I received a gifted copy of ‘All Come to Dust’ by Bryony Rheam in return for my honest review.

This book is set in Zimbabwe, in the town of Bulawayo and follows Chief Inspector Edmund Dube.

One day he is called to the house where a woman has been found dead, the only reason for suspicion is a letter opener sticking out of her chest.

Edmund is told to leave the case alone, but he is determined to find out the reasons behind the death.
With many local residents not opening up, he struggles to find the truth.

Was the woman’s death a murder? What other secrets will Edmund uncover throughout his investigation?

This book is more than just a mystery, it explores the changes in the country and the poverty of its occupants. It also points out the inequalities and prejudices that are still present.

I really felt for Edmund as no one seemed to be taking him seriously, even though his intelligence is great, and he discovers many secrets and corruptions in his local area.

I did find it a bit hard to get into as it was a little slow and to be honest, I found it going over my head a little bit. However, it is a brilliantly written story and one that many will enjoy, it was just not for me.

Overall, a brilliantly written mystery which delves into the changes in Zimbabwe.

When Marcia Pullman is found stabbed in her home in the Zimbabwean town of Bulawayo, Chief Inspector Edmund Dube has not the slightest idea what hornets’ net he is kicking. The seemingly nice and neat business woman obviously had some side affairs rather on the dark side and knew how to make people comply with her rules. Not only is the case complex, also in his police station Edmund is confronted with obstacles, someone tries to boycott his investigation. But he has learnt how life works and his ethics keep him fighting for truth no matter how many spanners are thrown in his works.

Bryony Rheam’s mystery “All Come to Dust” is a kind of classic murder investigation deeply rooted in the Zimbabwe culture. Many aspects of the novel can only happen in such surroundings and are a prerequisite to develop in the first place. The protagonist is a lonely wolf with a complex character and background who determinedly follows his mission.

What I liked most was how the complexity of the story slowly unfolds. What seems to be a rather simple case motivated by well-known motives, turns out to be an actual net of diverse motivations and intentions the characters follow. It is hard to detect where the actual danger comes from and with the protagonist fighting his own battles while solving a crime, the novel provides mysteries on different levels.

Even though the plot is masterly crafted, I found it a bit lengthy at times and would have preferred a more straight-forward investigation. The character development is also brilliantly done, but this also leads to a diversion of the actual mystery plot.

An interesting read which provided me with a lot of insight into a culture completely unknown to me.

This had a great premise and so much promise but sadly I don’t believe it lived up to it. It is very character driven rather than plot driven, but none of the characters were particularly memorable. I also found it slow and not even the expectation of a revelation at the end could make this a memorable book sadly.

This book was good but I just found it hard to connect to. It did drag on a bit and it started off slow. It sort of came to a rushed end as well. I liked it but I didnt love it.

All Come To Dust by Bryony Rheam

This was a very complicated murder mystery. I had never heard of Zimbabwe before reading this book. Very sinister and secretive characters. Confusing at times, going from now, and then back to 1979 many times.

The premise and description of this book was intriguing. The reading experience was not. Unfortunately this story wasn’t for me. The pacing was too slow to keep my attention. None of the characters were memorable.

Thank you to the publisher through Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

All Come to Dust by Bryony Rheam

This book is set in Zimbabwe. Edmund Dude is a police officer that does not have much respect from his peers but he is determined to find out what really happened to Marcia Pullman. Marcia Pullman was found dead in her bed but even though it looks like she was stabbed everyone else is saying she died before the stabbing of natural causes. Edmund still wants to know who did it.

I found this book to be very slow and long.

I would like to thank Net Galley and Parthian Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

An old fashioned mystery with an old fashioned detective, Edmund Dube, this novel was a very pleasant read. It is reminiscent of The No 1 ladies detective agency, though more edgy and is set in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The sense of place is wonderful and the reader gets an insight into modern day Zimbabwe and the struggles since hyper inflation. The characters are well drawn, though the author takes her time. The story twists and turns and nothing is quite what it seems. Overall it’s a relaxing and enjoyable read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Parthian Books and Bryony Rheam for the ARC.

Chief Inspector Edmund Dube is conscientious and honest, and would seem to be just the man to investigate the strange death of Marcia Pullman, but the Chief Inspector has his own secrets.

The book starts with Marcia′s point of view. She is getting ready for the monthly book club, and her thoughts give us a little insight into her character before she goes to lie down before the meeting. When we next see her, she is dead and stabbed through the chest.

The Chief Inspector is the one called to investigate, but resources are short and he has to cadge a lift from Martin Craig, a white man who has just been accused of speeding. And at the scene of the crime the maid seems to recognise Martin. Marcia′s husband does not seem to be too bothered by her death, and it seems higher forces in the police force also feel it should be dealt with as quickly as possible.

More characters are introduced and they all seem to have connections with and reasons to dislike Marcia. The way they all seem to interconnect with each other seems unlikely until you realise that the white community in Rhodesia and post-independence Zimbabwe would have come across each other in the same clubs and organisations.

Dube keeps plugging away, and we learn more about the lives of all involved, which for me was the most fascinating part of the book since it gave an insight into some aspects of 21st century Zimbabwe. More people die and the sadness of many people′s lives is uncovered, but it does finish on a small note of hope. This book is not the usual procedural, but is an engrossing read all the same.

