Night

Michael Night #1

by Casey Christie

An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here.

A thriller set in the crime and lightning capital of the world.

Genres: Mystery, Action, Fiction, Ebooks, Thriller

413 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2012

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding debute novel with a wonderful South African flavor & fair. A violent world of paramilitary police, African style layers of intrigue, and a mix of cultures brings a special atmosphere to an excellent story, great characters and a wonderful style of rhythm that drives this book forward.

Presently published as an eBook my copy was the Kindle version.

Michael Night is the key character of the "Black Bastards" who are a hard hitting police team afforded the privilege of wearing all black tactical garb.

Recommended!

[Roslyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this is the author's first novel so I'm keen to read the second one to see how the characters develop. But I was disappointed in the quality of the writing, the book felt very self-published (which it may have been, I've been unable to ascertain as I read the UK kindle edition called Night). The editing was poor, with inconsistencies and sentences which had glaring grammatical errors. The punctuation was appalling and I had to re-read some paragraphs several times until I'd worked out what it was meant to say. Then there were minor storyline contradictions - like laughing at the rookie on his first day, because he was behaving like a rookie who still had to be told what to do, when they'd just spent the previous few hours drumming his cockiness out of him and telling him only to do what he was told. And then there was the character whose father was Bolivian, but whose mother was an unidentified prostitute who died in childbirth???? Seriously? Someone knew who'd fathered the child, but never bothered to find out the mother's name? Or the father liked the mother well enough to be around long enough to find out she was pregnant and identify himself as the father, but never got her name?

But the premise of the storyline, the extreme difference of life in South Africa, and the future link to London, was intriguing. I'm interested to see how things develop in book two. Hopefully there'll be better editing and proof reading for this one!

[Ida · Rating 2 out of 5]

Clearly this novel is meant to be a series, but I sincerely hope Casey Christie manages to find a highly qualified editor before thinking of beginning the next novel. I was so excited about No Easy Day, a book that transported me to my old stomping grounds; vocabulary with which I was so familiar; a culture that was very much a part of me. It was rather disappointing to read this book which suffered enormously from clumsy writing, awkward explanations, poor punctuation, and an over-abundance of unnecessary acronyms, all of which unfortunately became quite annoying. There were humorous moments as well as some thrills, but hiring an editor is definitely a must.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

An exceptionally atrocious read.
Was a military procedural not a police procedural.
Far too many alphabet organizations to decipher and keep track of.
Far too much time and explanations of guns/ ammo.
Cardboard characters showed little to no real life.
Silly video game action sequences blown way out of proportion and ridiculous.
Protagonist liked his car and dog more than the girl.
"Michael Night" protagonist- Really ????? (Michael Knight had Kitt too)
The bad guy was HIV positive- and full blown AIDS, yet "Ate" 2 women daily.
Just a mess start to finish.
Was this a first draft that got turned in by accident ?

[Ted Tayler · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Each to his own"

If you like your stories packed with jargon, macho men and page after page of violence, then I'm sure this will appeal.

[Nerdish Mum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I'll start by saying the books I normally read are definitely not as brutal as this book, but it is nice to have a change every now and again. The synopsis really intrigued me and I have read a few books set in South Africa recently so this was another one to add to my list.

The characters are all extremely well written, in particular Sergeant Michael Night. He's incredibly complex as on the one hand, he is cold and can shut off his feelings to even the death of people close to him, but on the other hand he rescues dogs when he can an he loves his girlfriend Lisa and his two fellow "Black Bastards" a Zulu and a Russian. (The full title of the book did throw me a little, but it is explained that the reason the three men are called "Black Bastards" is due to the combat gear that they wear). He is a really great character and was easy to get behind and route for in the story. I also adore Wamba his pet rescued mountain of a dog, he's written so well that you can actually picture his face and his abounding energy.

The story itself is fast paced and well written, my only slight comment would be that there were moments that felt very much like information dumps, particularly at the beginning of the book, but this is a personal thing and it may not seem that way to everyone.

The world building is quite intense and sets an extremely vivid picture of the streets in South Africa and what the police in this book at least have to face, I could quite easily envisage the gated communities and the people just trying to get on with their own life with as little disruption as possible from the warring factions.

uSathane is extremely terrifying as the "big bad" as since starting reading books based in South Africa I have learnt a lot more about witch doctors (he isn't one but he uses one) and their practices and the fact that they are still being used today. The power that they can hold over people is just terrible, uSathane uses a witch doctor and their remedies in a belief that he will be kept alive even though he is basically dying. Someone who believes that they are practically immortal and have the respect or fear of a following of people is incredibly hard to defeat as they think they have nothing to lose whereas you do.

