-dead at swimming pool, after the Ghana Police force closed the case on ground that, she died due to heavy drinking and suffocated in water. As she know her friend wasn’t heavy drinker and wont go to swim naked, this made her suspicious. She finally uncover, that she was killed by a guy, Jost Midiena, who was living in the same Hotel. Jost killed Heather because of jelous. It's a good story.

I liked how as the story was moving, a number of lessons a reader may grasp, some on medical, some on psychology and some on political and social life of Ghana.

The significance of the novel is that, it teaches a reader Detective techniques which may be used in daily life and may be life saver!

[Cindie Usevich · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t bother.
The entire book could have been streamlined into a 45 page conversation. Not a lot of scene setup, absolutely no character development. I skipped 65 pages and missed nothing. The plot was good and the murder was clever but the story was not fully flushed out. Definitely was not ready for print. Keep trying, dude.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nunca creí decir que un libro sobre un asesinato sería ligero, pero verdad de dios que este si lo fue.

[RJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book: Death At The Voyager Hotel
Author: Kwei Jones-Quartey
Genre: Fiction, Mystery
Pages: 156
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis:
“In the city of Accra, the Voyager Hotel is widely known as a well-run lodging perfectly suited to cash-strapped tourists. But one early March morning, hotel guest Heather Peterson, a beautiful, young Oregonian teacher, is found dead at the bottom of the pool. The police authorities deem it an accidental drowning, but that raises doubts. Heather was a strong swimmer. How could she have drowned, and why was she naked? Paula Djan, principal of the school at which Heather was a volunteer, suspects foul play and begins to dig around. As she discovers an increasing number of suspects, she encounters hostility from the police investigators, who take a dim view of her snooping. But much more than stepping on a few toes, she may be headed down a dangerous path where the killer lies in wait with every intention to make Paula the second death at the Voyager Hotel.”

It was really a mystery, with majority of the characters being suspects with motives. And any of these suspects could have killed Ms Heather Peterson.
I enjoyed reading this book on my way from Accra to Takoradi….
A book you can easily finish at a sitting.
Highly recommended for all booklovers and anyone who want to start reading or anyone who wants to get out of a reading slump.

[Matko · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Miss Marple can meddle, there's no reason Paula Djan can't as well. Trouble is, Djan is no Marple, and Jones-Quartey is no Christie. Not by a long shot. If I had any inclination to do some research on how Death at the Voyager Hotel came to be, I'd likely end up blaming some element of modern publishing industry, whether the lack of (competent) editor, whether the relative ease of e-publishing, whether something else. But there's really no point to blaming anything - whatever the case might be, Quartey saw the final result and said something along the lines of "It's great, let's go with it". And that's really all you need to know about it.

If there's one thing Quartey did well, it's showing us, ahead of his time I might add, how generative AI genre fiction will look like in a few years. Derivative, wooden, and completely unnecessary. Thankfully, while genAI can fill every existing byte with that kind of stuff, Quartey decided to stop before 200-page mark. You gotta be thankful for small things in life.

Ending on a high Vonnegut note - so it goes.

You really should be reading something else.

[Big Zee 💤💖 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Death at Voyager Hotel by Kwei Quartey was a less than 200-page crime thriller that I surprisingly enjoyed.

I didn’t have high hopes getting into it, but the title was catchy and it came as a recommendation from my favorite podcast newsletter, so I said why not.

It’s a crime thriller about the sudden death of a teacher, Heather, at a hotel in Ghana.

The initial investigation didn’t reveal much, but this was to the dissatisfaction of a very close acquaintance of the victim. She couldn’t accept the result because not only does it put Heather in a bad light, it also sets a nasty precedent for the school Heather taught in.

So she took the matter into her own hands and started trying to find answers on her own.
Even though this put her in harm’s way at some point, she got what she was looking for. I enjoyed it. It was nice reading this genre as a Ghanaian book. It’s new territories for me.

Recommended if you like quick crime thrillers
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Jennifer S · Rating 3 out of 5]

An early novella by Kwei Quartey, preceding his more well-known Darko Dawson detective series. A popular American teacher at a Ghanaian school for underserved children is found naked and dead at the bottom of the swimming pool in the hotel where she was lodged. The police rule it an accidental drowning but the principal of the school is not content with what she considers a cursory investigation so she begins her own investigation. Small cast of characters and a short book, so figuring out the suspect wasn't too difficult. Quartey's later stuff is better and I am looking forward to reading his newest.

