Night in London is a feast of non-stop action. It moves with the velocity of a breaking wave. And it gains a special impact from the fact that it rings of authenticity. When Casey Christie describes the viciousness and extreme brutality of a criminal gang, he is writing from raw experience. Christie was at the cutting edge of the police drive against criminals in Johannesburg. And we meet again with the colourful crew he assembled in his first novel set in South Africa--the fearsome Black Bastards, so called because they have special police dispensation to wear all-black uniforms. Among them is the heroic Zulu who always carries a tribal assegai as well as his automatic weapon. But this time there is a new villain for Night to contend with---a fiendish schemer, an Englishman based in London, where Captain Night confronts his foe and also meets a mysterious female agent.
Michael Night and his police squadron teammates, Daniel Shaka (aka Zulu), Kalahari and General Amos Arosi’s bodyguard, Tony Tshabalala, had been sent to Umhlanga Rocks, Kwa-Zulu Natal, for some well-earned rest and recuperation after their last mission. Unfortunately, these few days of rest are interrupted when Tony gets a call from Amos Arosi asking that they return immediately. Arosi had arrived at the home where his ex-wife and twin daughters lived, to find them tied up. The gang had broken into the home days earlier, holding his wife and children hostage knowing that he would arrive at some stage. They were hoping that Arosi, on seeing his wife and young daughters raped, would disclose where the Gaddafi millions had been secured. Arosi was able with the help of the local police to thwart this crime. However, it becomes evident that the English man they know to be behind this plan to steal the money is not going to give up easily. Arosi and his team (better known as the Black Bastards) must find him and finally destroy him before more lives are lost.
The camaraderie among the group is everything as without this they would not be able to operate at such a level of efficiency. This bond shines through the book, e.g. Zulu desperate to save Michael Night’s beautiful dog Wamba after he’d been poisoned. He insists and in fact makes Michael “kidnap” his dog from the veterinarian who has been looking after him, as he is adamant that only his own Zulu “muti” will restore him to full strength once again.
There are some ferocious crime scenes, mainly the cash in transit robberies, the gang rape of a young girl and the subsequent “kangaroo court” justice for two of her attackers, so reading the book will give you some idea of what the South African police must face every day as they go out on patrol. What the book highlights are the dedication of the police and that they are trying to restore order.
Casey Christie knows how to keep his readers happy. There’s a lot of action, but there’s also a lot of humour. Some of the scenes, especially those with one of the trainee constables, had me laughing very loudly. There are also some very sad scenes. Unfortunately, you can’t be part of this police force and making enemies without serious consequences.
If you want to know about how camaraderie works among dedicated police, then this is the book to read. Scrap that, if you want a really good book to read, then get this!
Treebeard
Breakaway Reviewers purchased a copy of the book to review
Beautifully written and mesmerising. I found myself turning the pages and promising just one more chapter. Many chapters later and I have loads of housework to catch up on, but it was totally worth it. Action packed. Sentimental. Eye opener.
This book and the one previously were well written. There doesn't seem to be a third book and no mention of one. So, three stars!! Don't waste your readers time.
I enjoy South African action fiction, and this was a fun read. About the only thing that I’d improve is including maps of the the action areas for those not familiar.
Really enjoyed this. Gritty and realistic, this story underlines the desperation, inhumanity and violence present not only in SA but throughout the world.
This was a very exciting book that dived straight in to the action from the first chapter. There were quite a few plot twists that also contributed to it being a very enjoyable page-turning read!
This second in the Night series of books by Casey Christie represents a serious step forward by this young author, already well known for his successful SAS Para-Ops series of thrillers with a military character. Here he expands the canvas of his story from the brutal violence of South Africa to the more complex and subtle menace of the sprawling city of London, where the seductive glitter of civilisation masks many lethal hazards.
It is now some time since Sergeant Michael Night and his “Black Bastards” special unit, so called because they had a special dispensation to wear black uniforms, had recovered Colonel Gaddafi’s hidden millions in gold in the African desert in the first book in the series.
Now, Night and his team, which includes the formidable Zulu giant Daniel Shaka, simply known as Zulu, had been enjoying a period of rest at the seaside near Durban. But now they have to get back on duty and Night is troubled by the fact that his dog Wamba, a South African mastiff, is not recovering as he should, after being poisoned by a criminal.
The close relationship between Night and his Zulu friend is exemplified by this simple situation, for the Zulu insists that Night let him tend to the dog. “We Zulus have ways you people don’t understand,” he says.
What I find intriguing about this impressive novel is the way in which the most appalling violence and crude behaviour, which burst upon the reader from the first page, is interleaved with incidents in which the complex humanity of the leading characters is depicted with gentle skill.
The bond between the tough-as-titanium Night and his brave dog is a case in point. The tenderness of behaviour and the exchange of emotions between the fierce animal and his owner, is shown in a moment which must touch the heart of anyone who has ever experienced the joy of having a canine companion.
A friend of mine, deeply involved in the book, burst into a flood of tears at one point. I asked her what was wrong. She said the parents of one of the characters has been killed. One could hardly achieve more reader-identification with a novel than that!
So you have hard action as well as the warmth of human nature. But now the author introduces a series of surprise twists, none of which can be anticipated. These little explosions in the plot go off like mental hand grenades, energising the story line and hooking the reader’s interest even more tightly.
When Night, now promoted to Captain, is sent to Britain on a sensitive mission, it is more than a physical transition from a land of sea and sunshine to a country of rain and mist and a devious mix of international visitors in London.
There is an evil master-mind in London and Night’s mission is to find him and deal with him. Along the way there enters a beautiful but enigmatic woman. Is she friend or foe?
And at the same time Captain Night is saddled with an aide, a South African drunk who seems to be more of a hindrance than a help.
Shake all these ingredients together and what you have is a thoroughly entertaining cocktail, full of surprises and tasty to the last drop. - Prospero