The author was new to me and even the setting of a modern South Africa was almost unknown to me. I enjoyed the setting and the characters, especially since they were drawn from all the communities in South Africa. It added to the cachet of the story, added an additional flavour which I think is very typical of South Africa.
A crime, a rather unusual one during the Christmas season sends shock waves through the elite and rich of the country. The founder of Alibi has been found murdered, and Alibi is a very unusual company. It provides alibis (naturally) for anyone wanting a hundred percent cover up of any out of town assignments, and anything extra marital that he wants not traceable by his family. They customize bills, scenarios, conversations, people, meetings so that everything is above board.Uncovering the trail is the Police force whose characters added so much spice to the story.
The unravelling of the story was unusual. It went from the usual suspects - those who stood to lose if Alibi uncovered their secrets to a wine making illustrious family. It covered the wine industry and went back decades to when South African wines were unknown right upto the present position. The history of the Du Toit family alone could have been one novel alone. Coupled with its link to Richter our victim, the story was a good one. One could not have imagined the ending and when it fell into place neatly, one wonders why one did not think of it before! a good who dun it.
This book was sent to me by Netgalley courtesy of Grove Atlantic Atlantic Monthly Press.
I have at least one book by this author I have been meaning to read.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this. It encourages me to read the one I have. I think it will go in my TBR challenge list for 2016.