Book review: Making a Killing

Making a Killing

Bonnie Espie

Kwela

Review: Karen Watkins

What do you get when you mix a quaint village, a bookshop-café, two unlikely friends and a dead body? A riotously dark, funny and oh-so-satisfying debut novel, that’s what.

When Winifred Staples escapes Johannesburg for a quieter life in the fictitious Riviersvalleij, she’s hoping for peace, pastries and page-turners, but life has other ideas. Instead, she’s almost forced into teaming up with the savvy Sylvie, whose language is peppered with Afrikaans, but not so much that non-taalers cannot follow.

The pair open The Novel Eatery, a cosy haven of tea, books, dogs and gossip. Everything’s going swimmingly… until a customer accidentally dies after hours.

Rather than let a small matter like murder ruin their dream, Winifred and Sylvie roll up their sleeves and get creative. With a flair for resourcefulness (and disposal), the duo prove that nothing – not even the odd corpse – can keep a good café down.

Espie delivers a delightfully twisted tale filled with wit, warmth and a generous dash of the macabre. Her characters leap off the page – Winifred is deliciously anxious, Sylvie is a force of nature, and together they’re irresistible.

This novel is a cheeky, clever romp through friendship, secrets and small-town survival. Just the right blend of cosy and criminal. It reminds me of Sally Andrew’s Tannie Maria book series set in the Klein Karoo, so hopefully Espie has more to come.