PRAISE FOR MIXED BLOOD
"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 -
"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 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 -
"Haunted by the violence and hatred of [South Africa's] history . . . Smith's Cape
Town is Dickensian in its presentation of thugs and murderers [and] an especially
wonderful villain." Francis W. Decker -
"A very brutal, absolutely gripping walk on the wild side. All ends in a devastating
climax, making Mixed Blood a shattering page-
"A well-
"Fugitive story filled with bad guys. [This] debut novel definitely lives up to its
genre." -
"A gripping thriller that follows believable (if sometimes grotesque) characters
along a desperate rush to ruin. Highly recommended." Ron Terpening -
"A cinematic Cape Town thriller." Bruce Tierney -
"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
"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-
"The spare, well-
"The repulsive Rudi "Gatsby" Barnard, an Afrikaner cop, [is] as corrupt and villainous
as any in recent fiction." -
"A staggeringly clearsighted view of contemporary South Africa. A brilliant thriller."
Antje Deistler -
"Like a punch in the gut. You'll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current
crime writing." Peter Henning -
"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 -
"In his stunning Cape Town thriller Roger Smith takes no prisoners." Sven Boedecker
-
"A frenetic roller-
"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 -
"The characters are wonderfully complex. The violence is stunning. If you like classy
thrillers, then this is a must-
"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 Wordsetc
"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
"An unnerving thrill ride that kept me on edge from beginning to end. Mixed Blood
is a top-
"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
"Startling, vivid, frightening. A first-
"A motley crew of incredibly well-
"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
"Mixed Blood deals with characters spiralling out from a break in on the high-
"A gripping narrative. The ending is suitably noir-
"A fast-
"Mixed Blood is right up the mean streets of those who like fast, tough, gritty crime
fiction." Mike Nicol -
"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
"Once I started Mixed Blood, I felt it would be somehow denying reality to put it
down. Isn't that the point of such shadowy fiction -
"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." Stop You're Killing Me
PICADOR
PAPERBACK
GreeneStreet Films (NYC) is developing the movie version of Mixed Blood – scheduled to start shooting in Cape Town in late 2010 – starring Samuel L. Jackson, with Phillip Noyce (SALT) directing
Nominated for a Spinetingler Best Novel Award
#1 crime novel of 2009 in Germany (more ...)
The German translation wins German Thriller Award 2010 (more ...)
Named among the best books of 2009:
Dave Zeltserman @ Flashlight Worthy
Alan Cranis @ Bookgasm
Deadly Pleasures Magazine (a best first novel)