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Kramer and Zondi Mystery #5
The Sunday Hangman
. *****HARDCOVER COPY*****with dustjacket, 1977 1st ed clean copy
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
James McClure
42 books21 followersJames Howe McClure was a British author and journalist best known for his Kramer and Zondi mysteries set in South Africa.
James McClure was born and raised in South Africa and educated in Pietermaritzburg, Natal at Scottsville School (1947–51), Cowan House (1952–54), and Maritzburg College (1955–58). He worked first as a commercial photographer with Tom Sharpe, who later wrote a series of celebrated comic novels, and then as a teacher of English and art at Cowan House in 1959-63, before becoming a crime reporter and photographer for the Natal Witness in his hometown of Pietermaritzburg.
His journalistic career saw him headhunted first by the Natal Mercury and then by the Natal Daily News. After the birth of his first son, he moved to Britain with his family in 1965, where he joined the Scottish Daily Mail as a sub-editor. From there, he moved to the Oxford Mail and then to The Oxford Times.
His first crime novel, The Steam Pig, won the CWA Gold Dagger in 1971. He resigned as deputy editor in 1974 to write full time. He added to his series of police procedurals based on his experiences in South Africa, featuring the detective partnership of Afrikaner Lieutenant Tromp Kramer and Bantu Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi.
McClure also wrote a spy novel set in Southern Africa - Rogue Eagle - which won the 1976 CWA Silver Dagger, a number of short stories, and two large non-fiction works that won wide acclaim: Spike Island: Portrait of a Police Division (Liverpool) and Copworld: Inside an American Police Force (San Diego).
After publishing 14 books, he returned to the bottom rung of "The Oxford Times" in 1986, as his police books had made him aware of how much he had missed working with others - his intention being to write in his spare time. What proved his most popular Kramer and Zondi novel then followed, The Song Dog, but journalism soon became all consuming. He became editor in 1994 and three years later The Oxford Times won the Weekly Newspaper of the Year award, beating all comers from across the United Kingdom.
He was promoted to editor of the Oxford Mail in 2000, and spent the next three years on a variety of objectives to enhance the quality and revenue of the county's daily paper. That done, he decided it was time to again step down, and retired to return to writing. He was working on a novel set in Oxford and had just started his own blog when he came down with a respiratory illness and died on 17 June 2006. He lived in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
James McClure was born and raised in South Africa and educated in Pietermaritzburg, Natal at Scottsville School (1947–51), Cowan House (1952–54), and Maritzburg College (1955–58). He worked first as a commercial photographer with Tom Sharpe, who later wrote a series of celebrated comic novels, and then as a teacher of English and art at Cowan House in 1959-63, before becoming a crime reporter and photographer for the Natal Witness in his hometown of Pietermaritzburg.
His journalistic career saw him headhunted first by the Natal Mercury and then by the Natal Daily News. After the birth of his first son, he moved to Britain with his family in 1965, where he joined the Scottish Daily Mail as a sub-editor. From there, he moved to the Oxford Mail and then to The Oxford Times.
His first crime novel, The Steam Pig, won the CWA Gold Dagger in 1971. He resigned as deputy editor in 1974 to write full time. He added to his series of police procedurals based on his experiences in South Africa, featuring the detective partnership of Afrikaner Lieutenant Tromp Kramer and Bantu Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi.
McClure also wrote a spy novel set in Southern Africa - Rogue Eagle - which won the 1976 CWA Silver Dagger, a number of short stories, and two large non-fiction works that won wide acclaim: Spike Island: Portrait of a Police Division (Liverpool) and Copworld: Inside an American Police Force (San Diego).
After publishing 14 books, he returned to the bottom rung of "The Oxford Times" in 1986, as his police books had made him aware of how much he had missed working with others - his intention being to write in his spare time. What proved his most popular Kramer and Zondi novel then followed, The Song Dog, but journalism soon became all consuming. He became editor in 1994 and three years later The Oxford Times won the Weekly Newspaper of the Year award, beating all comers from across the United Kingdom.
