The October Killings
18 journalers for this copy...
I'm always searching for new interesting authors of thrillers, detectives and mysteries. This is the first one by Ebersohn I've ever read it, and I quite enjoyed it.
The two good characters in this book (and I guess in a series) are Abigail Bukula, a black woman working for the government in South Africa, and Yudel Gordon, who is a white psychologist. Leon Lourens, who saved Abigail's life 20 years ago, comes to ask for help to find out what has happened to the others who were present the night Abigail's parents were killed. Who (the government?) is killing these people?
Abigail starts to investigate, and she and Yudel have their own twists with history, politics, corruption etc before they can find out who - and why - is behind these killings - all of which have occurred in October.
I enjoyed the book, and I hope there are other BCers interested in trying new mystery/crime/thriller authors and heroes who are located somewhere else on this planet.
Hence, I'm offering this book as a book ray - see details. Jump in the ray from that thread. (or PM me for joining)
The book is a bit under 400 g/14 oz, about 15x20cm or 5"x8" paperback for this book. 312 pages.
Usual rules apply: please journal when you receive the book, and also when you send it to the next reader (and of course you comments on how you liked the book). Slower shipping methods are ok if that makes it easier for you. Please try to read in a month or less, and if there are any problems on the way (not getting replies from the next on the list etc), PM me. The last one on the ray (when it reaches the end) can keep/release the book as they wish.
Order:
* aetm (me, in Texas + my sister to do the first part of mailing from Europe)
* Hayes13 (Italy, shipping intl)
* maffarrimond (UK, EU pref.)
* grovalskii (Germany, Intl)
* Finnchen (Luxembourg, Intl)
* Sherlockfan (NZ, Intl)
* dutch-book (Netherlands, Europe)
* Icila (France, Intl)
* Stoepbrak (South Africa, Intl) <---- book is here
* [your name here?]
Edit
Released 12 yrs ago (8/23/2011 UTC) at Kauniainen, Uusimaa / Nyland Finland
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Safe journey little book - I hope you'll make many new friends on your travels!
"Don't ever apologize to an author for buying something in paperback, or taking it out from a library (that's what they're there for. Use your library). Don't apologize to this author for buying books second hand, or getting them from bookcrossing or borrowing a friend's copy. What's important to me is that people read the books and enjoy them, and that, at some point in there, the book was bought by someone. And that people who like things, tell other people. The most important thing is that people read... "
— Neil Gaiman
Please note this is a part of a book ray, so try to read it in a reasonable time. After the last reader, it can continue its journey as appropriate.
Released 12 yrs ago (10/10/2011 UTC) at -- Controlled Release, Wales United Kingdom
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Here is my review:
Interesting and with a little tightening up it could have been much better. The copy is an ARC, so perhaps in the final version some things were changed.
The heroine drives off at a moment's notice to the police station, to an abandoned house, climbs over barbed wire fences... but it's 3 in the morning, she's wearing office clothes and shoes, there's a murderous killer out and about; none of it makes much sense.
Having said that, the "trap" scene was very well done and full of tension and had me on the edge of my seat. As I said above, this effect was ruined when the young woman goes dashing off, alone, to save the world.
Good story, good mystery. Will read another from this author if I find one.
Off to Wales
Already have the address of the next reader and will post it on tomorrow.
Edit 10.12.11:
I very much liked this book. Compelling story, interesting characters. Gives also a good view into South African history, before and after the end of the Apartheid regime.
I've already received the address of the next reader, so the book will be on this way to the next reader shortly.
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Gelesen für SÜDAFRIKA im Rahmen der 1 Jahr - 1 Land Challenge.
Released 12 yrs ago (12/12/2011 UTC) at PLEASE ☑ controlled release then choose Country>Region>City, -- By post or by hand/ in person -- Luxembourg
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
No response from dutch-book yet so I'll send a prompt. It is holiday time though so s/he might be away.
Released 12 yrs ago (1/26/2012 UTC) at Upper Hutt, Wellington Province New Zealand
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Released 10 yrs ago (7/12/2013 UTC) at Heerenveen , Fryslân (Friesland) Netherlands
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
Released 10 yrs ago (9/3/2013 UTC) at La Chapelle-sur-Erdre, Pays de la Loire France
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book arrived safely in Cape Town. This is a pilgrimage of sorts for the book, having never visited the country of its roots before. :)
Thanks to aetm for hosting the bookray and for Icila for passing the book on to me!
It will be a while before I get to reading it. A number of 1001-library and ring books arrived in a short space of time. As this appears to be the end of the ray for now, at least it means there isn't someone immediately in line who is waiting for the book.
I found the book interesting on many levels. The author took trouble to make the milieu authentic and I recognised shades of many actual events in the news at the time woven into the background. The characters are true to life, and both the good and bad of the "new" South Africa come to the fore.
It must be tough being a writer of South African crime/mystery novels these days: one will always end up being compared with Deon Meyer. In the case of this novel, I felt, like Hayes13, that it needed "some tightening up". A good, entertaining read, though, that I'll recommend to anyone interested in the genre.
Of course, it was only fitting that I got to read the book in October. I had better find a way to move it on before the 22nd. :)
This is the end of the ray for now. I will enquire in the forum thread for more readers. If you are interested, let me know.
The bookray will continue. Thanks to those who have joined. If there are any more potential participants out there, let me know and I'll add your names to the list.
You can either PM me or post your request in the bookray's forum thread:
http://www.bookcrossing.com/forum/20/447856
10. book-a-neer (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) (ship Aus/NZ)
11. Billbooks (Malvern East, Victoria, Australia) (ship intl)
12. Soozreader (Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala, Finland) (ship EU)
13. Abi-Gibby (Millbrook, Cornwall, UK)
14. bluezwuzl (Altdorf, Bayern, Germany) (ship intl)
15. Edwardstreet (Wellington City, Wellington Province, NZ) (ship intl)
16. Aus-charlotte (Banora Point, New South Wales, Australia) (ship Aus)
Edited 2014-11-09 to add:
There does not seem to be further interest at this stage, which means we have come to the end of the (extended) organised bookray. Thanks to all of you who have taken part!
Ray It Forward
I always feel a book that has been part of a bookray should not be released in the wild. Therefore, when the book finds its way to you and you are done with it, I would request that you give or send it to another active BookCrosser, with a similar request to this one. A book that has travelled a bit in the form of a ray deserves to travel more, rather than get stuck on a bookshelf somewhere — often with the catch not even journalled — or worse: get lost in the wild.
Although I will not be involved with further travel arrangements for the book, I plan to continue to add participants' names to the list as the book continues its journey.
17. naelea (Albury, New South Wales, Australia)
18. tantan (Townsville, Queensland, Australia) << currently here
19. Let's see where the book pops up next!
Released 10 yrs ago (10/28/2013 UTC) at Cape Town, Western Cape South Africa
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The book is on its way to book-a-neer in Australia. I posted it this morning, opting for surface mail. Quite often a registered package like this gets lucky and is included with items dispatched by airmail. Only time will tell.
International tracking number: CN023077949ZA
http://www.postoffice.co.za/tools/trackandtrace.html
http://www.track-trace.com/post
A good one for my 666 challenge.
Thanks.
Will pm billbooks to arrange delivery.
As agreed with Stoepbrak I have been holding on to this book but now it is going to travel again!
Released 10 yrs ago (3/3/2014 UTC) at
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
The plot had a lot of page turning moments and kept you thinking who's gunna be next and what's gunna happen. Will happily read this book again. And I didn't want it to end
Released 10 yrs ago (3/10/2014 UTC) at -- Per Post geschickt/ Persönlich weitergegeben --, Baden-Württemberg Germany
CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:
If you have a moment, we'd love you to let us know you have the book as we're keen to follow its journey. You can even post a review when you've read it before passing it on to the next lucky person.
Happy reading!
Not sure what to do? Follow these steps!
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3) If you choose to read the book, please make another journal entry when you finish it to let us know what you thought!
4) Ready to pass the book on? Click on "make release notes" to let us know where it's going! Leave the book in a public place or give it to a friend!
Thanks to Abby-Gibby (and many thanks for the nice bookmark, too!) and to aetm for setting it free!
This is a truly gripping story and -as someone said before - I'd very much like to read more about the main characters...
I tried to contact Edwardstreet who is next on the list - but got no response so far...
Released 9 yrs ago (4/23/2014 UTC) at —- by hand, post, or courier in Wellington City, Wellington Province New Zealand
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
There does not seem to be further interest at this stage, which means we have come to the end of the (extended) organised bookray. Thanks to all of you who have taken part!
Ray It Forward
I always feel a book that has been part of a bookray should not be released in the wild. I therefore asked Aus-charlotte to "ray the book forward", i.e. to give or send it to another active BookCrosser, with a similar request to this one. A book that has travelled a bit in the form of a ray deserves to travel more, rather than get stuck on a bookshelf somewhere — often with the catch not even journalled — or worse: get lost in the wild.
It is my hope that future readers of the book will share this view, at least as far as this particular book is concerned, and extend its journey.
Posted to Foxygirl.
I won't lie - this will probably spend awhile on my shelf, but once read I will pass it forward. :-)
I’m not sure I had ever read a crime novel set in South Africa before, and I really liked the unusual (to me) setting. There were a few odd moments in the novel that made me screw up my face a bit, but overall a worthwhile read and I would like to try some of the author’s other books in the series.
Released 1 yr ago (11/5/2022 UTC) at Melbourne Central New Little Library in Melbourne CBD, Victoria Australia
WILD RELEASE NOTES: