In 1950s South Africa, the colour of a killer's skin matters more than justice. When Captain Willem Pretorius, an Afrikaner police officer, is brutally murdered in the tiny backwater of Jacob's Rest, Detective Emmanuel Cooper is sent to investigate. The local Afrikaners and the dead man's prominent family view Cooper, an 'English' South African, with suspicion. Soon the powerful police Security Branch take over the investigation. But Cooper isn't interested in political expediency, or making friends in high places - he just wants the killer behind bars. As he pursues his own inquiry, he discovers the violence, secrets and desires behind the picture-perfect facade of Jacob's Rest. The more he digs, the more dangerous the investigation becomes. Cooper has secrets of his own. If he can survive long enough to learn the truth about Captain Pretorius, it might just save his life.This was fantastic! I can't wait for her to write the next instalment. I enjoy lots of different crime novels but I really enjoy authors who create a flawed, realistic character and place them in an interesting setting. Thers's no forensic mumbo jumbo - just great writing and crime solving in an era of South African history that is not written about that much.
Rating - I give this 4/5
GREAT!! Get this from the library
Reviewed by Sarah @ Hamilton library
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