Quartey uses a new storytelling method with each book in the series, and so it is so far from a formulaic mystery as it can get. He also tells stories unique to Ghana. A really nasty guy who trafficked Nigerians becomes a pimp of high class women to the rich, and is killed. His innocent girlfriend goes missing. This is a missing person story but also a murder mystery and a horrific story of human trafficking and prostitution. The author keeps the story this side of tolerable—he doesn‘t go into gruesome details—even though you know they‘re there. He‘s an extraordinary storyteller and writer. The level of detail, for example, the meals they eat, what the weather (& the traffic) feels like, reading his books is an immersive experience. His 4th book in this series is out in August. And I‘ll have to start his Detective Darko series soon. Highly recommended. ( )

Last Seen in Lapaz is a well-written and compelling crime novel by Kwei Quartey, and is the third installment in the Emma Djan Investigation series. Private investigator Emma Djan is on the hunt for a missing Nigerian girl suspected of eloping with her boyfriend. When the boyfriend is found murdered, Emma's investigation leads her to uncover a sex trafficking ring that targets young women from Ghana and Nigeria. With a strong plot, plenty of fast-paced action, and well-described characters, this is a great read. With masterful and vivid storytelling, this book is a must-read for fans of crime fiction. Highly recommend. ( )

When I set about writing reviews of the books I’ve read,my main criteria is, was I entertained? Last Seen in Lapaz by Kwei Quartey did just that.

Last Seen in Lapaz is a mystery novel where we follow the main protagonist, Private Investigator Emma Djan, her latest case is a the disappearance of Naive young woman "Ngozi" whose parents assume ran away to be with "Femi" her new boyfriend, however within days of the investigation Femi turns up dead and Ngozi is still nowhere to be found.

The author has created a cast of characters that are believable and who stand apart from each other as distinct individuals. I found the setting for the book extremely involving, possibly because it is so different to the type of books I usually read in this genre. Overall last Seen in Lapaz is a very good book. This is my introduction to the series and I’m sure I’ll be reading some more. ( )

CW human trafficking, some sexualized violence (mostly "off-screen").

Last Seen in Lapaz is my first Kwei Quartey book, and I've already ordered another. Yes, his work is that nteresting, that original. He has two mystery series out: the Emma Djan series (Last Seen is Lapaz is the third, and most recent, book in this series) and the Darko Dawson series (I've just ordered volume 1).

The action in Last Seen in Lapaz alternates between Ghana and Nigeria and moves forward and backward in time, handing out key bits of information in ways that can require regular rethinkings of the narrative. The mystery at the heart of this novel is the disappearance of the daughter of a Nigerian diplomat currently posted in Ghana. She's run off with an unsuitable man, he's been found dead, and her parents have hired a PI team to try to find her.

Last Seen is Lapaz differs structurally from most mystery novels I've read. It's narrated in third person, but the focus of the narrators shifts regularly, drawing characters forward one by one and spending ample time on their stories. Together these narratives flesh out what becomes a single story.

Characters include Ngozi, the missing daughter; Femi, the man she ran off with; the operators of a pair of hotel-bordellos in Ghana; Nigerian women who have wound up working in these hotel-bordellos with varying degrees of choice; a human trafficker; a couple attempting the migrant journey
from Nigeria to Italy; a priest who spent two years falsely imprisoned; and the PIs searching for Ngozi.

I gather that Quarty tends to build his books around social issues, as well as ongoing characters, and that is clear when one considers the many people whose stories will intertwine in Last Seen in Lapaz. I've been reading some Nigerian and Ghanaian fiction for the last two years or so, but still have a great deal to learn—and Last Seen is Lapaz is my first mystery novel from that region. I particularly enjoyed the mix of settings and cultures in this book that gave me a sense of some of the interactions in that region that require multiple kinds of skills and knowledge.

If you're interested in world literature, mystery novels, and/or novels that successfully combine a mix of characters and narratives, you'll find Last Seen in Lapaz a very satisfying read. I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via Edelweiss+; the opinions are my own. ( )

California author Kwei Quartry earned his medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine, his degree in creative writing from UCLA, and now practices medicine and writes award winning crime fiction novels - in series (Inspector Darko Dawson Mysteries series and the Emma Djan series) and standalone novels. Dr. Quartey was born and raised in Ghana - the locale of this excellent series of which LAST SEEN IN LAPAZ is the third volume.

Preparing for this novel Dr. Quartey interviewed immigrant West African sex workers from Nigeria, Niger and Ghana, gathering significant facts about human trafficking, the theme of this story. Opening with further insights into his primary character, Private Investigator Emma Djan, he writes, ‘Awake no, Emma listened to Courage’s slow, rhythmic breathing beside her. It was five in the morning, her normal waking time, but she stayed in his bed awhile smiling as she thought about last night and how much fun she had had with Courage. It had been quite unlike her proverbial “first time” many months ago when Courage had repeatedly asked her before, during and after the act if she was okay…’ Emma’s sensitivity is wisely underlined as the story begins. The searing action of this fine novel is condensed well: ‘Just as things at work are slowing down for PI Emma Djan, an old friend of her boss’s asks for help locating his missing daughter. According to her father, Ngozi had a bright future ahead of her when she became secretive and withdrawn. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was be with her handsome new beau, Femi, instead of attending law school in the fall. So when she disappears from her parents’ house in Nigeria the middle of a summer night, they immediately suspect Femi was behind it and have reason to believe the pair has fled to Accra. During Emma’s first week on the case, Femi is found murdered at his opulent residence in Accra. There are no signs of Ngozi at the scene, and fearing the worst, Emma digs further, discovering that Femi was part of a network of sex traffickers across West Africa. Emma must figure out which of Femi’s many enemies killed him, but more urgently, she must find Ngozi before she, too, is murdered in cold blood.’

Vastly entertaining with exceptionally well-written prose, this novel delivers a powerful message that further alerts us to the inhumanity of sex trafficking. Bravo! ( )