I read this as part of my Around the World in 80 Books challenge. A mystery story set in the 1950s in the Belgian Congo before its independence from Belgium (now the Democratic Republic of Congo). The main character is Amanda Brown, a young American missionary who moves out to the village of Belle Vue to run a missionary guesthouse. The author was born and raised in the Belgian Congo by missionary parents so she is on familiar territory. Although Amanda’s mission is to convert souls, the book does not really focus on religion but is a rather quaint look at the villagers, their lives and the way they perceive the oddities of the Europeans, and makes some points about the effects of colonialism. Amanda is proud of having learnt Tshiluba the local Congolese language, but finds there is much else to learn. The story is populated by great characters such as Their Death, Cripple, Second Wife and Protruding Navel. My favourite character was First Wife, Cripple, with her sharp mind and outspoken ways. When a priceless diamond is discovered a series of events is set in train. I found the story fun and entertaining. There were snippets at the beginning of each chapter about the Congo, its people and fauna. It also highlighted the tension in Belgium between the Walloons (French speakers) and the Flemish (dutch speakers). A light mystery with some historical and cultural insights into colonial Belgian Congo. My only complaint was there seemed to be some loose ends in the mystery that didn’t entirely resolve. ( )

When Amanda Brown arrives in the Congo to run a missionary guesthouse, she is fascinated by both the landscape and the people. But, her cultural training hasn't prepared her for its people’s peculiar names and odd customs. Although she already has a housekeeper, she can’t resist offering employment to the clever first wife of Their Death, the local witch doctor. Their Death, not really a very successful witch doctor, is trying to deal with his two squabbling spouses and his second job as a yardman. When he discovers his baby son sucking on a huge raw diamond, he sets in motion a chain of greed, misplaced trust, and betrayal.

Each chapter begins with a short paragraph about the Congo, primarily the various animals that live there, but occasionally on the culture of the local native tribes as well. I thought it was one of the most interesting aspects of the book even though it didn't really signal an event in the following chapter. I loved the interaction between Amanda's household staff, arrogant housekeeper Protruding Naval and assistant, Cripple.

I thought this book was an interesting look at pre-independence Congo from an author who grew up there. The setting was very atmospheric and the characters were very humorous. The author has just started to develop the character of Amanda Brown in this book and it feels a bit unfinished. I am planning to read one of the other three books in the series and she how these characters make out in the future.
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This was a fun read. The major character is a young American missionary, who comes to the Belgian Congo in the 50's and becomes involved in a mystery involving a large diamond and a possible murder. The characters were interesting, the setting was stunning, the mystery, however, was only average. There are too many side stories that are never really traced out, and the characters have lots of potential, but their relationships and how those tie in to the plot are never really developed. Definitely worth reading, however, if you like light mysteries with exotic settings. The writer knows her setting well and includes lots of good physical details. ( )

Very light in plot, character, style, and overall content. I was hoping that our book club discussion would upgrade my opinion, but no luck. Not my cup of tea. ( )

The Witch Doctor’s Wife by Tamar Myers is the first book in her series that features Amanda Brown, a young American missionary who come to the Belgium Congo in 1958. Amanda is little prepared for the culture clash she finds herself in but with the help of the local policeman and her newly hired help, who turns out to be the local witch doctor’s wife, she is learning how to cope.

There is very little mystery here, mostly a sly game of Who’s Got The Button but the button in this case is a huge, flawless diamond that originally shows up in hands of a toddler. As the diamond is snatched back and forth by different people, we also learn of the struggles of the various ethnic groups that are trying to get along while this nation is on the verge of a revolution for it’s independence.

I loved the setting and since the author was born and raised in the Congo, she is very informative about the land, it’s people, and the political tensions that were mounting. I was a little disappointed with Amanda finding her somewhat colorless and stiff but hope to see more character development with her as the series progresses. Overall an entertaining novel that was interesting and instructive at the same time. ( )