White Boys Don't Cry by
John Fullerton
hbk out June 06
Published by Macmillan
at £16.99
Seb Palfrey is a British newspaper correspondent in South Africa. It is 1994, the
apartheid era is over and elections are in the offing. In the middle of political
uncertainty and upheaval, an ex-minister, Afrikaner Cris Schuter is murdered. Seb is
a lifelong friend of Cris's son Josh – and Josh is missing. The police question Seb,
believing he can lead them to Josh who they think is involved in the killing. As the
police hunt gathers speed, we also follow Seb's account of growing up under the
apartheid system: of getting embroiled in political activism, of the dangers of
informants, violent state reprisals and draconian laws. The long-kept secrets he shares
with Josh come to illuminate the present day situation. Fullerton grew up in South
Africa's Cape Town and writes with unswerving authority and passion about the
country and the impact of its savage politics on friendships and relationships without
any hint of preaching. As in This Green Land, his previous title exploring the
situation in Lebanon, he conveys perfectly the landscape and the tensions of the times
through rounded often flawed characters and maintains a level of suspense that keeps
us gripped.
(
Cath Staincliffe
author of the popular Sal Kilkenny mysteries and the series creator of TV Blue Murder)
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White Boys Don't Cry by
John Fullerton
