The Monster's Daughter

by Michelle Pretorius

Somewhere on the South African veld, 1901: At the height of the Boer War, a doctor at a British concentration camp conducts a series of grim experiments on Boer prisoners. His work ends in chaos, but two children a boy named Benjamin, and a girl named Tessa …

One hundred years later, a disgraced young police constable is reassigned to the sleepy South African town of Unie, where she makes a terrifying the body of a woman, burned beyond recognition.

The crime soon leads her into her country's violent past—a past that includes her father, a high-ranking police official under the apartheid regime, and the children left behind in that long ago concentration camp.

Michelle Pretorius’s epic debut weaves present and past together into a hugely suspenseful, masterfully plotted thriller that calls to mind Lauren Beukes’s The Shining Girls and Tana French’s The Secret Place . With an explosive conclusion, it marks the emergence of a thrilling new writer.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, South Africa, Africa

455 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2016

About the author

Born and raised in South Africa, Michelle received a B.A. at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. She has lived in London, New York, and the Midwest and holds an MFA in Fiction Writing. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Creative Writing at Ohio University.

Reviews

[Nancy Oakes · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 rounded up. Bottom line: good book, really good look at South African history since 1901, and suspension of disbelief is definitely a requirement here. This ain't your average murder mystery, folks. If that's what you're expecting, move along. Plot without spoilers can be found here, or just read on.

There are three different things going on in this novel : first, one of the two main narrative threads has its roots in science/speculative fiction; second, the other thread follows a police investigation into a murder, and third, when the two come together, the book serves as a vehicle for exploring a century of South Africa's troubled past and its repercussions in the present. It's this third aspect, I think, that made this book so incredibly interesting to me -- what a great way to take on such a difficult topic. So what you get in The Monster's Daughter is a sort of hybrid mix of sci-fi, crime and history, and if that's not original, well, I don't know what is.

I have to admit that when I first came across the more scifi-ish parts I did a major eyeroll since this is soooo not my thing, but as things turned out, I just decided to suspend any disbelief, relax, and roll with it and The Monster's Daughter turned out to be pretty darned good. I will say that it tends to get a bit boggy because there are so many things going on here -- for example, the author throws in some conspiratorial subplots that while germane to both present and past (and to the novel's title), received (imo) way too much attention and time. Then again, I'm not a big conspiracy fiction person, so that may just be a matter of personal taste. However, as I am so fond of saying, less is more, and this one could have been pared down some without any major damage. Other than that, though, as I said, this book is definitely original, and would be well suited for historical fiction and crime readers who don't mind suspending disbelief (and let's get real here -- we do that in most cases anyway), and I'd also say for readers who are interested in the very human costs of racism. Given the direction of today's politics, it might very well be worth taking a look at the past as so well presented in this novel.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monster's Daughter is a brilliantly evocative novel that mashes up historical, crime and speculative fiction into a gloriously addictive and epic read, set in South Africa and with some dark themes right at the heart of it.

A police officer in exile determines to discover the truth behind a burnt body discovered on a farm - little does she know that the path towards the truth will take her back over a century to dark experiments during a violent war and whose ripple effect may come closer to home than she may be prepared for.

First of all the scene setting is second to none here - with a beautifully immersive descriptive prose, Michelle Pretorius puts you right in the heart of this country both in modern and past times - with it's divisive history of apartheid and its diverse and memorable characters - she paints a picture with words that just throws you right into the action.

Weaving a complex yet enduringly addictive tale, the relationships and realities of those both then and now come to vivid and authentic life - even allowing for the speculative elements this is an often heart wrenching and thought provoking read that will stay with you long after you turn that last page. The finale is unsettling and intricately set, a really really great literary thriller with heaps of heart.

Highly Recommended.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Monster’s Daughter was haunting, beautiful, and I really enjoyed the journey. There’s really three genres going on in this book; it wasn’t just your run of the mill murder mystery. There’s a mystery/thriller with main character Alet and her investigation into the murder of a woman in small town Unie, and there’s a historical fiction part with the incorporation of South African history from the early 1900s until present day, which is wrapped up with a speculative fiction or science fiction story of two people who were born of genetic experiments in the early 19th century. The Monster’s Daughter follows Alet’s investigation in December 2010 as it alternates with chapters starting in 1901, shortly before the babies are born, leading up until the timelines converge in a very satisfying way.

