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hinesight's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written, and so suspenseful that I almost abandoned the book before the last chapters, so fearful was I of a miserable ending. It was worth the finishing.
odmay's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It is a murder mystery set in an area near the border of South Africa and Mozambique. The time is the early 1950s not long after apartheid had been introduced. The intolerance and hypocrisy, was for me occasionally hard to read about. Overall, I loved the descriptions of the scenery and places and could see them in my mind. The social conditions and characters, especially Emmanuel Coopers seemed to me to be well portrayed. I would like to continue reading more books in this series.
aoosterwyk's review against another edition
4.0
I was looking for more Humphrey Bower narrated audiobooks and he does the 4th in the series. The first book was good. Set in South Africa, it reminded me of Bryce Courtenay's books. I will listen to the next in the series.
kcfromaustcrime's review against another edition
4.0
Book Title: A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE
Author: Malla Nunn
Publisher: Pan MacMillan Australia
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4050-3877-5
No of Pages: 399
Book Synopsis:
In 1950s South Africa, the colour of a killer's skin matters more than justice.
When Captain Willem Pretorius, an Afrikaner police officer, is brutally murdered in the tiny backwater of Jacob's Rest, Detective Emmanuel Cooper is sent to investigate.
The local Afrikaners and the dead man's prominent family view Cooper, an 'English' South African, with suspicion. Soon, the powerful police Security Branch take over the investigation. But Cooper isn't interested in political expediency, or making friends in high places - he just wants the killer behind bars. As he pursues his own inquiry, he discovers the violence, secrets and desire behind the picture-perfect facade of Jacob's Rest.
Book Review:
One thing that will strike readers of A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE firmly between the eyes is how an apartheid society is so incredibly foreign from the ways in which others of us live. That's not to say that there is an overtly "political" agenda in this book, rather the book does not take a step backwards in depicting South Africa under Racial Segregation laws. It also starkly draws a picture of the various societies within that - the 'English' South African's, the Afrikaner South African's and the native South African's. It is not a particularly pretty picture, and it's delivered vividly.
Jacob's Rest is a very small town in the South African veldt. The prejudice, petty jealousy, intrigues, secrets and isolation of small town living are overlaid by the racial situation - the kaffir path that runs behind the town's houses is the only way around for the towns coloured population, and it's that situation that allows it to be used for more sinister purposes. Captain Pretorius and his family of big, strong sons, have stood sway over Jacob's Rest with a born to rule superiority that can only come from an unwavering belief that their way is the only way. So when the Captain is found in a river with a bullet in his head, his sons are convinced that the coloured community holds the key. Detective Cooper gets the case mostly by accident and he has been placed in a dangerous and difficult position, particularly when the very heavy handed (and overtly political) Security Branch muscle in. Cooper finds himself relegated to investigating previous claims of a peeping tom using the kaffir path, whilst he tries to keep out of the way of the thuggish Security Branch (and the sons of the dead man).
Nearly all of the observations and viewpoints in this book come from the young Detective Emmanuel Cooper. He is a man who is not comfortable with Racial Segregation and he's not at all comfortable with the way that life is divided up in Jacob's Rest. His natural inclination is towards time spent with Constable Shabalala - the part-Zulu man who was an offsider of the dead Captain Pretorius, and Zweigman, the German Jewish shopkeeper - who is really a doctor but part of the secondary class of society. It is these three who are the key to the unwinding of a long tale of secrets and misuse of influence, and to hefty doses of corruption and cover-up.
More than a message book, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE is really an extremely good thriller, with lots of twists and turns in the story, which happens to be set in a society totally foreign to this reader at least. Having said that, there are elements which are familiar - the locked room (closed in village); elements of police procedure, albeit somewhat strained by the remoteness of the location and so on. The underlying message of the book is heavy handed, but it is done in an illustrative way - rather than a smack over the head job. The way that the investigation has to proceed within the society structure is profoundly shocking. The revelations of the way that the Security Branch operates; the secrets in families throughout the town - which aren't really all that shocking or dreadful, but nonetheless need to be secrets is profoundly discomforting; and the way that people's lives were so fundamentally affected by something as minor as the colour of their skin is really very sobering indeed.
The ending is undoubtedly a tiny bit sentimental, but after the previous hammering that the characters have endured, it's forgivable. In fact that's probably the only small criticism I could come up with, the book could easily have finished with no need for the gentle let down, I'd have fretted over Constable Cooper just as happily. I do hope, however, that the ending is hinting at another book beginning though.
Author: Malla Nunn
Publisher: Pan MacMillan Australia
Copyright: 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4050-3877-5
No of Pages: 399
Book Synopsis:
In 1950s South Africa, the colour of a killer's skin matters more than justice.
