"A classic wrong-
– Booklist
PRAISE FOR MIXED BLOOD
"A lean, bloodthirsty, yet meditative story that is almost impossible to put down,
offering the rewards of a literary thriller combined with the zip of a powerful movie
(it seems a natural for the big screen). Matt Soergel -
"One of the most impressive thrillers you are likely to read this year. We are certain
to see [Smith's] name in the list of nominees for most of the major crime fiction
awards." Alan Cranis -
"A staggeringly clearsighted view of contemporary South Africa. A brilliant thriller."
Antje Deistler -
"A frenetic roller-
"Like a punch in the gut. You'll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current
crime writing." Peter Henning -
"Smith plays out . . . that chilling sense of inevitability that is at the heart
of the best noir. Like George Pelecanos, [he] captures lives trapped by poverty and
prejudice without sentimentalizing those lives or downplaying the havoc they can
produce. A fine debut." Bill Ott -
"By far the most unsettling crime novel I have read in the last couple of years.
The unrelenting action, the edginess, will mesmerize readers of dark, stylized crime
fiction. This is one hectic ride you don't want to miss." Joanne Hichens -
"A story in the best noir tradition, with no room for political correctness or a
sweet and happy ending. I look forward to more from this writer." Horst Eckart -
"Mixed Blood is excellent. Picture Richard Stark's Parker as a family man having to flee to Cape Town, South Africa. Very, very violent, very dark. This is about as good a first crime novel as I have read." Dave Zeltserman, author of Small Crimes
"A gripping thriller that follows believable (if sometimes grotesque) characters
along a desperate rush to ruin. Highly recommended." Ron Terpening -
"The spare, well-
"An unnerving thrill ride that kept me on edge from beginning to end. Mixed Blood
is a top-
"Smith offers a gritty tale of corruption and vengeance set in South Africa in his absorbing debut. His taut prose bodes well for future thrillers from his pen." Publishers Weekly
"A well-
"Startling, vivid, frightening. A first-
"A very brutal, absolutely gripping walk on the wild side. All ends in a devastating
climax . . . making Mixed Blood a shattering page-
"Smith does an outstanding job of bringing Cape Town to life, taking us through the
twists and turns of the local criminal world and the confusing labyrinth of racial
identity in post-
"A cinematic Cape Town thriller." Bruce Tierney -
"Smith's characters fight for their lives against a Cape Town heavy with heat, grime, corruption,and gang violence. With its shattering sense of place, and satisfying plot twists, this book will grip you from page one." Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Heartsick & Sweetheart
"Fugitive story filled with bad guys. [This] debut novel definitely lives up to its
genre." -
"Mixed Blood deals with characters spiralling out from a break in on the high-
"Mixed Blood is right up the mean streets of those who like fast, tough, gritty crime
fiction." Mike Nicol -
"From the very first page you knew you were in for a tough ride and I couldn't put this book down. A great comparison is Pelecanos' hard look at Washington DC, or an earlier Richard Price. Mixed Blood is great genre writing ." Three Guys One Book.com
"The plot moves along at a frenetic pace and the enigmatic characters keep readers
guessing. This is an impressive debut novel." Andy Plonka -
"A scorched earth, no prisoners, no quarter, no good guys, just degrees of badness thriller." Mack Captures Crime
"An adventure into another part of the world you won't soon forget." New Mystery Reader Magazine
"If you like thrillers that are heavily noir, then you'll appreciate Mixed Blood." Bookloons
"A graphic look at Cape Town. Entertaining and suspenseful."
"Some books are just screaming out to be made into movies, and this is one of them." The GenReview
"The poverty, hopelessness and turmoil of Cape Town is portrayed frankly and unapologetically, and also with sympathy, but in this brutal noir world, almost no characters can escape. Highly recommended for those who can stomach the violence."
Available in trade paperback
in the UK, South Africa,
Australia and New Zealand
( Henry Holt and
Company)
of MIXED BLOOD
KAP DER FINSTERNIS
(Cape of Darkness)
published in hardcover
by Tropen/ Klett-
BUY FROM:
Amazon
Variety, Hollywood Reporter & Screen International write that
Phillip Noyce is on board to direct the Mixed Blood movie.
Movie rights to Mixed Blood optioned by GreeneStreet Films (NYC) with Samuel L. Jackson attached to star. Kelly Masterson has signed to write the screenplay.
Proud to be featured on the PBS Masterpiece Mystery: Spotlight on World Mysteries website.
more news >
"The characters are wonderfully complex. The violence is stunning. If you like classy thrillers, then this is a must-
"A gripping thriller that follows believable (if sometimes grotesque) characters along a desperate rush to ruin. Highly recommended." Ron Terpening -
"The spare, well-
"An unnerving thrill ride that kept me on edge from beginning to end. Mixed Blood is a top-
"Smith offers a gritty tale of corruption and vengeance set in South Africa in his absorbing debut. His taut prose bodes well for future thrillers from his pen." Publishers Weekly
"A well-
"Startling, vivid, frightening. A first-
New York Times bestselling author of First Daughter & The Bourne Sanction
"A very brutal, absolutely gripping walk on the wild side. All ends in a devastating climax . . . making Mixed Blood a shattering page-
"Smith does an outstanding job of bringing Cape Town to life, taking us through the twists and turns of the local criminal world and the confusing labyrinth of racial identity in post-
"A cinematic Cape Town thriller." Bruce Tierney -
"Smith's characters fight for their lives against a Cape Town heavy with heat, grime, corruption,and gang violence. With its shattering sense of place, and satisfying plot twists, this book will grip you from page one." Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Heartsick & Sweetheart
"A tale of vengeance and entrapment, striking a perfect balance between action and plot twists and insight into the bleak and brutal repercussions of apartheid." Pat McClelland -
"Fugitive story filled with bad guys. [This] debut novel definitely lives up to its genre." -
"Mixed Blood deals with characters spiralling out from a break in on the high-
"Mixed Blood is right up the mean streets of those who like fast, tough, gritty crime fiction." Mike Nicol -
"From the very first page you knew you were in for a tough ride and I couldn't put this book down. A great comparison is Pelecanos' hard look at Washington DC, or an earlier Richard Price. Mixed Blood is great genre writing ." Three Guys One Book.com
"The plot moves along at a frenetic pace and the enigmatic characters keep readers guessing. This is an impressive debut novel." Andy Plonka -
A scorched earth, no prisoners, no quarter, no good guys, just degrees of badness thriller."
Mack Captures Crime
"An adventure into another part of the world you won't soon forget." New Mystery Reader Magazine
"If you like thrillers that are heavily noir, then you'll appreciate Mixed Blood." Bookloons
"A graphic look at Cape Town. Entertaining and suspenseful." MLB News
"Some books are just screaming out to be made into movies, and this is one of them." The GenReview
"The poverty, hopelessness and turmoil of Cape Town is portrayed frankly and unapologetically, and also with sympathy, but in this brutal noir world, almost no characters can escape. Highly recommended for those who can stomach the violence." Stop You're Killing Me
An American, hiding out in Cape Town, South Africa, after being blackmailed into a bank heist back home, is building a new life for his pregnant wife and young son, when an incident of random violence sets him on a collision course with street gangs and a rogue cop who loves killing almost as much as he loves Jesus Christ.
Meet Jack Burn, Benny Mongrel, Gatsby Barnard and Disaster Zondi Read an excerpt