Review: Gripping
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 19, 2012
Like Smith's previous three novels, this novella violently clashes the pampered wealthy of Cape Town, South Africa with the desperately impoverished. In this case, Ishmael Toffee is an ex-gangster just out of prison. A very violent man who has shed too much blood and has reached a point where he has lost his stomach for more violence. He now wants to live out his life quietly and indulging in a passion he picked up in prison--gardening. When Ishmael is given a job tending to the gardens of a wealthy man's home and is confronted with the knowledge that this man is sexually abusing his 6 year-old daughter, Ishmael can either turn his back to this evil or risk everything to save this girl. What pulses through this work are the raw motivations of the characters: evil, cowardice, avarice and ultimately, heroism. What's also on full display is Smith's prose--no other thriller writer is writing such lean and powerful prose. 'Ishmael Toffee' is less violent and has a lower body count than any of Smith's previous three novels, but it's every bit as powerful, moving, and gritty, and is a must read for crime fiction fans. As an added treat, Smith also included a bittersweet short story of failed redemption. 'Ishmael Toffee' is a perfect introduction to readers of one of crime thrillers rising new stars.