Blessed Are The Dead

Detective Emmanuel Cooper #3

by Malla Nunn

Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper returns in this powerful, atmospheric novel about two communities forced to confront each other after a murder that exposes their secret ties and forbidden desires in apartheid South Africa, by award-winning author Malla Nunn. The body of a beautiful seventeen-year-old Zulu girl, Amahle, is found covered in wildflowers on a hillside in the Drakensberg Mountains, halfway between her father’s compound and the enormous white-owned farm where she worked. Detective Sergeant Cooper and Detective Constable Samuel Shabalala are sent to the desolate landscape to investigate. They soon discover that Amahle’s life was woven into both the black and white communities in ways they could never have imagined. Cooper and Shabalala must enter the guarded worlds of a traditional Zulu clan and a divided white farming community to gather up the secrets she left behind and bring her murderer to justice. In a country deeply divided by apartheid, where the law is bent as often as it is broken, Emmanuel Cooper fights against all odds to deliver justice and bring together two seemingly disparate and irreconcilable worlds despite the danger that is arising.

Genres: Mystery, Africa, South Africa, Fiction, Crime, Historical Fiction, Audiobook

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 19, 2012

About the author

Malla Nunn grew up in Swaziland before moving with her parents to Perth in the 1970s. She attended university in WA and then in the US. In New York, she worked on film sets, wrote her first screenplay and met her American husband to be, before returning to Australia, where she began writing and directing short films and corporate videos. Fade to White, Sweetbreeze and Servant of the Ancestors have won numerous awards and been shown at international film festivals, from Zanzibar to New York.

Her first novel, A Beautiful Place to Die (2008), was published internationally and won the Sisters in Crime Davitt Award for Best Adult Crime Novel by an Australian female author. Malla and her husband live in Sydney with their two children.

Reviews

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the third novel in Malla Nunn's excellent Emmanuel Cooper series set in the South Africa of the 1950s during apartheid. Cooper and his assistant from the native police, Sergent Shabalala, are sent to the Drakensberg Mountains to investigate the murder of a maid from one of the English cattle stations. A beautiful Zulu woman, favoured by the English family and adored by the youngest son, Gabriel, Amahle is also the daughter of a powerful Zulu chief. Racial tensions are threatening to boil over unless Cooper can find Ahmahle's killer. Cooper finds the local police strangely uncooperative and the local doctor unwilling to conduct an autopsy so he must use all his skills and those of Shabalala to investigate and question the Zulus as well as the hostile landholders.

Cooper's and Shabalala's lives and careers are threatened as they follow dead ends and twists in the plot until they finally understand who killed Amahle and why and find a very clever way of exposing the killer. The strength of this series is in the ongoing development of the characters of the two detectives and their close relationship and understanding. The complexities of life in South Africa in the 1950s is also well depicted in the depictions of the warring tribes of Zulus, the English cattlemen and Afrikaan landholders.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper along with Detective Constable Samuel Shabalala was sent from Durban to the Drakensberg Mountains by Colonel van Niekerk to investigate a murder, they had no idea it would lead them deep into the racial wars between the black and white communities in the area. The beautiful Zulu teenager, seventeen year old Amahle looked almost like she was sleeping; covered in wildflowers with a blanket for her pillow. But Cooper knew she was dead; the wailing of the women keeping guard over her body; the threatening posture of the Zulu males with their spears and shields keeping watch – entering this private, grieving world had to be done with extreme care.

To discover who murdered this girl whose life had just begun meant delving into the white farming community where she worked, as well as her home kraal where the chief was all powerful; his son a protector who needed answers – blood for blood – and Amahle’s mother who was cowered and filled with grief. Shabalala by his side meant Cooper was able to interview the Zulu workers as well as the white farmers. But the frustrations kept mounting; the secrets were deep and the murderer even deeper. Would they find the answers? The divisions caused by apartheid filled the investigation with danger – danger to the police detectives; but danger also to the people of a lawless country if it were seen that they were helping the police. Would Cooper eventually find justice for Amahle?

