Bloody Harvests

October 16, 2006
The collision of cultures and religions in the seething city of Johannesburg, South Africa, provides the backdrop for Kunzmann's impressive debut, which teams an incongruous pair of police officers: Harry Mason, a Christian Englishman, and Jacob Tshabalala, a Christian tribesman who knows that the beliefs of his countrymen are not mere superstition. As the two policemen investigate the ritual killing of a young girl whose organs were harvested from her living body, they find themselves on the trail of an albino figure of almost mythic dimensions, who controls a criminal organization (drugs, prostitution, smuggling, etc.) through fear and intimidation. The complex narrative perhaps switches directions too often to briefly follow a minor character or reveal a snatch of Harry or Jacob's traumatic past. Still, the author does a fine job of depicting the city's combustible mix of poverty, ignorance, intolerance and crime and the handful of brave men who seek to douse the flames when that mix ignites.

Starred review from November 1, 2006
In the poorest sections of Johannesburg, South Africa, where anything can happen, the mutilated body of a five-year-old child is discoveredher organs have been harvested for a traditional "muti" (magic) ritual. Detectives Harry Mason and Jacob Tshabalala take different approaches to the investigation. Tribesman Jacob knows about the African witches who prey on children, while Harry brings his disbelief in native superstition, along with his emotional baggage, to the case. Yet the two work well together as they face an evil that almost destroys them and their families. Not since James McClure's outstanding 1970s South African police series ("The Steam Pig") has there been been this serious an attempt to revisit that culture. The poverty, the drug business, the racism that hides behind a mask of civility, and the native beliefs that permeate everyday life are all here. Not for the faint of heart, this gritty exploration of South Africa's dark heart was nominated for the CWA 2005 Creasey Memorial Dagger Award. This outstanding novel is sure to win readers everywhere. Kunzmann lives in South Africa. Mystery fans may also want to try fellow South African Deon Meyer's excellent crime novels set in Capetown ("Heart of a Hunter"). [See Prepub Mystery, "LJ" 7/06.]

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from December 1, 2006
This debut thriller integrates ancient South African mythology into a contemporary serial-killer story. Someone is killing and mutilating young children. Detective Harry Mason and his partner, Jacob Tshabalala, must try to figure out whether it's the work of a run-of-the-mill serial killer (as Jacob believes) or whether it's something altogether more sinister. To solve the mystery, the partners plunge deep into the tribal underworld, where sorting out fact from superstition can be a deadly proposition. This very atmospheric novel is sharply written and, in places, quite eerily unsettling. Kunzmann writes like an old pro, drawing his characters with a combination of bold strokes and sharply observed details. A native of South Africa, he knows his setting and its people intimately, and it shows in the novel's depth and visual flavor. The author also stays away from the typical mismatched-partners, "buddy picture" sort of cliches, preferring instead to take a more realistic and dramatic approach to character development. Readers familiar with John Connolly's Charlie Parker mysteries, which incorporate supernatural elements into detective fiction, will naturally want to give this novel a look-see, although they should be warned that it is an altogether original and far more visceral story. A remarkable achievement.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)