Primary Texts M-Z
Bibliography |
Author Details |
Sub-Genre |
Detective & Paratext |
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Mabaso, Themba. The Mosquito Plot. Johannesburg: Heinemann, 1995. |
With activities designed by Jill Wenman; 1994 illustrations by Lois Neethling. |
YA |
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Macaskill, Glenn. King’s Gold: An Epic Adventure Midst the Ruins of Zimbabwe. Johannesburg: Crest Publishing, 2003. |
Author, publisher |
Adventure / thriller |
Of Royal Blood later published as Kill Victoria! |
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Macgregor, Joanne. Dark Whispers. Pretoria: Protea Boekhuis, 2014. |
Other works for YA |
Thriller |
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Mackenzie, Jassy. My Brother's Keeper. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2009. |
Author. Other works not crime. |
Thriller |
PI Jade de Jong & David Patel. |
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Mackinnon, Clark. Leopard Valley. London: Long, 1963. |
Set in Rhodesia and the Transvaal |
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Maimane, Arthur. Victims / Hate No More. London: Busby, 1976. |
Important local author. Wrote as Arthur Mogale. Also had a short story series in Drum in 1953. |
Detective Chester O. Morena aka The Chief. Re-ed by Kwela in 2000. |
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Makholwa, Angela. Black Widow Society. Johannesburg: Pan Macmillan, 2013. |
PR consultant |
Thriller / chick-lit |
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Mangole, Mpho. Destructive Legacy. Johannesburg: Heinemann, 1996. |
YA |
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Mannheim, Linda. Risk. Johannesburg: Penguin, 2006. |
About the TRC |
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Marnewick, Chris. A Sailor’s Honour. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2011. |
Retired advocate & author. Other works in Afrikaans & true crime. |
Courtroom |
Johannesburg University Prize & K Sello Duiker Prize. Cop Pierre de Villiers. |
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Martin, Ian. Pop-Splat. Gansbaai: Hubris, 2008. |
Thriller |
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Marsh, Rob. Beasts of Prey. Johannesburg: Jacana, 2009. |
Also true crime author |
Thriller |
2009 Captain Russell Kemp. Also published by Human & Rousseau. |
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Masemola, Thabo Nkosinathi. Mixed Signals. Johannesburg: Skotaville, 1993. |
Now a scriptwriter. MA in Creative Writing. |
Bertrams VO Prize for African literature (co-sponsored by Skotaville) |
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McClure, James. Imago: A Modern Comedy of Manners. New York: Penzler Books. 1988. |
SA author, moved to UK |
Police / mystery |
Set in Trekkersburg (Pietermaritzburg); detectives Tromp Kramer & Michael Zondi. Rogue Eagle won the CWA Silver Dagger & The Steam Pig won the Golden Dagger. Also published by Coronet, Soho Crime, The Mysterious Press, and Avon |
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Mendelson, Paul. The First Rule of Survival. London: Constable & Robinson, 2014. |
Other works mostly non-fiction |
Thriller |
Police Vaughn de Vries & Dan February |
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Meyer, Deon. 7 Days. London: Hodder & Stoughton, 2012. |
Afrikaans thriller writer |
Thriller |
Detectives Mat Joubert, Zed van Heerden, Benny Griessel & Lemmer. Also published by Coronet, Grove Press; all Afrikaans titles Tafelberg, now Human & Rousseau. |
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Mhlope, A. A Picture of Innocence. London: Macmillan Pacesetters, 1996. |
YA |
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Miller, Stanley. The Kruger Millions. Cambridge: Vanguard, 2004. |
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Milne, Shirley. False Witness. London, Hale. 1964. |
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Mitford, Bertram. A Frontier Mystery. London: Ward, 1905. |
UK writer who lived in SA, most novels set in SA. |
Adventure |
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Miyeni, Eric. The Release. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2012. |
Actor & author. Other works not crime. |
Thriller |
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Mokae, Gomolemo. The Secret in My Bosom: A Novel. Johannesburg: Vivlia, 1996. |
Author of textbooks, non-fiction, non-English |
YA |
Colonel Makena. Filmed for TV. |
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Morley, Des. The House at Hungry Mountain. London: Robert Hale, 2001. |
SA born |
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Morris, Peter. Bad City. Johannesburg: Real African Publishers, 2013. |
Thriller / noir |
