Chronicles of Four Estates (A Novel)

Detective Chloe Cudjoe has her work cut out for her with her latest case. The battered body of renowned journalist Erin Boadu has been found. Chloe is an intuitive investigator, and upon re-examination of the crime scene, she locates a locket that aids in her initial investigation. The number of suspects in Erin’s death is open for speculation, yet her recent investigation into political corruption puts the spotlight on former President Yaw Tano. Erin had been pestering the politician about an alleged sub rosa operation, but Yaw met Erin’s inquiries with denials. Yaw was running for President of Ghana once again and thus held a powerful motive for quieting one of his critics.

Former President Yaw Tano is well acquainted with the ins and outs of campaigning for office. However, he is desperate to get a handle on what Erin Boadu knows. Yaw has given his country everything he has as President. His jump into politics was made against his wife’s wishes, and a rift developed between the couple as a result. Yaw’s tenure in office has seen positive and negative developments, but the negative tend to resonate in the minds of the voters. Yaw has survived assassination attempts and a previous ouster at the polls, but he believes that one more go around might allow him to make his imprint on Ghana.

Chloe has learned that a high-profile case, such as Erin Boadu’s, brings out the tabloids. When she gets leads, they are not about finding Erin’s killer so much as casting aspersions on former President Tano. Erin Boadu was famous but was also ambitious; she ran afoul of more than a politician in her climb to the top of the news world. Chloe will need to weigh each suspect equally in her inquiry to find justice for the late, lamented journalist.

Chronicles of Four Estates is an intelligent and arresting dramatic mystery that examines a shocking crime committed during a highly contested election campaign. The appeal in Benjamin Kwakye’s narrative is in the complexity of his characters. While the victim is an intrepid reporter and a darling of the public, her private life reveals a woman of a scheming nature and fickle loyalties. Detective Chloe Cudjoe is an investigator who will pursue her current case wherever it may lead; her past involves an unsolved murder that haunts her soul. The standout character of the book is Yaw Tano, a man who lives to serve his people and longs for his wife to be at his side when he does so. Tano is portrayed as a flawed yet decent man who could help shape the future of Ghana if given the time to do so. Author Benjamin Kwakye has written an excellent page turner that is a profound drama.