Book by Mackenzie Jassy
Les informations fournies dans la section « Synopsis » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.
Annette arrived home in the dark. Her car’s tires crunched on the sand driveway and the brakes squeaked as she pulled to a hurried halt outside the tall metal gate. The heater’s fan was on maximum and the eight o’clock news was starting on the radio, but she didn’t have time to listen. Stopping at night was risky. Getting out of the car was even more dangerous, but she had no choice. Pulling the keys from the ignition, with the useless gate buzzer dangling from the bunch, she climbed out.
She hunched her shoulders against the cold, hugging her flimsy work jacket around her as she hurried over to the gate. She passed the “Sold” sign, rattling against the metal stakes that held it in the ground. The wind was blowing hard, hissing and whistling through the long dry grass that flanked her driveway. The growth swayed and parted and she peered at it suspiciously. For a moment it looked as if somebody was crouched inside, trying to hide.
Her head jerked up as she saw movement ahead of her. Four large dogs rushed towards the gate, their shadows stretching out behind them in the beams of her car’s headlights. The lead Alsatian snarled at his followers, defending his position as the others crowded too close. Leaping and wagging their tails, the dogs pushed their noses through the bars in welcome.
Annette smiled in relief, leaning forward and scratching their coarse fur. “Hey, boys. Just a minute and I’ll be inside.”
She fumbled with the bunch of keys, searching for the right one, her breath misting in the icy air. The giant padlock was easy to open because it was new, but it was difficult to remove because of its size. It was wedged into the thick steel rings between the gate and the gatepost. She struggled with the stubborn metal, so cold to the touch it seemed to burn. She glanced behind her at the lonely road while the dogs whined and shoved their muzzles against her hand in encouragement.
Finally the padlock jerked free, pinching a fold of skin on her finger as it came loose. She swore, cradling her hand against the pain. She would have a blood blister tomorrow, to add to the one from yesterday.
“Got to get that gate motor fixed,” she told the dogs.
Her keys dug into her palm as she wrapped her hands around the bars and shoved her shoulder into the heavy gate. The sand and rust clogging its runners made it a swine to slide open, especially at the start. Once it had been forced to get moving, it was easier. But as she started to push, her dogs tensed and one of them barked. Spinning round, she squinted into the blackness beyond her little Golf. She saw another vehicle pull to a stop in the road. It had approached silently, headlights off. Its dark body gleamed faintly red in the glow of her taillights.
Annette stared in disbelief as the driver climbed out and strolled round the front of the car towards her, as casual and relaxed as if he was a friendly neighbor stopping to give her some help. But she lived on two hundred acres of land and spoke to the neighbors two or three times a year about fencing and firebreaks. If they drove past her place at night, they would have their headlights on full and their feet on the accelerator, gunning their car down the dark ribbon of tarmac, counting the minutes until they reached home.
This man wasn’t a neighbor. And he certainly wasn’t friendly. Once he was clear of the car, he turned to face her. With a heart-stopping rush of terror, she saw the shape of a gun in his hand.
“No, please, don’t. Oh Jesus. Help me!”
Her first instinct was to run. But the dark car blocked the road ahead of her, and there were deep drainage ditches in the overgrowth on either side. She turned back to the gate, pushing with panicked strength against its stubborn weight. If she could let the dogs out, she’d have a chance. It moved a few inches and then jammed, just as it had done the night before. The dogs were all barking now, hurling themselves at the gap in their efforts to protect her. Their noise was a solid force that pulsed against her face, but they couldn’t get through to help her. Sobbing from the effort, her shoulder in agony, she knew she had no more time to try.
She turned back to face her attacker.
“Do you want my car? Here, take it.” Her voice sounded thin and high and the keys jingled in her unsteady hand as she held them out towards him.
The shadows on the man’s face deepened. He shook his head. He took another step forward and raised the gun.
Above the clamor of the dogs, Annette heard a metallic clicking sound. She didn’t know much about guns but there was only one thing this could mean.
The safety catch was off.
Her legs wouldn’t move. Her arms dropped to her sides. She wanted to plead, to beg him for her life. But what good would it do? He had already refused her car. And her throat had become so dry, she doubted whether she could speak at all.
Her fingers brushed against the pepper spray on her key ring. It was her only chance, even if it was a hopeless one. She fumbled with the metal canister. Quickly now. Lift and spray. Aim high, go for the eyes. Praying for a miracle, she raised her hand.
The man fired twice. The first shot got her square in the chest, slamming her back against the gate. As she began to slide to the ground, the second shot caught the side of her neck, ripping it open. Gushing blood, she collapsed onto the stony surface.
The killer watched her die, and then moved over to the open door of her car, where the heater was blowing and the newsreader was telling listeners about the price of gold and the strength of the rand against the dollar. With gloved fingers, he removed her handbag from the passenger seat. As quietly as it had arrived, the black vehicle moved away. At the gate the dogs continued to bark, their eyes brilliant in the glow from the headlights, their muzzles now crimson with blood.
Praise for Random Violence
"Jade de Yong kicks ass."
—NPR
“A new generation of crime writers is trying to put apartheid and modern South Africa in focus . . . [Random Violence is] a thought-provoking book.”
—Portland Oregonian
"Mackenzie, who has lived in South Africa from an early age, plays her hand deftly, with a page turner of a story, intriguing characters—Jade is particularly memorable—and a wealth of South African color, including its appalling racial history. At once brutal and beautiful, Random Violence leaves nothing to chance in hooking the reader."
—Richmond Times-Dispatch
“With surprising characters and an intriguing plot, you’ll be guessing right up until the very end.”
—Tulsa Examiner
"South African writer Mackenzie has created a strong female character with amazing resilience, unusual friends, and incredible luck . . . Gripping."
—Library Journal, Starred Review
"Set in contemporary South Africa, Mackenzie's triumphant debut introduces PI Jade de Jong . . . The plot has more than its fair share of nice twists, and Mackenzie does a superb job of making the reader care for her gutsy lead while offering a glimpse at life in South Africa after apartheid. Readers will wish Jade a long fictional career."
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"Beautiful and haunting . . . Each chapter is filled with wonders and horrors masterfully told in darkly poetic prose, with absolutely no wastage of space permitted. She has created a terrific and believable P.I. in the headstrong and somewhat intimidating Jade de Jong; a P.I. we will no doubt be seeing plenty of in the future. A host of colorful and memorable characters fill the pages, alongside Jade, making this a gripping and page-turning read, despite the bleakness of place and events via post-apartheid South Africa."
—New York Journal of Books
"Complicated and tough and real."
—Boston Bibliophile
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Les informations fournies dans la section « A propos du livre » peuvent faire référence à une autre édition de ce titre.
Frais de port :
Gratuit
Vers Etats-Unis
Frais de port :
EUR 3,58
Vers Etats-Unis
Vendeur : BooksRun, Philadelphia, PA, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Fair. First Edition. Ship within 24hrs. Satisfaction 100% guaranteed. APO/FPO addresses supported. N° de réf. du vendeur 1569476292-7-1
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, Etats-Unis
Etat : Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. N° de réf. du vendeur 18-1569476292-G
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Books From California, Simi Valley, CA, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Very Good. Etat de la jaquette : Very Good. Signed. First Edition. First ed, stated, full numberline. SIGNED by author on title page. Jacket in mylar, VG. Light edge wear may be present due to storage, otherwise NF. N° de réf. du vendeur mon0002715703
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Tombstone Books, Newtown Square, PA, Etats-Unis
hardcover. Etat : fine. Etat de la jaquette : fine. 1st. 1st edition hardcover in fine condition in fine dust jacket - 1st Jade de Jong novel set in Johannesberg, South Africa - fine, as new copy. N° de réf. du vendeur mh8081
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Dogwood Books, Rome, GA, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : Near Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Near Fine. 1st Edition. The dustjacket shows minimal wear and is protected in a mylar cover. Signed by the author on the title page. Signed by Author(s). N° de réf. du vendeur 031774
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, Etats-Unis
Etat : Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. N° de réf. du vendeur 10-1569476292-G
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Sequitur Books, Boonsboro, MD, Etats-Unis
Hardcover. Etat : As New. First Edition. [Signed, 1st ed.] Flat signed by author on title page. Hardcover and dust jacket. Fine binding and cover. Clean, unmarked pages. Dust jacket in protective mylar cover. *Autographed by author.*. Signed. N° de réf. du vendeur 1904100168
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Scene of the Crime, ABAC, IOBA, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
Hardcover. Etat : Fine. Etat de la jaquette : Fine. 1st Edition. First US edition first printing of the first novel in the Jade de Jong series. In fine / fine condition. N° de réf. du vendeur 18246
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : Daniel Montemarano, Newfield, NJ, Etats-Unis
Hard Cover. Etat : Very Good. Etat de la jaquette : Near Fine. 1st US Edition/1st Printing. SIGNED by author on a bookplate affixed on front end page (signature only). tape residue on boards and rear pasedown has scrape. $25.00 price present on DJ flap; mylar protected. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. Signed by Author. N° de réf. du vendeur 031569
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)
Vendeur : zenosbooks, San Francisco, CA, Etats-Unis
hardcover. Etat : Very Good in Dustjacket. 1st edition. N° de réf. du vendeur z3069
Quantité disponible : 1 disponible(s)