Book Review: Present Tense by Natalie Conyer

After reading and loving Shadow City I was delighted  to receive a copy of Present Tense, Natalie Conyer's debut novel.

 

Present Tense is the first book featuring South African Detective Schalk Lourens, named by his literary father after Oom Schalk Lourens, the main character in Herman Charles Bosman's novels. I loved that there was that tiny bit of humour as Schalk's namesake is mentioned by everyone he meets.

Present Tense is a dark and atmospheric political thriller set during the explosive time preceding an election.

Having read book 2, Shadow City, first I did know some outcomes but it didn't spoil the story for me.

 

Schalk is a flawed character, some of his decisions aren't the best, but he is trying to do the right thing in a country shrouded in corruption, cover ups and murderous acts of revenge.

 

Conyer expertly renders the civil unrest in South Africa but lightens it with the beauty and majesty of a beautiful land, showing how fiercely loyal South Africans are to their country. 

 

Keenly plotted with wonderful support characters, Present Tense will delight fans of hard-boiled police procedurals. 

 

My rating 4 / 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

 

Publisher: Echo Publishing

Publication date: 3rd December 2024

Series: A Schalk Lourens Mystery #1

Genre: Crime / Mystery

Pages: 296

RRP: AU$32.99 (trade paperback)

Source: courtesy of the publisher

 

My review of SHADOW CITY