kchisholm's review
1.0
DEAD-END ROAD is third novel Detective Harry Mason novel from South African author Richard Kunzmann - the earlier books are BLOODY HARVESTS and SALAMANDER COTTON. It was the first of this series that I've read, and I'm not sure that was necessarily a wise move.
It's been a couple of years since Harry's last outing and since then he has joined the elite Serious and Violent Crimes unit. They have been assigned to the investigation of the slaying of a minor politician and his family in a township west of Johannesburg. Unsolvable, until a tip sends the unit in pursuit of a vigilante group known as the Guardians headed by two notoriously violent brothers. Things get personally bad for Harry when he is shot during a dawn raid on a remote village in pursuit of the gang.
Part of the reason I picked up this book out of order was for a group read on a discussion list, and one of the participants in that discussion had read the earlier books - which was just as well, as this book didn't seem to work as a stand-alone. Harry, I'm told is a great central character, but as he was shot very early on in this book and didn't really make much of a return appearance he was very hard to assess. Perhaps it was this act that made the book seem to lack purpose or a single focus, but for much of the action I had absolutely and utterly no idea what was going on, who was who and what the whole point was. I actually had to read the blurb to remind myself what this investigation was supposedly all about as cameo appearances from a range of characters who appeared to have no context whatsoever kept coming and going and my grip on the whole thing got fuzzier and fuzzier.
Luckily I've now got the 2 earlier books in the series so I'll pick them up when I get a chance and see if the problem was just this book (which I suspect may have been the case). And the problem with this book could very well have been me - perhaps I wasn't working hard enough, having said that, I'm not sure I want to raise a sweat just to read a book.
It's been a couple of years since Harry's last outing and since then he has joined the elite Serious and Violent Crimes unit. They have been assigned to the investigation of the slaying of a minor politician and his family in a township west of Johannesburg. Unsolvable, until a tip sends the unit in pursuit of a vigilante group known as the Guardians headed by two notoriously violent brothers. Things get personally bad for Harry when he is shot during a dawn raid on a remote village in pursuit of the gang.
Part of the reason I picked up this book out of order was for a group read on a discussion list, and one of the participants in that discussion had read the earlier books - which was just as well, as this book didn't seem to work as a stand-alone. Harry, I'm told is a great central character, but as he was shot very early on in this book and didn't really make much of a return appearance he was very hard to assess. Perhaps it was this act that made the book seem to lack purpose or a single focus, but for much of the action I had absolutely and utterly no idea what was going on, who was who and what the whole point was. I actually had to read the blurb to remind myself what this investigation was supposedly all about as cameo appearances from a range of characters who appeared to have no context whatsoever kept coming and going and my grip on the whole thing got fuzzier and fuzzier.
Luckily I've now got the 2 earlier books in the series so I'll pick them up when I get a chance and see if the problem was just this book (which I suspect may have been the case). And the problem with this book could very well have been me - perhaps I wasn't working hard enough, having said that, I'm not sure I want to raise a sweat just to read a book.
kirstyreadsandcreates's review
4.0
I got this book through the Goodreads First-Reads program.
This book was interesting. I've read many thrillers, but none of them have been based in South Africa. The book is a number of stories rolled into one surrounding the Serious and Violent Crimes unit of the South African police service. The unit are investigating a murder when they receive information about a 'protection' group. The turn their attentions to this group, but then a bomb is detonated in Johannesburg. We then follows the stories and the links between them unfold throughout the book. I also learned a few things about South Africa whilst reading this book - a bonus!
The book is pretty action packed, but not all the way through. I found that it took me a while to get into it and the beginning was a little slower than I'm used to in a thriller. I'm glad I stuck with it though, as the latter part makes up for the slowness of the initial third of the book. The plot develops really well and the characterisation gives the book depth. We really get to know the main characters; and the supporting cast is nicely built too.
I would say that this is more crime than thriller. There isn't the suspense that is present in other thrillers; however this isn't a bad thing. The author clearly knows his subject and it shows in his writing. This was an interesting read and I'd recommend it to fans of both the crime and thriller genres.
This book was interesting. I've read many thrillers, but none of them have been based in South Africa. The book is a number of stories rolled into one surrounding the Serious and Violent Crimes unit of the South African police service. The unit are investigating a murder when they receive information about a 'protection' group. The turn their attentions to this group, but then a bomb is detonated in Johannesburg. We then follows the stories and the links between them unfold throughout the book. I also learned a few things about South Africa whilst reading this book - a bonus!
The book is pretty action packed, but not all the way through. I found that it took me a while to get into it and the beginning was a little slower than I'm used to in a thriller. I'm glad I stuck with it though, as the latter part makes up for the slowness of the initial third of the book. The plot develops really well and the characterisation gives the book depth. We really get to know the main characters; and the supporting cast is nicely built too.
I would say that this is more crime than thriller. There isn't the suspense that is present in other thrillers; however this isn't a bad thing. The author clearly knows his subject and it shows in his writing. This was an interesting read and I'd recommend it to fans of both the crime and thriller genres.
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