Three Echoes

by Marina Auer

Dr Sara Buhle, a troubled obstetrician, is thrust into a frantic search for a missing newborn in Durban. Sara is pulled into the search by rising SAPS star Vuyi Vilakazi. But with time working against them, and rumours of muthi murders hounding the investigation, the pair find themselves in a race from the city centre and an informal settlement in the Hammarsdale Hills. Mere minutes will make the difference between success and failure.

Paperback

Published June 1, 2025

About the author

Marina Auer is a graduate of the University of Cape Town Medical School and spent several years working in state hospitals before moving into private practice.
Double Edged, her first novel, was published in 2023. Single Minded (Kwela, 2024), was shortlisted for the Island Prize for African Writers. Her third novel is due out mid-2025.
She lives with her family – two teenagers, two cats, one husband – in Durban, South Africa.

Reviews

[Anschen Conradie]

#ThreeEchoes – Marina Auer
#Kwela

Internationally Robin Cook and, to a lesser extent, Tess Gerritsen, have done for the medical thriller what John Grisham and Scott Turrow did for the legal thriller; they have proven the effectiveness of combining professional skills and knowledge with their writing abilities. An author who narrates a fictional version set in their areas of expertise has a distinct advantage in respect of authenticity, credibility and factual accuracy.

On the local front Marina Auer is fast becoming a name synonymous with medical thrillers tackling current and relevant issues head-on. Her first two novels published in 2023 and 2024, Single Minded and Double Edged, were standalones featuring main characters employed in the medical profession. Three Echoes can be classified as belonging in the same genre, and explores the challenges faced by an obstetrician, Sara Buhle.

At first glance her surname assumes a disadvantaged background, but, unrelated to the isiZulu meaning of her surname, namely beautiful, she is of German descent, and her surname is pronounced accordingly. Sara juggles two worlds: only twelve kilometres apart her private practice is “…separated by an unbreachable economic divide” (79) from her alternate place of employment at the Meadowvale state gynaecological clinic. As the common denominator between the two places, she forms a bridge that allows the pitfalls of the one to cross over into the other.

Rumours of babies sold for muti, a desperate search for a kidnapped newborn, a blackmailer, an abandoned surrogate mother, a lack of resources, and an unstable, lovestruck teenager are only part of her professional burden. On a personal level she is finding it increasingly difficult to hide an emotional secret from her husband, and, with the novel set in December 2020, another severe lockdown is looming.

The formatting of the novel complements the setting and themes. Instead of a division into numbered parts, the novel is divided into three stages of labour, literally with reference to the process of childbirth, but figuratively also referring to the increasing stress load resulting from her chosen career path. Like contractions increasing in intensity, so does the tempo of the novel, with the final part opening as “Stage 3, potentially life threatening” (245)

Medical terms are utilized as metaphors and comparisons throughout: “The gynae clinic at Meadowvale ran with menstrual precision” (68) and the ominous “…destructive waves, in perfect discoordination, merge and cancel each other out. Positive plus negative, end point zero. Flatline.” (314)

Auer employs strong female characters as protagonists. Apart from Sara, burning the candle at both ends, a cynical police officer, Vuyi Vilakazi, finds her way in a male dominated, often patriarchal, work environment, whilst also providing a subtle wink towards events in a previous novel, Single Minded.

The novel is both a fast-paced thriller, and a probe into social structures allowing division along monetary lines to exist and prosper.

#uitdieperdsebek

[Bonnie Espie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Echoes is Auer’s third book and it’s a cracker. This rip-roaring thriller is set in the world of hospital obstetrics and paediatrics, and Auer’s real-life experience as an M.D shines with sharp, interesting and authentic details. It’s a peek behind the curtain into the medical world - I learnt so much! Three Echoes revolves around the kidnapping of a newborn baby from a shack with the muthi trade being suspected. Several sub-plots are cleverly developed around the main theme, all equally riveting. I particularly enjoyed Auer’s use of local dialogue and the rich, tangible medical setting.
If you’re looking for a pacy thriller with a South African flavour, reach for Three Echoes.

[Beryl Eichenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Marina Auer has established herself as a very competent author – add to that her obvious prowess as a doctor and her love of her native Kwa-Zulu Natal and the reader has a combo that at times is quite lethal. Her fast-paced thrillers take in all three, leading the reader on a merry chase! But it is a chase that exposes all the things that are wrong with our systems, that challenge our medical and policing professions, our transport networks, our poor communities, our cultures. But it does shine a light on the good creating a balance that maybe sometimes we miss.
In Three Echoes we meet Dr Sara Buhle, obstetrician juggling her time - requiring almost super human effort - private practice, state clinic obligations alongside marriage and some troubling decisions. A newborn baby goes missing; taken for muthi is the rumour and Sara is pulled into the chase with cynical, but rising star policewoman Vuyi Vilkakazi. It’s a race against time, against those that are determined to succeed in their murderous dealings. The pace is fast, the story convoluted, too much information, with a number of subplots which crisscross and double back as the protagonists are sent in different directions. Markets in Durban, witchdoctors, corruption, medical information, poverty, Sara’s family – mother and quirky grandma, nosy next door neighbours – all have a place in this narrative and, with Auer’s acute observational skills, keep the reader on the edge of their seats, glued to the pages. It is a narrative of our time and country, of tradition, modernity and shifting people.
Auer builds tension with her characters, creating suspicion, ineptitude and dedication equally well. We warm to some, irritated with others, sympathetic to more. A lot of medical information on obstetrics is used, perhaps too much for a lay person. And Auer juggles as we move from place to place, situation to situation, person to person. She writes with dexterity literally weaving her strands to the surprising and in my opinion, a rather messy, crowded ending. There were many answers but also a great deal of questions. But perhaps that is what Auer wanted. For me it was not as satisfying as I had hoped.