Carrying Out Her Punishment–In More Ways Than One…

Alet was kicked out of her elite unit police squad training when her affair with an instructor was discovered, and although her highly respected and decorated police Colonel father pulled some strings, the only position he could get for her was as a cop in small town Unie. Here, she’s finding that the locals don’t want to cooperate with the police, and when a woman’s body is found badly burned, she has to fight tooth and nail just to be included in the investigation. With both locals and fellow police officers that she can’t trust or hate her, Alet has an enormous uphill battle to climb as she tracks down clues and delves into the murder victim’s life. And that leads to a town full of corruption, people in power willing to kill to protect themselves, and locals who are still scared of anyone with power who’s skin color is different than their own. While Alet is stubborn and is prone to do what she wants even when she’s been ordered to stay away or it’s best to leave things alone, she’s smart and driven to do what is right for those who can’t help themselves. Her sense of right and wrong is dead center, even though she isn’t much for following the rules that this still unequal country has set to follow.

Different From Other People, They Try To Make Their Way…

In the early 1900s, Tessa Morgan knows that she is different from the other children. Seeming to grow at a slower rate than people, she’s sheltered by her adopted white father Corporal Andrew Morgan and black mother Sara–who also happened to steal her away from the scientist who’d created her. She never knew a life that wasn’t on the verge of chaos, one where they didn’t have to pick up and leave because their family was different, because they had to pretend that her mother was just the hired help. And then Tessa encounters another child that has the same silvery blue eyes and platinum blond hair as her, along with their enhanced features, and she doesn’t feel so alone anymore. Benjamin de Beer thinks that Tessa is his gift from God, and that she’s his reward for all the suffering that he’s had to live through. Their relationship begins quite nicely and lasts up until he’s graduating from the armed forces, but when it starts to turn sour, Ben isn’t sure what he’s done wrong. He vows to win Tessa back, at any cost. Tessa is strong-willed, wholehearted believing that all people are equal, her outspokenness against Apartheid gets her unwanted attention, and it causes much trouble for her colored brother Jacob throughout the years. Ben grows into a different kind of strength, and he definitely learns to use his power for his own gain and those of his people while keeping his main objective in mind.

Such a Vivid Atmosphere Full of Oppression…

The oppressive heat and racial tensions, in both the past and present, make for a book that feels like it’s balancing on a tight rope a lot of the time. Michelle Pretorius does an excellent job portraying the hopelessness, the anger, and the tension that Apartheid has had on South African citizens for decades. The settings really come to life with all of the senses, and I’ve never known anything other than Midwest summer heat or Phoenix temperatures from when I was a child, so the climate really shines through as almost another character in The Monster’s Daughter. From the gritty cityscapes of Johannesburg to the more rural and dusty, yet just as unfriendly Unie and the like, I had no problem visualizing South Africa even though I’d never been there.

When Past Meets Present, Worlds Collide…

Part of what I really loved about The Monster’s Daughter was the anticipation of when the timelines would finally merge, and more importantly, what would happen when the main players finally met each other. I won’t spoil how far into the book you have to read to get to this point, but this collision of past and present was explosive, and Alet’s perspective on the crime as well as her entire past is changed irrevocably.

I give The Monster’s Daughter a 4.5 out of five. While I found it a bit difficult to get into at first with the sprinklings of South African slang and dialect, I was usually able to figure out what was meant since the word was close to the English word or I could derive the meaning from the sentence. However, this did pull me out of the book. Even though I’m not all that familiar with South African history, Michelle Pretorius’ careful research and own experience growing up in South Africa definitely made this very vivid and realistic. The realities of Apartheid era South Africa throughout the twentieth century were deftly portrayed through Tessa and Ben’s characters, along with the struggles of their acquaintances. I truly couldn’t put this book down once the story really got going about 20% in, and the way that the two timelines wove together smoothly was very interesting. Alet is definitely a sympathetic character that I cared for, along with her partner Johannes Mathebe, Tessa, and even Alet’s ex-boyfriend. The Monster’s Daughter is a great blend of mystery, historical fiction, and speculative fiction that just plain works.

(Also on Bewitched Bookworms, book received for free from Publisher and TLC Book Tours in exchange for honest review for book tour.)

[nikkia neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will blow you away, it's that good!

I can't say enough how much I was impressed with this novel. I look forward to more from Michelle Pretorius.

[Lilly Street · Rating 2 out of 5]

I own a bookstore so I spend my day matchmaking people and books. There are readers (I can think of two off the top of my head) that I’d suggest this to because it is an interesting book and it works for a certain type of reader. That said, I tried to like it. I really did. The writing while crisp and smart is often flat and has a reported feel to it. I found the characters hard care about because they did not really emote in a way that I could connect to. Most readers when they are browsing scan the first few pages, there is no doubt this book should have started at the bottom of page 11 where it really gets interesting. The beginning is disorienting. Instead of introducing the character the author is introducing the setting as a character and then drops the setting and moves to the character and the transition is off. The introduction character is law enforcement. One of the biggest missteps writers of crime dramas make is to create a “officer character” that has been thrown into a small boring town because of a mistake and is therefore board and itching for action. The motivation to get to the exciting cases and off the traffic beat is a dead horse. The character is bitter, withdrawn and vacillates between indifferent and angsty, a character can be dark and negative but there has to be something likable or compelling about them and that was missing here for me, annoying because she is working on something fascinating. Yes, the redeeming element of this book is there is a fascinating story at the heart of it. The sections that take place in 1910 are good, often very good but even then we have the problem of far too many disjointed walk on characters that make it hard to bond with the main characters who are compelling. I want more time with them and not so many unnecessary interruptions. The author is tasked with a lot of explaining that should have somehow been delivered not by a cacophony of characters but by a few. This book is extremely layered and dense in many of the right ways. It has tremendous potential but it also has a lot of problems that make it a laborious read. I think there are those who will really feel it pays off, but the work did not click with me.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This intricately-plotted, painstakingly researched novel blends crime thriller, science fiction, and historical fiction into one of the most original and exciting debuts to be published in recent years. At once a breakneck thriller and literary exploration of the turbulent history of South Africa, Pretorius alternates chapters between a horrific crime scene investigation in 2010 and historical chapters spanning from the Boer War to the present, seamlessly weaving the two threads together with increasing suspense until the novel's explosive, heartbreaking conclusion. As well as being an entertaining, compulsively readable book, the Monster's Daughter details both the political and the personal costs of colonization and apartheid in a nation still struggling to come to terms with its past, a history few outside or even inside the country have come to grips with.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretorius uses a fantastical story to uncover the pain and violence behind South Africa's history, from the Boer War to Apartheid to the present day. Her writing paints a vivid picture of the country, from its physical landmarks to its blemished past, with a wide range of characters and plenty of suspense. Highly recommended!

**I received an ARC from the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions are my own.**

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monster's Daughter starts in 2010, where we meet Constable Alet Berg on the side of the highway by the town of Unie, at the scene of an accident. Soon after, Alet and her partner, Sergeant Johannes Mathebe are called to a local farm where a burned body has been found and Alet is determined to solve the crime--despite all of the obstacles that come her way. The book then goes back to 1901 where a young British Corporal is a reluctant part of the "scorched earth policy" of destroying and burning Boer farms and forcing the people into concentration camps. He attempts to help a teenage girl, Anna and her younger brother but ultimately Anna ends up alone and is forcibly taken to a house where a doctor is performing experiments on young women, trying to create a stronger race. The book goes back and forth through the years between 2001 and 2010, where we meet a array of characters, including the two children who survived after the experiments, and an apparent serial killer who has been killing innocent young women for decades. It's hard to explain much more than that (and I probably didn't explain it very well!) without spoiling the story, but there is plenty of action, suspense and twists and turns as the book unfolds.

