BLESSED ARE THE DEAD
Malla Nunn
From the author of a Beautiful Place to Die and Let the Dead Lie, this is the next episode in the life of Detective Emmanuel Cooper. Set in South Africa in the early 1950’s, Nunn has created a character that fits this place and time. Apartheid is the law of the day, and the line drawn between Blacks and Whites is distinct, unwavering and often brutal. The strength of it is a character as big as any other. It affects every action and every decision made by the people in the book. It creates anxiety, fear and distrust that run like a main artery through the body of the novel.
Detective Cooper has a dark and difficult background, which we pick up on throughout the novel. In Blessed are the Dead, he is reinstated to his position of detective, but is given only the minor or undesirable cases. His fellow officer, Shabalala, a black man, is his Constable. Cooper sees him as an invaluable assistant, someone who can go into the black population for information that a white would never hear. Shabalala and Cooper are a formidable team, but Cooper takes chances that frighten Shabalala. He is more vulnerable, being black in a primarily white job and with a wife and children to protect. The dynamics between the pair add interest to the flow of the novel.
A young Zulu girl is found dead. The death of a black person is not of much importance, so Cooper and Shabalala are sent to investigate. Immediately the odd aspects of the case begin to bother the team. Furthermore, Cooper believes that there is more to the girl than what the people involved want him see. As the net spreads, more people in the country community give their part of the story, but what are they not telling him?
As he gets closer to the answer, there are accusations of muti, or witch doctor, a strange, feral child from the white farm where the Zulu girl worked as a favorite servant, and distrust of the local police office complicate the solution.
It is always best to read mystery series in order, starting with the first one. In this case, the third one came to my attention and was the first to be read. I am looking forward to reading the first two books, and will be anxiously awaiting the next Emmanual Cooper novel. Well written, with a strong place and time, and believable characters, kudos to Emily Bestler Books/Washington Square Press for bringing this series to American mystery fans.