I had a copy of this book early through Netgalley

Marcia Pullman was preparing for her book group when she felt a headache coming on and decided to lie down. When Janet, a member of the group, arrives she finds Marcia in her bed with a letter opener protruding from her chest. The coroner determined that she was dead of natural causes before being stabbed, but why stab a corpse? Chief Inspector Edmund Dube takes the call reporting the death and arrives to investigate. Dube was influenced to become a policeman from the images of investigators in novels and movies, but he is soft spoken and overlooked by everyone at his station. Marcia’s husband has connections with the police and Dube is soon warned off. Determined to find answers, he continues to investigate on his own. The story builds slowly as Dube questions Janet, Marcia’s husband, her maid Dorcas, Craig Martin, a man who recently threatened her, and her neighbor Roland. Each time he reaches out to them he learns more of their connections and history with Marcia and realizes that she had a hold over each of them and they all hated her.

Set in a primarily white suburb in Zimbabwe, this is a contemporary mystery that deals with the faltering economy and racial relations in a post-colonial society. Byrony Rheam builds her story slowly until the final third of the book, which moves rapidly to the conclusion. In a Poirot-like confrontation, Dube gathers his suspects together and reveals their secrets and his conclusions with a truly surprising twist. All Come to Dust is a lengthy mystery that is beautifully written and well worth the time that it takes to follow Chief Inspector Dube’s quest for the truth. I would like to thank NetGalley and Parthian Books for providing this book for my review.

This book is not any murder mystery book. First, the setting is pretty unique as it is set in Zimbabwe.
Also, it is character-driven (my favorite thing ever). You're in for a pretty dark and twisty ride!
However, it was a little bit too slow-paced for me but not in a boring way.

Marcia has found a dead body much to her shock. There are twists in the way making it a compelling and extremely interesting read. Chief Inspector Edmund Dube to the scene. When it becomes clear that people don’t want to answer his questions, the Inspector begins a reminiscence of his own childhood.

Set in suburban Bulawayo, Chief Inspector Edmund Dube has the unenviable task of solving the murder of Mrs Marcia Pullman with only the basic investigative tools and little assistance. As the case progresses, Dube is drawn back to the past and to a mystery that has shadowed his life. An old-fashioned style mystery, All Come to Dust is an easy read and Dube a likeable character. It is easy to see why Bryony Rheam won the 2021 Bulawayo Arts Award for this book and I’ll be following closely awaiting her next publication.

I have to say I tried but did.not work for me. I am.so sorry but this was all to.slow. I could not finished. For someone that is more interested in the theme I hope it works out better. I wish everything good to this book.

Although I enjoyed the story, I found it quite complicated jumping between the past and the present. This book is a gentle thriller with a few twists.

This book was a slow, slow, slow read. I stopped and started it multiple times, and ultimately abandoned without reading the last couple of chapters. The premise hooked me immediately: murder mystery set in richly described Zimbabwe. I liked the set up to this book immensely, and felt truly immersed in the world, as Rheam writes beautifully vivid descriptions. However, the storyline is drawn out and ultimately lost my interest.

I enjoyed the glimpses into Zimbabwe, and the story was entertaining, although needs a little work. It dragged out a bit and then became rushed, although overall a pleasant read.

Thanks to NetGalley, Parthian Books, and Bryony Rheam for my ARC.

All Come To Dust is a long book, with lots of descriptions and has a great premise, but it didn't kept me hooked.

This was my first time reading a book from Zimbabwe and I really enjoyed the descriptions of the scenary, the mystery and the writing in general.

It may not have kept me hooked, but it was definitely an interesting experience. I recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A murder that took place in the Zimbabwe. Looks so simple but the more you read, the more complicated it becomes.
well written plot, kept me hooked from the beginning. Very intriguing.

"Marcia Pullman lay on her bed seemingly asleep, a small red rug lay across her legs and on the bedside table next to her was a half-full glass of water. If it weren't for the silver letter opener sticking out of her chest and the small bud of crimson that bloomed from where the blade went in, there was nothing whatsoever out of the ordinary about the scene."

"All Come to Dust" is a delightful Zimbabwean crime novel about a victim everyone hated, a detective determined to solve the mystery surrounding her death, and a host of possible suspects. Chief Inspector Edmund Dube is baffled by Marcia Pullman's early demise. Someone stabbed her, although it looks like she may have died before this happened. So, why would someone bother if the victim was already dead?

As soon as he begins to investigate, Edmund realises people close to and around Marcia are hiding things. The woman who discovered the body was a victim of Marcia's cruelty, while the latter's maid is avoiding giving answers about her movements on the day Marcia died. Marcia's husband seems to have connections high up in the largely corrupt police force, and another man is drawn into the saga after threatening to kill Marcia.

This is an interesting and often quirky examination of a crime that isn't a crime, investigated by a man who takes inspiration from books and movies. The reader is given the viewpoints of all the suspects, though it's hard to trust any of their narratives.

My only gripe with the book is that the large number of revelations are squeezed into only a couple of chapters at the end, making it feel a bit rushed. Otherwise, this is a highly enjoyable book, not only examining an interesting 'crime' but taking a look at a section of contemporary Zimbabwean society.