I really enjoyed The Monster's Daughter, especially once it got going and once I figured out some of the dialect and South African slang words peppered through (I found this list helpful!)--for the most part I could get the gist of what was said by how the words were used, but it takes a bit of getting used to and picking up the rhythm. Alet is a stubborn and strong female character, definitely brittle and flawed but smart and driven to do the right thing--while breaking all of the rules. I also liked her reluctant partner in solving the case Johannes and their back-and-forth. There is quite a lot of darkness and violence in the book, which can be hard to read, but since the reality of the times in South Africa was war and apartheid, it is expected--even in 2010, violence, bigotry and political corruption run rampant. Overall, the author did an excellent job of crafting a suspenseful thriller--although there were some twists and reveals that I saw coming, there were still some surprises and I had a hard time putting the book down during the last half--anxious to find out how everything would come together. I have read a handful of books set in Africa but not much about South Africa and I liked the history lesson that came along with the mystery and suspense. I did wish for an afterward from the author about what sparked her to write this book--particularly the genetics plot line, as I found it fascinating and wanted to know how she came up with the idea. The Monster's Daughter might not be for everyone but if you can take some dark and grittiness, like smartly written mystery-thrillers with historical and political leanings, police procedurals, and some speculative fiction in your books, I think you'll enjoy it.

You can see my review, a recipe for Rooibos Honeybush Peach Lemonade inspired by the book's South African setting and enter to win a copy through 8/1/16 on my blog: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

Note: A review copy of "The Monster's Daughter" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review part of TLC Book Tours:
2010 - Modern Day (Post Apartheid South Africa) Constable Alet Berg has been demoted and relocated to serve her probation on traffic duty in Unie a small quiet, 'out of the way' town. At the discovery of a badly burned body, and desperate to get into something more exciting, Alet deviously manoeuvres herself into position to assist Mathebe the local chief investigating officer in solving the crime. During the course of the investigation she will unwittingly uncover involvement of prominent townsfolk in crime and corruption on a vast scale, spanning several decades.

1901 - At the height of the 2nd Boer War the British are destroying all property, land and livestock belonging to any Boer they encounter under 'the scorched earth' policy. Jooste is one of the marauding party and he relishes in the destruction and pillaging opportunities. Although a Boer himself, Jooste has no loyalty to anyone but himself and will change allegiance to whomever he will best profit from. At one such farm raided is a young girl, Anna, and her little brother who are rounded up and imprisoned at one of the British run concentration camps. It was heartbreaking to hear about the horrendous camp conditions and the inhumane treatment that the women and children, who were the majority of the prisoners, received from their captors and from each other in their struggle to survive. Sanitary conditions were appalling and disease rife and of which many would succumb and with many more dying the lingering agonising slow death of starvation.

We meet up again with Jooste in his search for young healthy looking girls, to abduct and hand over to a doctor for his secret genetic medical research. Anna is one of his victims but in exchange for submitting to the experiments she receives food and a safe place to sleep. Anna and the other girls at the doctor's mercy may just survive the horror of the concentration camp.

Two surviving children are the result of these latest experiments, Tess and Benjamin, both with strange characteristics and suffering from what is thought to be stunted growth. We follow them as they mature to adulthood and find their way in a country full of prejudice and violence.

The first part of the book resonated with me so powerfully and was the most compelling and unsettling to read. Dialogue runs smoothly and believably and with the full bodied development of key characters I found it highly plausible and indicative of the times portrayed. With all too vivid imagery the characters felt real and I absolutely believed in them, so much so I was devastated when the story moved on without them.

The Monster's Daughter is narrated in dual timelines with the majority unfolding progressively from the 1900's through to 2010 where Alet's investigation will lead her to research back in time in order to solve the present day murder.

An hugely ambitious multi genre, part speculative, part historical political fiction, all encompassed into a murder mystery thriller, this debut is a credit to the author and one I highly recommend. Book groups would find 'The Monsters Daughter' of particular interest as there would be a fantastic amount of content to discuss.

Disclaimer: I received an D-ARC from the Publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alet Berg has a long way to go to impress her higher ups, especially considering how she landed in her current predicament. Relegated to the small town of Unie, Alet realizes her chance when the burned body of an unidentified teenage girl is discovered on a local farm. And even though her superiors don't want her on the investigation, she plans to dig into the case anyway.

A century ago, with the Boer war raging around them, a young girl was forced into an experiment she had no understanding of. When the dust settled, the doctor leading the research fled and the girl in question lived just long enough to try and ensure the safety of her newborn baby.

That infant, one of just two who lived through the experiment, is part of a mystery that spans one hundred years, connecting Alet and her investigation to the terrible history of the land that surrounds her.

Whoa! I'm not even sure where to start with this one.

I was sold on Michelle Pretorius's debut with the comparison to Lauren Beukes. I have, in very recent years, become more and more fascinated by South Africa and the writers who come from there. Beukes, Sarah Lotz, and Natasha Mostert are just a few whose works have landed on my favorites list with each and every new release, so of course I was excited to take a chance on Pretorius.

It's not just the caliber of work that I've seen, but the subject matter as well. The Monster's Daughter promised a touch of the region's dark history wrapped around what sounded like a truly enthralling modern-day mystery - and of course the cross-genre aspect is one that always appeals to me as well.

So there were a lot of expectations on my part in diving into this debut. And, readers, I was not let down in the least! From the very first page I was drawn into both Alet's investigation and the historical narrative. The balance between the two worked well for me - I never felt like I was slogging through one of the narratives just waiting to get back to the really interesting one, both were equally fascinating and excellently paced.

As mentioned, this one is quite dark. All things considered, it kind of has to be - the history, way more than a touch, is a major part of the plot. In this Literary Hub article, Pretorius talks about what spurred the idea for The Monster's Daughter and how she'd hoped to use fiction to illustrate and help people understand the history of South Africa. I think she has succeeded brilliantly in this effort, creating a highly readable and entertaining book that fluidly incorporates a history many of us may not be entirely aware of.

[Kate Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book opens with the discovery of a murder in a small town called Unie in 2010. The head of the police investigation, Sergeant Johannes Mathebe, is a straight player and he’s not getting on well with his recently appointed assistant Constable Alet Berg. She drinks, she swears and she resents being in this small town – a punishment for having an affair with one of the senior officers during her training.

The next chapter opens in 1901, in the midst of the Boer War. British troops are clearing out the Dutch farms, taking the people they find – mostly women and children – to concentration camps. A young woman called Anna is picked out from the Bloemfontein camp for something else, something worse, something that will echo through the next 109 years in its awfulness.

Pretorius holds back the link between the two timelines but the revelation isn’t really the point. I guessed the main link pretty early on and that in no way spoiled the read for me.

Read my full review: http://www.noseinabook.co.uk/2016/08/...

[Scotchneat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tessa is born as part of a genetic experiment in South Africa near the turn of the 20th Century. Alet is a cop who messed up her chance to be in the elite squad in the big city. Stuck in Unie, she now is after a murderer. Both are trying to move forward against relentless turmoil, family tragedy and evil men.

There are good men too: Andrew, Phillip, Jacob, Mathebe. But life is not easy for those who try to do good.

Part mystery, part speculative fiction, part historical fiction. This book was a juicy read, if a sobering one. The time at which you read a book informs what you take from it. Without giving away too much, a retelling of systemic racism, bloodshed, secret societies of desperate and powerful old men, sexism, ignorance and those in power deliberately rewriting history and suppressing "the other" felt very very current.

Book is getting some buzz - not surprised.

[Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this so much, will now read nothing but this specific blend of South African thriller/sf/historical fiction. Sadly, it does not appear to be an established genre, and even if it were, I doubt many authors could do it justice. Since it is the author's first and so far only novel, I had to resort to checking out the publisher in the hopes of finding more examples of their good judgement (I did).

If you like your genres kept strictly separate, by all means avoid this one. But if you're feeling just a teeny bit adventurous, this could be a pleasant surprise. The different storylines blend effortlessly, and the speculative portion of the novel is grounded in harsh reality. I found it immensely entertaining, quite moving and so suspenseful I actually embraced my insomnia and happily got up at 4 in the morning to read it. One of my favorites this year.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I can say is WOW- and please, Michelle Pretorius- write more novels! This mystery/historical/thriller/political novel is one of the most impressive debuts I've read in a long time. You will cringe at how black South Africans were treated and how white South Africans treated one another. There are horrors here but there is also goodness, especially in poor Tessa's soul. There are several important twists at the end that I did not see coming. HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend!!!!

thank you Arlington County (Va) Public Library for buying this so that I could borrow it.