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Munitich, Brenda. Ben's Buddy. Pretoria: De Jager-HAUM, 1987. |
1986 illustrations by Hettie Saaiman |
YA |
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Mzobe, Sifiso. Young Blood. Cape Town: Kwela Books, 2010. |
Journalist |
Crime/ gangster |
Sunday Times Fiction Prize in 2011. |
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Nick, Paige. Death by Carbs. N.p. Bookstorm, 2016. |
Detective Bennie September. Spoof of Tim Noakes’ The Real Meal Revolution. |
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Nicol, Mike. Black Heart. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2011. |
Author & editor of CrimeBeat. Other works not crime |
Thriller |
Security operatives Mace Bishop & Pylon Buso |
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Nicol, Mike and Joanne Hichens. Out to Score. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2006. |
Authors |
Hard-boiled thriller |
PI (former cop) Mullet Mendes & Vincent Saldana. Published in the USA as Cape Greed under pseudonym Sam Cole with Joanne Hichens. |
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Niesewand, Peter. A Member of the Club. London: Secker & Warburg, 1979. |
SA born journalist; worked in Zimbabwe. Other works not crime. |
Spy / thriller |
Set in SA. 1979 Member banned. Also published by Pan. |
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Nkosi, Lewis. Mating Birds. New York: Harper & Row, 1987. |
Protest writer |
Political thrillers / literary fiction |
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Nunn, Malla. A Beautiful Place to Die. Sydney : Macmillan, 2008. |
Swaziland-born author, now lives in Australia. |
Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper. Set in 1950s SA. Also published by Picador Africa, Atria, and Washington Square Press. |
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O’Keefe, Bob. Diamonds can be Dangerous. Pretoria: Spearhead, 1953. |
Non-fiction writer, historian |
Thriller |
IDB, PI & policemen. Dassie Books also CNA (Central News Agency) |
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One Who Was In It. Kruger’s Secret Service. London: John Macqueen, 1900. |
Aka Douglas Blackburn, SA journalist. |
Spy |
Available online |
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Orford, Margie. Blood Rose: A Clare Hart Novel. Cape Town: Oshun, 2007. |
Author |
Mystery / thriller |
Clare Hart |
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Otter, Charlotte. Balthasar’s Gift: A Maggie Cloete Mystery . Cape Town: Modjadji, 2014. |
Journalist. First published in German. |
Thriller |
Crime reporter Maggie Cloete |
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Packer, Joy. The Dark Curtain. London: Methuen, 1971. |
Very successful adventure writer |
Adventure |
Set in SA. Often historical romance, but also crime elements. |
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Park, Tony. Far Horizon. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, 2005. |
Lives in South Africa and Australia. |
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Patterson, A. L. I See the Moon. Johannesburg: Writers Inc, 2003. |
Author & writing training. (Amanda). |
Mystery |
Detective Craig McCloud |
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Penrose, Margaret. Death on the Files. London: John Long, 1961. |
Pseudonym of Margaret Errington |
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Peter, John. Along that Coast. New York: Doubleday, 1964. |
SA-born author, moved to Canada. |
Along That Coast banned – racial tensions, violence. Winner of Doubleday Canadian Novel Prize. |
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Phillips, Mary. The Day of the Dragon: A Simon Dube Adventure. Johannesburg: Justified Press, 1994. |
SA writer. Other works not crime. Also wrote under pseudonym Nandi D'lovu. |
YA mystery |
Simon Dube. Also published by William Waterman. |
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Pitt, Bridget. The Unseen Leopard. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 2010. |
Zimbabwe-born author. Other works not crime. |
Literary fiction |
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Preston-Whyte, Robert. Revenge Cannot Wait. Durban: Writers Circle, 2009. |
Also published by Osborne Porter Literary Services |
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Proctor, Elaine. The Savage Hour. London: Quercus, 2014. |
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Rabie, Sue. Blood at Bay. Cape Town: Human & Rousseau, 2010. |
School librarian |
Thriller |
David Roth |
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Reeve, Brian. A Dangerous Game. Lewes, East Sussex: Book Guild, 2005. |
SA-born author |
Thriller |
Martial arts expert Steiner, former police officer Krige |
