Let the Dead Lie [Hardcover]

By now you've probably heard of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. It's a fast-paced thriller set in Sweden, the first in a trilogy of books featuring Lisbeth Sanders, a quirky investigator/computer hacker and the "Girl" in the title. In this particular story, she teams up with Mikhail Blomkvist, a once-respected journalist who has fallen on hard times, to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young girl forty years ago. I could hardly put it down.

So I was thrilled to receive an email from my friends at Simon & Schuster recently that read, "If you love Steig Larsson's Mikael Blomkvist you will certainly fall in love with Malla Nunn's enigmatic Emmanuel Cooper." They were referring to the main character in Nunn's second novel, Let the Dead Lie, and I was sold. I requested an advance review copy and devoured it.

This book is actually a sequel to Nunn's debut novel, A Beautiful Place to Die (now also on my reading list). Both stories feature Emmanuel Cooper, a former soldier and police detective sergeant who is indeed as crafty and tough as Larsson's Blomkvist. And like Blomkvist, the actions of his past haunt his present.

Let the Dead Lie is set in 1950s South Africa, specifically, in the port town of Durban - a melting pot of Indians, Afrikaners, Zulus, English, Russians, Jews, and Greeks - that at this point in history is still subject to the racial separation system of apartheid. The area of focus is the Victory Shipyards, which turn into a hotbed of violence, prostitution, and thievery at night.

Cooper is now working undercover on the docks of Durban Harbor to document police corruption, when he stumbles upon the slain body of an 11-year-old English slum kid that ran errands in the shipyard. Cooper, who grew up in a mixed-race family in the slums of Johannesburg, identifies with the boy. Rather than "letting the dead lie," he gets entangled in the crime scene and becomes the prime suspect in the murder, only to become a pawn in a much larger game of international intrigue.

If you like detective stories, this is a must-read; it's as fast-paced and engaging (with equally colorful characters) as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but also an easier read. Also fascinating is the historic and cultural aspects of the story; Nunn was born in Swaziland, South Africa, and her parents actually grew up in Durban, but later moved the family to Australia to escape the race restrictions imposed on them in their home land. Her fiction is inspired by real people and stories from her relatives, combined with diligent research and good dose of imagination. It's a great murder mystery that will have you reading into the wee hours of the night.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first novel by the same author, I was looking forward to this one, and I wasn't disappointed. As a matter of fact, this one was easier to read because I had already learned so much about the race classifications for this era in South Africa from the first novel. The main character, Emmanuel, is wonderful, and such a good guy that it is easy to get caught up in the solving of the mystery. The plot takes so many twists and turns that it isn't possible to guess the outcome, even though it makes perfect sense. I love that the ending alluded to another novel to come, where we may learn more of the background on Emmanuel, who is still surrounded by much mystery himself.

Second in the Emmanuel Cooper series, LET THE DEAD LIE opens in 1953 in Durban, South Africa after a brief prologue in set in 1945 Paris which casts a framework defining Cooper's career and determined search for justice. The National Party's apartheid laws are in effect. The port town of Durban with its diverse racial groups and tribes does not easily fit into a black and white view of race. After his case in the first book, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE, now former detective and ex-soldier Emmanuel Cooper, does surveillance work of corrupt policemen on the seedy docks of Durban, a place frequented by prostitutes, thieves and other low life activities. When Cooper discovers the dead body of a young errand boy, he cannot let the crime go. As he becomes a suspect in the crime, Cooper races against the clock to solve the murder. Several complications and interwoven connections expose several layers of corruption and danger.

In LET THE DEAD LIE, Malla Nunn, Swaziland born filmmaker and author, creates a murder mystery rich in detail that takes the reader to the heart 1950s South African culture. Every gesture or word between characters carries with it the social construct of apartheid. As in her first novel, Malla Nunn instills a keen sense of place and history into the mystery. Against this rich background, LET THE DEAD LIE creates complex characters in which various types of corruption, overt and those hidden beneath surface appearances come into play. Cooper's investigation takes the reader beyond the stereotypes created by apartheid, while exposing the unintended consequences of the apartheid laws. The preparations for Queen Elizabeth's coronation in the background provide a stark contrast to life around the Durban dockyards and the other places where Cooper's investigation leads while also placing the mystery within a larger historical framework. As in the first book, Malla Nunn digs deeper behind the surface to reveal those human connections and passions that seethe below the surface of the society and the individual.

Like her debut mystery, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE, LET THE DEAD LIE is a riveting mystery where clues and carefully laid twists and turns make for a fast page turner and also a rich work of fiction to satisfy a deeper longing within the reader for depth in setting, characterization and history. The second novel can be read as a stand alone although I would encourage first time readers to read both books in order. The second novel will be all the richer in the context of the first when a reader already knows the history of many secondary characters, particularly the Scottish voice of the phantom staff sergeant that reappears from time to time, which is likely to be more confusing to first time readers. This voice, however, give insights into Cooper's past and his internal thoughts. The framing of the mystery as a deal quickens the pace and yet, somehow, feels unbelievable. Nevertheless, once one suspends belief and follows the story, the intricate connections that make the mystery make LET THE DEAD LIE more satisfying than a straight line to the culprit with a few red herrings mystery.

As a whole, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO DIE, was slightly better as a mystery than LET THE DEAD LIE, yet it is this second Malla Nunn mystery that truly develops the series with a more intimate look at Emmanuel Cooper. LET THE DEAD LIE is a crucial important book to carry the series forward precisely because of the author's character development. The insights into his character become even more fascinating here as past and present once again combine to create him the man that he is, making this reader most curious where this case will lead him next. While I love the first book of the series, this book, despite its minor imperfections, makes the choice to read the author's third automatic more so than just the first alone. Together, the two books create a complex character worth following. In both books, setting and history play a crucial role, not just as background but as fully integrated into the mystery. Twelve questions and a short interview at the end will facilitate a deeper reading either for individual readers or as a starting point for book club discussions. Malla Nunn is a must read for the mystery lover looking for something rich, original and refreshingly different.