As hot, gritty and
as vast as its Karoo countryside setting. (Review by Keith Millar)
Weeping Waters is the excellent English translation by Maya
Fowler and Isobel Dixon of Karin Brynard’s 2009 Afrikaans best-seller Plaasmood (Farm Murder).
This crime-thriller
is as hot, gritty and as vast as the Karoo countryside which serves as the
setting for the story.
It is to a small
town in this arid region that policeman Inspector Albertus Beeslaar has moved
to in an attempt to escape problems, both professional and private, which were
overwhelming him in the big ruthless city of Johannesburg.
Unfortunately his
hopes of peace and quiet are ruined, firstly by a spate of highly organised
stock thefts and then the violent murder of an up and coming artist, Freddie
Swarts, and her adopted daughter on their remote and lonely farm.
The pressure is on
Beeslaar to solve these crimes and the only help he is from his two
inexperienced sergeants, Ghaap and Pyl.
There are many
suspects but prime among them is Freddie’s mysterious bushman farm manager, Dam
De Kok. He, however, has pretty good alibi.
Freddie’s estranged
Sister Sara then appears on the scene and is convinced that the murders are not
typical farm murders and that there are far more sinister forces at play.
Then there are more
murders in the town and the situation escalates out of control with age-old
hostilities surfacing and the local inhabitants mobilising and threatening
violent action.
While Weeping Waters is a crime novel the
story has been interwoven with many of the social and political problems which
are a reality in modern day South Africa.
Other than the
central theme of farm murders the story is also influenced by issues such as
land ownership, sangomas and witchcraft, stock theft, senseless crime and
politically inspired appointments or BEE. Strong emotions, racism,
superstition, political hatred and greed all raise their ugly heads as the
action unfolds.
Author Karin
Brynard worked for many years as a journalist and political correspondent and
has used her knowledge of the socio-political situation in the country, as well
as that of the enigmatic Karoo landscapes to create a backdrop for her novel
which is both realistic and convincing. Her cast of characters are well-rounded
and many carry secrets from the past which add to the drama of the narrative.
Mary Fowler and
Ingrid Dixon’s translation of the original work is impressive. Despite being in
English they have managed to capture the essence and character of the plateland
Karoo environment and its people which, by and large, are Afrikaans orientated. In so doing they have made an important and successful
work available to a far wider audience.
This book is a must
for all lovers of crime fiction.
Weeping Waters is published by Penguin Books, South
Africa. It is available as a Paperback, ISBN 978-0-14-353912-4 or as an eBook
eISNB 978-0-14-353161-6. Recommended Price R235. – Keith Millar
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