Book Review – Divine Justice

by Joanne Hichens (Mercury) ISBN: 9780987005809

Sometimes the crime genre focuses on the cops, other times on the criminals. Mostly, it follows the pure, almost ritualistic theme of restoring justice. Beating the bad guys, basically.

What is great about this South African crime gem is that Joanne Hichens gives us multiple viewpoints—from the sexy rookie investigator, Rae Valentine, her beau, Mullet Mendes and her unreliable partner, Vince, right down to the classic villain with a Freudian mother fixation and even a collective viewpoint into the police and a thuggish right wing gang. This gives us insight into all the characters and their motivations.

From the harrowing opening scene atop a burning Table Mountain, to the nail-biting finish where Rae must fight for her life, Divine Justice is a gritty and fast-paced thriller that pits impossibly real characters against an outrageously over-the-top plot.

Cape Town-based writer Hichens is the author of the critically acclaimed Out to Score and Stained; she also edits regular anthologies of South African crime stories. Divine Justice would make a great movie or TV series.

Anthony Ehlers
4/5