I thoroughly enjoyed Blessed Are the Dead which is the third in the Detective Emmanuel Cooper series by Aussie author Malla Nunn. A fast paced novel with twists and turns throughout, the tension and suspense are gripping. I love the two main characters; Cooper and Shabalala, their easy friendship but also the knowledge by Shabalala that Cooper is his baas (in front of strangers anyway!) Blessed Are the Dead is a thoroughly enjoyable crime/mystery novel which I have no hesitation of recommending. I’m really looking forward to reading the fourth in the series; Present Darkness.

[Pedro · Rating 3 out of 5]

La novela transcurre en el año 1953, y comienza en Durban (Sudáfrica) cuando al Detective Cooper y su Ayudante nativo Shabalala, reciben órdenes de investigar un posible homicidio en las afueras de un pueblo ubicado en los montes Drakensberg (entonces parte de Sudáfrica, actualmente en la República de Lesotho).

La asesinada resulta ser Amalhe, una joven bella, hija del jefe Zulú de la zona, y los detectives se verán envueltos en intrigas de poder e intereses entre ingleses, descendientes de holandeses o bóers (los primeros colonizadores, que fueron luego descastados con la conquista inglesa) y los zulú, etnia mayoritaria en la zona, y que tiene sus propias reglas y explicaciones para los fenómenos; y circunstancialmente, algún inmigrante indio, como es frecuente en África Oriental.

Los personajes están bien delineados, en especial Cooper, con sus secuelas psíquicas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y el pragmático Shabalele, un hombre inteligente que, a pesar de su traje y su sombrero, sabe que su suerte depende de que guarde el lugar que corresponde a un kaffir en una sociedad racista.

La novela es un policial clásico, con muchos enredos, y con el trasfondo multicultural y estratificado ya mencionado. La primera parte me pareció sumamente atractiva y me costó despegarme de la lectura; y desde la mitad en adelante la lectura se hace un poco menos ágil, tal vez por su prolongación excesiva, o por los interminables enredos y contramarchas de la investigación. Y no faltan, como corresponde a este género, algunos encuentros sexuales salpicados por aquí y por allá.

En síntesis, una buena novela, con el plus del trasfondo cultural y político en un período determinado de la historia.

Malla Nunn nació en Eswatini, también conocida como Swazilandia, pequeño país en la frontera entre Sudáfrica y Mozambique. Desde su juventud se trasladó con su familia a diversos países, completando sus estudios universitarios en Australia, donde reside actualmente. Es la autora de una serie de libros policiales protagonizados por el Detective Cooper y situados en el sur de África.

Nota
Ésta es la segunda novela policial consecutiva que leo. Sean del lugar que fueran, siempre han tenido un efecto benéfico sobre la serenidad de mi mente, a veces exigida tratando de comprender y vivir con los protagonistas, historias ubicadas en contextos culturales y políticos muy diferentes al mío. Y a veces es un desafío, ya que no soy capaz de separar y hacer una lectura analítica (como quien mira desde afuera), sino que la lectura tiende a ser comprehensiva, inmerso en la historia, y padeciendo con el sufrimiento de los personajes. Éste modo de leer puede ser más duro, aunque es mucho más enriquecedor, y creo que vale la pena. De todos modos no puedo leer de otra manera.

[Sue Gerhardt Griffiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book three in the Detective Emmanuel Cooper series, set in 1950s, South Africa.
I was a little bored with the book so I switched to the audiobook and enjoyed it more as Humphrey Bower the narrator made it interesting with his accents.

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Let The Dead Lie I was eager to dive into Silent Valley, the third installment of Malla Nunn's Detective Emmanuel Copper series set in Southern Africa in the 1950's. Silent Valley picks up a short time after Let The Dead Lie ends with Emmanuel on his first real case since being reinstated to the force. Along with Native Constable Samuel Shabalala, Colonel van Niekerk has sent Emmanuel to a small rural town where a homicide has been reported, what they find is the posed body of a dead Zulu girl, the daughter of a local cheiftan, with no visible signs of injury. Though under orders to wrap the investigation quickly and return to Durban, solving the murder is proving to be difficult being as it is complicated by a lazy local cop, a corrupt station owner, an arrogant chief and a reluctant doctor. Finding Mr Insurance Policy might just crack the case wide open, but things are never quite that simple for Detective Emmanuel Cooper.

