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Cape Town #1
Mixed Blood
An American fugitive hides out in Cape Town—one of the world’s most beautiful and violent cities—in this riveting debut thriller that asks: Can you ever outrun your past?
Reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, South Africa, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.
Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn’s home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn’s house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own brown skin is to forget what he saw.
Burn’s actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard—a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ—and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance that builds to an unforgettable conclusion.
Reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, South Africa, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.
Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn’s home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn’s house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own brown skin is to forget what he saw.
Burn’s actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard—a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ—and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance that builds to an unforgettable conclusion.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2009
14 people are currently reading
603 people want to read
About the author
Roger Smith
11 books118 followersRoger Smith's thrillers
Nowhere, Man Down, Sacrifices, Capture, Dust Devils, Wake Up Dead, Mixed Blood & Ishmael Toffee
are published in eight languages and two are in development as movies in the U.S.
His books have won the German Crime Award and been nominated for Spinetingler Magazine Best Novel awards. He also writes horror under the pen name Max Wilde.
“Roger Smith writes with brutal beauty." The Washington Post
“Smith’s writing is astonishing.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
“You’ll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current crime writing.”
Die Zeit (Germany)
“Smith is the shooting star of the crime scene.” Radio Europe
"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." BookPage
His books have won the German Crime Award and been nominated for Spinetingler Magazine Best Novel awards. He also writes horror under the pen name Max Wilde.
“Roger Smith writes with brutal beauty." The Washington Post
“Smith’s writing is astonishing.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
“You’ll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current crime writing.”
Die Zeit (Germany)
“Smith is the shooting star of the crime scene.” Radio Europe
"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." BookPage
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 5, 2024
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
Cape Town: Signal Hill
Il terzo scrittore sudafricano di crime che leggo (dopo Deon Meyer e Karin Brynard).
Anche per Roger Smith l’ambientazione sudafricana è ben più di uno sfondo, è cruciale ed essenziale, in qualche modo protagonista.
E anche in questo caso si tratta del Sudafrica post apartheid con le sue contraddizioni e i suoi problemi, lontani dall’essere risolti.
Cape Town: la township di Cape Flats. Come dire la Soweto di Città del Capo. Benvenuti nella giungla.
Meticcio. Sembra essere il vero problema del Sudafrica. Pensavamo che l’apartheid fosse una questione di bianchi e neri, i bianchi da un parte, dentro, i neri dall’altra, fuori, il più lontano possibile.
Pensavamo che finito l’apartheid bianchi e neri avessero trovato una soluzione, una qualche forma di convivenza. Non pare proprio.
Ma il vero problema sono i figli di incrocio, i mezzo sangue, i sangue misto, i mettici: perché sono considerati peggio dei neri anche dagli stessi neri. Sono in coda, nel punto più basso della scala umana.
Cape Town: Sea Point
Roger Smith maneggia bene il genere, in modo efficace, con ritmo, con sapienza cinematografica (ho letto che è sceneggiatore e regista, ma non trovo traccia di queste attività – ho letto che due dei suoi romanzi sono in fase di sviluppo a Hollywood, ma non saprei dire quali siano – pare che i diritti di questo siano in mano a Samuel L. Jackson). Considerando che questo è il suo primo romanzo, direi che si tratta di un esordio col botto.
Tiene l’attenzione del lettore viva, costruisce suspense, intreccia trama credibile in tutti i suoi episodi, segue situazioni e personaggi alternando brevi paragrafi dedicati a ciascuno di loro.
Il Waterfront con table Mountain sullo sfondo.
I protagonisti: un americano in fuga con la moglie incinta e un figlioletto di quattro anni, bello ed efficace come Smith ci racconti la sua backstory man mano, senza fretta, senza spiegoni - un ex galeotto meticcio col volto sfigurato e il corpo inciso di tatuaggi che lo identificano membro della gang dei Mezzosangue, il suo unico affetto è un cane più malconcio di lui – un poliziotto boero obeso violento senza limiti, ma al di fuori della legge più che al di sopra, che crede di portare la giustizia divina sulla terra eliminando tutti i “colpevoli” – un poliziotto nero incaricato di far pulizia della corruzione all’interno del corpo – una giovane tossica, anche lei meticcia, che si prostituisce per pagarsi la dose. Ma, come dicevo prima, soprattutto e sopra tutti, Cape Town e il Sudafrica.
Si incontrano e incrociano per caso, per accidente: innescando una lotta che solo l’esperienza della strada, la conoscenza del mondo della violenza può aiutare a sbrigare e risolvere.
Un’altra vista della township Cape Flats, il ghetto di Cape Town: lasciate ogni speranza o voi che entrate.
E anche qui, piuttosto indimenticabile, molto forte e raccapricciante, la scena del necklacing, pratica usata nelle township (i ghetti) per punire chi tradisce, i delatori, i colpevoli di reati gravi: il corpo del condannato viene bloccato all’interno di uno o più copertoni, come fossero braccialetti, o meglio, collane – il tutto ricoperto di combustibile, poi dato alle fiamme fino al più brutale dei barbecue.
Roger Smith
Cape Town: Signal Hill
Il terzo scrittore sudafricano di crime che leggo (dopo Deon Meyer e Karin Brynard).
Anche per Roger Smith l’ambientazione sudafricana è ben più di uno sfondo, è cruciale ed essenziale, in qualche modo protagonista.
E anche in questo caso si tratta del Sudafrica post apartheid con le sue contraddizioni e i suoi problemi, lontani dall’essere risolti.
Cape Town: la township di Cape Flats. Come dire la Soweto di Città del Capo. Benvenuti nella giungla.
Meticcio. Sembra essere il vero problema del Sudafrica. Pensavamo che l’apartheid fosse una questione di bianchi e neri, i bianchi da un parte, dentro, i neri dall’altra, fuori, il più lontano possibile.
Pensavamo che finito l’apartheid bianchi e neri avessero trovato una soluzione, una qualche forma di convivenza. Non pare proprio.
Ma il vero problema sono i figli di incrocio, i mezzo sangue, i sangue misto, i mettici: perché sono considerati peggio dei neri anche dagli stessi neri. Sono in coda, nel punto più basso della scala umana.
Cape Town: Sea Point
Roger Smith maneggia bene il genere, in modo efficace, con ritmo, con sapienza cinematografica (ho letto che è sceneggiatore e regista, ma non trovo traccia di queste attività – ho letto che due dei suoi romanzi sono in fase di sviluppo a Hollywood, ma non saprei dire quali siano – pare che i diritti di questo siano in mano a Samuel L. Jackson). Considerando che questo è il suo primo romanzo, direi che si tratta di un esordio col botto.
Tiene l’attenzione del lettore viva, costruisce suspense, intreccia trama credibile in tutti i suoi episodi, segue situazioni e personaggi alternando brevi paragrafi dedicati a ciascuno di loro.
Il Waterfront con table Mountain sullo sfondo.
I protagonisti: un americano in fuga con la moglie incinta e un figlioletto di quattro anni, bello ed efficace come Smith ci racconti la sua backstory man mano, senza fretta, senza spiegoni - un ex galeotto meticcio col volto sfigurato e il corpo inciso di tatuaggi che lo identificano membro della gang dei Mezzosangue, il suo unico affetto è un cane più malconcio di lui – un poliziotto boero obeso violento senza limiti, ma al di fuori della legge più che al di sopra, che crede di portare la giustizia divina sulla terra eliminando tutti i “colpevoli” – un poliziotto nero incaricato di far pulizia della corruzione all’interno del corpo – una giovane tossica, anche lei meticcia, che si prostituisce per pagarsi la dose. Ma, come dicevo prima, soprattutto e sopra tutti, Cape Town e il Sudafrica.
Si incontrano e incrociano per caso, per accidente: innescando una lotta che solo l’esperienza della strada, la conoscenza del mondo della violenza può aiutare a sbrigare e risolvere.
Un’altra vista della township Cape Flats, il ghetto di Cape Town: lasciate ogni speranza o voi che entrate.
E anche qui, piuttosto indimenticabile, molto forte e raccapricciante, la scena del necklacing, pratica usata nelle township (i ghetti) per punire chi tradisce, i delatori, i colpevoli di reati gravi: il corpo del condannato viene bloccato all’interno di uno o più copertoni, come fossero braccialetti, o meglio, collane – il tutto ricoperto di combustibile, poi dato alle fiamme fino al più brutale dei barbecue.
Roger Smith
February 18, 2016
Set in Cape Town, South Africa, described in the novel as the "rape and murder capital of the world," Mixed Blood brings together an ensemble of disparate characters that all collide after a violent suburban home invasion that ends in bloodshed and cover-up.
This book by Roger Smith, just like his hard-hitting novella that I read last year, Ishmael Toffee , is rough, violent, and not for the faint of heart. If I could describe Smith's writing in one word it would be: "extreme." Not necessarily extreme in its violence but more extreme in its characterization. Almost every character has had the hardest life imaginable, and the villains were absolute monsters. One of the characters is not only a crack whore with a heart of gold who's beaten constantly by her boyfriend, but she was also molested by her father when she was a child, resulting in two abortions, then abandoned by her mother. And the main villain is a fat ass, saved-soul boer with halitosis and hemorrhoids, and also the most corrupt cop you will read about for a while. I couldn't even imagine him solving an actual crime for the greater good.
But, superficially, the book really works and Smith really knows how to spin an exciting tale that keeps you riveted. He excels in creating a visceral sense of place in his urban Cape Town, a city that feels like it will never truly escape the horrors of apartheid. The book just pumps with local atmosphere, and there's a real sense of place, similar to what Richard Price and George Pelecanos are able to do in their work. This is definitely worth picking up if you're in the mood for a solid thriller about how the actions of our past one day catches up with all of us. By the end, some characters find redemption and some are sent to meet their mothers, but everyone gets what they deserve.
This book by Roger Smith, just like his hard-hitting novella that I read last year, Ishmael Toffee , is rough, violent, and not for the faint of heart. If I could describe Smith's writing in one word it would be: "extreme." Not necessarily extreme in its violence but more extreme in its characterization. Almost every character has had the hardest life imaginable, and the villains were absolute monsters. One of the characters is not only a crack whore with a heart of gold who's beaten constantly by her boyfriend, but she was also molested by her father when she was a child, resulting in two abortions, then abandoned by her mother. And the main villain is a fat ass, saved-soul boer with halitosis and hemorrhoids, and also the most corrupt cop you will read about for a while. I couldn't even imagine him solving an actual crime for the greater good.
Rudi Barnard loved Jesus Christ, gatsbys, and killing people. And out here in the Flats he could feel that love the most.The characters were always fascinating, but the piling on of "hard times" sometimes felt like Smith was just trying too hard to be edgy. And while sometimes multiple POV's work, here it felt like it took away from really digging deep into some of the characters, especially the fugitive Jack Burn, who has fled the U.S. to hide out in South Africa, and who can be argued as being the main character.
But, superficially, the book really works and Smith really knows how to spin an exciting tale that keeps you riveted. He excels in creating a visceral sense of place in his urban Cape Town, a city that feels like it will never truly escape the horrors of apartheid. The book just pumps with local atmosphere, and there's a real sense of place, similar to what Richard Price and George Pelecanos are able to do in their work. This is definitely worth picking up if you're in the mood for a solid thriller about how the actions of our past one day catches up with all of us. By the end, some characters find redemption and some are sent to meet their mothers, but everyone gets what they deserve.
February 10, 2021
To save his family and repay a $100,000 gambling debt, Jack Burn is compelled to rob a bank, killing a cop in the getaway. Burn, his pregnant wife and young son move to Cape Town, South Africa with much of the money. A home invasion in his upscale neighborhood by two drug gang members forces Jack to take decisive action. Next door, a night watchman, ex-convict Benny Mongrel is surprised to see the family survive. Meanwhile, a super dirty cop (Rudi Barnard, a/k/a Gatsby) is looking for the two disappeared guys, and latches onto Jack for a pay day. When Gatsby kills Benny's canine companion, wounding Benny, he creates another vengeful enemy in addition to a government-sanctioned, anti-corruption crusader. Very violent. Families torn asunder. 3.5 stars, rounded up.
June 28, 2011
This brutal, fierce neo-noir--I liked reading it--set in South Africa's Cape Town is probably more suited for male readers. The relentless pace reminds me of Charlie Huston. No character (all despicable in their own dark way) wins much reader sympathy. Violence, corruption, greed, and evil marinate the storyline that fulfills the genre's expectations. So you know what you're getting. The setting is vivid and often gritty. Gatsby, the obese boer inspector, has to rank as the most bent cop I've ever encountered in print.
December 20, 2008
Jack Burn is a bank robber. Unfortunately one of his jobs has gone wrong. Three million dollars and a dead cop, now finds Jack and his family making a new life in Cape Town, South Africa. One night, something terrible happens, while the family is eating dinner. Something, so bad that it causes Jack to take matters into his own hands. .
Benny Mongrel is an ex- con. He is trying to turn his life around. Benny is now a night guard watchman for a building site. The site is right next to the Burn’s house. What Benny witnesses that night at the Burn’s house will change Jack and Benny’s lives forever.
Rudi “Gatsby” Barnard is a dirty cop. Who loves killing. Once he gets a whiff of the stolen three million dollars, nothing will stop him from take it for himself. Then there is Disaster Zondi, a Zulu detective looking to settle an old score. Soon all four men find themselves in a deadly game of car and mouse.
