Review: Death on the Limpopo by Sally Andrew

On a Friday in midwinter in the Karoo, Tannie Maria and the staff at the Gazette receive a surprise in the form of Zaba Kani, a Daily Maverick reporter sent to Africanise the paper. Zaba Kani is renowned for her hard-hitting investigative stories, which have earned her threats and awards in equal measure. For that reason, it is even more surprising that Zaba wants to start her work at the Gazette with the cookery and advice column penned by Maria. However, Zaba’s posting is really a front for a new story, involving politics, history, murder, and Tannie Maria.

Strap yourself in, because you’ll be joining Maria and Zaba on an epic journey from the Karoo to the Limpopo in search of answers, in true Tannie Maria style – danger, discovery, and padkos.

Sally Andrews has an unparalleled talent for combining a handful of seemingly unconnected stories into a feast for any reader. Death on the Limpopo is reminiscent of a series of short stories with a central theme, and boy, is that theme a whopper. A clever mixture of crime thriller, with romance, history, social dilemmas and an unavoidable South African flair, Death on the Limpopo is an unexpected and thrilling journey from the start. The third book in a series, Death on the Limpopo answers many of our questions about our favourite Tannie, and addresses important aspects of modern South Africa.

Wielder of the red herring and distractor extraordinaire, don’t let this writer distract you from the mystery with her sneaky food obsession. Be strong; put aside the tantalizing images of mouth-watering desserts and treats and join Maria on another epic adventure across the country as she connects her own history to that of her country.

Death on the Limpopo by Sally Andrew is published by Umuzi, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa.