Three Bodies by NR Brodie

Crime novels aren't my usual fare, but I read them when I like the author, and I'm rather fond of NR Brodie. Three Bodies follows on from her occult-noir novel Knucklebone, where we meet Reshma Patel and Ian Jack, who initially work together to solve crimes related to an animal poaching ring. Both realise that there is more to reality than meets the eye, though. Then again, if you tangle with sangomas, expect things to get a bit strange.

Three Bodies is no different. At the outset, when drowned women start showing up, Ian is roped in to investigate, despite no longer having an interest in police work. Reshma finds herself drawn into an elite crime-fighting unit – with a bunch of tough cops who work against the cash-in-transit heists that are so prevalent in South Africa. It's scary, high-stakes stuff. And here Brodie has done meticulous research to offer an authentic ring to the police work. 

But then a sinister link between the drowned women, dark muti, the cash heists, and old-guard apartheid officials who were never brought to book, is formed, and Reshma and Ian find themselves racing to solve a case of a missing woman before she, too, ends up drowned.

Overall, I found the gradually unfolding pace a little on the slow side, but things picked up a lot quicker near the end. Reshma is one hell of a tough woman, and it shows, and Ian's quiet empathy with others also shows that he possesses qualities that complement Reshma's. They team up with an unlikely bunch for the finale, and then ... well. I'll leave it up to you to find out what happens. As always, the whiff of the supernatural is just a taste. Perhaps too light a touch that may have required smidge more foreshadowing, but I loved it anyway. I'm reminded of an old HP Lovecraft quote:

The most merciful thing in the world, I think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents.

Which will make sense for those who've read the book and understand how Ian must struggle with what he sees unfold at the satisfyingly cataclysmic ending. Gritty, dark, and somewhat weird, this novel is definitely an enjoyable read, and it's great seeing fantasy elements creep across genres.

Convictions by Julie Morrigan

From time to time I read outside of my genre, and I can't recall where the copy of Julie Morrigan's Convictions came from (possibly a free read or a 99c special recommended by someone). So yes, this is quite a departure from my usual fare, and having recently read and reviewed Morrigan's Heartbreaker, I was quite happy to delve into Convictions.

I'm going to be brutally honest, but this is not the author's strongest work. I found the premise interesting enough: kids go missing, and we have snippets from their point of view suggesting that they're being inducted into some sort of weird Christian cult that steal children in order to grow. And then mostly, we follow the cops trying to solve the case over a few years. From time to time we have interludes from the sister of one of the missing girls, who has been locked up for attempting to murder the man suspected of abducting her sister.

I found that I couldn't really engage with the writing at all. It's written in a shallow third-person perspective, with an awful lot of tell and not nearly enough show or layering to make me feel any real urgency or sense of immersion. I guess if you're looking for some (very) light reading, and this sounds like your cup of tea, by all means, indulge.

Knucklebone by NR Brodie

With a dearth of traditionally published speculative fiction in South Africa, I'm tickled pink to get hold of NR Brodie's Knucklebone*. I've been reading her non-fiction for a while, and I love her style, so I was dead keen to see what her fiction would be like, and I was not disappointed.

Set in Joburg, Knucklebone is a fast-paced occult-noir primarily from the point of retired cop Ian, and his unintended partner Reshma, as they are plunged into a shadowy world of witches, sangomas and poaching/animal parts smuggling rings.

Brodie brings her setting to life with a large, varied cast of memorable characters, many of whom have in-your-face attitudes that I enjoyed immensely. Her writing is precise without losing the ability to evoke, and she keeps her chapters short, so the story moves along at a breath-taking pace. So if you're like me and don't have extended periods to read, this novel is perfect. Of course, if you're anything like me, you'll be tempted to read just one more chapter before bed.

The brevity and fast pace does have its down side, however. While the story picks up pace as it winds to its conclusion I feel that it loses some of its impact near the end with the introduction of a whole passel of new characters who all play small roles before exiting stage left. I understand that they each contribute to the resolution, but gained the sense that it diluted some of the punch that the climax would have had, especially for Ian as a central character. I'd have liked to have seen a bit more development or, failing that, a paring down of the number of characters.

This being said, it was not a dealbreaker for me, since I was already on board for the ride. Brodie dips into South Africa's melting pot of cultures to produce a story that dances with many traditions, both African, Eastern and Western, and the end result is a delicious melange. Knucklebone is the kind of novel that will appeal to lovers of both fantasy and thrillers, in my opinion, and if you like your fiction with a more than healthy dollop of magic, then dip into this one.

* This is a hint to South African publishers that there are oodles of talented SFF authors in the country worth investing in, so do open your doors to queries in these genres.