The plotting of Silent Valley is superb, there are numerous twists and turns that kept me guessing almost the entire way through the novel. Emmanuel and Shabalala have to use every bit of their combined knowledge and skills to find the murderer and, as usual, Emmanuel can't help but step on a few toes in the process. He puts the town's Constable offside almost immediately by questioning his competence, while a powerful white local family, the son of whom is a suspect, wants the whole matter quashed and pulls strings within the CID to place pressure on Emmanuel. It seems that everyone is this community has secrets that would prefer remain hidden and none take kindly to Emmanuel investigating them. Emmanuel is not willing to give up though and continues to follow leads even those that seem to pull him in opposite directions.
I really liked the way Shabalala's unique skills are brought the the fore in Silent Valley. The Zulu culture is an important feature of the story and as a Shangaan Zulu, Shabalala helps interpret the beliefs and motives of the local Zulu tribe. His tracking and keen observation abilities are also integral to Emmanuel considering and dismissing suspects and Shabalala gains more confidence in his partnership with Emmanuel in this more familiar setting.
It is Colonel Van Niekerk that insists on the involvement of Dr Zweigman in the case when the local medic, Dr Helen Dagliesh proves reluctant to assist with determining the cause of the girl's death. The three men, Emmanuel, Shabalala and the Doctor, are a formidable team as always, but on this case, their refusal to back down results in a life threatening injury to the 'old Jew'.

While solving the murder of Amahle remains the central focus of the novel, Nunn continues to explore the culture of Southern Africa in the 1950's. The stark realities of Apartheid are ever present and Nunn also explores the conflict between white Afrikaners and the English.
Tribalism and witchcraft also play a part as the investigation involves a local Zulu tribe.

Silent Valley is my favourite of this high quality crime series so far and leaves me eager for the next. With intelligent writing, intriguing story and appealing characters, the Detective Emmanuel series should be on everybody's reading list.

**Click here to listen to my chat with Malla Nunn about Silent Valley at my blog, Book'd Out**

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5★ These are reliably good reads. I like Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper and Detective Constable Samuel Shabalala and I’m keen to finish the series (only one book to go). I feel sorry for DS Cooper having to play the game of keeping his superiors appeased while trying to track down murderers and employing methods that don’t always keep his superiors happy. He treats people with respect even if the apartheid system doesn’t class some people as worthy of a white man’s respect, which is another dangerous game at times.

I'm looking forward to the next one.

[Irene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black magic muti, a sangnoma and a murder on the veld in a 1950's South African country side. A Zulu Police Constable with uncanny tracking skills, a Jewish doctor who made it through the war in Germany, and a "white" Police Detective Emmanuel Cooper are together again to solve the crime. Cultural differences abound but their saying is that they learn from each other as they go along...and then they keep on learning a bit more. I enjoyed this book more than the first of the series which was pretty good standing by itself. Twists and turns along with almost poetic descriptions of the landscape I love to imagine, this series is one I will continue to read for sure.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

The third story featuring Emmanuel Cooper, a war traumatised Detective in 1950's South Africa. The characters are great and the setting is fascinatingly scary and alien - the thought "why do we need sci-fi?" has entered my mind more than once reading these.

All this said, the story in this one did not grip me as hard as the previous two. This might be me as I've had a period with little time, ending up reading late and frequently doing a retake next night on account of half falling asleep... Despite this, it's been a good read, so chances are you'll have a better experience.

[Pam Tickner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this author through book club and enjoyed the story telling and have now read the 3rd in the series. Apart from being just a good detective novel, it explores what it would be like to live in South Africa in the 1950's from multiple view points. I would recommend this.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Emmanuel Cooper books by Malla Nunn, set in 1950's South Africa, are another excellent series in what is luckily now becoming a bigger range of crime fiction set in various parts of Africa. SILENT VALLEY (aka BLESSED ARE THE DEAD) is the third book now, centred around Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper, a policeman with plenty of demons from his past. Knowing that his past is closely intertwined with a society based on Apartheid will help the reader understand some of the difficulties that Cooper faces, just as understanding the intrinsic brutality of that system will give his struggle context.

Not that these books over-bake the personal situations, but the death of seventeen-year-old Amahle, daughter of a Zulu chief, in a society fraught with complications, inevitably takes everyone into the personal. Especially as there is no obvious motive for the death of a girl who, on the face of it, was destined for traditional marriage and life. There's a clever balancing act going on in this book - whilst the death of Amahle remains the central focus of Cooper and his investigation, the reader is also provided with a very personal and telling look into the nature of Apartheid. There is an extra element to that - not just the tension between black and white; but also the tension between the White Boer settlers and the later English arrivals.

In the middle of what is basically a whole heap of mistrust and dislike, there's some very well written individual characterisations and some touching partnerships. Cooper and his colleague, Zulu Constable Shabalala share a respect and understanding which is obviously outside the boundaries of racial acceptability, to say nothing of police procedure and hierarchy. In much the same way Cooper is able to reach out to the young British son of a local farmer, regarded as wild and not a little odd, Cooper and Gabriel connect - perhaps their mutual difference being part of what makes them work together. Really, that concept of difference being a connecting point weaves it's way through the entire narrative with so many of the characters prepared, often seemingly required, to be different, to survive in a society which most definitely does not approve.

What's particularly interesting is the way that this series is progressing. The first two books - A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE, and LET THE DEAD LIE - introduced Cooper, established the brutality of the world in which he lives, and set about creating a character who is real, conflicted and complex; somebody who is profoundly affected by the events that happen around him.

SILENT VALLEY takes another step forward again, building in a stronger sense of place and the different groups within the society. The inclusion of a strong Zulu cultural, societal and family environment into this book adds an extra layer to the ongoing storyline, and to reader's understanding of the complications of 1950's South Africa that was moving and instructive.

Part of what is really working in this series is the progression, and the way that the characters and the sense of place is building. SILENT VALLEY could work on some level as a standalone, but there will be a greater understanding of the characters and the place if you can read the series in order. If you've not caught up with any of Malla Nunn's Emmanuel Cooper books - now is as good a time as any.

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars
This is the 3rd book in the detective Emmanuel Cooper series. Malla Nunn's books provide a great sense of time and place, and as you read the unraveling of some very intriguing mysteries you also learn much of the racial and class differences enforced by law with the beginning of apartheid. Such prejudices were widely held before the legal system forbade any mixing of black and white people, and the white citizens got all the privileges and the black could not hope for anything more than servile positions or poorly paid labor work.
I felt that the first book in the series gave a better understanding of the system as it emphasized the class differences between the Afrikaners (Dutch early settlers) and the English settlers.In this book we have a wealthy English farming family and a poorer Afrikaan family, but are not given reason for why they do not mix in this society and their dislike for one another..
Cooper is an interesting character. He is still haunted by his experiences as a soldier in WW2. His identity card classifies him as White , but he may have some mixed blood in his background. In the second book he was reclassified for a time as Colored (meaning anyone of mixed race, also East Indian, etc.) This was one category above Black. In the second book we saw how Cooper's new classification changed his status in society. Cooper works closely with a Zulu constable, who cannot by law drive a car and cannot enter many places open to Cooper, but his knowledge of bush tracking, and understanding and ability to communicate with the natives is invaluable. The two have become great friends which is considered wrong by many.
Cooper and the Zulu detective, Shabalala, are sent to a remote area to investigate the murder of a beautiful black teenaged girl, daughter of a Zulu chief. They are given the case because the killing of a native is not considered a priority.
When it appears that a white person may be involved, Cooper is withdrawn from the case due to political pressure. He stays behind to be Shabalala's driver, while he disobeys and continues to investigate the crime. A Jewish doctor has been called in to conduct the autopsy on the murdered girl. He cannot stay at a hotel because of his race, and stays with the local doctor who has refused to examine the dead native girl.Soon another dead body is discovered of a native man who had a crush on the dead girl. Both have been killed in the same way by unusual method. There is also a wild feral child, a son of the wealthy English family. Today he might be classified as autistic, but in considered crazy by some and to have magical powers by others. The dead girl worked for his family and was given special privileges which the other servants did not have.
I love a book that transports you to another place and time. This has well developed interesting characters, and you also learn much about South Africa's troubled history in her books. Hoping to read more about Emmanuel Cooper in the future.

