Agents of the State
Newly appointed State Security Agent Vicki Khan and her surf bum/private investigator boyfriend Fish Pescado find echoes of South Africa’s apartheid past in Mike Nicol’s espionage thriller. Vicki is sent to Europe to bring in a crucial witness in a child trafficking case, while Pescado…
The Truth Itself by James Rayburn
By Roger Smith writing as James Rayburn — The South African crime novelist Roger Smith has written under a pseudonym before. In 2012 he wrote Vile Blood, a horror novel, under the name Max Wilde. In this latest book, Smith has again taken a step away…
Agents of the State
Written by Mike Nicol — The Rainbow Nation is developing a well- deserved reputation for excellent crime fiction. Perhaps it’s not surprising since its unfortunate history provides fertile grounds for inspiration. Lauren Beukes’ brand of supernatural-tinged mystery and suspense has already achieved breakout international success. Roger Smith’s nihilistic…
A Death in the Family
Written by Michael Stanley — Talk about explosive beginnings! This time it gets very personal indeed. Assistant Superintendent David Bengu in Botswana – aka Kubu, meaning hippo – is jolted out of a dream in which he’s eating. His boss, Makabu, tells him that his father has…
Interview: Michael Stanley
The South African authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip together make up Michael Stanley, and are becoming well-known for creating Botswana Police’s good-natured Detective ‘Kubu’ Bengu. They’ve been universally praised for their crime series, which has been labeled ‘sunshine noir’ by Yrsa Sigurdardottir, while Peter James describe their books…
Nowhere
Written by Roger Smith — After several standalone novels, a novella here and there, and dabbling in horror, South African author Roger Smith returns to slightly more orthodox crime fiction with a new Disaster Zondi novel. The unfortunately named Zulu detective first appeared in Mixed Blood, and…
Present Darkness by Malla Gunn
Present Darkness is the fourth installment in Malla Nunn’s series of novels starring Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper. The cover – a picture of two rhinos ambling across a dry plain – could be a South African tourism advertisement, except for the grey clouds and burnt…