‘I have so enjoyed your books and love reading those which are set in South Africa. You know South Africa very well and have got right under its skin.’

J E S Hart

Moti’s a big wheel in Port Elizabeth and that’s not just because the suits who run City Hall hang on his every word. But Moti’s got a problem. His not-so-favourite son-in-law has gone AWOL. And that matters because his daughter is distraught, or so he tells rich but mentally troubled PI Sol Nemo.

Sol takes the case but soon faces complications because of Anton’s missing wife and pregnant girlfriend. Soon too, the outline of a major conspiracy starts to unfold involving various parties including an unsettling interest from State Security. Sol comes to realise it’s dangerous to pursue enquiries when his every move is being watched.

By then though, Sol’s motivation has become personal. You see there’s an obligation to a young woman who’s literally been scared to death and one also to some of the Eastern Cape’s most disadvantaged citizens who are being ruthlessly exploited.

All in all, it’s a confusing picture and that’s to say nothing of the absent Anton who remains out of sight until suddenly he needs Sol’s help. It’s only then the truth emerges, but is it the truth and nothing but, or is it some version of it designed to beguile and deceive?