BOOK BITES | Sophie Hannah, Brit Bennett

Published in the Sunday Times (21/02/2021)

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill ★★★
Sophie Hannah
HarperCollins, R335

Hannah is keeping Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot alive for fans old and new. With devoted Catchpool by his side, they are off to mingle with the upper crust who believe the confessed murderer innocent of the crime. But is Poirot really solving one murder, two, or three? This latest mystery is sure to entertain, full of loops, twists, and false leads along with plenty of quirky personalities. Tiah Beautement @ms_tiahmarie

The Vanishing Half ★★★★
Brit Bennett
Dialogue Books, R355

This captivating novel tells multiple unfinished versions of stories that revolve around twins Stella and Desiree Vignes. The pair of light-skinned black girls have one major event that changes the course of their lives. Restless Desiree wants to run away, desiring to be anywhere but a town that worships the light complexion of black people and in essence whiteness. Reserved Stella lies about who she is so she can have the freedom of a white woman. The twins never find their way back to each other again but as fate would have it, their daughters - one blue-black in complexion and the other a blue-eyed blonde - meet in the most bizarre way. Chrizelda Kekana