He was promoted to editor of the Oxford Mail in 2000, and spent the next three years on a variety of objectives to enhance the quality and revenue of the county's daily paper. That done, he decided it was time to again step down, and retired to return to writing. He was working on a novel set in Oxford and had just started his own blog when he came down with a respiratory illness and died on 17 June 2006. He lived in Wallingford, Oxfordshire.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 13, 2016
Grittier than the previous "Kramer and Zondi" novels, this one grabbed me straight out of the gate and didn't let go. I had to stop reading in the last 20 pages because it was late and I knew if I finished it I wouldn't be able to sleep--not because it's "scary" but because McClure builds the tension amazingly well. Much better to finish it in the cold light of morning!
The old "was it murder or suicide" case gets a new twist here. The ending was a bit odd, but then so was the entire case. Nothing and no one is as it seems, and good red herrings abound.
Zondi's leg was badly injured in a previous case (one not written up in a novel), and he's very slow bouncing back. Is this the end of the perfect partnership? In 1977 the concept of serial killer novels was a new one--as was television in S. Africa! I found out they didn't have TV there until 1976, and then only for about 3 hours a day. Of course coloured TVs were for white folks, while the rest got monochrome...
The old "was it murder or suicide" case gets a new twist here. The ending was a bit odd, but then so was the entire case. Nothing and no one is as it seems, and good red herrings abound.
Zondi's leg was badly injured in a previous case (one not written up in a novel), and he's very slow bouncing back. Is this the end of the perfect partnership? In 1977 the concept of serial killer novels was a new one--as was television in S. Africa! I found out they didn't have TV there until 1976, and then only for about 3 hours a day. Of course coloured TVs were for white folks, while the rest got monochrome...
February 27, 2012
Released by Soho Crime in early February, The Sunday Hangman is probably one of the best police procedurals published so far in 2012. The author, James McClure (1939 - 2006), was a British author and journalist best known for his Kramer and Zondi mysteries set in South Africa. The Sunday Hangman is the fifth book in this series originally published in 1977.
A Brief Summary
Tollie Erasmus, an unsavory bank robber on the run, is found dead hanging from the neck in a remote location. A bible is stuck in his left hand and at first it seems that this is a simple case of suicide. Lieutenant Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi are not convinced though. Soon another criminal ends up at the end of a noose; a message to Kramer and Zondi: Someone is upholding a code of justice that goes beyond the South Africa court system.
Somewhere there’s a killer who knows far too much about the hangman’s craft, and Lieutenant Kramer and Zondi must find him before his trail of death continues.
Our Take
The Sunday Hangman goes beyond a typical police procedural novel: The strong focus on mixing the story with McClure's naturalistic view of the location produces a rare tale of crime which not only puts the readers in the center of the realities in South African society but also absorbs their minds with vivid descriptions of the relationships between the native and white residents of the country.
McClure's writing is very personal: Many details are added by the author regarding the life of the main characters; from the forensics doctor's wife demanding a TV set, to the health problems and career difficulties of Zondi; such side stories don't distract the reader but add to the richness of the main plot.
This is a fast pace story; at times tense and occasionally comic; that is based on a solid plot and keeps the reader guessing to the last few pages. The ending had an interesting twist which might surprise many readers.
Overall, a great story especially for the readers who enjoy mysteries in exotic locales.
A Brief Summary
Tollie Erasmus, an unsavory bank robber on the run, is found dead hanging from the neck in a remote location. A bible is stuck in his left hand and at first it seems that this is a simple case of suicide. Lieutenant Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi are not convinced though. Soon another criminal ends up at the end of a noose; a message to Kramer and Zondi: Someone is upholding a code of justice that goes beyond the South Africa court system.
Somewhere there’s a killer who knows far too much about the hangman’s craft, and Lieutenant Kramer and Zondi must find him before his trail of death continues.
Our Take
The Sunday Hangman goes beyond a typical police procedural novel: The strong focus on mixing the story with McClure's naturalistic view of the location produces a rare tale of crime which not only puts the readers in the center of the realities in South African society but also absorbs their minds with vivid descriptions of the relationships between the native and white residents of the country.