Mixed Blood is author, Roger Smith’s first novel. I thought this book was good. It had lots of action, drama, deceit, nice plot and a great ending. The best sign you can get that a book is worth picking up and reading is when it grabs you from beginning till the end. Each character brought something to the storyline that helped draw me in. Whether it be Jack fighting for his family, Benny trying to change and taking care of his only companion, a dog, or Rudi’s ruthlessness, and lastly Zondi’s persistence. Roger Smith is one author to watch out for. Anyone who enjoys a good thriller should read Mixed Blood.
Benny Mongrel is an ex- con. He is trying to turn his life around. Benny is now a night guard watchman for a building site. The site is right next to the Burn’s house. What Benny witnesses that night at the Burn’s house will change Jack and Benny’s lives forever.
Rudi “Gatsby” Barnard is a dirty cop. Who loves killing. Once he gets a whiff of the stolen three million dollars, nothing will stop him from take it for himself. Then there is Disaster Zondi, a Zulu detective looking to settle an old score. Soon all four men find themselves in a deadly game of car and mouse.
Mixed Blood is author, Roger Smith’s first novel. I thought this book was good. It had lots of action, drama, deceit, nice plot and a great ending. The best sign you can get that a book is worth picking up and reading is when it grabs you from beginning till the end. Each character brought something to the storyline that helped draw me in. Whether it be Jack fighting for his family, Benny trying to change and taking care of his only companion, a dog, or Rudi’s ruthlessness, and lastly Zondi’s persistence. Roger Smith is one author to watch out for. Anyone who enjoys a good thriller should read Mixed Blood.
June 13, 2019
Roger Smith - Sangue misto
Jack Burn è un ex militare con il vizio del gioco. Oppresso da un grosso debito verso un'allibratore, vede la possibilità di pagare il denaro dovuto, prendendo parte ad una rapina di una banca a Milwaukee, ma le cose vanno male, molto male, ci scappa il morto, che oltretutto è un poliziotto. Burn è costretto alla fuga, così prende la moglie Susan che è incinta e suo figlio Matt di quattro anni per mettersi in viaggio. La meta da raggiungere è Città del Capo in Sudafrica, un posto fuori dai radar delle ricerche della polizia, per questo Burn ritiene che il luogo scelto sia adatto per passare inosservato. Sembreranno una famiglia appena arrivata in cerca di una nuova vita. Le cose però non vanno come previsto, soprattutto perchè il luogo scelto, si rivela dominato dalla violenza e dal crimine, una terra di animali dove vince il più forte. Addirittura si vedrà costretto a difendersi quando due delinquenti faranno irruzione nella nuova abitazione. Burn non ci penserà due volte ad ucciderli per proteggere Susan e Matt. Ora però deve occultare un nuovo crimine, questo non farà altro che scatenare una sequenza ininterrotta di eventi violenti. Altri due personaggi entreranno nella vita di Jack Burn, il primo è il poliziotto Rudi Barnard, che cela dietro alla facciata di legalità della divisa, un animo da assassino e da corrotto, un uomo che uccide per sfogare la sua follia. Il secondo personaggio è Benny Mezzosangue, un ex galeotto dal volto sfigurato che tenta di stare lontano dai guai ma che puntualmente lo raggiungeranno. La storia è ambientata in un territorio diviso tra i Cape Flats, ovvero il ghetto nero di Città del Capo, dove inciampare in un cadavere è la normalità e Table Mountain, la zona dei ricchi e dei turisti bianchi.
Questo scrittore sudafricano, racconta molto bene la sua terra, si sente quanto bene la conosce. L'atmosfera di insicurezza e di furia brutale si avverte profondamente.
Jack Burn è un ex militare con il vizio del gioco. Oppresso da un grosso debito verso un'allibratore, vede la possibilità di pagare il denaro dovuto, prendendo parte ad una rapina di una banca a Milwaukee, ma le cose vanno male, molto male, ci scappa il morto, che oltretutto è un poliziotto. Burn è costretto alla fuga, così prende la moglie Susan che è incinta e suo figlio Matt di quattro anni per mettersi in viaggio. La meta da raggiungere è Città del Capo in Sudafrica, un posto fuori dai radar delle ricerche della polizia, per questo Burn ritiene che il luogo scelto sia adatto per passare inosservato. Sembreranno una famiglia appena arrivata in cerca di una nuova vita. Le cose però non vanno come previsto, soprattutto perchè il luogo scelto, si rivela dominato dalla violenza e dal crimine, una terra di animali dove vince il più forte. Addirittura si vedrà costretto a difendersi quando due delinquenti faranno irruzione nella nuova abitazione. Burn non ci penserà due volte ad ucciderli per proteggere Susan e Matt. Ora però deve occultare un nuovo crimine, questo non farà altro che scatenare una sequenza ininterrotta di eventi violenti. Altri due personaggi entreranno nella vita di Jack Burn, il primo è il poliziotto Rudi Barnard, che cela dietro alla facciata di legalità della divisa, un animo da assassino e da corrotto, un uomo che uccide per sfogare la sua follia. Il secondo personaggio è Benny Mezzosangue, un ex galeotto dal volto sfigurato che tenta di stare lontano dai guai ma che puntualmente lo raggiungeranno. La storia è ambientata in un territorio diviso tra i Cape Flats, ovvero il ghetto nero di Città del Capo, dove inciampare in un cadavere è la normalità e Table Mountain, la zona dei ricchi e dei turisti bianchi.
Questo scrittore sudafricano, racconta molto bene la sua terra, si sente quanto bene la conosce. L'atmosfera di insicurezza e di furia brutale si avverte profondamente.
December 4, 2013
Roger Smith's "Mixed Blood" is an extraordinarily brutal thriller. Thrillers are not my favorite mystery genre, but I have read a fair number of them - certainly more than 50 - and never have I encountered scenes of similar savagery. Some of the brutality in this novel is gratuitous, but most of it is warranted and serves to convey the message of wretchedness of life in one of the world's most violent places - the ghetto in Cape Town.
Jack Burn, an American fugitive from justice (an ex-Marine and an otherwise decent fellow) lives with his family in an upscale neighborhood in Cape Town. When two gangbangers high on tik (the South African name for meth) attempt armed robbery of his house, Jack kills them. Being a fugitive, he cannot call the police. Benny Mongrel, a local ex-convict, now out of prison and working as a guard, figures out what happened. Inspector Rudi Barnard, a religious fanatic and a totally depraved policeman who loves to kill people, also discovers the killing and tries to profit from the knowledge. The three threads continually intersect each other in the well-constructed and captivating plot.
Mr. Smith vividly portrays the hopeless life in the ghetto. For the coloreds, the blacks, and the poor whites time is measured by tik hits. Murder is a normal occurrence and a social event in the neighborhood. People get necklaced with burning tires and die sizzling while being watched by cheering crowds.
Inspector Barnard's character is the most terrifying. He is a devout Christian, member of a Pentecostal congregation. He believes in a God who smites non-righteous people. As that God's fist on earth he does the smiting, killing men, women and children, pulping heads with cement blocks. What is worst is that it is not implausible.