When Captain Willem Pretorius, an Afrikaner police officer, is brutally murdered in the tiny backwater of Jacob's Rest, Detective Emmanuel Cooper is sent to investigate.
The local Afrikaners and the dead man's prominent family view Cooper, an 'English' South African, with suspicion. Soon, the powerful police Security Branch take over the investigation. But Cooper isn't interested in political expediency, or making friends in high places - he just wants the killer behind bars. As he pursues his own inquiry, he discovers the violence, secrets and desire behind the picture-perfect facade of Jacob's Rest.
Book Review:
One thing that will strike readers of A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE firmly between the eyes is how an apartheid society is so incredibly foreign from the ways in which others of us live. That's not to say that there is an overtly "political" agenda in this book, rather the book does not take a step backwards in depicting South Africa under Racial Segregation laws. It also starkly draws a picture of the various societies within that - the 'English' South African's, the Afrikaner South African's and the native South African's. It is not a particularly pretty picture, and it's delivered vividly.
Jacob's Rest is a very small town in the South African veldt. The prejudice, petty jealousy, intrigues, secrets and isolation of small town living are overlaid by the racial situation - the kaffir path that runs behind the town's houses is the only way around for the towns coloured population, and it's that situation that allows it to be used for more sinister purposes. Captain Pretorius and his family of big, strong sons, have stood sway over Jacob's Rest with a born to rule superiority that can only come from an unwavering belief that their way is the only way. So when the Captain is found in a river with a bullet in his head, his sons are convinced that the coloured community holds the key. Detective Cooper gets the case mostly by accident and he has been placed in a dangerous and difficult position, particularly when the very heavy handed (and overtly political) Security Branch muscle in. Cooper finds himself relegated to investigating previous claims of a peeping tom using the kaffir path, whilst he tries to keep out of the way of the thuggish Security Branch (and the sons of the dead man).
Nearly all of the observations and viewpoints in this book come from the young Detective Emmanuel Cooper. He is a man who is not comfortable with Racial Segregation and he's not at all comfortable with the way that life is divided up in Jacob's Rest. His natural inclination is towards time spent with Constable Shabalala - the part-Zulu man who was an offsider of the dead Captain Pretorius, and Zweigman, the German Jewish shopkeeper - who is really a doctor but part of the secondary class of society. It is these three who are the key to the unwinding of a long tale of secrets and misuse of influence, and to hefty doses of corruption and cover-up.
More than a message book, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE is really an extremely good thriller, with lots of twists and turns in the story, which happens to be set in a society totally foreign to this reader at least. Having said that, there are elements which are familiar - the locked room (closed in village); elements of police procedure, albeit somewhat strained by the remoteness of the location and so on. The underlying message of the book is heavy handed, but it is done in an illustrative way - rather than a smack over the head job. The way that the investigation has to proceed within the society structure is profoundly shocking. The revelations of the way that the Security Branch operates; the secrets in families throughout the town - which aren't really all that shocking or dreadful, but nonetheless need to be secrets is profoundly discomforting; and the way that people's lives were so fundamentally affected by something as minor as the colour of their skin is really very sobering indeed.
The ending is undoubtedly a tiny bit sentimental, but after the previous hammering that the characters have endured, it's forgivable. In fact that's probably the only small criticism I could come up with, the book could easily have finished with no need for the gentle let down, I'd have fretted over Constable Cooper just as happily. I do hope, however, that the ending is hinting at another book beginning though.
rhymeswithcarmen's review against another edition
4.0
A Beautiful Place to Die is outstanding as both mystery and historical fiction, particularly as it doesn't romanticize any of the aspects of apartheid-era South Africa – unlike, say, The Power of One. Nunn's writing is evocative and utterly compelling. I expect I shall be reading a lot more.
sandin954's review against another edition
4.0
Initial entry in this historical series set in South Africa. Really enjoyed the atmosphere, setting, and characters and look forward to continuing on with this series. Listened to the audio version which was narrated by Saul Reichlin who handled all the accents expertly.
bkdrgn303's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, I really enjoyed this book. It takes place in South Africa in the early 1950s when the South African government was doing rash and immoral things to the native populations. That aspect of the novel was especially eye-opening and hard to take. Emmanuel Cooper, the main character and Constable Shabalala were a joy to get to know. Highly recommended for people who like a little politics and history mixed in with their mysteries.
velmawiththadrip's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book as a teenager and it really had a profound impact on me. I plan on rereading it and leaving a better review but even after 15ish years the book truly stands out in my mind from the 1000s of books I’ve read in my lifetime.
leemac027's review against another edition
4.0
For a debut novel, Malla Nunn has written a compelling and fascinating crime drama set in 1950s South Africa.
Her characters are strong and the way she writes the Afrikaner characters is brutal, forceful, arrogant and captures everything that was happening in South Africa at that time.
The narrative focuses on the murder of a white police officer in a remote small town called Jacob's Rest. The detective sent to investigate, Cooper, is reviled by the Afrikaners making his job to find the killer extremely difficult.
Cooper finds some allies in a Zulu police officer, Shabalala and a Jewish shop owner (formerly a surgeon) to help him discover the evidence he needs to solve the crime. The problem is that the further Cooper digs, the more muck he finds, getting himself into some serious and violent situations.
It seems there are many secrets in Jacob's Rest and one prominent family (belonging to the murdered police officer) certainly do not want these coming to light.
There are many plot reveals along the journey, the majority of which I did not see coming which keeps the plot fresh and action oriented.
It is riveting and a fabulous read - though maybe not late at night!
Her characters are strong and the way she writes the Afrikaner characters is brutal, forceful, arrogant and captures everything that was happening in South Africa at that time.
The narrative focuses on the murder of a white police officer in a remote small town called Jacob's Rest. The detective sent to investigate, Cooper, is reviled by the Afrikaners making his job to find the killer extremely difficult.
Cooper finds some allies in a Zulu police officer, Shabalala and a Jewish shop owner (formerly a surgeon) to help him discover the evidence he needs to solve the crime. The problem is that the further Cooper digs, the more muck he finds, getting himself into some serious and violent situations.
It seems there are many secrets in Jacob's Rest and one prominent family (belonging to the murdered police officer) certainly do not want these coming to light.
There are many plot reveals along the journey, the majority of which I did not see coming which keeps the plot fresh and action oriented.
It is riveting and a fabulous read - though maybe not late at night!
_rusalka's review against another edition
4.0
I grew up like so many children of the 80s and 90s knowing about apartheid. I knew that in South Africa black and white people were separated, and black people were denied things, and rights, and opportunities that white people had. I also remember it ending, and Nelson Mandela becoming President, lots of happy people and dancing.
So I've always had the knowledge of apartheid. But I don't think I have ever really had an understanding of apartheid. I mean, it's pretty straightforward, right? White and black? I never considered the tiering between Afrikaans and English, or Jews, or Indians, or mixed race, etc. This book explores all of this and some. My 7 year old knowledge was blown out of the water and highlighted as what it obviously was, incredibly naive and simplistic. But until I had to really think about it, I really never realised how simplistic I assumed it was.
Detective Emmanuel Cooper is a white, English police officer. He is called out to a small town on the border with Mozambique. He arrives at the murder scene of the Afrikaan police captain, who seems to pretty much rule the town with his pack of sons. In an incredibly volatile situation already, Detective Cooper also has to work with officers from the country's Intelligence Agency who have taken over the investigation, while also enforcing the new apartheid policy and stamping out communism.
It's very well written. Both the story itself and the writing as a whole. I didn't think the story would be able to string itself out for the whole book, but she did it well. I thought I had the culprit picked early, but that got flipped on it's head, which I love. The writing of the landscape and the area was by someone who obviously loves the land, and made it sound incredibly beautiful, even in its barrenness.
She also handled the political landscape very well, I was impressed. There was obviously a point of view in the book, but it never felt heavy handed. I definitely would recommend, it's well worth the read.
For more reviews, visit: http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
So I've always had the knowledge of apartheid. But I don't think I have ever really had an understanding of apartheid. I mean, it's pretty straightforward, right? White and black? I never considered the tiering between Afrikaans and English, or Jews, or Indians, or mixed race, etc. This book explores all of this and some. My 7 year old knowledge was blown out of the water and highlighted as what it obviously was, incredibly naive and simplistic. But until I had to really think about it, I really never realised how simplistic I assumed it was.
Detective Emmanuel Cooper is a white, English police officer. He is called out to a small town on the border with Mozambique. He arrives at the murder scene of the Afrikaan police captain, who seems to pretty much rule the town with his pack of sons. In an incredibly volatile situation already, Detective Cooper also has to work with officers from the country's Intelligence Agency who have taken over the investigation, while also enforcing the new apartheid policy and stamping out communism.
It's very well written. Both the story itself and the writing as a whole. I didn't think the story would be able to string itself out for the whole book, but she did it well. I thought I had the culprit picked early, but that got flipped on it's head, which I love. The writing of the landscape and the area was by someone who obviously loves the land, and made it sound incredibly beautiful, even in its barrenness.
She also handled the political landscape very well, I was impressed. There was obviously a point of view in the book, but it never felt heavy handed. I definitely would recommend, it's well worth the read.
For more reviews, visit: http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/