The October killings

By Wessel Ebersohn

Subjects: Fiction, political, Fiction, suspense, South africa, fiction

Description: (a Yudel Gordon novel) The OCTOBER KILLINGS is the fourth novel in which prison psychologist Yudel Gordon appears, although in this one he is not the main character. The action in the first three took place in the old South Africa. In THE OCTOBER KILLINGS the New South Africa has arrived. All four books are more than just detective stories. The social backdrop is very important to the action in all of them. The aim is to provide entertainment for intelligent people, those who are looking for something more. Freek Jordaan, a senior police officer and long-time friend of Yudel, appears in all the books. Perhaps the most important new development in the series is the appearance of Abigail Bukula, a senior functionary in the Department of Justice, who grew up in exile. In future I expect her to appear repeatedly. Her creation had to do with the many strong women in my life. I admit though that the importance of women as the readers of novels also had something to do with the creation of Abigail. On a violent night twenty years ago, Abigail Bukula’s life was saved by a good man fighting for an evil cause. Leon Lourens had been part of a commando that raided one of the liberation movement’s safe houses in Lesotho when Abigail was just fifteen. Of fifteen people in the house, Abigail was one of only six who survived. Leon had come between her and his commanding officer to save her. On the next, equally violent night Abigail was rescued from the police cells in Ficksburg just across the border. This time she was saved by an evil man fighting for a just cause. Now, twenty years later, she discovers that the men who took part in the raid are being murdered at the rate of one a year on the anniversary of that incident. Leon, to whom Abigail owes her life, is one of only two who are still alive. The other is a prisoner in C-Max maximum security prison. Abigail feels that she has no choice but to try to save him. She enlists the help of psychologist Yudel Gordon, a maverick who has been working in South African prisons since apartheid days. Together, and sometimes in conflict, they try to unravel the mystery and save Leon from what seems like certain death.