Overall a thoroughly good book and I will hopefully be reading more by Casey Christie in the future.

This review was originally posted on my blog http://lifeofanerdishmum.blogspot.co.uk/

[Kelly Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, I did receive this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

I liked this book, and I'm surprised by that. I felt at times the pace was veryyy slow, and I didn't understand the point of some of the content. It was frustrating to understand because there was a lack of punctuation...etiquette, if you will (like, no commas where commas should be or no question mark after a question was posited).

Despite this, I found myself experiencing a wide spectrum of emotions reading this book. I laughed (a LOT - Stephen especially cracked me up) and I cried. I felt very emotionally invested in the characters and their predicaments.

I typically shy away from books that are not set in the United States or Western Europe. This is the first book I've read where the majority of the action takes place in an African country. I don't know much about South African culture, but if what, say 20% of how the author described life in SA is true, he did a fantastic job of painting the picture of desolation, desperation, and depravity.Casey Christie

[Maria Rivas-mc · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a while to get past the middle of this book but once I did, it wasn't half bad. I've figured out why I got stuck. The author, who knows what he's talking about, derailed into a training mode for rookies in the protective services, especially those in South Africa, using the Black Bastards unit's response to crimes. The real story (i.e. getting rid of the ruthless Col. uSathane whose witchcraft unfortunately appears to work) takes up the beginning and the end. Mind you, I did get insights into the underworld there, e.g.: the job of 'suiciders' was to kill as many policemen as possible and to allow their higher ranking gang members to escape; in this way their families wouldn't be raped and killed. Some tight editing would have helped the flow and smoothed the language. I liked the intermittent use of Zulu and Afrikaans but felt that there were times when the English sounded like a translation. Ideal read for those who enjoy action books/movies with a little touch of romance (Mike's marriage proposal was sweet).

[Peter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Macho Mess

A book seemingly about who is the biggest, who is the biggest, who has the biggest gun, biggest knife and most muscled car.
Read like a series of episodes in a very poor, South African set, "Hill St Blues".

[anthony lanigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book.

I enjoyed reading this book because it painted a picture of the participants and the area involved clearly, but without unnecessary detail. The action within the book was excellent and gripping.
I would recommend this book to anyone.

[Jack · Rating 2 out of 5]

South African police procedural. Lots of hard men with guns. Thin plot.

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ripping good yarn !

[sandra donkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed

I couldn't put this down. I only just recently begun reading this type of book and I can't wait to read the follow up sandie

[Mo Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Excellent book. So good I downloaded the second book before I had finished this one. Recommend this book to everyone.

[Wulfwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This was a gripping book! The author is able to write realistic and vivid scenes. I was surprised to see this is his first book.
This crime thriller is set in South Africa. We learn a lot about law enforcement and crime. The author goes into detail with police procedure. Be prepared for acronyms. You may want to write them down so you can easily reference them if you need to. A suggestion to the author would be to make a glossary page of them placed before the story opens,(I would have given 5 stars if it had one). We are mainly concerned with one crime lord in this story. I found it fascinating to read about how much power he has that comes from the belief in witch doctors and the supernatural. The bad guy is truly a bad guy. He is a terrifying character. Most books I am fairly certain the bad guy will be stopped by the end and most likely be jailed. In this book I really was not certain what the end would be.
I liked the members of the Black Bastards, (called that based on color of clothing and on their toughness). They were all very tough men but the author did show other facets of their personalities. This made them very human and likable. My heart broke for Zulu. I really enjoyed the camaraderie among the team. When they held their meetings you felt as though you were there. The love relationship between Sergeant Night and Lisa was a favorite part for me. It was good to see this side of Sergeant Night. Another favorite is Wamba. I could actually picture him as I read about him.
The story is a complex one. The author though writes in a reader friendly way. I never felt lost in its complexity, even with the acronyms. The pacing of the story is a bit uneven. I was fine with that. I needed breaks from the violence and tension. The book is packed with action. The acceptance of crime was shocking, (though perhaps it is more resignation of criminal activity). I kept comparing people here with the people there, the ordinary citizens who are swept up in the criminal activity. I was fascinated by the resilience of these people and, at the same time, saddened by their resigned acceptance. Life there is not easy at all.
Another thing I really enjoyed was the author injecting bits of Afrikaan language and slang in the story. He explained what was meant, making it a fun way to learn a smattering of a new language. I felt that it added to my enjoyment of the story.
I recommend reading this book. I found it to be a well written and interesting accounting of crime and law enforcement in South Africa. I read the author's biography after doing a Google search. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that some portions of the story were based on his experiences. They certainly feel that way. I will be reading more from this writer.
I found this book through BookTasters. The author provided an electronic copy of the book for review consideration. The opinions expressed are my honest thoughts and feelings after reading the story.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