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Roberts, David. One Man’s Shadow. Johannesburg: Olive Tree Publishers, 2012. |
Thriller |
Eco themes |
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Roland, Consuelo. Lady Limbo. Johannesburg: Jacana, 2013. |
Other works not crime |
Literary mystery |
Seen as first in a trilogy |
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Rowe, Michele. Hour of Darkness. Cape Town: Penguin, 2015. |
Scriptwriter |
Police procedural |
Detective Persephone Jonas & Dr Marge Labuschagne. Crime Writers Association prize 2011. |
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Sabelo, George. Scar of the Tigers: A Skip Dlamini Thriller. Pietermaritzburg: Shuter & Shooter, 1983. |
Pseudonym |
YA |
Skip Dlamini, SA’s “first black detective” |
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Sampson, Victor. The Murder of Paul Rougier. London: Herbert Jenkins, 1928. |
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Schimmel, Gail. Whatever Happened to the Cowley Twins? Cape Town: Kwela, 2013. |
Other works not crime |
Mystery |
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Scholefield, Alan. A View of Vultures. London: Heinemann, 1966. |
Lives in UK; born & brought up in SA. Aka Lee Jordan. |
Thriller |
Detective Superintendent Gordon Macrae & Leopold Silver |
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Schuster, Anne. Foolish Delusions. Johannesburg: Jacana, 2005. |
Writing training |
Literary fiction |
Researcher Anna Bertrand |
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Scobie, Alastair. The Cape Town Affair. London: Cassell, 1952. |
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Sherlock, Christopher. Call of the Lion. London: Heinemann, 1993. |
UK author who emigrated to SA. |
Thriller / adventure |
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Singh, Anirood. “Road to Redemption.” Thesis, Rhodes U, 2013. |
MA in creative writing |
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Slovo, Gillian. Catnap. London: Michael Joseph, 1994. |
SA origins, but lives in UK. Other works not crime. |
Mystery / literary fiction |
Kate Baeier, PI. Also published by Debner Books, W. W. Norton. |
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Smith, Roger. Capture. London: Serpent’s Tail, 2012. |
Screenwriter |
Thriller |
Some feature Disaster Zondi & Rudi Barnard. Ishmael Toffee is a novella. Also published by Jacana. |
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Smith, Topsy. The Day the Bus Vanished. Cape Town: Nasionale Boekhandel, n.d. |
YA |
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Stander, Siegfried. Flight from the Hunter. Boston: Gollancz, 1977. |
SA writer & journalist |
Political thrillers |
Set in SA. Also Afrikaans novels & non-fiction. Also published by Houghton Mifflin. |
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Stanley, Michael. A Carrion Death. London: Headline, 2008. |
Writing duo Michael Sears & Stanley Trollip |
Mystery |
Botswana; Detective Kubu |
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Starke, Roland. Freedom Ceremony. London: Macdonald’s, 1967. |
SA writer. Other works not crime. |
Thriller |
“Set in the arid, bigoted world of Southern African politics”. Also published by Triton Books. |
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Swanson, Donald. The Freedom Killers. London: Peter Davies, 1961. |
Well-known film-maker. Other works not crime. |
Highveld, Lowveld and Jungle is a short story collection.“Murder in the Game Reserve”. Dassie Books also CNA (Central News Agency) |
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Taylor, Jane. Of Wild Dogs. Cape Town: Double Storey, 2005. |
Scriptwriter & curator |
Mystery / literary fiction |
Olive Schreiner Prize 2006; “a whodunnit with local flavour and postmodern flair” (front cover) |
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Temple, Peter. Bad Debts. San Francisco, Calif.: MacAdam, 2005. |
Born in South Africa, moved to Australia, former journalist. |
Truth won the Miles Franklin Literary Award; White Dog won the Ned Kelly Award for crime fiction. Also published by Cage. |
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Tlholwe, Diale. Ancient Rites. Cape Town: Kwela Books, 2008. |
Author |
Mystery |
SA Literary Award. PI Thabang Maje. |
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Turner, Jann. Heartland. London: Orion, 1997. |
Author & film director |
Mystery / bildungsroman |
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Tyne, John M. Footprints in the Frost. Kloof: Writers' Circle Publishing, [2007] |
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Uys, Ian. The Comrades. Germiston: Uys Publishers, 1987. |
Amateur historian. Other works not crime (mostly non-fiction, history). |
