Die by the Sword by Tony Park

Tony Park is the author of 23 novels, and he divides his time between Australia and South Africa. He writes in the style of Wilbur Smith, so expect lots of action and adventure set in a South African landscape in his latest offering.

Die by the Sword has a dual timeline.

In the present day, Detective Sannie van Rensburg and former soldier Adam Kruger are each on the trail of a murder mystery. One body was found on the shores of the Indian Ocean, and one was found in a farm invasion in KwaZulu-Natal. These cases are linked to a third body found a century earlier.

In 1880, Peter Gregory, formerly of the British Army, was tasked with escorting a mother to the memorial site where her son, the Prince Imperial of France, lost his life fighting with the British army in the Anglo-Zulu War. Peter was also ordered to track down the sword the prince carried into battle, which had belonged to his great-uncle, Napoleon Bonaparte.

Unfortunately, there are people willing to kill to get this sword, and these investigations are soon on a collision course.

Well-researched and full of visceral action, Die by the Sword is exhilarating, heart-palpitating, escapist reading.

Reviewer: Karen McMillan

Pan Macmillan