McClure's writing is very personal: Many details are added by the author regarding the life of the main characters; from the forensics doctor's wife demanding a TV set, to the health problems and career difficulties of Zondi; such side stories don't distract the reader but add to the richness of the main plot.
This is a fast pace story; at times tense and occasionally comic; that is based on a solid plot and keeps the reader guessing to the last few pages. The ending had an interesting twist which might surprise many readers.
Overall, a great story especially for the readers who enjoy mysteries in exotic locales.
April 22, 2012
Bank robber Tollie Erasmus has been found hanging from a tree with a Bible in his hand. What looks at first like a suicide turns out to be a killing performed in the same manner as that used by the South African criminal justice system to execute criminals. It soon becomes clear that the murder of Erasmus is more than an isolated crime, as a second victim turns up who was killed in a similar manner.
Police detectives Lieutenant Tromp Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi pursue their investigation amid the hate filled atmosphere of South Africa under the apartheid system. This atmosphere is so much a part of the story that it could not be told in any other time or place. The emphasis on the gradations of color of a person’s skin, and whether they are white, black or colored are such an integral part of the dialog and relationships among characters as to be frightening.
McClure’s characters are as multi-layered as a writer can make them. He adds details of their personal lives that bring the reader into the minds of police, criminals, and peripheral characters, whether we are meant to like them or not. The differing cultures and ethnic backgrounds of the characters rub against each other in a constant friction as Kramer and Zondi work their way toward the capture of the killer.
The Sunday Hangman was originally released in 1977, and is one of eight Kramer and Zondi novels. This riveting story serves as a scathing indictment of the apartheid system, which was still fully in force in South Africa at the time the book was written. But primarily, McClure is telling a good tale, with plenty of satisfying twists and turns for the avid crime novel reader. The message, if there is one, is so woven into the story as to be not so much part of the plot as part of the life of the characters. And it is this subtlety that is the novel’s strength.
(Review published in Suspense Magazine)
Police detectives Lieutenant Tromp Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi pursue their investigation amid the hate filled atmosphere of South Africa under the apartheid system. This atmosphere is so much a part of the story that it could not be told in any other time or place. The emphasis on the gradations of color of a person’s skin, and whether they are white, black or colored are such an integral part of the dialog and relationships among characters as to be frightening.
McClure’s characters are as multi-layered as a writer can make them. He adds details of their personal lives that bring the reader into the minds of police, criminals, and peripheral characters, whether we are meant to like them or not. The differing cultures and ethnic backgrounds of the characters rub against each other in a constant friction as Kramer and Zondi work their way toward the capture of the killer.
The Sunday Hangman was originally released in 1977, and is one of eight Kramer and Zondi novels. This riveting story serves as a scathing indictment of the apartheid system, which was still fully in force in South Africa at the time the book was written. But primarily, McClure is telling a good tale, with plenty of satisfying twists and turns for the avid crime novel reader. The message, if there is one, is so woven into the story as to be not so much part of the plot as part of the life of the characters. And it is this subtlety that is the novel’s strength.
(Review published in Suspense Magazine)
December 15, 2018
Overall I liked the book, but I didn't like how little Zondi had to do with it. Especially him being injured. I'm really hoping he shows up in the next one all healed up and back to his old self. He was, at least, still a right cheeky "kaffir". I really love the relationship Kramer and Zondi have with each other. They are a perfect team.
The new officers from the little town that were introduced for this story were kind of 'blah' for me. The younger one, Boschoff, was certainly the more interesting. I wasn't sure what to make of the hotel operator. At first I was thinking he was maybe a red herring, then later maybe thought he was merely a stooge for the bad guy. By the time they got around to searching for evidence at the various properties it was fairly obvious who the culprit was. Not long after we find out why.
The story was paced well. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing involved in this one. They drive all over the country, though most of the action takes place in the rural areas.
