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Let The Dead Lie (Detective Emmanuel Cooper, #2)

Malla Nunn

Why we're reading this: South Africa, 1953. The National Party's rigid race laws have split the nation and a gruelling poverty gr…more
[close] South Africa, 1953. The National Party's rigid race laws have split the nation and a gruelling poverty grips many on the edges of its society. When former Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper stumbles across the body of a child, Jolly Marks, at the Durban docks, he can little imagine what the discovery will lead him to. Trying to resist his instinct to pursue the truth behind this terrible crime - his life fell apart following his last investigation - Cooper decides to leave this one to the proper authorities. But the trouble is, someone in the shadows has rather different ideas ...Soon Cooper finds himself under suspicion for not only Jolly's murder, but others as well. The only way he can clear his name is to find out who the real killer was - and he's got forty-eight hours to do it in. Assisted by his former boss, Van Nierkerk - a man forever on the lookout for a way to advance his own cause - and Van Nierkerk's beautiful, enigmatic mistress Lana, Cooper's investigations will lead him into Durban's murky underworld of pimps, prostitutes, strange, sinister preachers, and those on the wrong side of the race laws. He will discover new enemies and be reunited with old friends. And before long, Cooper will find that there is more to Jolly's barbaric murder than he could ever have realized...

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Apr 21, 2012 Brenda rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: aussie-authors, mystery, own-read, crime

Hidden between two boxcars in the freight yards of Durban Harbour, Emmanuel Cooper could see the lights of a docked cruise ship across the water. The fact that he was doing night surveillance work for his old boss, Major van Niekerk after having to resign his Detective Sergeant position when his previous case went horribly wrong, made him realize how low his life had tumbled. But even though the words of his boss – do not intervene; do not show yourself – rang in his head, when he heard sounds o Hidden between two boxcars in the freight yards of Durban Harbour, Emmanuel Cooper could see the lights of a docked cruise ship across the water. The fact that he was doing night surveillance work for his old boss, Major van Niekerk after having to resign his Detective Sergeant position when his previous case went horribly wrong, made him realize how low his life had tumbled. But even though the words of his boss – do not intervene; do not show yourself – rang in his head, when he heard sounds of distress, he found himself moving toward that sound. And what he found caused his life to spiral out of control; the danger to his very existence was immediate …

Suddenly Cooper was caught up in not one but three murders – and the evidence all pointed to him being the killer. Trapped in the cells with the hangman’s noose beckoning, his thoughts were grim. But then, for a reason Cooper couldn’t fathom, he was released into Major van Niekerk’s custody – the police were furious, but there was nothing they could do – not for 48 hours anyway. Then all bets were off…

The race was on for Cooper to find the real killer and save his own life. With no-one to help him – most certainly not the police – he found himself deep in the underworld of Durban; drugs, prostitution and violence – it was all there. But when he met the preacher woman, then the delectable Lana Rose who was cunning and knew the streets inside and out, a strange alliance was formed. Would Cooper be able to find the real killer before the 48 hours was up? Or would he end up languishing in prison, awaiting the noose? Not if he could help it he wouldn’t!

This is the second in the Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper series by Aussie author Malla Nunn and I loved it just as much as the first. An extremely fast paced novel, with twists and turns throughout, the tension and suspense were gripping. As with the first novel, Emmanuel is a great character, and I enjoyed Lana’s character as well. Hopefully we might see more of Lana in the next book (which I will get to soon!) I have no hesitation in recommending Let the Dead Lie highly.
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Jan 20, 2012 Helene Young rated it it was amazing

Shelves: australian-women-writers-challenge

Let the Dead Lie, by Malla Nunn, is set in 1953 in Durban, South Africa, with World War 2 as a bleak backdrop. I’ve always had a fascination with Africa as a whole and have devoured stories by Wilbur Smith, Beverly Harper, Tony Parks, Katherine Scholes and a recent find, Margie Orford so I was predisposed to like it.

From the back cover : ‘In Let the Dead Lie, Cooper is a changed man. Forced to resign from his position of Detective Sergeant and re-classified as mixed race, he winds up powerless a Let the Dead Lie, by Malla Nunn, is set in 1953 in Durban, South Africa, with World War 2 as a bleak backdrop. I’ve always had a fascination with Africa as a whole and have devoured stories by Wilbur Smith, Beverly Harper, Tony Parks, Katherine Scholes and a recent find, Margie Orford so I was predisposed to like it.

From the back cover : ‘In Let the Dead Lie, Cooper is a changed man. Forced to resign from his position of Detective Sergeant and re-classified as mixed race, he winds up powerless and alone in the tough coastal city of Durban, mixing labouring with a bit of surveillance work for his old boss, Major van Niekerk.

Patrolling the freight yards one night, Cooper stumbles upon the body of a young white boy and, the detective in him can not, or will not, walk away. When two more bodies – this time black women – are discovered at his boarding house, he unwittingly becomes the prime suspect in a triple murder case.

At van Niekerk’s behest, Cooper’s given 48 hours to clear his name and – unofficially – solve the three murders. And so, temporarily back to being a European Detective Sergeant, he launches headlong into Durban’s seedy underworld, a viper’s nest of prostitution, drug running and violence run by a colourful cast of characters including wannabe Indian gangsters; a mysterious figure who drives a white De Soto convertible; a Zion Gospel preacher, and the exquisite yet streetwise Lana, who also happens to be van Niekerk’s mistress…’

I wish I’d read ‘A Beautiful Place to Die’ first simply because I prefer to read series in order, but I didn’t feel that I lost anything for reading ‘Let the Dead Lie’ as a stand alone.

From the opening scene, Ms Nunn took me to a seedy, segregated world where white was right and anyone else was fair game. Ex-detective Cooper is the sort of hero I love – a man broken because he has integrity and now on the wrong side of the law, but still incapable of total moral decay.

The book is peopled with characters Ms Nunn finely crafts with the deftest of touches. ‘A flash of hot pink sari crossed Emmanuel’s eye-line and a dozen glass bracelets chimed. An India woman in her fifties with sinewy greyhound limbs grabbed Parthiv’s ear and twisted until his knees buckled.’ That image of the Indian matriarch stayed with me for the story.

The plot is convoluted, turning back on itself in dead-ends and empty promises, but time ticks on relentlessly leaving Emmanuel Cooper with a diminishing number of options. Lana is not a traditional heroine and I was left feeling as though her story is yet to come. She is street-wise and cunning, but courageous with skills beyond her years. Her vulnerability shows through just enough to make me cheer for her (and wish for an impossible happy ending…)

Durban was a character all of its own with the setting being more than just another waterfront town with a transient population. The palpable fear, but edgy defiance from so many characters, and even the buildings, added to the desperation in a town where no-one was what they first appeared to be.

Let the Dead Lie is good, gritty crime-fiction with compelling characters and a fascinating setting.

My rating – 4.5 Stars ...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Shelleyrae at Book'd Out rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Let the Dead Lie is the exciting second novel from Malla Nunn featuring Detective Emmanuel Cooper series, following on from A Beautiful Place To Die. This crime series, set in Southern Africa in the 1950's, has a gritty, dark realism that explores the political and social system of the period.
Detective Emmanuel Cooper is working on the docks in the port city of Durban having been forced to resign his position and accept a reclassification as 'mixed race' after the events in Jacob's Rest. Despit Let the Dead Lie is the exciting second novel from Malla Nunn featuring Detective Emmanuel Cooper series, following on from A Beautiful Place To Die. This crime series, set in Southern Africa in the 1950's, has a gritty, dark realism that explores the political and social system of the period.
Detective Emmanuel Cooper is working on the docks in the port city of Durban having been forced to resign his position and accept a reclassification as 'mixed race' after the events in Jacob's Rest. Despite his status, he has been recruited by Major van Niekerk to surveil criminal activity at the dock, which leads him to discover the body of a young boy with his throat slit. Emmanuel doesn't have any faith that the police will solve the murder and begins his own unsanctioned investigation but his curiosity turns him into a prime suspect after his landlady and his maid are murdered. Emmanuel has just 48 hours to solve the crimes or be arrested and charged with the triple homicide. Unraveling the mystery sees Emmanuel face international intrigue, police corruption, turf wars, smugglers, and his own ghosts.

In Let The Dead Lie, Emmanuel struggles against himself as much as he does the corruption and crime of Southern Africa. The body of the dead boy affects him so strongly partly because Emmanuel was once a child of the slums, struggling to survive poverty and violence. Emmanuel is not the type of man to ignore a brutal murder, even when it is in his best interests. Led by his conscience, with a moral compass that chafes against the restrictions of 1950's South African society, Emmanuel is determined to find justice for the murdered boy, no matter the personal cost. Even with just 48 hours to exonerate himself his focus remains on finding the murderer responsible for the child's death, rather than the man who could set him free. It's a subtle distinction but an important one because of what it tells you about Emmanuel's character. Emmanuel would likely do as he pleased and damn the consequences if it wasn't for the fact that others would be the ones to pay the price for his behaviour. Emmanuel believes himself to be irredeemably flawed and seems to court punishment, which he feels he deserves because of his failure to save his mother and his experiences during the war. He is constantly surprised by the loyalty of Constable Shabalala and Doctor Zwiegman. He doesn't recognise the positive traits within himself that the men respond to with respect.

The action in Let The Dead Lie is fast paced with the bulk of the action taking place within the 48 hour window Emmanuel has to solve the crimes. Suspects are considered, some dismissed quickly, others studied for longer, but as the case grows more complicated the tension mounts. Investigating the boy's murder leads Emmanuel into the middle of a turf war between Indian drug smugglers and an Underworld boss, and a Secret Police search for Russian traitors while staying ahead of the police who want their pound of flesh. Emmanuel is convinced the connections are there but can't figure out how everything fits together. The plot is multilayered and complex but the links resolve into a satisfying conclusion.

The urban setting for Let The Dead Lie is as vivid as the stark country side of Jacob's Rest, from the bustling, seedy port, to the Durban slums to the gated houses of the white aristocracy. The cultural framework of the novel though is what really sets this series apart from other crime novels. The tenants of apartheid makes my skin crawl and Nunn accurately and honestly portrays the disturbing racism and inequality of Southern Africa at the time. The characters that populate her novels are very much the products of such a twisted regime. Having experienced life with status and without, Emmanuel is more sensitive than most to the unfairness of the social system that determines every aspect of life by the colour of a person's skin.

Once I had started Let The Dead Lie I found it difficult to put it down, engrossed in the thrilling action, strong characters and fascinating setting. This is a terrific, fast paced read that I highly recommend for readers of crime fiction. Personally I was so eager to prolong the experience I dived straight into the third installment, Silent Valley and wasn't disappointed. ...more

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Apr 11, 2016 Kathryn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, australian-authors, added-because-part-of-series, reading-list-2016, audiobooks

I listened to this as an audiobook and it’s always enjoyable to listen to Humphrey Bower. It was also good to read more of Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper’s story. Unfortunately I was a bit distracted when I was listening at the end, so although I got the idea of what happened, the details are a bit sketchy, but I wasn’t worried enough to go back and listen to the last half hour or so again, and that is all entirely my fault and not the author’s!! 3.5★

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