A beautiful place to die

South Africa has no lack of brilliant writers skillfully rendering their complex and fascinating culture, but this ordinary mystery was a special treat for me. It weaved the political turmoil of apartheid 1950's within the format of noir detective fiction perfectly. The hypocrites are there, the ass-kicking bullies against the relentless detective is there, the sleazy opportunists and the sordid underbelly ruffians along with the troubled heroes, all scheming and dreaming in a genuine mad world.
Despite the formula, which I say even though I love the mystery formula, it presents an intriguing view into the complexities of South African politics and beliefs. The writing is pretty rich too. The lead character had a little Ian Rutledge thing going on, with the Hamish voice-in-the-head issue. And it was a bit depressing. But I ordered the next one, and i give it 2 thumbs up.