There were two things in this story that sent me down rabbit holes online. The first was the stuff that Doc Strydom had with the TV. I did not realize that TV wasn't introduced to South Africa until 1976. I was born before SA had TV. That's like my grandmother being born before sliced bread was invented. The second thing was Bedford trucks. As an American it amuses me how most of the rest of the world puts such small engines in its vehicles. (Today I was looking at the Trabant, and holy cow, most of the motorcycles my family has ever owned had larger engines)
The Ebook was formatted fairly decently. There could be better separation between scenes as it occasionally wasn't immediately clear there was a change. There were also a couple of spelling errors, most likely from an OCR that confused "h" for "b", etc.
The new officers from the little town that were introduced for this story were kind of 'blah' for me. The younger one, Boschoff, was certainly the more interesting. I wasn't sure what to make of the hotel operator. At first I was thinking he was maybe a red herring, then later maybe thought he was merely a stooge for the bad guy. By the time they got around to searching for evidence at the various properties it was fairly obvious who the culprit was. Not long after we find out why.
The story was paced well. There is quite a bit of foreshadowing involved in this one. They drive all over the country, though most of the action takes place in the rural areas.
There were two things in this story that sent me down rabbit holes online. The first was the stuff that Doc Strydom had with the TV. I did not realize that TV wasn't introduced to South Africa until 1976. I was born before SA had TV. That's like my grandmother being born before sliced bread was invented. The second thing was Bedford trucks. As an American it amuses me how most of the rest of the world puts such small engines in its vehicles. (Today I was looking at the Trabant, and holy cow, most of the motorcycles my family has ever owned had larger engines)
The Ebook was formatted fairly decently. There could be better separation between scenes as it occasionally wasn't immediately clear there was a change. There were also a couple of spelling errors, most likely from an OCR that confused "h" for "b", etc.
May 18, 2012
James McClure's detective books are set in Pietermaritzburg in Apartheid South Africa, featuring two policemen, Kramer and Zondi. The plots are OK, and the writing not bad, what is excellent, though, is how they capture the zeitgeist.
The relationship between the white Afrikaans Kramer, and the black Zulu Zondi is brilliantly explored. The town, too, appears almost as a character.
The relationship between the white Afrikaans Kramer, and the black Zulu Zondi is brilliantly explored. The town, too, appears almost as a character.
September 9, 2024
Another solid entry in the apartheid Kramer and Zondi detective series. This installment finds Zondi having been recently shot and struggling with a bum leg to come back to full duty. Kramer ever the stalwart racist refuses to accept that Zondi’s injury might be serious enough to kick him off the force. For those not in the know Zondi is as the Aussie’s say “A black fellow.” So we find that Zondi’s shooter aka assailant has been hanged in what initially is thought to be a suicide, but the keen medical examiner realizes it is in fact the always glorious scumbag killing scumbag murder. Now for all intents and purposes were I investigating this case it would be cleared by exceptional circumstance, but alas these two detectives are far too intrepid for my taste. With the medical examiner’s help they trace several cases to a common denominator which is a vigilante hangman. Kramer quickly narrows the epicenter to a small town and begins to discover serious dysfunction (ya think?). The story proceeds at a crisp pace with a final denouement in which Zondi proves his worth. While I enjoyed this story as usual, there were far to many inside references to apartheid era South Africa that I did not bother to google. So that cost McClure a star. Don’t make it hard on the reader to follow your story amigo. Now hopefully this complaint reaches the grave, where he currently resides.
November 15, 2019
McClure's series is set in South Africa during apartheid and portrays that regime in all its brutality and inhumanity. He wrote these during apartheid, not looking back, but in it! His depiction of the relationship between the Afrikaans police officer Kramer and his Zulu aide, Zondi is heartbreaking in the subterfuges Kramer employs to keep everyone from realizing how much he respects and depends on Zondi.
March 16, 2018
DNF Seems quite content in its apartheid sensibility. Maybe not the case but unwilling to expend the effort to fond out.
August 13, 2018
Simply could not be drawn into this story despite attempting many times. Too slow of a plot for me, but that is just my preference.
