Jack meets an old military buddy who convinces him to use his skill as a gambler at the casinos. The plan works pretty well but he can't make himself tell Susan where the money is coming from. Of course eventually he gets involved in more speculative gambling and loses. In order to stay in business he lets himself get talked into getting financed by a money man who lets him get in way over his head until his only way to extract himself is to leave the country and reinvent himself with a new identity.

Currently living in Cape Town, South Africa Jack thinks his troubles are behind him. One night while eating dinner, the Burn family's home is broken into and the family is attacked by two men who appear to be gang members. The men are not negotiating, but Jack using his military training, wounds both men. He can't go to the police because of his shady background so he kills both men.

Benny Mongrel is a former gang member and ex-con. He is now a night security guard in charge of a building next door to Jack's house. He witnesses the break in at Jack's home. Because of his own colorful past, he is more interested in knowing what exactly went on. He knows that at least one cop who regularly patrols the area is crooked so he decides to conduct his own investigation.

Though the plot moves along at a frenetic pace the major players in Mixed Blood demand the reader's attention. They conform to no stereotype. Jack is a tragic figure. He has a good heart but he likes the good life and is a good enough gambler to support this life - if he knew enough to stay with the card games at which he is successful. His wife knows Jack will let her down and she should leave him, but his good heart draws her back. Benny Mongrel was born into a gangland setting and the criminal life is all he knows, but through the companionship of a guard dog he learns enough about love and compassion to become a different person.

The author lives in Cape Town, South Africa and demonstrates his knowledge of the city. From the distinctive climate with its relentless heat and blowing sand to its easily recognizable populations of white, colored or black Cape Town itself directly impacts the plot of the novel.

Though apartheid has been abolished, class distinctions are very much at issue in the city and individual persons are aware of how they fit into the social scheme. Mixed Blood could not take place anywhere else  in Africa or anywhere else on the globe for that matter. It is a book that imparts many visual images. The fact that the author has an established career as a screen writer should come as no surprise. One can almost taste the dust, feel the heat, and smell the less affluent neighborhoods in the city.

The pages turn quickly as the plot develops and the enigmatic characters keep readers guessing what they will do next. In this one the story is not complete until the final page which is, indeed, an important one. This is an impressive debut novel.

--Andy Plonka