One Fine Day is the fourth thriller by award-winning journalist and entrepreneur, Irna Van Zyl, her previous titles being the critically-acclaimed Dead In the Water, Death Cup and Blood Stone. One Fine Day is apparently her first foray into the psychological thriller genre.
If you are an Irna Van Zyl fan and intend reading her latest offering, be sure to keep your wits about you, as the story jumps from the present to five years ago, to 21 years ago.
Each chapter heading for the flashbacks is clearly labelled with the time period and who the chapter subject is, so be aware, as there are several viewpoints concerning the events leading up to the sudden disappearance of Louw Roodt, sparking much consternation for her partner/lover Kristien Liebenberg and friends – the pot-smoking, cat-loving Zanie Arendse and Niklaas, the one everyone turns to in times of crisis.
As the story twists and turns, we find out more and more about the out-of-the-blue event that initiates the narrative – the hijacking and vicious assault of Louw’s mother one otherwise fine day. Louw has never forgotten the incident and even 25 years later, is still bearing the psychological scars, desperate to discover the real story behind the horrifying incident. Does it have anything to do with her long-dead father, his second family, and a set of twins, or is it simply a street person who saw an opportunity and took it?
Kristien cannot believe that her lover could have had anything to do with a crime she would appear to be fleeing from – the murder of a motivational speaker she had a problem with in the past. But what other reason could there be for her disappearance? Kristien has to confront her worst fears – has Louw been in an accident? Has she tired of Kristien and started having an affair with someone else, male or female? Has she been the victim of a hijacking or an assault, like her mother?
One Fine Day is a good read, especially if you are familiar with the geographical layout of Cape Town and the Western and Eastern Capes.
One Fine Day is published by Penguin. ISBN 978-1-48590-444-1 – Barry Meehan
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