March 14, 2020
A gritty police procedural made interesting because of what it tells of apartheid South Africa in the 1970s.
Read
September 18, 2022Rough, redolent.
July 24, 2025
Written during apartheid the subtle indightment of the system is woven throughout.
September 8, 2025
Really enjoy these books for the setting - not many Souh Africa-based crime books come my way& these are well written
Want to Read
March 31, 2019Synopsis: an unsavoury bank robber is hung - without the benefit of a South African judge or jury. Kramer and Zondi must find the vigilante.
February 27, 2012
Released by Soho Crime in early February, The Sunday Hangman is probably one of the best police procedurals published so far in 2012. The author, James McClure (1939 - 2006), was a British author and journalist best known for his Kramer and Zondi mysteries set in South Africa. The Sunday Hangman is the fifth book in this series originally published in 1977.
A Brief Summary
Tollie Erasmus, an unsavory bank robber on the run, is found dead hanging from the neck in a remote location. A bible is stuck in his left hand and at first it seems that this is a simple case of suicide. Lieutenant Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi are not convinced though. Soon another criminal ends up at the end of a noose; a message to Kramer and Zondi: Someone is upholding a code of justice that goes beyond the South Africa court system.
Somewhere there’s a killer who knows far too much about the hangman’s craft, and Lieutenant Kramer and Zondi must find him before his trail of death continues.
Our Take
The Sunday Hangman goes beyond a typical police procedural novel: The strong focus on mixing the story with McClure's naturalistic view of the location produces a rare tale of crime which not only puts the readers in the center of the realities in South African society but also absorbs their minds with vivid descriptions of the relationships between the native and white residents of the country.
McClure's writing is very personal: Many details are added by the author regarding the life of the main characters; from the forensics doctor's wife demanding a TV set, to the health problems and career difficulties of Zondi; such side stories don't distract the reader but add to the richness of the main plot.
This is a fast pace story; at times tense and occasionally comic; that is based on a solid plot and keeps the reader guessing to the last few pages. The ending had an interesting twist which might surprise many readers.
Overall, a great story especially for the readers who enjoy mysteries in exotic locales.
A Brief Summary
Tollie Erasmus, an unsavory bank robber on the run, is found dead hanging from the neck in a remote location. A bible is stuck in his left hand and at first it seems that this is a simple case of suicide. Lieutenant Kramer and his Bantu assistant Mickey Zondi are not convinced though. Soon another criminal ends up at the end of a noose; a message to Kramer and Zondi: Someone is upholding a code of justice that goes beyond the South Africa court system.
Somewhere there’s a killer who knows far too much about the hangman’s craft, and Lieutenant Kramer and Zondi must find him before his trail of death continues.
Our Take
The Sunday Hangman goes beyond a typical police procedural novel: The strong focus on mixing the story with McClure's naturalistic view of the location produces a rare tale of crime which not only puts the readers in the center of the realities in South African society but also absorbs their minds with vivid descriptions of the relationships between the native and white residents of the country.
McClure's writing is very personal: Many details are added by the author regarding the life of the main characters; from the forensics doctor's wife demanding a TV set, to the health problems and career difficulties of Zondi; such side stories don't distract the reader but add to the richness of the main plot.
This is a fast pace story; at times tense and occasionally comic; that is based on a solid plot and keeps the reader guessing to the last few pages. The ending had an interesting twist which might surprise many readers.
Overall, a great story especially for the readers who enjoy mysteries in exotic locales.
February 7, 2017
Mystery in S Africa 1960s
October 28, 2012
The plot in this one got a little tangled up, and at times the artful narration is confusing, but I appreciate that it makes me read more slowly. I'm loving this series set in 1970s apartheid South Africa.
October 9, 2016
This author uses the votes than usual accurate numerous ways to describe the most mundane and ordinary things. It's a joy to read him. .
September 22, 2015
The acrid edge to these books and the very foreign to me setting make for a smooth getaway. I will have to go back and read Snake when I can find it.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews