Bloody Harvests (Jeremiah Spur Mysteries) - Hardcover

Kunzmann, Richard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312360339 ISBN 13: 9780312360337

Publisher: Minotaur Books, 2006

Synopsis

Even your soul isn't safe in death...
 
On the outskirts of shimmering Johannesburg, Detective Harry Mason and his crew are summoned to a grisly crime scene. By all accounts, discovering the mutilated corpse of a young child is a horrific and heart-wrenching task. But in the South African city, where some citizens still cling to the nation's mythological past, there is much more at stake.
            Mason and his team must discover whether this gruesome death is the work of a serial killer on the loose; or the work of a cult leader practicing a tribal muti killing---in which children are sacrificed for their body parts in order to elicit powerful "medicine."  Discerning between the two is even more complicated than it seems, especially in a city rife with cultural and social tensions---and they're sure the killer will strike again.
            Mason's police partner, Jacob Tshabalala, is also faced with his own questions. Both a tribesman and a cop, he is forced to reconsider his beliefs as he becomes increasingly convinced that this time they are dealing with a genuine witch---perhaps one powerful enough to subvert the investigation itself. The two friends' relationship deteriorates as the case progresses and cultural tensions grow between them. They are still no closer to identifying the killer when a second murder occurs.  
            Meanwhile Nina Reading, a young reporter, has been conducting her own investigation into slave trafficking, thus putting herself in deadly danger. Harry's discoveries and Nina's revelations unite and lead them ever deeper into a chilling spiritual underworld in the slums of Johannesburg, where money, superstition, and fear reign supreme. But their enemies will stop at nothing to protect their bloody harvests. International Praise for Bloody Harvests
 
"Kunzmann has a seasoned and individual voice."---Publishing News (UK)
 
"Bloody Harvests is a valuable addition to the South African canon. It is a brilliant first novel by an engaging author. It charts new ground for the thriller/crime genre in South African literature." ---The Cape Times (South Africa)
 
"Kunzmann has turned South African crime statistics and African myths into a beautifully written piece of fiction. . . . It reads very much like a Hollywood blockbuster set in Jo'burg . . . a great read for thrill seekers."---The Mercury (Australia)
 
"Bloody Harvests, a fast and grisly thriller, hails Kunzmann as an impressive new talent in this genre. This is Jozie noir . . . he's telling ripping stories in a contemporary setting."  --- Sunday Times (South Africa)
 
"A gripping thriller, Richard Kunzmann's story is not only an addictive page-turner, it also teaches as much as it enthralls."---Daily Echo (UK)
 
"Bloody Harvests gave me sleepless nights, yet kept me enthralled until the very last page."---Pretoria News (South Africa)
 
"Bloody Harvests is an ambitious work and an interesting read . . . a fascinating story."---The Citizen (South Africa)

About this title

About the Author

Richard Kunzmann was born in Namibia in 1976, and resides in South Africa. He received his master's in psychology with honors in 2002, and holds a major in criminology---a background that benefits him as a writer of dark crime thrillers, set in the violent landscape of South Africa. The myths and legends of Africa have held him in deep fascination, and his first novel, Bloody Harvests, reflects this.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* This debut thriller integrates ancient South African mythology into a contemporary serial-killer story. Someone is killing and mutilating young children. Detective Harry Mason and his partner, Jacob Tshabalala, must try to figure out whether it's the work of a run-of-the-mill serial killer (as Jacob believes) or whether it's something altogether more sinister. To solve the mystery, the partners plunge deep into the tribal underworld, where sorting out fact from superstition can be a deadly proposition. This very atmospheric novel is sharply written and, in places, quite eerily unsettling. Kunzmann writes like an old pro, drawing his characters with a combination of bold strokes and sharply observed details. A native of South Africa, he knows his setting and its people intimately, and it shows in the novel's depth and visual flavor. The author also stays away from the typical mismatched-partners, "buddy picture" sort of cliches, preferring instead to take a more realistic and dramatic approach to character development. Readers familiar with John Connolly's Charlie Parker mysteries, which incorporate supernatural elements into detective fiction, will naturally want to give this novel a look-see, although they should be warned that it is an altogether original and far more visceral story. A remarkable achievement. David Pitt
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About this edition

• Publisher: Minotaur Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0312360339
• ISBN 13: 9780312360337
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 464