City of blood - MD Villiers

Siphiwe, a nineteen year old orphan dreaming of a better life, is haunted by memories of the brutal death of his elder brother. When a woman selling mangoes is stabbed on the street in front of him, Siphiwe rushes to her aid, desperate to stop history repeating itself, but in doing so unwittingly crosses the paths of two very dangerous men.

McCarthy Letswe, notorious crime lord, has returned home to Johannesburg after several years in exile, determined to wreak his revenge onAbaju, the Nigerian gangster responsible for Letswe's forced departure, and the man now seen as Johannesburg's king of crime. Siphiwe's actions have set him on a collision course with both Letswe and Abaju, and as the violence on the streets intensifies, and the danger to those he loves most increases, Siphiwe is soon forced to seek help amongst criminals and police alike.

A story of survival, revenge and ultimately, redemption, told in prose which is deceptively simple and utterly compelling,City of Bloodis a gripping coming of age story set against a searing backdrop of violence, heat and colour.

Longlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) dagger

MD Villierswas born in Johannesburg and studied psychology at the University of Pretoria. Her passion for the country she grew up in provides her with a backdrop for her fiction in which she explores life in a country always on the brink of change.She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger for unpublished writers in 2007 and is now based in London, but often visits South Africa, where her family still lives.

City of Bloodis her debut novel.

"Terrific...The city's vibrant, exciting, dangerous atmosphere issuperbly portrayed"
The Times - Marcel Berlins

"Johannesburg is fertile ground for a crime writer. Strong and vivid,City of Bloodis the coming-of-age story of both Siphiwe and the slightly older Progress.There is plenty of action, but also, amid the chaos and carnage, a sense of redemption"
Guardian

"Explosive and emotional, a journey to the dark side you won't forget"
Dreda Say Mitchell

"Shows how a simple act of kindness can have catastrophic consequences... Villiers gives an urgent desperation to the mounting danger as her tale heads towards its grand-scale showdown"
Metro

"MD. Villiers'remarkable debut novel is a coming-of-age story, fast-moving, thrilling and thought-provoking. Her plot is well-developed, her prose lively, occasionally lyrical but always clear and direct...[she] writes a mean action scene.Her characters too, are a joy"
CrimeTime