"Mixed Blood" is unusual for yet another reason. The novel is interesting from the very beginning to the very end. The plot in most thrillers that I know begins to sag soon after the promising start. Despite the utter barbarity the novel is really outstanding, so I have no other choice but award it
Four stars.
Jack Burn, an American fugitive from justice (an ex-Marine and an otherwise decent fellow) lives with his family in an upscale neighborhood in Cape Town. When two gangbangers high on tik (the South African name for meth) attempt armed robbery of his house, Jack kills them. Being a fugitive, he cannot call the police. Benny Mongrel, a local ex-convict, now out of prison and working as a guard, figures out what happened. Inspector Rudi Barnard, a religious fanatic and a totally depraved policeman who loves to kill people, also discovers the killing and tries to profit from the knowledge. The three threads continually intersect each other in the well-constructed and captivating plot.
Mr. Smith vividly portrays the hopeless life in the ghetto. For the coloreds, the blacks, and the poor whites time is measured by tik hits. Murder is a normal occurrence and a social event in the neighborhood. People get necklaced with burning tires and die sizzling while being watched by cheering crowds.
Inspector Barnard's character is the most terrifying. He is a devout Christian, member of a Pentecostal congregation. He believes in a God who smites non-righteous people. As that God's fist on earth he does the smiting, killing men, women and children, pulping heads with cement blocks. What is worst is that it is not implausible.
"Mixed Blood" is unusual for yet another reason. The novel is interesting from the very beginning to the very end. The plot in most thrillers that I know begins to sag soon after the promising start. Despite the utter barbarity the novel is really outstanding, so I have no other choice but award it
Four stars.
May 17, 2015
South Africa is definitely gaining in stature on the international crime fiction stage. Deon Meyer has garnered plenty of acclaim, and other authors like Smith and Margie Orford, amongst several others, are certainly putting their local crime fiction on the map.
In MIXED BLOOD, reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.
Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn’s home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn’s house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own skin is to forget what he saw. Burn’s actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard—a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ—and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance.
I really enjoyed MIXED BLOOD. It twists and turns in a violent yet engaging journey that is filled with memorable characters. I'll definitely be reading more of Smith's work.
In MIXED BLOOD, reluctant bank robber Jack Burn is on the run after a heist in the United States that left $3 million missing and one cop dead. Hiding out in Cape Town, he is desperate to build a new life for his pregnant wife and young son. But on a tranquil evening in their new suburban neighborhood they are the victims of a random gangland assault that changes everything.
Benny Mongrel, an ex-con night watchman guarding a building site next to Burn’s home, is another man desperate to escape his past. After years in the ghetto gangs of Cape Town he knows who went into Burn’s house. And what the American did to them. He also knows his only chance to save his own skin is to forget what he saw. Burn’s actions on that night trap them both in a cat-and-mouse game with Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard—a corrupt Afrikaner cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ—and Disaster Zondi, a fastidious Zulu detective who wishes to settle an old score. Once Gatsby smells those missing American millions, the four men are drawn into a web of murder and vengeance.
I really enjoyed MIXED BLOOD. It twists and turns in a violent yet engaging journey that is filled with memorable characters. I'll definitely be reading more of Smith's work.
December 6, 2008
It's always a special moment when you discover a writer who can actually write. This book barely puts a foot wrong in the stylistic department. The characters exist on the edge of a world that has two faces. The sunny cosmopolitan part of Cape Town where the Euro trash bask in days that seem filled with only promise, and then the other side where there is no promise and no way out. Violence is as normal as bottled water in Camps Bay. Smith captures that contradiction perfectly.
There is no let up in the pace from the first page to the last.
I cannot recommend the book enough. So much of the crime/thriller genre today feels like it comes from the same cookie cutter, one book feels like the next. Tough guy cop who has a problem with authority, booze and smoking solves another crime. Well this is nothing like that. It has it's own character,in other words it's original. That alone would make the book worthwhile, but Smith can write and tell a good yarn. I don't think I skipped a page, which for me is nearly a first.
There is no let up in the pace from the first page to the last.
I cannot recommend the book enough. So much of the crime/thriller genre today feels like it comes from the same cookie cutter, one book feels like the next. Tough guy cop who has a problem with authority, booze and smoking solves another crime. Well this is nothing like that. It has it's own character,in other words it's original. That alone would make the book worthwhile, but Smith can write and tell a good yarn. I don't think I skipped a page, which for me is nearly a first.
January 13, 2010
I won a copy of this book through FirstReads. I was disgusted by the style and language that the book was written in, but they helped the visualization and seemed to sincerely portray the events that were being described in the book, i.e. drug dealers, ex-cons and corrupt cops. I think that the ending was a good one to show that there is no really justice served to anyone and it remains a world where stronger and more powerful individuals suppress the rest. Overall, for me, it seemed an average thriller that made me feel reluctant to visit South Africa.
March 3, 2013
A page turning thriller set in and around Cape Town, telling the truth about day-to-day life in South Africa, and in particular Cape Town. Wonderful thriller by this author, absolutely loved it. Not for the faint-hearted, but keeps you thrilled to the end. Loved it. Very descriptive of beautiful Cape Town and its surrounds, sadly reflecting the criminal side of life there. Excellent novel by Roger Smith.
January 20, 2014
Doppeltes Barbecue
Südafrikanischer Remix eines Erfolgsrezepts
Nachahmer haben es oft leichter als die Erfinder, vor allem, wenn sie sich aus einem umfangreichen Repositorium bedienen können. Wenn man die Fehlerquote als Maßstab nimmt, dann ist Roger Smith der bessere Elmore Leonard, dessen Personal und Konstellationen er auf südafrikanische Verhältnisse übertragen hat.
Beim auslösenden Konflikt überwältigt und ermordet ein weißer Ex-Marine zwei zugedröhnte Mischlinge aus den Elendsvierteln, die während des Abendessens mal schnell in seine Wohnung eingestiegen sind und sticht beide vor den Augen seiner schwangeren Frau ab. Dergleichen Überwältigungsszenarien gibt es bei Leonard ziemlich häufig (Riding the Rap/Volles Risiko, Mr. Fantasy/Callgirls), zumeist ist es ein weißer guter Cop, der mit dem farbigen Abschaum von Detroit oder Florida fertig wird. Doch Burn, damit öffnet sich Schublade 2 des Elmore-Leonard-Arsenals, ist auf der Flucht.
Der im Zivilleben in der Sicherheitsbranche nicht allzu erfolgreiche Desert-Storm-Veteran hat seine schwächelnden Einkünfte mittels Glücksspiel aufgebessert und wurde nach einer Pechsträhne von seinem Buchmacher zur Teilnahme an einem Banküberfall gepresst, der auf der Rückfahrt ziemlich schief ging. Gute Verbrecher gibt es bei Leonard auch mehr als genug (Out of sight/Zuckerschnute), auch Untergetauchte, deren Tarnung plötzlich auffliegt oder bedroht ist (The Hunted/Die Gejagten).
Burn taucht mit Frau Susan und Sohn Matt in Südafrika unter, hat aber die Risiken am Kap unterschätzt, so z.B. die Korruption. Denn Rikki steckt beim bösen Cop „Gatsby“ Barnard, der in den touristisch nicht relevanten Flats die Gesetze macht, mit 5000 Dollar in der Kreide.
Von daher ist das klingelnde Telefon im Kofferraum beim Entsorgen der Leichen noch das geringste Problem, auch wenn Burns bei dieser Polizeikontrolle noch einmal mit dem Schrecken davon kommt.
Da Burns zwar die Leichen entsorgt hat, bei seinen nächtlichen Aktivitäten aber den Wagen der Spontaneinbrecher vor seinem Haus übersehen hat, sitzt ihm „Gatsby“, der seinerseits seinen Arsch vor einer internen Ermittlung in Sicherheit bringen will, im Nacken. „Gatsby“ ist der schlimmste Kriminelle und zieht, wie seine zahlreichen amerikanischen Vettern im Leonard-Universum, eine verheerende Blutspur hinter sich her. sein Verfolger „Disaster Zondi“ war in der Zeit der Apartheid eines seiner glimpflich davon gekommenen Opfer und schöpft doppelte Motivation aus dem Umstand, dass der fette Barnard bei jenem „Barbecue“ dabei war, in dessen Verlauf die Überreste von Zondis Freund bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verbrannt wurde. Gatsbys Imperium bröckelt und der Cop geht selbst in den Untergrund, nicht ohne Burns Sohn Matt als Geisel zu nehmen. Der angeschlagene, aber nun unter Stress und unkontrolliert mordende Kriminelle ist der nächste Leonard-Topos (Rum Punch/Jackie Brown lässt grüßen).
Diese ganze Jäger- und Gejagten-Situation wird durch ein Gang-Mitglied verschärft, denn Benny Niemand, dessen Gesicht durch einen Axthieb gespalten wurde, ist ein Mongrel und will nach der Entlassung sauber werden. Von daher kümmert es ihn nicht die Bohne, dass der nette Weiße zwei Mitglieder einer konkurrierenden Gang absticht. Doch als Gatsby seinen Hund abknallt, startet Benny seinen eigenen Rachefeldzug gegen den fiesen und fetten Cop und bildet eine Allianz mit Burns. Doch bei der Rückkehr auf Gang-Terrain, werden alte Feinde wach, die ihre persönlichen Rechnungen begleichen wollen. Die etwas komischen Gegengangster mit zusätzlichem Verwirrungspotenzial kennen wir ja auch von Elmore Leonard (Schnappt Shorty), ihr vollkommen schief gelaufener Einsatz hat allerdings eine Funktion in dem Racheporno, den Smith zuletzt in Gang setzt. Denn „Gatsby“ gelingt im Durcheinander die Flucht
in sein ehemaliges Revier und in sein persönliches Barbecue.
Auch Burns entkommt im Chaos jenes Gehtto-Grillfestes, davon kommen lässt ihn Smith so wenig wie sein Vorbild, allerdings vermeidet er den Reflex, mit dem sich Leonard nach viel fruchtbarer Anarchie viele Schlüsse versaut hat: der Gesetzesknüppel bleibt stecken, der Sheriff wie aus dem Western bleibt daheim, die Anarchie geht weiter.
Disaster Zondi, der Burns zwar mit polizeilichen Mitteln als den flüchtigen Bankräuber und Polizistenmörder ausgemacht hat, genießt das Grillfest und die Tatsache, dass man endlich mal einem Weißen, der es auch noch verdient hat, einen Autoreifen um den Hals gelegt und angezündet hat, die wohl erste Aktion dieser Art im neuen Jahrtausend.
Die meist reflexhafte Law-and-order-Masche mit dem plötzlich guten Gesetz, die kaum zur vorhergehenden Handlung passt ist die eine Schwäche von Elmore Leonard, die Roger Smith als Epigone, der es besser weiß, vermeidet.
Leonards ungeschickte Gangster, die den kleinsten Tankstellenüberfall regelmäßig in ein bestürzendes Blutbad verwandeln, haben zwar auch ihren morbiden Reiz, passen aber nicht mehr so recht in die kriminaltechnisch dominierten letzten dreißig Jahre. Vor allem nicht, wie lange diese Dussel jedes mal damit durchkommen. Durchaus möglich, dass vieles im Leben nicht so glatt abgeht wie bei C.S.I. und anderen Serien mit rührigen Laborratten, deren Aufklärungsrate wohl eher der Verbrechensprävention dienen soll, - aber so dumm wie sich Leonards Ganoven anstellen, wären sie wohl schon zu den Zeiten von Al Capone eine leichte Beute für die Ermittler gewesen.
Da etliche Leonards von mir drei oder auch vier Sterne bekommen haben, gebe ich „Kap der Finsternis“ vier Sterne, obwohl die Übertragung des Personals und unterschiedlicher bestehender Konstellationen auf südafrikanische Verhältnisse der eigentliche kreative Akt gewesen ist. Die Vermeidung jener kriminaltechnischen Fehler, die einem alten Wildwestschreiberling nun mal unterlaufen, der notgedrungen die Branche gewechselt hat und keine neuen Tricks mehr lernen will oder muss, sichern Smith auch seinen vierten Stern, zumal er sein Ensemble wirklich großartig führt und bis zum Schluss sein Tempo beibehält.
In Sachen virtuos inszenierte Kampfszenen und Schießereien wie in Sachen Komik kann Smith mit Leonard allerdings kaum mithalten, seine dummen, ständig mit Tik (Chrystal Meth) zugedröhnten Verbrecher aus den Flats sind nicht zum Lachen, ganz im Gegenteil. Natürlich ist der aus allen Poren und sonstigen Öffnungen stinkende superfiese und ultrafette Bulle Barnard ein Weißer und ein übler Rassist dazu, dem im letzten Fünftel so ziemlich alles heimgezahlt wird. Aber gäbe es nicht den netten Hundefreund mit Knastvergangenheit, der als Baby von der Müllkippe geholt wurde und den Superermittler mit Opferstatus aus dem Kampf gegen die Apartheid, so könnte man das Buch glatt als rassistisch bezeichnen.
Aber ich war noch nie in Südafrika und kann mir schon gar kein Urteil über die Verhältnisse jenseits der Touristenviertel erlauben.
Ein fader Nachgeschmack bleibt, trotzdem hat der Nachahmer sich in vielerlei Hinsicht geschickter angestellt. Von daher vier Sterne ein schnell genossenes literarisches Menü, das einem vielleicht ein wenig sauer aufstoßen kann.
Südafrikanischer Remix eines Erfolgsrezepts
Nachahmer haben es oft leichter als die Erfinder, vor allem, wenn sie sich aus einem umfangreichen Repositorium bedienen können. Wenn man die Fehlerquote als Maßstab nimmt, dann ist Roger Smith der bessere Elmore Leonard, dessen Personal und Konstellationen er auf südafrikanische Verhältnisse übertragen hat.
Beim auslösenden Konflikt überwältigt und ermordet ein weißer Ex-Marine zwei zugedröhnte Mischlinge aus den Elendsvierteln, die während des Abendessens mal schnell in seine Wohnung eingestiegen sind und sticht beide vor den Augen seiner schwangeren Frau ab. Dergleichen Überwältigungsszenarien gibt es bei Leonard ziemlich häufig (Riding the Rap/Volles Risiko, Mr. Fantasy/Callgirls), zumeist ist es ein weißer guter Cop, der mit dem farbigen Abschaum von Detroit oder Florida fertig wird. Doch Burn, damit öffnet sich Schublade 2 des Elmore-Leonard-Arsenals, ist auf der Flucht.
Der im Zivilleben in der Sicherheitsbranche nicht allzu erfolgreiche Desert-Storm-Veteran hat seine schwächelnden Einkünfte mittels Glücksspiel aufgebessert und wurde nach einer Pechsträhne von seinem Buchmacher zur Teilnahme an einem Banküberfall gepresst, der auf der Rückfahrt ziemlich schief ging. Gute Verbrecher gibt es bei Leonard auch mehr als genug (Out of sight/Zuckerschnute), auch Untergetauchte, deren Tarnung plötzlich auffliegt oder bedroht ist (The Hunted/Die Gejagten).
Burn taucht mit Frau Susan und Sohn Matt in Südafrika unter, hat aber die Risiken am Kap unterschätzt, so z.B. die Korruption. Denn Rikki steckt beim bösen Cop „Gatsby“ Barnard, der in den touristisch nicht relevanten Flats die Gesetze macht, mit 5000 Dollar in der Kreide.
Von daher ist das klingelnde Telefon im Kofferraum beim Entsorgen der Leichen noch das geringste Problem, auch wenn Burns bei dieser Polizeikontrolle noch einmal mit dem Schrecken davon kommt.
Da Burns zwar die Leichen entsorgt hat, bei seinen nächtlichen Aktivitäten aber den Wagen der Spontaneinbrecher vor seinem Haus übersehen hat, sitzt ihm „Gatsby“, der seinerseits seinen Arsch vor einer internen Ermittlung in Sicherheit bringen will, im Nacken. „Gatsby“ ist der schlimmste Kriminelle und zieht, wie seine zahlreichen amerikanischen Vettern im Leonard-Universum, eine verheerende Blutspur hinter sich her. sein Verfolger „Disaster Zondi“ war in der Zeit der Apartheid eines seiner glimpflich davon gekommenen Opfer und schöpft doppelte Motivation aus dem Umstand, dass der fette Barnard bei jenem „Barbecue“ dabei war, in dessen Verlauf die Überreste von Zondis Freund bis zur Unkenntlichkeit verbrannt wurde. Gatsbys Imperium bröckelt und der Cop geht selbst in den Untergrund, nicht ohne Burns Sohn Matt als Geisel zu nehmen. Der angeschlagene, aber nun unter Stress und unkontrolliert mordende Kriminelle ist der nächste Leonard-Topos (Rum Punch/Jackie Brown lässt grüßen).
Diese ganze Jäger- und Gejagten-Situation wird durch ein Gang-Mitglied verschärft, denn Benny Niemand, dessen Gesicht durch einen Axthieb gespalten wurde, ist ein Mongrel und will nach der Entlassung sauber werden. Von daher kümmert es ihn nicht die Bohne, dass der nette Weiße zwei Mitglieder einer konkurrierenden Gang absticht. Doch als Gatsby seinen Hund abknallt, startet Benny seinen eigenen Rachefeldzug gegen den fiesen und fetten Cop und bildet eine Allianz mit Burns. Doch bei der Rückkehr auf Gang-Terrain, werden alte Feinde wach, die ihre persönlichen Rechnungen begleichen wollen. Die etwas komischen Gegengangster mit zusätzlichem Verwirrungspotenzial kennen wir ja auch von Elmore Leonard (Schnappt Shorty), ihr vollkommen schief gelaufener Einsatz hat allerdings eine Funktion in dem Racheporno, den Smith zuletzt in Gang setzt. Denn „Gatsby“ gelingt im Durcheinander die Flucht
in sein ehemaliges Revier und in sein persönliches Barbecue.
Auch Burns entkommt im Chaos jenes Gehtto-Grillfestes, davon kommen lässt ihn Smith so wenig wie sein Vorbild, allerdings vermeidet er den Reflex, mit dem sich Leonard nach viel fruchtbarer Anarchie viele Schlüsse versaut hat: der Gesetzesknüppel bleibt stecken, der Sheriff wie aus dem Western bleibt daheim, die Anarchie geht weiter.
Disaster Zondi, der Burns zwar mit polizeilichen Mitteln als den flüchtigen Bankräuber und Polizistenmörder ausgemacht hat, genießt das Grillfest und die Tatsache, dass man endlich mal einem Weißen, der es auch noch verdient hat, einen Autoreifen um den Hals gelegt und angezündet hat, die wohl erste Aktion dieser Art im neuen Jahrtausend.
Die meist reflexhafte Law-and-order-Masche mit dem plötzlich guten Gesetz, die kaum zur vorhergehenden Handlung passt ist die eine Schwäche von Elmore Leonard, die Roger Smith als Epigone, der es besser weiß, vermeidet.
Leonards ungeschickte Gangster, die den kleinsten Tankstellenüberfall regelmäßig in ein bestürzendes Blutbad verwandeln, haben zwar auch ihren morbiden Reiz, passen aber nicht mehr so recht in die kriminaltechnisch dominierten letzten dreißig Jahre. Vor allem nicht, wie lange diese Dussel jedes mal damit durchkommen. Durchaus möglich, dass vieles im Leben nicht so glatt abgeht wie bei C.S.I. und anderen Serien mit rührigen Laborratten, deren Aufklärungsrate wohl eher der Verbrechensprävention dienen soll, - aber so dumm wie sich Leonards Ganoven anstellen, wären sie wohl schon zu den Zeiten von Al Capone eine leichte Beute für die Ermittler gewesen.
Da etliche Leonards von mir drei oder auch vier Sterne bekommen haben, gebe ich „Kap der Finsternis“ vier Sterne, obwohl die Übertragung des Personals und unterschiedlicher bestehender Konstellationen auf südafrikanische Verhältnisse der eigentliche kreative Akt gewesen ist. Die Vermeidung jener kriminaltechnischen Fehler, die einem alten Wildwestschreiberling nun mal unterlaufen, der notgedrungen die Branche gewechselt hat und keine neuen Tricks mehr lernen will oder muss, sichern Smith auch seinen vierten Stern, zumal er sein Ensemble wirklich großartig führt und bis zum Schluss sein Tempo beibehält.
In Sachen virtuos inszenierte Kampfszenen und Schießereien wie in Sachen Komik kann Smith mit Leonard allerdings kaum mithalten, seine dummen, ständig mit Tik (Chrystal Meth) zugedröhnten Verbrecher aus den Flats sind nicht zum Lachen, ganz im Gegenteil. Natürlich ist der aus allen Poren und sonstigen Öffnungen stinkende superfiese und ultrafette Bulle Barnard ein Weißer und ein übler Rassist dazu, dem im letzten Fünftel so ziemlich alles heimgezahlt wird. Aber gäbe es nicht den netten Hundefreund mit Knastvergangenheit, der als Baby von der Müllkippe geholt wurde und den Superermittler mit Opferstatus aus dem Kampf gegen die Apartheid, so könnte man das Buch glatt als rassistisch bezeichnen.
Aber ich war noch nie in Südafrika und kann mir schon gar kein Urteil über die Verhältnisse jenseits der Touristenviertel erlauben.
Ein fader Nachgeschmack bleibt, trotzdem hat der Nachahmer sich in vielerlei Hinsicht geschickter angestellt. Von daher vier Sterne ein schnell genossenes literarisches Menü, das einem vielleicht ein wenig sauer aufstoßen kann.
March 17, 2020
If I was able, I would have rated this a 4 1/2 star being just that bit better.
If you are looking for a thriller you can't put down and like to read about how people live in a place like South Africa, blending first, second and third world, then this is a good selection.
At times, it feels (very) violent reflecting its setting in a place that can be that violent; jarring and a stark contrast against the natural beauty of Cape Town.
I love that it keeps you guessing till the end and look forward to reading more from this author.
If you are looking for a thriller you can't put down and like to read about how people live in a place like South Africa, blending first, second and third world, then this is a good selection.
At times, it feels (very) violent reflecting its setting in a place that can be that violent; jarring and a stark contrast against the natural beauty of Cape Town.
I love that it keeps you guessing till the end and look forward to reading more from this author.
June 16, 2022
I knew this book would up my alley just from the synopsis on the back, but I never expected it to be the thrill ride it turned out to be. Gritty and grimy, it grabs you by the collar from page 1 and doesn’t let up until a superb end. Roger Smiths debut is probably finer than most thrillers from seasoned authors. I’m definitely going to read more from this little known South African writer. This is what all thrillers should aspire to be, even if they realistically can’t come close.
February 25, 2022
New author for me. A dark tale set in post-apartheid South Africa. An American running from his past, a dirty cop everyone hates, an ex-con looking for a new life. Well molded if unsympathetic main characters. Many twists and turns kept it a page turner in order to find out how fate deals with actions and consequences
September 5, 2020
I cannot rave anymore about this book. What a dark horse this was on our work book shelf (we do a book exchange).
Absolute gem of a book. Dark, raw and so insanely vivid I swear I could smell, taste and hear the ghetto streets of Cape Town.
A must read, but be warned! I hope you have a thick skin!
Absolute gem of a book. Dark, raw and so insanely vivid I swear I could smell, taste and hear the ghetto streets of Cape Town.
A must read, but be warned! I hope you have a thick skin!
July 4, 2017
Fast, violent and action packed.
July 17, 2017
Choose with care. Interesting storyline but ultraviolent.
May 26, 2022
It's a gripping story that has you running your hands, through the pages.
September 27, 2022
Un libro che era meglio non scrivere. Banale e a tratti irritanti. Come si fa a pubblicare un libro così?
February 25, 2023
Lots of action, a little to much violence for me though. And there were no likable characters in the story.
August 9, 2023
Finished in one sitting - the tight, heart-pounding plot pretty much ensured that. Still, I'm disconcerted by the bleak and violent characters and events Roger Smith almost sadistically portrays. The antagonist is so over-the-top wicked and physically gross (Smith can't resist giving him hemorrhoids, which he is then - charmingly - described as treating) that his destruction is guaranteed to be legitimately gratifying. Quite definitely a piece of genre fiction: you can see all the tropes and plot conveniences and contrivances being lumbered into place. I really don't want to visit South Africa, or indeed any of this author's other books about it.
August 16, 2025
my absolute favourite south African thriller writer, love his underworld stories from Cape Town
October 21, 2025
Very tightly written. Rugged ride. Characters rough. A view of Cape Flats- tough side of Capetown.
Read
December 23, 2019I like, I want to see all the works of the author, but other than that, there is no other Chinese version. Unfortunately
February 25, 2021
Very good. But very very bleak. There are 2 main characters who are not either nasty pieces of work or career criminals. Or both. The dark stuff is quite dark. But the good stuff is very good.
March 13, 2022
Spannend, aber recht blutig
June 19, 2012
This author only came to my attention after reading it as a recommended book by another author I love Sean Black. I figured that as I enjoyed the Sean Black books so much, I would take his recommendation up and give the new author Roger Smith a go.
As I had brought this book on my Kindle, by the time I got around to reading it I had no idea what the book was about so just started to read. The first thing that is noticeable with this book is there is no `typical' hero copper who has an attitude towards authority and in its place we meet the Burns family. Jack Burns is on the run after getting himself into a sticky situation in the US. He, his wife Susan and son Matt are now living in South Africa and Susan is expecting her second child.
Very early on a random act of violence in the form of a gangland-style break in is the catalyst for the whole story. It was clear to me from very early on that this book was a little different from other crime and thriller books I have been reading recently. For a start the setting wasn't in the USA or the East end of London. Seeing as the author is an author born and still living in South Africa there is no question of the realism of the setting for the book. I have never visited South Africa but after a few chapters I began to get an idea of how awful the area of the Cape Flats really is.
The Burns family are a strange bunch and early on you see that things are not rosy for this family on the run. This made the story even more intriguing for me because things started off on a bad note so as a reader you want to see the outcome. We also meet Benny Mongrel who is an ex-gangster who has turned his life around following time in prison. He is a night-watchman for the estate that the Burns live on. In addition to Benny we see the crooked policeman Rudi `Gatsby' Barnard enter the frame.
The characters in this book are real and gritty, that's the best words I can use to describe them. There is also no shortage of violence in this book as we see many murders happen. As the story progresses various events put all three men on the same path and as their lives cross the tension picks up in a serious way. The danger level is high and the further into the book I got the more I just had to keep reading.
As I finished the book I realised a few things. Firstly, the book is totally original and refreshing to read. There is a new author on the scene; that has produced a debut novel that feels like he has been writing for years. Secondly, I knew next to nothing about South Africa. This book actually made me do a web search on the Cape Flats to find out more about the place. I am so pleased that I read this book and am now eagerly looking forward to the next one. I an also see the huge appeal in turning this into a film. Whether that will work or not is another matter!
Roger Smith is certainly coming into the book world with a bang; I am just surprised that I haven't heard more about him until now. If you want something a little different and original, then give him a try. Just be warned that it is violent and gruesome in certain places. Highly recommended by me! This review will also appear on the website best crime books...
As I had brought this book on my Kindle, by the time I got around to reading it I had no idea what the book was about so just started to read. The first thing that is noticeable with this book is there is no `typical' hero copper who has an attitude towards authority and in its place we meet the Burns family. Jack Burns is on the run after getting himself into a sticky situation in the US. He, his wife Susan and son Matt are now living in South Africa and Susan is expecting her second child.
Very early on a random act of violence in the form of a gangland-style break in is the catalyst for the whole story. It was clear to me from very early on that this book was a little different from other crime and thriller books I have been reading recently. For a start the setting wasn't in the USA or the East end of London. Seeing as the author is an author born and still living in South Africa there is no question of the realism of the setting for the book. I have never visited South Africa but after a few chapters I began to get an idea of how awful the area of the Cape Flats really is.
The Burns family are a strange bunch and early on you see that things are not rosy for this family on the run. This made the story even more intriguing for me because things started off on a bad note so as a reader you want to see the outcome. We also meet Benny Mongrel who is an ex-gangster who has turned his life around following time in prison. He is a night-watchman for the estate that the Burns live on. In addition to Benny we see the crooked policeman Rudi `Gatsby' Barnard enter the frame.
The characters in this book are real and gritty, that's the best words I can use to describe them. There is also no shortage of violence in this book as we see many murders happen. As the story progresses various events put all three men on the same path and as their lives cross the tension picks up in a serious way. The danger level is high and the further into the book I got the more I just had to keep reading.
As I finished the book I realised a few things. Firstly, the book is totally original and refreshing to read. There is a new author on the scene; that has produced a debut novel that feels like he has been writing for years. Secondly, I knew next to nothing about South Africa. This book actually made me do a web search on the Cape Flats to find out more about the place. I am so pleased that I read this book and am now eagerly looking forward to the next one. I an also see the huge appeal in turning this into a film. Whether that will work or not is another matter!
Roger Smith is certainly coming into the book world with a bang; I am just surprised that I haven't heard more about him until now. If you want something a little different and original, then give him a try. Just be warned that it is violent and gruesome in certain places. Highly recommended by me! This review will also appear on the website best crime books...
October 12, 2009
Sometimes, what I really want to read is a scorched earth, no prisoners, no quarter, no good guys just degrees of badness, thriller. It's like running Sodium hydroxide through the plumbing, it cleans out the pipes. This is why I was happy that I came across Roger Smith's Mixed Blood. But for me, Mixed Blood is more than a read-and-toss thriller, it reaches me at intellectual and emotional levels as well. My family lived in Pretoria, South Africa from 1952 and 1956 and I've become interested in South African and its history as I reflect back on that time. South Africa has complex history and Mixed Blood and the effects of decades of apartheid are a subtext to the story.
Jack Burn has a gambling problem. Back in the U.S., a large debt put him in the middle of a robbery that left a cop dead. Jack escapes with a large part of the loot and takes his pregnant wife and young son to Cape Town, South Africa. With a new identity and lots of money, Jack feels pretty safe until a random home invasion by a couple of drug dealing gang-bangers puts him in the sights of Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard, a physically and morally repugnant and corrupt cop. Rudi senses that there is more to Jack than just another American expat. Also drawn into the picture are vengeance seeking ex-con Benny Mongrel and Zulu police investigator Disaster Zondi who wants to settle an old score and at the same time take down a bad cop.
Mixed Blood is a solid thriller with the plot, action, and violence that make this type of thriller enjoyable. But while I thoroughly enjoyed it as a thriller, there is something much more that makes it stand out for me. This is the role South Africa plays in the story. Consider Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard. His nickname comes from the signature South African sandwich, the gatsby, that he favors. With his horrible body odor, sumo-sized gut, air bag-sized butt cheeks and a love of "Jesus Christ, gatsbys, and killing people" you might dismiss him as a caricature of the bad cop. But Rudi is a holdover from South Africa under apartheid. Do a Google search with the terms apartheid and apartheid hit squads and you will see that Rudi is based on fact.
Cape Town itself is a character in the story. Gatsby rules the aeolian sand flat known as Cape Flats. It blasted by winds in the summer and many areas flood in the winter. Here are the government-built townships where non-whites were forced to move; the Flats were apartheid's dumping ground. They are a place of terrible poverty, drug abuse, and gang violence. In contrast, Jack Burn and his family live on the wealthy Atlantic side. I recommend a visit to Roger's web site where there is a video narrated by him. There is also a slide show of images of Cape Town and Cape Flats that will give you a good picture of the settings in the book.
I enjoyed Mixed Blood as a straight-up thriller and also for the intense sense of place that Roger was able to weave into the story.
Recommended highly for readers who like thrillers and don't mind a bit of stomach churning violence.
Jack Burn has a gambling problem. Back in the U.S., a large debt put him in the middle of a robbery that left a cop dead. Jack escapes with a large part of the loot and takes his pregnant wife and young son to Cape Town, South Africa. With a new identity and lots of money, Jack feels pretty safe until a random home invasion by a couple of drug dealing gang-bangers puts him in the sights of Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard, a physically and morally repugnant and corrupt cop. Rudi senses that there is more to Jack than just another American expat. Also drawn into the picture are vengeance seeking ex-con Benny Mongrel and Zulu police investigator Disaster Zondi who wants to settle an old score and at the same time take down a bad cop.
Mixed Blood is a solid thriller with the plot, action, and violence that make this type of thriller enjoyable. But while I thoroughly enjoyed it as a thriller, there is something much more that makes it stand out for me. This is the role South Africa plays in the story. Consider Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard. His nickname comes from the signature South African sandwich, the gatsby, that he favors. With his horrible body odor, sumo-sized gut, air bag-sized butt cheeks and a love of "Jesus Christ, gatsbys, and killing people" you might dismiss him as a caricature of the bad cop. But Rudi is a holdover from South Africa under apartheid. Do a Google search with the terms apartheid and apartheid hit squads and you will see that Rudi is based on fact.
Cape Town itself is a character in the story. Gatsby rules the aeolian sand flat known as Cape Flats. It blasted by winds in the summer and many areas flood in the winter. Here are the government-built townships where non-whites were forced to move; the Flats were apartheid's dumping ground. They are a place of terrible poverty, drug abuse, and gang violence. In contrast, Jack Burn and his family live on the wealthy Atlantic side. I recommend a visit to Roger's web site where there is a video narrated by him. There is also a slide show of images of Cape Town and Cape Flats that will give you a good picture of the settings in the book.
I enjoyed Mixed Blood as a straight-up thriller and also for the intense sense of place that Roger was able to weave into the story.
Recommended highly for readers who like thrillers and don't mind a bit of stomach churning violence.
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