[Kwei Quartey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an intriguing new novel from Malla Nunn, author of A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE. When the body of a lovely seventeen-year-old is found in the Drakensberg Mountains of South Africa, Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper and Detective Constable Samuel Shabalaba are sent to the stark area to investigate.

Set in 1950s apartheid South Africa, the Detective Cooper series is quite unique. Malla's writing soars with each successive novel. I wish I could come up with some of her visual metaphors in my own writing! "Bagley held out his hands, as if trying to stop time." How perfect is that? Her characters take sharp form in the mind of the reader. I also love the relationship between Cooper and Shabalala. They really care about and respect each other in a way that must have been almost unheard of back then - perhaps even now. Shabalala is circumspect in a most endearing manner while being smart, perceptive, and an excellent tracker - not to mention being quite a hunk of a guy.

Malla beautifully portrays the proud and magnificent Zulu against the background of the shabby and disgusting hierarchical apartheid system, which was full of guilty and hypocritical pleasures at every level: black with white, English with Afrikaans. Malla weaves all this sin and taboo skillfully into the fabric of the story, making every twist and turn before the final climax make complete sense.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hooray for easy-to-read detective novels with a little bit of extra flavour to keep things exciting. It's like going to your dependable local curry house and discovering a new kind of korma. Nothing revolutionary, but it shakes up a Friday night.

'Blessed Are The Dead' is one of those. It's got all the familiar components of a murder mystery (read: your regular takeaway) - maverick male detective, a faithful sidekick, and a whole gaggle of believable suspects. But set it in the Drakensberg Mountains among the Zulu of Southern Africa and suddenly you've got some exciting new flavours. The landscape becomes vivid and relevant, and the novel's fabric takes on the texture of local custom: assegai spears and bride prices; colour-lines and witch doctors.

A good supper of a book, without having to venture too far beyond your literary comfort zone.

[Viccy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmanuel Cooper has worked his way back into the good graces of the Johannesburg, South Africa C.I.D. Cooper is awakened in the middle of the night by a phone call from his boss, sending him out into the veldt to investigate a murder. Turns out the murdered girl is the daughter of a Zulu chief who expected her to fetch a good bride price. As Emmanuel investigates, he determines the dead girl had many enemies. Soon, another dead body turns up and the hunt intensifies. This is a very interesting series of books with great insight into the troubled history of South Africa. Commended for the setting as well as the history. It is too easy to forget our own past.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Malla Nunn found her muse again with "Blessed Are The Dead." Perhaps Cooper and Shabalala didn't speak to her in Book #2, but they are back in good form in Book #3. Like the other two books in the series, this one offers a look into South African life in the 1950s all the while telling a good crime story.

[Buchdoktor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inhalt
Im fiktiven Roselet in den südafrikanischen Drakensbergen wird die Leiche der bildhübschen Amahle gefunden, eines Mädchens vom Stamm der Zulu. Detective Emmanuel Cooper spricht zwar seit seiner wilden Kindheit leidlich Zulu, ohne die Feinfühligkeit seines Constables Shabalala vom Stamm der Zulu wäre er in der heiklen Ermittlung jedoch aufgeschmissen. Seit der Mordfall an Coopers Dienststelle in Durban gemeldet wurde, nicht etwa an die örtliche Polizeidienststelle, scheint nichts normal und Cooper sitzt im Südafrika zur Zeit der Apartheid zwischen allen Stühlen. Amahles Vater, ein mächtiger Stammeshäuptling, betrachtet seine Tochter als Kapital, das ihm spätestens mit ihrer Verheiratung zufallen wird; ihre Arbeitgeber, die Familie Reed, sind einflussreiche Farmer britischer Herkunft, die sich Weißen mit niederländischen Vorfahren naturgemäß überlegen fühlen, während der Ortspolizist im provinziellen Hierarchiegespinst vorsichtshalber den Kopf einzieht und den Unwissenden spielt. Der vom Krieg gebrochene Emmanuel hat in schwierigen Situationen noch immer die Stimme seines britischen Armee-Seargants aus dem Zweiten Weltkrieg im Ohr. Zu Shabalala und ihm gesellt sich auch in diesem Fall der jüdische Dr. Zweigman, dessen Kinder in einem deutschen KZ ums Leben gekommen sind. In den Figuren von Shabala und Zweigman führt Malla Nunn pointiert Südafrikas Rassentrennung ad absurdum. Der Zwei-Meter-Mann Shabalala wird von Weißen ungehindert mit „Boy“ angesprochen und darf in ihren Haushalten nur „draußen“ mit den Landarbeitern essen; für Zweigman als Juden gibt es in Roselet kein Hotelzimmer. Ihr zugeteilter Platz in einem rassistischen System bestimmt die Motive, aus denen die Beteiligten handeln; aber erst Coopers und Shabalalas Händchen für Sonderlinge, die vom vorgezeichneten Weg abweichen, führt schließlich zur Lösung.

Fazit
Die Ermittlungen folgen sozialen Normen in einem komplexen System der Rassentrennung. Mala Nunn gibt tiefen Einblick in südafrikanische Verhältnisse in den 50ern des vorigen Jahrhunderts - aus dem für die Zeit charakteristischen Blickwinkel, dass weiße Männer über die restliche Bevölkerung herrschen und weiße Frauen das als naturgegeben hinnehmen.

Zitat
„Emmanuel schritt davon, bevor sie davon anfangen konnte, dass die meisten Leute in Roselet eigentlich braves Landvolk wären, herzensgut und gastfreundlich. Jeder Südafrikaner war ein ganz vernünftiger Mensch innerhalb der Grenzen seiner eigenen Familie und seiner eigenen Rasse. Es waren die Schnittstellen, an denen sie tödlich versagten.“ (Seite 170)

[Dora Okeyo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Publishers Weekly deems this book "Stellar!"
They may be right. It begins with the death of a beautiful teenage girl, Amahle, and she is the daughter of a Zulu Chief. Her body is found on the remote foothills of the mountains and Detective Sergeant Emmanuel Cooper is assigned the case from Durban and as he begins his investigation, he soon learns that in a community grappling with tribalism, racism, sexism and a balance of power that solving the case will take more than his expertise.

The relationship between Shabalala and Emmanuel in this case is one of equal partnership. Though of different races and social class, the two understand each other so well that reading their dialogues was enjoyable.

[Claire O'Brien · Rating 4 out of 5]

My new favourite thing in the world of reading is doing reading challenges, as it's a great way to discover new writers, including Malla Nunn. I thoroughly enjoyed this detective story set in 1950s South Africa. An easy read with great characters that kept me intrigued til the end.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

nearly 4.5. :)

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even if the culprit's not a surprise,this is a great series with one of the best duos in crime fiction. Excellent depiction of South Africa in the 40-50s too.

