A Beautiful Place to Die

This book took me to another time and place where the color of your skin could mean everything. Worth the listen!

Well written. The suspense is sustained throughout the book. In addition to a good story, the listener gets an idea of what South Africa was like in the 1950's. I can't wait to listen to the second book in the series.

This is a wonderfully riveting and haunting novel, taking place as it does in a disturbing time in South Africa. The characters are so well-drawn, as are their interactions, that I can see the story unfold in my mind's eye. The historical context makes the story "edge of your seat" suspenseful. It leaves me both outraged and sad as the apartheid attitudes and laws get played out. Cooper and his Zulu constable partner are a great pair, illustrating both the tensions between their races and the potential for good men to do what is right.

I enjoy his narrations every time. His dialogue and accents are always believable. The story and the social environment of apartheid made for great listening.

Although this novel provides fascinating background on the beginning of official apartheid in South Africa, it is first and foremost a murder mystery with great character development and storytelling. I was worried it would be preachy or depressing, but it's not. Definitely worth a listen.

This mystery occurs post WWII in South Africa in the early days of Apartheid under the the Nationalist party. The brutality and degradation of the system is captured in this excellent mystery. I read the second book and then the first book but both are worth reading in any order. Characters are multi-dimensional and complex which added to the reality of the story. The reader is terrific and made the characters come alive. I certainly hope there will be more books to come by this author and reader.