Irma Venter

Until about 50% of the way into this book I thought it was classic noir set in what is, to me, an exotic location - Tanzania. A mysterious woman, Ranna, a photographer who seems to be a fatal attraction for most of the men who cross her paths. Alex, a journalist at loose ends who is powerfully drawn to her, but is put off by her reluctance to reveal details of her past. A clever detective, Hamisi, hiding his own secrets.

This is all told from Alex's POV with a strong forward momentum, building tension scene after scene.

And then Ranna takes over the story, and the tension dissipates. In the interest of avoiding spoilers I won't say much more except that I felt the suspense of not knowing that imbued Alex's side of the story was frittered away once Ranna, with prodding from Hamisi, shares what haunts her.

I kept hoping that there would be a twist at the end that would salvage my hope for an African noir, but in the end I was disappointed. Factoring in the great beginning and the evocative descriptions of Tanzania and later South Africa, I'm giving it 3 stars, despite the let down of the closing half of the book.… (meer)

Man Down is the second title in Irma Venter’s action-thriller series Rogue, but it reads very well as a standalone. In fact, I think my lack of exposure to the key protagonists only served to heighten the predominantly character-driven cat-and-mouse slow-burn suspense and intrigue in this novel’s first half.

Venter’s contained ensemble cast (in number, not impact) and skilful use of alternating character first-person narratives (a construct I particularly enjoy) delivered compelling character development. Her evocative depiction of the South African setting, a deeply scarred society with unrest simmering under every surface, amplified character tensions and reader suspicions. Continue reading >> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2021/04/man-down-by-irma-venter-review.html… (meer)