The Murder of Norman Ware by Rosamund Kendal

Rosamund Kendal is a delightful South African author whose previous bestselling novels The Karma Suture and The Angina Monologues were great hospital chicklits. With her latest novel, Kendal makes the move into crime fiction. The Murder of Norman Ware is a fun and enjoyable crime book, with a strong tone of Desperate Housewives. So if you get a kick out of the narrating voice in Desperate Housewives, Kendal's novel will be right up your alley.

The residents of the luxurious San La Mer eco-estate outside Durban wake up to shocking news. Advocate Norman Ware is found mutilated and murdered in the men's  bathroom. Judging from the missing body parts, he was tortured before being dealt a deadly blow to the head. How could such a thing happen in a secure estate?

Kendal introduces us to a large range of characters, each representing extremities of South African lives, and each playing some sort of part that lead up to the murder. From the Sangoma who trades in muti, to the corrupt businessman, from the bored housewife to the cheating husband. They all have interesting and highly South African stories to tell, and in this seemingly idyllic place, no one is innocent.

The Murder of Norman Ware is a joy to read. It's a novel that doesn't take itself too seriously, but it still offers pungent social critique. It's got loads of black humour, and if you're looking for an escape read, The Murder of Norman Ware is just the ticket.