
So this is the fourth country visited in my quest to read twelve books sent in different countries. So far I have read books set in Canada, Russia, and Australia and now Mixed Blood by Roger Smith set in South Africa, by far the least favorite place to visit of the four!
The Story
Mixed Blood is a gritty book filled with murder, drugs, crooked cops, poverty and despair! The story opens with Jack Burn his wife Susan and son Matt on the run in South Africa after Jack becomes involved in a bank robbery which goes bad leaving a policeman dead. One night two black gangstas climb into their rented home. To save his family, Jack kills the two men and his life goes downhill from there.
What I likes abourt Mixed Blood
The book is a real page turner and the characters including Benny Mongrel a harden each con working as a watchman in a neighboring house under construction who witnesses the thieves going into the Burn house, Rudi “Gatsby” Barnard the crooked cop who rules by killing and Disaster Rondi, the good cop all are a full well developed characters.
Final Thoughts on Mixed Blood
Like I said the book is gritty and not for the faint of heart with lots of references to drugs, abuse and prostitution. I found that there weren’t a lot of good guys in the book to cheer for, but that did little to detract from the overall effect of the book.
Overall, I liked the book four stars out of five and will look for more by the author. But I will stay away from South Africa at least the Cape Flats!