[Antonio · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5⭐

[Ruci Tukana · Rating 4 out of 5]

●Silent Valley by Malla Nunn (McMillan by Pan Macmillian Australia)

The body of Amahle, a beautiful, seductive , fought for daughter of the Zulu chief was found on a hillside. It was guarded and covered with wild flowers.
Sgt Cooper and Constable Shabalala roamed the wild valley and hillside to solve the murder mystery. The people were silent about Amahle's murder. Cooper and Shanalala even ventured to the Chief's compound to apprehend the suspect. It was none other than the chief's fifth wife, the red crown witch .
The book is an interesting read if you have sincere interest in crime & detective. It is a blend of crime and historical fiction.
The racial discrimination is no joke. ...'the hotel doesn't take natives or certain types of Europeans..The right to discriminate was enshrined in law and perfectly legal...'(p 168)The domination of whites through colonialism is clearly spelled here. The servants are mainly natives refer to as kaffirs. The whites are more powerful. Racism/Racial apatheid is a fact in Africa.
I admire Cooper's boldness and stout heart in investigating. He conftonts and threats his suspects but he treats his black Constable counterpart with respect. Shabalala on the other hand is submissive and cooperative. He is never swayed by the whites' opinion.
....'they have kaffir detectives now...'(p 131). I deeply admire their understanding and mutual respect for each other. A shinning diamond of the story!
A lot of privacy is uncovered in the course of investigation. 1) Bagley's lies and corrupted dealing with Amahle . To me, such officers deserves to be sacked or rot in jail. 2) Amahle's attitude. A girl with modern taste. She wants a house, a car and a business. She manipulates Phulani easily. Here is a girl who longs to break away from her society's cultural norm to live her dreams. Unfortunately, she is killed through jealousy. 3) Lesbianism. Ella and Karin are secret lovers . They have been caught in the act which is considered a serious crime. I have learnt that even in isolation, you can still practise forbidden love. ( Who am I to judge?). Aptly stated, the valley has so many silent issues.
The novel is a good read . Its only when we are introduced to another place which has different set of cultural values and beliefs then we will understand the things around us better.

[Book Him Danno · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. As an avid reader of police procedurals I am always on the lookout for a great series and Malla Nunn has really delivered with Blessed are the Dead. A beautiful Zulu girl has been found dead in the remote farming country of 1950’s apartheid South Africa and our troubled white police detective, with his native partner in tow, has been sent to dig in to the case.

The crime scene offers up very few clues, but just enough information for our team to start asking questions. Questions lead to more clues, more suspects, and so on until our wide circle slowly begins to tighten down on a few good possibilities. Nunn manages to keep the conclusion at a distance but allows you the reader to arrive at it simultaneously with the police. There are no jumps of logic or giant clues just falling in their path; they get to their killer one step at a time bringing you along for the ride. That is the hallmark of a masterful police procedural.

The book also offers up an indirect commentary on apartheid and racism in general, not only as it relates to blacks (natives) and whites, but the whole range of society and where each person fits into it. The different ranking order of the Dutch Afrikaners versus the British born farmers versus the Jewish Doctor was something I did not understand previously. Nunn opens this 1950’s world in a way that makes it seem more real as opposed to the blanket statements to be found in history texts.

But well written crime doesn’t come down to over the top killers or plots, rather it is firmly settled in the human flaws that have been with us since the beginning of time; Greed, Love, Jealousy, etc. At the end of the day most horrific acts are performed for the most commonplace reasons. Blessed are the Dead is a terrific look into these basest of emotions. Nunn has created a timeless mystery, a crime that could happen in 1950’s South Africa, or on your block tomorrow. This is definitely an author I will read their backlist and in turn keep on reading for as many books as they care to write.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not much interested in detective novels, but I make an exception for Malla Nunn’s Emmanuel Cooper Mystery series because the novels are a blend of crime fiction with historical fiction set in the apartheid era in South Africa. As I said in my review of A Beautiful Place to Die, this series is

… much more than genre fiction. It reminded me of the best of Graham Greene in the way that the novel explores how context and culture impact on crime and justice, and how survival in an intransigently corrupt society involves an existential struggle between integrity and resignation to the inevitable.

