Writer’s Corner welcomes Stanley Trollip, the South African-born mystery and thriller author who, together with Michael Sears, writes under the pen name Michael Stanley. Their internationally acclaimed Detective Kubu mystery series takes readers deep into the landscapes, cultures, history, and complexities of Botswana, where murder investigations uncover secrets that reach far beyond the crimes themselves.
Recorded on: September 18, 2026
Writer’s Corner is a television interview program featuring conversations with writers, authors, reviewers, publishers, and other literary voices from Minnesota and beyond. Created by Alan Miller, the program has long offered thoughtful conversations about books, craft, publishing, and the stories behind the stories.
In this episode, Stanley Trollip joins Writer’s Corner for a conversation about mystery writing, the creative process, the challenges and rewards of writing collaboratively, and the experiences that shape his fiction. From the African bush to the American Midwest, Trollip brings a distinctive perspective to storytelling, character development, and the importance of place in crime fiction.
Trollip and his writing partner, Michael Sears, are best known for their award-winning Detective Kubu mystery series, which follows David “Kubu” Bengu, a detective with the Botswana Criminal Investigation Department. Beginning with A Carrion Death, the series combines intricate mysteries with the landscapes, cultures, politics, and social realities of southern Africa. The books include The Death of the Mantis, Deadly Harvest, A Death in the Family, Facets of Death, and A Deadly Covenant. Their newest Detective Kubu mystery, Dead Wrong, continues the adventures of the beloved investigator.
The writing team has also created the Crystal Nguyen thriller series, featuring a Minneapolis-based investigative journalist whose assignments take her into dangerous international investigations. The series includes Dead of Night, also published as Shoot the Bastards, and Wolfman, a thriller set in northern Minnesota.
Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, Stanley Trollip earned his PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He spent much of his professional career as a professor, specializing in the use of computers in teaching and learning, before retiring from Capella University. An experienced pilot, he has traveled extensively throughout southern Africa, including numerous flying safaris in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Those experiences helped inspire the Detective Kubu series and continue to influence his writing.
Trollip divides his time between Minneapolis, Denmark, and Cape Town, bringing a unique international perspective to the Minnesota literary community.
Stanley Trollip / Michael Stanley Books: https://michaelstanleybooks.com/
About the authors: https://michaelstanleybooks.com/about-the-authors/
Explore the Detective Kubu mysteries: https://michaelstanleybooks.com/books/detective-kubu-series/
Writer’s Corner is shared in connection with Bell Cow Productions, a literary media and author-support platform focused on connecting writers, readers, bookstores, libraries, and literary communities.
Bell Cow Productions: https://www.bellcowproductions.com/
Special thanks to Eagan-TV, Writer’s Corner’s home station. In the Twin Cities South Metro area, Writer’s Corner airs on E-TV Public Access, Comcast Channel 15, and CenturyLink Channel 8834. The program also airs on additional public TV stations serving communities throughout Minnesota and the Midwest.
Writer’s Corner: http://writers-corner.org/
Eagan-TV: https://eagan-tv.com/
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