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the historical information about South Africa was fascinating the book became confusing with the mix of characters, timelines and sub plots.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longest, slowest read of my life. Teetered with a possible DNF but hacked onwards. Three pages at a time before falling into a coma. Perfect book at night. Quick read then out cold. ⭐⭐⛈

[Caryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review and giveaway up on my blog: http://wp.me/p75OHV-5s

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monster’s Daughter is an impressively ambitious debut novel by South African born Michelle Pretorius. Many first-time authors would have steered clear of multiple points of view, a plot which shifts between South Africa during the Boer War of the early 1900s and the post apartheid rainbow nation of 2010 and deals with issues of race, obsession and police corruption. But Pretorius dives in fearlessly to deliver a novel that blends historical thriller, sci-fi and police procedural genres.

It begins somewhere in the open landscape of the veld. As war rages between Britain and the Dutch Boers, a doctor in a British concentration camp begins conducting genetic experiments on female prisoners. Two children survive as freaks of nature: Benjamin and Tessa, white skinned, with remarkable piercing eyes and a genetic make up that makes them look far, far younger than their actual ages.

More than 100 years after their birth, Alet Berg, a female police constable, turns up in the backwater town of Unie in disgrace after an affair with a senior officer. Only the intervention of her father, a former high-ranking police officer, has saved her from dismissal. The townspeople don’t like her drinking and swearing, her colleagues don’t rate her and she resents the way she is relegated to menial tasks. Her chance comes when she is called to a remote farm where the body of a woman has been discovered burned beyond immediate recognition. Despite opposition from her commanding officer, Alet is determined to play a part in the investigation. As it proceeds, she is taken into the violent past of her country and that of her father during the apartheid era and the country’s clandestine involvement in the independence wars in Rhodesia and Mozambique.

Threaded throughout the investigation is the story of the two children created in an experiment to design the perfect race. Tessa is adopted by a white British soldier turned farmer and his black wife who rescued the baby from the concentration camp. They and their daughter have to keep moving from place to place in order to survive in a country which forbids inter-racial relationships. As an adult, Tessa keeps moving, changing her name and residence many times over to avoid Benjamin who has fallen in love with her and believes she belongs to him. Thwarted in love, he becomes hard and cold, believing God has chosen him to be his instrument to eliminate oddities like him.

"He could never get over the feeling that God was watching him, controlling him, withholding what he desired most until he did as he commanded. Though it had turned from a sharp pain to a dull ache the longing for Tessa was still with him every waking moment."

The Monster’s Daughter is powerful and atmospheric novel set in a context that is unsettling. The experiments that produce Tessa and Benjamin are precursors to those conducted by Mengele in 1940s Germany; then we have the brutal attitude of the British towards the Boers whose farms they raze under Kitchener’s Scorched Earth directive; and , coming into more recent history, the massacre at Soweto. Pretorius is clearly not afraid to delve into contentious social and political issues, showing how some ANC supporters were also culpable of acts of violence in their campaign against oppression.

The question of race features prominently as you’d expect given the history of this country. Pretorius makes it evident that there are no easy resolutions to the tensions created in the past. After Apartheid is made illegal, and the Truth and Reconciliation Committee begins its work to investigate human rights violations and consider amnesties, the resentment remains between white and black South Africans.

"These blacks claim they were so oppressed. Let me remind you, nobody in this country has been more oppressed than the Afrikaner in the Boer War, or has everyone forgotten that? Our people suffered more for this land than the blacks ever did. ~but we didn’t go out killing everybody. We rebuilt the nation. We didn’t need to become terrorists or thieves or murderers to do it."

This is a novel that deals with complex moral questions but it doesn’t do so at the expense of characterisation. The individuals who people its pages are not mere ciphers spouting predictable positions, they are flesh and blood who laugh and love in the most difficult circumstances. Alet – as we’ve come to expect in fictional detectives – is a flawed individual but I warmed to her. She rubs people up the wrong way, makes mistakes but every time she’s knocked down she gets back on her feet to prove her opponents wrong.

The Monster’s Daughter isn’t without its flaws. There were so many characters I lost track at times and the final few paragraphs which summarise Alet’s future were unnecessary I thought. I do want to feel the characters I’ve come to know have a life after the book ends but that doesn’t mean I want it all tied up in a neat bow.

On the whole however I did enjoy this book and experiencing a promising new writer.

[Sensitivemuse · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a book to read, leave and come back to later. The reader needs to read this carefully and put the pieces of the puzzle together to understand how every character was involved and when the loose ends have been tied, it’s an amazing read and we’re left with a wow experience at the final page of the book.