Thriller |
Self-pub |
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Van den Berg, Zirk. Nobody Dies. Auckland: Random House NZ, 2004. |
Originally Afrikaans writer. Emigrated to NZ in 1998. |
Mystery |
Available later in Afrikaans as ’n Ander Mens. |
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Van der Merwe, Carel. No Man’s Land. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2007. |
Author in Afrikaans & English. Other works not crime. |
Suspense / thriller |
Security operative Paul du Toit |
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Van Rensburg, Helen and Louwrens. Death in a Dark Pool. London: Michael Joseph, 1954. |
Thriller / mystery |
Set in Swaziland & SA. Amateur detective. |
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Van Staden, Jef. Lone Fighter. Johannesburg: Vivlia, 1993. |
YA |
Set in SA, Horn of Africa |
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Van Straten, Cicely. Caddie for a Crook. Pretoria: Juventus, 1980. |
YA |
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Van Zyl, P. R. The Prosecutor. New York: Berkeley, 1974. |
SA writer & lawyer |
Courtroom |
Blurb: “A prosecutor in love with the woman he’s sworn to convict – the most shattering courtroom drama since Anatomy of a Murder!” Also published by Putnam. |
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Veeran, Naresh. 31 Million Reasons. Durban: Niche Media Network, 2007. |
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Venter, Al J. Soldier of Fortune. London: WH Allen, 1980. |
SA non-fiction writer |
Thriller |
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Villiers, M. D. City of Blood. Cape Town: Random House, 2013. |
SA author living in London. (Martie) |
Thriller |
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Vladislavic, Ivan. 101 Detectives. Cape Town: Umuzi, 2015. |
Author, other works not crime. |
Literary fiction |
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Von Klemperer, Margaret. Just a Dead Man. Johannesburg: Jacana, 2012. |
Editor & journalist |
Mystery |
Amateur detective |
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Walton, Chris. Sound Bites: A Novel. Johannesburg: Jacana Media, 2006. |
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Walus, Yvonne Eve. Murder @ Play. N. p.: Echelon Press, 2009. |
Lives in NZ. Other works not crime. |
Mystery |
Christine Chamberlain. Self-pub. |
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Watson, Mary. The Cutting Room. Cape Town: Penguin, 2013. |
Psych thriller |
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Webster, Elizabeth Charlotte. Pot Holes; An Adventure of the Diamond Fields. Johannesburg: Dassie Books, 1927. |
SA writer. Other works not crime. |
Adventure |
Also published in England by Chapman & Hall. Dassie Books also CNA (Central News Agency) |
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West, Nick. Absence of Innocence. Hertford, England: Authors Online, 2006. |
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Westrup, William. Shadows in the Water. London: John Lang, 1929. |
UK-born writer lived in SA. Other works not crime. |
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Wiles, Frank J. Hell of Make Believe. London: Research Publishing, 1978. |
Lived in SA |
Set in SA |
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Williams, Michael. Hijack City: A Jake Mulligan Mystery. Cape Town: OUP SA, 2009. |
YA |
Jake Mulligan, Cape Town Murder & Robbery. Winner of Percy FitzPatrick Award 2004. |
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Xenopoulos, Rahla. Bubbles: A Novel. Johannesburg: Penguins, 2012. |
Other works not crime |
True crime / thriller |
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Zaffron, Morad. The Cure. Johannesburg: Real African Publishers, 2013. |
Doctor & author |
Medical thriller |
Additional Authors
Mukoma wa Ngugi (Kenyan author) is being published by Kwela in Cape Town (titles Nairobi Heat and Killing Sahara). C. M. Elliott, Sibanda and the Rainbird and Sibanda and the Death’s Head Moth (set in Zimbabwe, published SA?)
Afrikaans authors increasingly available in English, e.g. Karin Brynard.
Meshack Masondo has a slew of crime novels to his name. He is much degreed with an MA dissertation on ‘The detective novel in Zulu: Form and theme in C.T. Msimang’s Walivuma Icala’. Currently he works as a publishing manager with Macmillan in Johannesburg.
Novels: Iphisi Nezinyoka (1990), Isigcawu Senkantolo (1990), Ingwe Nengonyama (1994), Ingalo Yomthetho (1994), Kanti Nawe? ( 1995), and Ngaze Ngazenza (1994).
Sepedi Crime Fiction as detailed by Professor M J Mojalefa. For his paper see http://www.up.ac.za/dspace/bitstream/2263/5790/1/Mojalefa_Mystery(2007).pdf
Last Modified :Fri, 12 Aug 2016 10:43:10 SAST