[KatyJane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put Three Echoes down - I devoured it cover to cover this past weekend.
There are so many layers to savour: two strong and interesting female protagonists, both with personal mysteries that are revealed during the action; a vivid (and accurate!) portrayal of the landscape and some of the fascinating inhabitants of my home city of Durban; medical details that enthrall; and as twisty yet plausible a plot as you could imagine!
I guarantee that you will not be able to guess Who, Where and Why, even though the author cleverly salts the pages with several tantalising clues. I challenge you to try and guess! Uh-uh, I’ll bet you won’t be able to as you glide through layers upon layers and plot twists upon plot twists until you admit delicious defeat. What more could you ask for from a thriller?!
If I had to choose, I’d say that it gave me the same chills and feels as did Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train or the DI Kim Stone series by Angela Marston.
The story of Three Echoes slammed home the message that headlines happen to us ordinary folk when we are thrust into extraordinary circumstances. But it definitely doesn’t hurt to be an obstetrician with mad skills and a burning purpose to HELP anyone in need. The German backstory was perfect (*gives a chefs kiss)!
As I heard it so aptly described at its launch, this novel is an ode to women, to their strength and love and to the specific issues peculiar to us. You’ll see what I mean.
(And I can’t wait to see more of Vuyi Villikazi, the smart and capable policewoman who demonstrates my new favourite way of restraining a suspect :-)))) IYKYK)

[Karen Watkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This medical thriller is fast-paced, gripping and brimming with local flavour. Set in the Hammarsdale Hills of Durban, obstetrician Dr Sara Buhle juggles a busy private practice, state clinic duties and a complicated personal life. When a newborn vanishes from the hospital she’s pulled into a frantic search with rising SAPS star Vuyi Vilakazi.
From bustling city streets to dusty informal settlements, the pair race against time – and against sinister rumours of muthi murders – in a desperate bid to save the baby.
Auer takes us behind the hospital doors, revealing the gritty, unromantic side of childbirth, including an unforgettable scene where a baby’s collarbone must be broken during delivery.
The characters drive the story as much as the action. Sara, carrying unspoken grief, is fiercely determined to help others. Vuyi is smart, capable and a role model policewoman.
Auer’s medical background adds authenticity, while her love for KwaZulu-Natal shines in vivid descriptions of markets, cultural contrasts and the collision of tradition and modern life. The short chapters, twisty subplots and layered themes – corruption, compassion, family ties – keep the pace electric.
This book is not just a page-turner, it’s a celebration of women, their strength and the messy, beautiful realities they navigate. I couldn’t put down.
Thanks go to Kwela for the review copy.

[Mapitsi Makola · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Three Echoes" is a South African-written thriller that will undoubtedly make it difficult for you to put down. In these pages, we meet Dr Sara Buhle, a troubled obstetrician who joins forces with Police Officer Vuyi Vilakazi to search for a missing newborn. As they navigate the city centre and informal settlements, they must contend with rumours of muthi murders and a ticking clock.

This book is a perfect depiction of what happens when someone fails to clinically detach. Dr Sara is comfortably living on one side of the spectrum and is exposed daily to the other end of the spectrum – poverty – which we get to see unravel as guilt entangles her in murky situations.

When I initially started this book, the clinical aspects intimidated me. However, five chapters in, I was completely engrossed. The intense and realistic portrayal of childbirth definitely curbed that baby fever! It felt as though I was getting a behind-the-scenes look at something that is often romanticised in popular culture.

I enjoyed the book immensely; the second half felt like a fleeting moment. I loved the twisted plot and exploring the complexities of human relationships and the darkest side of human nature.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting something a bit more fast-paced, but I enjoyed this book. However, I wouldn’t rave about it. There’s a lot of medical stuff, and so many different scenarios come into play as the book progresses that it’s quite difficult to follow each one. I’d rate it 6/10.

[Janien Nel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a read along... and man did I struggle to stick to the schedule. I wanted more and I wanted it NOW.

"Three Echoes" is a fast paced thriller set in Durban, South Africa, and as we all know: Local is VERY lekker!

I loved the 'Behind the scenes' of the medical world and cannot believe some of the things that medical workers have to endure. The corruption and the unspeakable black market had me gasping out loud.

The plot was very fast paced with short chapters that grips your attention and keeps you turning the pages.