Set in the 1950s i.e. before the British Dominion known as the Union of South Africa became a republic in 1960, the series consists of
1.A Beautiful Place to Die, see my review
2.Let the Dead Die, read but not reviewed because I couldn’t renew the book at the library and *smacks forehead* then forgot about it
3.Blessed are the Dead (also published as Silent Valley)
4.Present Darkness (on the TBR)

Blessed are the Dead again features Detective Sergeant Emmanual Cooper and his sidekick Zulu Detective Constable Shabalala out in the backblocks miles from Durban. High up in the Drakensberg Mountains, the land is farmed by people who live in a strict hierarchy based on colour and ethnicity backed up by legalised racial discrimination. The wealthy White English and the dirt poor White Afrikaaners treat each other with mutual disdain but they both consider themselves superior to Jews who have survived the Holocaust and the dispossessed Zulus who live in the kraals and cling to traditional ways.

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[Lars · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was very impressed by the first book of the series and I liked the second novel. With the third case of Emmanuel Cooper, the author returns to the countryside. Again, Malla Nunn does very well in giving a vivid and scenic description of South Africa in the 1950s. Even better, her style of writing improved – I criticized the first book for being too redundant in some parts. That changed for good in this novel, while the author preserved her other strengths - for example the skilled description of the male protagonist with all his mental confusion but also moral steadfastness. The case itself is a good mix of suspense, stringency and surprise.

Again, the unusual connection between the white Detective Emmanuel Cooper and his black Constable Shabalala gives a very interesting touch to the narration. The only thing I have to grumble about is that Cooper is almost too good for his world. Even in darkest times of Apartheid, he constantly sees the human being and not only the skin color. That's what makes him likeable, but on the other hand, it is a very contemporary, political correct point of view. In other words: The omniscient narrator alienates the protagonist from the story. But overall, I am really looking forward to the fourth part of the series.

[Yasmin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say this straight away when I picked up the book I didn't know it was a detective/mystery story. I generally steer clear of those as I have mentioned in a previous review the storylines are always the same. This one wasn't part of the usual pattern altogether, however, it's still a mystery to me is how I find a character in the book suspicious and the detective and sidekick doesn't. I suppose that is why the genre can be "mystery" what happens to the characters isn't a mystery it's how the reader can view the story's workings that's the mystery. It was interesting to read. In my case I was wondering how long it was going to take for the detective and sidekick to catch up with my thinking. It's always at the end. But I wonder why the two detective stories I've read the main protagonist has issues with their past? Is that a chief requirement for the job description? One has to have past history of a problematic kind before you can join the ranks. As with the last book it doesn't feed my need for detective books.

[Pamela Mclaren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing story by Malla Nunn that shares so much about the culture and history of South Africa. In this story, Det. Sgt. Emmanuel Cooper and Det. Constable Samuel Shabalala are sent out to solve the murder of a 17-year-old Zulu girl, the daughter of a chief who worked at a white owned farm. Almost right from the start Cooper finds problems: although the girl was reported missing, the local police did not react or even note her disappearance; her father seems more concerned about the loss of her bride price than her death but her brother and his band of men seem intent on assaulting anyone and everyone involved. This is a mystery shrouded in traditions and layers of history on black and white behavior, tribal justice and the value of a black person. I had a hard time putting this down.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great installment in Malla Nunn's series about a lonely detective, Emmanuel Cooper and his sidekick Zulu detective Samuel Shabalala. Reinstated to the force, Cooper and Shabalala investigate a black on black crime in the scenic mountains beyond Durban. After solving the mystery of a murdered Zulu girl and boy, Cooper solves a mystery in his own life and sets out at the end to act on it. I hope this is expanded in the next book in the series, which I won't wait long to read.

[Muphyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid crime story but not as thrilling as the first one (though much less gruesome than the second one, Let The Dead Lie, so I appreciated that).

[Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was another well plotted addition to Malla Nunn's Emmanuel Cooper's series. She writes very well and the information about the Zulu culture is very interesting. The characters are well drawn and it's good to meet the major players again.