[Kurt · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5 stars is more accurate)

A very thin mystery, even by novella standards, that never gained any momentum. The Ghana setting helped but I wanted more Ghana. Some decent characters but I wanted more from them. An interesting crime who's author was obvious half way through and some oh so brief action at the end are teases that don't satisfy. Feels like the author was clearing out a closet in his brain before getting back to his popular series of Detective Darko mysteries--this hasn't put me off trying one of those (or his Emma Djan series) but I may not get to it as fast.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. I must say, though, there was an immaturity to the writing. At times that made the story richer, but at other times it made the dialogue sound cliché. Because of this back and forth, I gave 3 stars.

I really enjoyed the view of Ghana. I don't really know much about the country, and this made it sound very relatable and new, all at the same time. I know, every country can be described that way.

If you enjoy mystery, I would recommend this, despite my feelings and rating.

[Keith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was again a very good read as the Author introduced a new Detective. The plot is intriguing and with the insights and explanation of Ghanaian culture, makes the story work.
Mr. Quartey is an outstanding author.

[Deuce Naftel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Missing American, and this book blurb mentioned a university student from Oregon, so I thought I would love it too. But it's really too short for proper character development or plot development. It's a good, quick read, pretty easy to narrow the murderer down to two suspects.

[Chris Leuchtenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very short novel with an unsophisticated story and characters. But I liked the characters and enjoyed the story which moves effortlessly from scene to scene with good pacing. The setting in Ghana added interest and made up for the short, simple story.

[Readers Truss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered Kwei Quartey's books last year. I must say his books have become must-reads for me.
I read enjoyed it and I want more

[Nelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting plot twist!

[Lucinda Joyner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book was great. It had an ending that I didn't expect. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Marie (UK) · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a light and entertaining read of the cozy mystery variety. Although i think the links throughout the book were unnecessary. Definitely tempted to read more from this author.

[Nana Ama · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book's plot is so intriguing. It is a must read for all young adults...

[Lois · Rating 5 out of 5]

nice quick read to get me out of my slump!

[Alexandra Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first novel by Kwei Quartey and a good, old-fashioned mystery set in Accra, Ghana. I liked the main character, Paula and her determination to find out what happened. I look forward to reading more mysteries by Mr Quartey.

[Sienna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this early short take by Quartey. It includes many of the issues he explores later with his Darko Dawson series.

[Moushumi Ghosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Kwei Quartey and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

I have been looking for African crime fiction after reading Alexander McCall Smith and was delighted to come across this book! The suspicious and sudden death of one of the American teachers Heather Peterson at the Voyager Hotel makes Paula Djan, the head mistress of High Street Academy, take the reins in an informal investigation where she finds herself in danger when tracking the murderer. I'd like to see more of Paula's investigations in other stories. However, all's well that ends well.

There are some weak points. First, I think the title is rather prosaic and I only persisted because I wanted to read a detective story set in Africa told by someone who is from Africa. I am sure it is possible to have a non-exotic title for a lovely story like this. Second, I would have liked more detail. There is potential in the story to be a full novel but it stops at being a novella. Third, I'd also like an assistant for Paula. Paula's student Ajua I think could have been developed as an assistant. I thought her character started out exceptionally well but didn't mount to much at least in this narrative.

Read because you like detective fiction. Period.

[Michelle B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is not gripping or all that impressive and I saw the final showdown coming, but it was an enjoyable enough mystery read. Mostly I loved the rekindled memories of my time in Ghana, reimagining the places in the book and hearing the voices of the people.

One really neat feature of this e-book is the embedded images of popular places from the story. Awesome to be able to click and view the images so you have a clear idea of what he is talking about.

[Blue North · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second mystery, Death at the Voyager Hotel, that I've read by Kwei Quartey. This one involved a woman named Heather. She's a schoolteacher. Takes place in Ghana, Africa. The hardest part of the novel I found was learning to spell the Detective's name. So, I could at least try pronouncing it. Looking forward to going back to Ghana again in another mystery soon.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good thing I read this author's other books first. He has developed into a fairly good writer. Death at the Voyager Hotel is certainly not his best book -- predictable and the timeline is questionable. I am happy he continued writing and look forward to his next book.

[Nina Chachu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Light, entertaining with a very lightly Ghanaian setting

[Jami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella got me hooked to Kwei Quartey's mystery books, prompting me to go out and purchased other books written by him. And I must say, I've become fond of his writings; a fan for life.

[Susan]

This is how an armchair traveler learns about the complicated world...Africa from the inside.