South African Crime Thrillers

Perhaps it’s World Cup Fever, or the result of the Oscar nomination for District 9, but according to Library Journal, South Africa is the next hot setting for crime thrillers. A recent article called Passport to Mystery highlighted several popular authors who have new and upcoming titles set in the cities and countryside of South Africa.

In particular, interest in a book called Mixed Blood – a debut novel that features four men – two on the wrong side of the law and two on the right, but none of whom are immune to the secrets from their pasts. According to Library Journal, the book is set to become a movie, with filming starting this fall (spring if you’re in South Africa) with Samuel L. Jackson in one of the main roles.

The last few years have seen Scandinavian authors take a prominent place in the world of international fiction – think Henning Mankell and Steig Larsson and others.

Is South Africa next? Time will tell, although it’s not like this predicted trend represents the first South African set crime novels to hit our shelves. Check out one of these titles so you can impress you can be ahead of the game if this trend gains strength:

Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn
Blood Safari and Devil’s Peak by Deon Meyer
Bloody Harvests by Richard Kunzmann
Cape Greed by Sam Cole
The Innocents by Tatamkulu Afrika