Book Reviews

Former High Court Judge Chris Nicholson reopens one of South Africa’s most enduring unanswered questions in a gripping new book. South Africans have long believed they understand the truth behind the assassination of Chris Hani. However, that confidence comes under renewed scrutiny in Who Really Killed Chris Hani?

The results of the 29 May 2024 elections caused a seismic shift in South Africa’s political landscape. For the first time in three decades of democracy, the ruling African National Congress (ANC) did not secure a majority. With a constitutional deadline of just fourteen days to elect a president, the nation held its breath. Would the ANC form a so-called doomsday coalition with the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and Patriotic Alliance, or pursue a centrist partnership with its long-time rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA)?

The Spell is an ambitious and provocative work of intellectual history that seeks nothing less than to illuminate the narrative architecture through which Western civilisation has made sense of itself, and the world at large.

Exit Strategy delivers exactly what long-time fans expect from Jack Reacher -  precision, unpredictability and trouble waiting around every corner. This new instalment keeps the pace tight while giving readers a fresh look at Reacher’s code of instinctive justice. The novel grips from the opening page and never loosens its hold.

Gone Before Goodbye delivers a gripping and unforgettable suspense experience. The novel brings together the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. This collaboration creates a high-stakes thriller that keeps readers on edge from the first page.

Who has time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan? That question captures the warm, chaotic energy that defines the newest instalment in Richard Osman’s beloved series. The Thursday Murder Club returns, and this time the stakes feel both personal and explosive. The Impossible Fortune comes to mind as the group once again finds themselves navigating danger, friendship and unexpected secrets.

Force for Good is a bold and refreshingly balanced exploration of positive masculinity. It inspires men to become powerful forces for good in a world that desperately needs them to step into this role. The book challenges the extremes that often shape discussions about masculinity. On one side lies aggressive dominance. On the other hand lies passive disengagement.

Old structures were built for stability. Today’s leaders need something stronger and more adaptable. The Rock Blueprint equips them to thrive in disruption, build resilient teams and create companies that outlast the founder. Traditional organisational structures come from a different era. They feel rigid and outdated. As a result, they fail to keep up with today’s fast-changing environment.

Jan Smuts is revered by some as a national and international statesman. However, others condemn him as an architect of segregation. In his new book, prize-winning author Bongani Ngqulunga examines how Smuts’s political life affected black South Africans. This work provides a nuanced exploration of his complex legacy.

Darker Shade of Pale traces early twentieth-century Jewish migration from the Russian Empire to colonial South Africa. It tells this complex story through the life of one man. Blending personal memoir with historical inquiry, Deborah Posel reveals the hidden costs of uprooting. These costs include dislocation, ambition, shame and the sting of failure in a settler colony.