Barbara Ludman reviews new police procedurals and a courtroom drama.
<i>Payback</i> by Mike Nicol (Umuzi) and <i>Dead Point</i> by Peter Temple (Quercus) are reviewed by Barbara Ludman.
Barbara Ludman reviews Rafael Reig’s <i>Blood on the Saddle</i> and <i>A Pretty Face</i>, set in a dystopian world where the oil has run out and parts of Madrid have been flooded, so one gets around by boat, bicycle or elevated electrobus, as well as Michael Harvey’s <i>The Chicago Way</i>.
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/ 21 February 2008
Crime fiction doesn’t always make easy reading, writes Barbara Ludman.
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/ 6 November 2007
Why are readers so stuck on series? Do we count the cast as personal friends or are we longing for the familiar in a world out of control? Whatever the reason, the authors of crime novels tend to be caught in a web of their own spinning, unable to jettison a likeable or interesting protagonist and create something different.
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/ 19 October 2007
Barbara Ludman reviews Angela Makholwa’s <i>Red Ink</i>.
Psychotics knocking off young women feature prominently in three new releases. Barbara Ludman wonders why.
Jane Taylor is an academic of note and only someone familiar with the world of academe would devise such an astonishing motive for a homicide, in her new novel <i>Of wild dogs</i>, writes Barbara Ludman.
Barbara Ludman reviews <i>Autobiography of a Geisha</i>, which traces the life of a well known Japanese geisha and how she perfected the craft of being a hostess.
The legacy of apartheid has left schools in rural areas in a poor state contributing to poverty in these areas. The Emerging Voices report stresses that education must be at the heart of any poverty-reduction programme and looks at the need to improve the quality of education through the participation of rural communities.
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/ 29 October 2004
<img src="http://www.mg.co.za/ContentImages/140248/USA2.GIF" align=left>The United States presidential election is often described as 50 state elections. The right of states to make their own rules for the way they want to run elections — from ballot design to the requirements for registering as a voter — are honoured in this federal system. But more than half of Americans want to abandon the country’s outdated electoral college system.
"Mark Haddon’s acclaimed novel is an extraordinary piece of work. It shows great insight into the human condition." Barbara Ludman reviews <i>The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time</i>.
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/ 20 February 2004
John Does found in mine shafts, wives who knocked off their husbands, accidental spies and more, Barbara Ludman digs deep in her bag of the latest gripping crime thrillers.
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/ 19 December 2003
Stare deeply into a mirror. No, don’t look away – we’re doing some serious analysis here. Such an exercise is enough to put most people off mirrors for life, but the author says it’s quite useful if you want to lose weight and improve your general health. Barbara Ludman takes a closer look.
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/ 26 September 2003
The current model of black economic empowerment (BEE), focused on transferring equity rather than encouraging entrepreneurship, has created a culture of entitlement and dependency in the black middle class, says outspoken businessman Moeletsi Mbeki.
A background of swirling fog and sin adds immeasurably to a thriller, instantly setting the scene — and what better place than London, asks Barbara Ludman, cuddling up in bed with a few gloomy crime thrillers.
True crime stories have always intrigued the public. Barbara Ludman reviews a collection of new books covering the development of DNA techniques and similar advancements in medical science to unravel murder mysteries.
The struggle for liberation was played out in suburbs as well as in townships, a bit of history often ignored.
Rock art provides not just a reminder of the past, but a glimpse into the future. Sites that are thousands of years old are providing present-day communities with the chance to make a living out of history. Barbara Ludman travels to some of the sites
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/ 1 November 2002
<b>Review:</b> <i>Deception Point</i> by Dan Brown, <i>Expiry Date</i> by David Michie and <i>Black Ice</i> by Matt Dickinson<p>
Barbara Ludman.
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/ 2 September 2002
Barbara Ludman takes a look at a range of new books on crime.
<b>Book review: </b> <i>The Wedding</i>
by Imraan Coovadia
(Pan Macmillan)
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/ 7 November 2001
<i>Paul and the Menu: Cooking with Spirit</i> features theologian Paul Germond in a red-striped apron and actor Maqhawe Khathide with camera and notebook invading kitchens around the country as, week by week, they prepare for religious festivals, writes Barbara Ludman.
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/ 4 September 2001
Reviews:</b> <i>A Conspiracy of Paper</i> by David Liss (Abacus) and <i>Sleep of Death</i> by Philip Gooden (Robinson).
The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) has cancelled its fourth season for lack of funds, just days before the start of South African Music Week this weekend, writes Barbara Ludman.
Each doll came complete with adoption certificate. The rice paddy dolls carry Hong Kong British passports.
It was also a prophetic poster, because printed at the bottom was the legend "Everyday is June 16".