In 1950s South Africa, the colour of a killer's skin matters more than justice. In this captivating debut novel, brilliant newcomer Malla Nunn explores the layers of racial divides in a small South African country town as Detective Emmanuel Cooper tracks the killer of an Afrikaan's police captain. While Cooper navigates his way through the towns labyrinthine partitions of race and class, his position becomes more dangerous and his life is put at risk as he confronts the ever harsher realities of South Africa under the new apartheid regime. Malla Nunn combines a thrilling, action-oriented plot with a thoughtful and complex portrayal of a particular time and place and the human desires that drive us all, regardless of race, colour or creed.