Bloody Harvests [Paperback]

Richard Kunzmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 3, 2006

After a child's mutilated body is discovered in a ditch, detective Harry Mason needs to discover whether this gruesome death is the work of a serial murderer or a muti killer butchering children to make powerful 'medicine' from their body parts. His police partner, Jacob Chabalala, is forced to reconsider his beliefs as both a tribesman and a cop, becoming increasingly convinced that this time they are dealing with a genuine witch - perhaps powerful enough to subvert the investigation itself. The two friends' relationship deteriorates as the case progresses and cultural tensions grow. They are still no closer to identifying the killer, when a second murder occurs. Meanwhile a young British reporter, Nina Reading, 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 even deeper into an awesome spiritual underworld in Hillbrow, where money and fear reign supreme. But their enemies will stop at nothing to protect their bloody harvests - including the kidnapping of Harry's own child. 'A confident debut ...powerful storytelling'- "Sunday Telegraph". 'A fast and grisly thriller...hails Kunzmann as an impressive new talent in this genre'- "Sunday Times".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The collision of cultures and religions in the seething city of Johannesburg, South Africa, provides the backdrop for Kunzmann's impressive debut, which teams an incongruous pair of police officers: Harry Mason, a Christian Englishman, and Jacob Tshabalala, a Christian tribesman who knows that the beliefs of his countrymen are not mere superstition. As the two policemen investigate the ritual killing of a young girl whose organs were harvested from her living body, they find themselves on the trail of an albino figure of almost mythic dimensions, who controls a criminal organization (drugs, prostitution, smuggling, etc.) through fear and intimidation. The complex narrative perhaps switches directions too often to briefly follow a minor character or reveal a snatch of Harry or Jacob's traumatic past. Still, the author does a fine job of depicting the city's combustible mix of poverty, ignorance, intolerance and crime and the handful of brave men who seek to douse the flames when that mix ignites. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Pan Macmillan (February 3, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 033042663X
• ISBN-13: 978-0330426633
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,051,473 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Best, January 15, 2009

By 

Wendy Scott - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloody Harvests (Paperback)

This is absolutely essential reading for mystery/thriller fans. Set in contemporary South Africa, the novel manages to explore societal and personal tensions between blacks and whites as well as offering tantalizing glimpses of traditional African animist religions. Told in third person present tense, this book grabs with appalling, grisly details while exploring the personal demons which drive the two detective protaganists: one white, one black. Kunzmann goes for the jugular while not leaping into the fantastic. Albino, their target, sacrifices innocent chldren and his minions, believing that he doesn't answer to any social norms, but only his ancestors and his evil religious beliefs. Though he eventually escapes (perhaps to return in another book), most other ends are wrapped up tightly. This is altogether an amazing ride, one that will have readers up late into the night, only to then dream vile nightmares. A must read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful insight into the dichotomies of life in South Africa, February 15, 2009

By 

Riani De Wet - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloody Harvests (Paperback)

Kunzmann's debut novel offers an astute view of the dichotomies that face South Africans every day. Set in contemporary Johannesburg, Kunzmann vividly travels between inner city, suburbia and township. At times he juxtaposes this with rural life. He shows us the tension between traditional African life, and modern, Westernised life, that many Africans have to struggle with everyday. Like his settings, his characters are real, and he does not succumb to easy stereotypes, rather showing the complexities of human nature.He captures the tender racial balances and differences, showing that it is not a homogeneous thing. but filled with nuances and subtleties that changes depending on the situation and the roleplayers. Extraordinary novel, and I've already started on his second, Salamander Cotton.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars terrific thriller, November 5, 2006

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bloody Harvests (Hardcover)

In South Africa, even in the most modern of cities, practitioners of magic hold sway over the population. The ones who work for the benefit of their client are revered but there are some like the Albino that use the dark powers of the spirits to achieve their own ends. The Albino has built up an empire based on heroin and human smuggling and he performs mudi (organ) murders so he can harvest human organs for his spellcraft.
When a black child's body is found in a ditch, it is easy to see it is a mudi murder because the heart is missing. Detectives Harry Morgan and Jacob Tshabalala are assigned the case. While Harry uses tried and true police methods, Jacob believes in the magic of his people. A major heroin bust disrupts the Albino's empire, causing him to commit crime against those that betrayed him. The Albino's empire is linked to the little girl's murder so it is inevitable that he will cross paths with Harry and the police many times. The case is broken wide open by a British reporter who identifies the top guns in the criminal empire. Harry begins to realize there is more to the world of spirits than he ever knew.

The exotic locale and the supernatural beliefs of many people living in South Africa will give armchair travelers a thrill. It is fascinating to watch the metamorphosis of Harry from non-believer to believer. Both Harry and Jacob are well developed characters with demons they have to exorcise if they want to live normal lives. Richard Kunzmann's debut novel is a smash hit.
Harriet Klausner