This was an interesting book based off the fact that it was located in South Africa alone. The crime, deaths, confusion, and general mayhem was enough to get anyone's attention. The characters were semi believable in the context that they were written in because with all of the mayhem, there should have been more main character deaths. The flow of the book, to me, was a little off which had me a little disoriented as to what was actually happening. The author did however throw in a romantic angle and a totally different one involving a massive dog

[Anita Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grim

This belief that having sex with a virgin could cure a man of AIDS was tragically quite common in South Africa. Hence the reason that all of uSathane’s men also took part in the ritual after their master. The majority of his gang also had HIV or full blown AIDS. Why wouldn’t they, after all uSathane had raped all of the men as part of their initiation into his gang.

Harrowing, lost interest when bombarded with statistics and facts, with thorough descriptions on all gun types. Glad I do not live in South Africa, would not purchase this book. Not my type, but intelligent. Army personnel

[Cidney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well if you're at a loss for something to read that's south african then this is the book for you. Except it isn't really a book about the police, it's more about a book about the military, about a man who loves his rescued battered fighting scarred dog more than his girlfriend it seems, a man who enjoys fighting, a man who enjoys violence .... I gave up after the first chapter, but then thought if someone takes the time and trouble to write a book then the least you can do is read it.

I tried reading it again. I gave up. There is way too much description of military operations, and a lot of violence. But if all that is your thing then this book is for you!

[James Calhoun · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a good read if you can get through the hard violence and minutiae! Christie seems to abandon the plot to often and head down rabbit holes like the many pages devoted to new young police recruits. If the violence and crime in South Africa is anywhere near what he describes then it is a horrible place worth avoiding. I'm the more positive side you gotta love Night and his main side kicks, especially the big Zulu and his huge dog Wamba! I almost put the book down about half way through. I'm glad I didn't.

[M.R. Cullen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I have to admit I couldn't finish this book. The story idea was good, I think, but the execution let it down. It's nothing a good solid edit wouldn't fix. I just found it too hard to get into. The grammar wasn't there; neither was the pacing. There were entire paragraphs that were only one sentence.

As I said, I think the overall story was a good idea. I also liked that it was set in South Africa and I was looking forward to learning more of the location.

I'm certain there is a market for this book, the other ratings suggest I'm in the minority here.

[Dick Dubay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good action/adventure

This story has plenty of action and adventure. The characters are interesting and well developed, while leaving room for growth in future books. The description of the African landscape was well written also. I struggled a bit reading this, with all the abbreviations, for the different enforcement departments and agencies. They were necessary, but confusing sometimes. If you like action and adventure I would recommend you read this book. You won't be disappointed.

[Susanne Greenhowe-Weis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setting and storyline are very different from the usual and I was intrigued. The information has obviously been well researched and written with interest. The major stumbling block for me was the terrible editing - if there was any! I don't think I have ever read something with so many run-on sentences and so few other punctuation marks used. It was infuriating and really detracted from the story

[Alex Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good bit a little bit OTT

It's definitely a good read if you like action/crime type books. But some of the wording of things and how it comes across is a little bit 80s and 90s action movie.

It talks about making passionate love and it just feels at times like there's a bit too much cheese or it's a bit over written. I really enjoyed the book but there's certain parts that are just a bit much. Not that it would put me off reading more of the series, though I hasten to add.

[Durinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read of this author. Excellent, page-turning non-stop thriller, depicting the actual truthful situation regarding crime in South Africa and how the police force have to handle crime on a daily basis. Hard hitting, and at times very brutal, but so realistic of current situation there sadly. Definitely want to read the next in the series.

[Doug Biederman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book could be cut to about 7 relevant chapters. I’m hoping the second book does a better job of developing the plot as this first book spent way too much time on unimportant “policing” that was entirely separate from the plot of attempting to kill the bad guy. It also very abruptly. There was no closing out of the mission it just ended.

[Hw Huyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story, couldn't stop reading, deeply emotional parts

Following a South African police sergeant through many life threatening actions with a little voodoo thrown in keeps the reader tied to the story.

[Kim A. Mann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

Excellent story-lots of action, interesting and heroic protagonists, devilish and despicable antagonists. Enjoyed the local color of the South African dialect. Highly recommended.

[MS GAIL L MORRIS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book.

Once into the book after a slow start I enjoyed reading it.
I would give it 4 🌟 found it riveting.

[Joan Howarth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Well written, interesting characters, good story . I am looking forward to reading more from this this series and from writer

[Peter Hiram Stanley Rink · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye and ear opener

Only in africa.i am a soth african and understood and enjoyed this truly safrican tale.. there is real hope for our beloved country.