It’s definitely not a quick read but meant to be read slowly as the book spans through the early 1900’s right until present time. One must also follow who’s who in the book and keep in mind the characters. As the ones in the past are still playing in part in what’s happening in the present. Its written through different various points of view so the reader gets both sides of the story but it’s so well written and eventually the reader will be witness as to how the murder has taken place and how Alet is central to what’s happening. The plot was very well done. Some historical information may help to better understand the situation if needed, but otherwise it’s very clear and understandable. What may cause a problem is there’s a lot of terminology and references to various words in Afrikaans. Some words do make sense but others may need some dictionary to help understand it better.

What I enjoyed the most of this book is how characters are tied into the past and the present. The book goes back and forth and you get to see them as how they were in the past, and how they are in the present. Their personalities don’t really change, but you get to see how they evolve and what led them to their positions, and how all of them come together to make this murder case.

Alet is, from the start of the book one big mess (thanks to her past) and although she’s not that likable, she earned my sympathy at the end when her investigation reaches a climax. You certainly feel for her at the end of the book but at the same time admire what she went through to get the information to solve the murder case and you admire her strength afterwards for what she had to do, to put it behind her.

At times this book can be a hard read as corruption is rampant through the police force and those in higher positions are not entirely innocent or have shiny records of achievement. Yet because of their privilege and of who they are, they’ve gotten away with it. You feel the injustice and the resentment throughout the book. You feel sympathy towards those who have been wronged and bear the abuse. I really felt for Flippie, and Jacob. Trudie/Tessa who was central to this story along with Alet, her story was so interesting as all she wanted to was to live peacefully and lead a somewhat ‘normal’ life. It was interesting to read her story from when she was born to the present.

I really enjoyed this novel, I was hoping it would be a series, but perhaps it’s better if it is a stand alone. I don’t think Alet could have gone on that far with what she went through. I greatly recommend this book to anyone who has a liking to a good murder thriller, with historical fiction mixed in. It’s a long read but well worth the journey.

[Lawrence · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably the least interesting thriller I've read. Pretorius uses her long-lived characters to trace the history of South Africa. It is so artificial that they exist merely to serve the story. They are barely characters themselves. And the story is a beat for beat generic thriller of shadowy forces in the background, a for-no-reason deranged villain, and a twist that lands with a thud.

The motivation of the villain is non-sensical, the twists and coincidences shallow and silly, nothing at all surprising happens. You can feel Pretorius striving to create a novel of South Africa, some sort of Boys from Brazil detective thriller, but she just moves around characters like they're chess pieces, filling squares, anxious to cover ground.

The original genetic manipulation to create her characters is never explained and barely revisited: it is an empty narrative trope merely to get things rolling. The passing of Apartheid through scenes every decade only marks the passage of time.

Her main character, Alet, is marginally interesting in that she's a female alcoholic fuckup detective instead of a male one, but she doesn't really develop or change. She just stumbles along to the inevitable conclusion.

Pretorius takes a marginally interesting concept of genetic manipulation for racial purity but uses it as a narrative MacGuffin for a bog standard plot made tedious by length and cardboard characters.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars though the story is so unnerving the word "like" seems inappropriate as part of the rating. While the library system has slotted this book into the mystery genre, I think it fits better into the historical fiction milieu. Essentially the book spans the horrific history of South Africa from the Boer War to the present. Ms. Pretorius presents a remarkable debut. Chapters flow back and forth in time with two genetically altered beings used as the continuing thread that holds the story line together. Constable Alet Berg has been sent in disgrace to a small town and becomes involved in a complicated murder investigation that has ties to past crimes as well as present ones. However, the reader must suspend disbelief as the case unfolds though the author does tie up the strands in a neat bow, so to speak. But quite frankly, the murder solution seems secondary in importance compared to the historical aspects portrayed. This reader was left cringing at the historical events described. Also, a glossary might have helped those readers unfamiliar with South African words frequently used in the book. This novel should foster much discussion for my book group but I doubt anyone will really say they "like" the tale told.

[Candi - acrimereadersblog · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Monster’s Daughter is the debut novel by Michelle Pretorius. The novel is a story in three parts. It’s a thriller, a historical novel and also a bit science fiction. It starts in 2010 when we are introduced to Alet, a disgraced police constable who has been reassigned to the small town of Unie. Here she discovers the body of a woman burned beyond all recognition. Her investigations soon lead her to believe there is a serial killer stalking women.  Alongside this murder mystery we are treated to a potted history of the country’s violent past, starting in 1901 at the height of the Boer war. Linking these two elements are Tessa and Benjamin who were in a British concentration camp where a doctor was conducting some grim experiments.  
This was a superb novel. The writing was incredibly evocative and upsetting at times. I had a very basic knowledge of South African history and found this part of the novel absolutely fascinating. The violence and hatred jumped out of the page as we travelled from the Boer War, through Apartheid to the present day. The landscape and the heat, alongside the tensions of the time were evident, all the while with the back drop of a modern day murder investigation. I would recommend this book.

[Jaffareadstoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel opens in 2010 where we meet one of our protagonists. Alet is a young police officer who has been sent to the small South African town of Unie following a professional misdemeanour. Suspicious of a woman police officer the locals don't take kindly to Alet and she faces small town prejudice which hampers her investigation into the death of a young woman.

Travelling back in time to the early 1900s, we meet Tessa Morgan who senses that she is different but who lives a fairly sheltered existence with her father Andrew Morgan who was once a soldier caught up in the Boer War conflict.

On the surface neither of these stories should have any real connection but gradually as the jigsaw puzzle starts to slot together, we begin to understand the links between a modern day South African police officer and a series of uncomfortable experiments which happened over a hundred years ago during the Boer War.

Initially, I found the novel difficult to get into until I had found some emotional connection to the characters which took a little while to sit easy with me. However, by about a third of the way into the story I found that the finer points of the plot became easier to follow. In many ways this is a slow burner of a story and one which requires concentration and an ability to just go along with the story wherever it leads.

The author writes well and explains the South African history and landscape as only a true South African can. Combining dark historical fiction with a chilling modern day murder mystery is an inspired idea which, in The Monster’s Daughter, comes together in a shattering conclusion.

[Terry Polston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A doctor performing his own genetic testing during the Boer war creates 2 viable children. One is spirited away and one is sent to a mental hospital.
These two children have a secret
This is an eye opening story of the atrocities, physical and mental, that the whites waged on the blacks. For the 100+ years of the book, the murder was sanctioned by the government. I think it was worse than WWII. I knew it was bad, but not how bad.
Who is a monster? The genetic engineering doctor or the police/military who murdered men/women/ children because they were black?

[Sarah W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This murder mystery is set in South Africa and the story provides a quickly paced history of South Africa since the Boer War. The story, which includes medical experimentation resulting in two characters who age very slowly, is grounded in a murder that takes place in a rural area and is investigated by a policewoman who discovers that the case is entangled with her father's past. Overall, an engaging read that left me interested in exploring South Africa's history.

[Larry Epp · Rating 4 out of 5]

From 1901 Boer war to 2010, South Africa. British concentration camp doctor experiments on female Boer prisoners -- a boy and girl survive. A hundred years later, disgraced constable Alet is assigned to sleepy town of Unie and immediately becomes involved in case of "necklace" murder. All kinds of South African back story uncovering corruption and violence, including on the part of her father. Lots of Africaans slang and dialect. Lots of SA cultural detail.

[Nissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A powerful and compelling historical thriller/speculative fiction that was beautifully written. The Monster's Daughter is suspenseful with a cast of characters that are uniquely flawed. I thought the book was excellent, and that the plot had a nice flow. Could not put down and I am really looking forward to reading more from this author.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was part sci-fi, part murder mystery, and part social commentary, but the whole didn't add up to the sum of it's parts. The murder mystery and social commentary parts worked well, but the sci-fi plot really dragged things down. But I admire the attempt and would be interested in reading her next book.

[Jennifer Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is fantastic. I remember seeing a short story set in this world in workshop at Ohio University, and I was fascinated. I remember Michelle saying that her preferred form was novels. Now, reading this novel, I have to say, her love of the novel shows. It is structured beautifully, each piece of the work contributing to a satisfying and interesting whole.

[Charlotte Blessing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Genius plot, a murder mystery out of the ordinary, historical fiction, spiced with sone thought provoking sci-fi elements. The narrative structure worked well for me, liked how two different time periods come together in the end. Best crime book of the year.