Sonja van der Westhuizen

Negative Tilt by Bobby Mathews

9 April, 2024

Rural noir is having its moment in the sun and the ever-popular SA Cosby has been leading its charge. Writing about the South is nothing new – Ace Atkins and James Lee Burke have been doing it for decades – but the genre’s resurgence has…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

4 April, 2024

A new Stuart Turton novel is always met with great anticipation and high expectations. The author, who frequently draws inspiration from Golden Age crime fiction, is undoubtedly skilled at crafting original mysteries. In his latest high-concept thriller he creates an entirely fictitious and post-apocalyptic setting…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Lagos Wife by Vanessa Walters

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

6 March, 2024

Nicole Oruwari had it all. Even though she took a risk trading the UK for Nigeria for the sake of love, she had two lovely sons, a husband and a life of luxury in Lagos with staff to cater to her every whim. Nicole was…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

Paper Cage by Tom Baragwanath

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

29 February, 2024

There’s truth to the adage write what you know. New Zealand author Tom Baragwanath follows this advice by setting his debut novel in Masterton, where he’s from, resulting in a strong and authentic sense of place. On the other end of the spectrum, he defies…

eBook Kindle Print Reviews

Shitamachi Scam by Michael Pronko

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

1 February, 2024

The squeamish yet diligent Detective Hiroshi Shimizu returns in Shitamachi Scam, the sixth instalment of Tokyo-based Michael Pronko’s crime novel series. In 2022, Azabu Getaway transported readers to the cosmopolitan Azabu district, but this time the action takes place in an older, more traditional Shitamachi…

Kindle Print Reviews

Daughter of Ashes by Ilaria Tuti

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

25 January, 2024

Translated by Ekin Oklap — Daughter of Ashes is the third and possibly final instalment in Italian author Ilaria Tuti’s Teresa Battaglia series. It follows on from Painted in Blood in 2022, which was also published as The Sleeping Nymph. This bittersweet conclusion takes place…

iBook Kindle Print Reviews

The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou by Eleni Kyriacou

By Sonja van der Westhuizen

29 December, 2023

Over the past year or two we’ve seen a flurry of book titles containing the names of women. These often fall into the quirky and offbeat or cosy categories. The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou is not one of them. Quite the contrary. In 1954,…

Features Kindle Print