It certainly was no ordinary killing, unusual yes.
I found the beginning of the book slightly confusing as we were in the middle of the Boer war. Read on and all becomes clearer although there seem to be two stories running parallel. Trust no one and don't believe what anyone tell you seems to be the message. Finch and Nurse Jones finally find out the truth after a few hair raising escapades and come close to death themselves. How near the truth the ending is is debatable but interesting.
Worth a read but I wouldn't recommend it as a must not be missed.

I requested this book because of a very good review and the fact that it was placed in a time and place and in situations that I am not too familiar with. It is always fascinating while being simultaneously educational to read well researched fiction in historical settings. The first chapter or two did not grab my attention and this led to the book being shelved for a while, till I saw that the next book was out and it was equally well received and sounded more complicated than this one. I requested and was approved for the second and then I proceeded to read them back to back, my favourite way ever of reading a series. The story picks up a few chapters in and continues to escalate in speed.

Ingo Finch is not happy with his more dormant role in the war in South Africa( another war I knew absolutely nothing about) while at the same time a black man working for the british is on the run, literally. Their stories meet in the most unexpected way but patience is required to see it through. Ingo Finch is inadvertently brought into a murder investigation of his commanding officer. His sense of duty and for all things right he sets out to investigate on his own putting multiple people in danger including himself. Sometimes you feel like shaking him to get him to see sense and save his skin while at other times you feel like applauding his need to do the right thing. The time, the people and the politics of it all are very well written and a refreshing read for those fans or people curious about historical fiction.

No Ordinary Killing is one of my 20 Books of Summer and I thought that this well written and highly descriptive story was a little slow to get to the murder mystery, thriller element but once it did I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Jeff Dawson’s research and knowledge certainly ensure that you are right in the place – South Africa – and situation of the Boer War. Following Mbutu gives us a good insight into the native point of view which I found interesting, informative and really added to the atmosphere and story.

Once you get into the murder mystery this book really took off and gives a rollicking good read with pace, twists and turns to keep the reader hooked and the final reckoning makes this well worth the read.

I liked the characterisation – the characters are well drawn but, as this is the first of what seems to be a series, there is room to grow with the main characters and I can see them becoming quite a favourite with readers.

I would certainly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical murder mystery, those who enjoy reading books set abroad and to those who enjoy a well written and plotted story.

I would like to thank the publisher Canelo for an eBook of No Ordinary Killing via NetGalley in return for an honest review. I have not received any payment in relation to my review.

Rating: 3.5*

Big thanks to Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an impartial review.
Set in late 19th century during the Boer War in South Africa the main character is Captain Finch of the Army Medical Corps. I really enjoyed learning about the background and events of the Boer War, a part of our history I didn't know a lot about. Good characters, strong narrative and a decent story to boot. What's not to like ?

Who is Moriarty?

Captain Ingo Finch is in the thick of the battle at Magersfontein. He left his medical practice in England to join the Royal Army Medical Corps. We first hear of him as he is desperately trying to save his own life and a fellow medic. They are in the thick of the fighting trying to bring an injured officer back to the hospital that has been set up near the sieged town of Kimberley. Finch is furious when he discovers that the officer he was sent to rescue and patch up was immediately arrested after his wounds had been attended to and no-one will tell him what the charges are against the man.

Mbutu Kafelese had arrived in Kimberley ten years earlier. He had left his homeland, Basutoland, to work at the Kimberley Diamond Mine. British officers command him to help one of them skirt around the Boers so that he can reach another contingent fighting closer to Bloemfontein.

Nurse Annie Jones is Australian. She is part of a contingency of nurses who have volunteered to work in the British Field.

Ingo Finch, Mbutu Kafelese and Annie Jones may think that their lives will never cross paths, but the rescue of the British officer and the death of Major Cox will throw them all together in a plot that is so barbaric and secret the people responsible for this deed will stop at nothing to keep their work a secret.

What a brilliant storyline! Jeff Dawson has brought a diverse group of people together. What unfolds in the plot is a story of a cover-up of a war crime with devastating consequences for the tribal people living in the arid Karoo and nearby Kalahari.

I do have one gripe; Jeff Dawson has somehow managed to find baobab trees growing in the Karoo/Free State. Wrong! These trees are only found growing in the Limpopo region, many hundreds of kilometres north of the Karoo area.

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I read a lot of crime fiction but have a particular love for historical crime so No Ordinary Killing immediately appealed to me. Set during the Second Boer War - a period I'm not that familiar with - I was soon completely engrossed in this complex tale. The beginning sees Captain Ingo Finch engaged in a dangerous mission to save an injured man and at first the book seemed to be rather more a war story than a crime novel. I wasn't complaining though, the vivid descriptions brought the awful, visceral conditions in a field hospital to bloody life and I couldn't tear myself away from the page. Finch is entitled to a much needed break in Cape Town following his heroic efforts to save lives at the Battle of Magersfontein but his rest is brought to a sudden end when he is called upon to identify the body of a British officer who has been murdered. He is shocked to discover he knows the victim and though the Cape Town police are instructedo hand the case over to the MFP - Military Foot Police - he can't help but conduct his own investigation when details don't quite add up.
Meanwhile, a former diamond miner, Mbutu whose natural ability to run fast has earned him the nickname Johnny Fleetfoot and a role delivering messages for the British army, is given a task he has no choice but to accept but when his life is threatened he is forced to flee. His troubles have only just begun and as he learns of a horrific crime, he has to take desperate steps to save himself and others who depend on him. Far from home, Mbutu doesn't know if he will ever be reunited with his wife and son. Australian nurse, Annie is even further from home; she knows she is embarking on a trip into the unknown but mortally wounded soldiers and the inevitable diseases that come from people living in such close contact in unsanitary conditions eventually become the least of her worries as she too is thrust into a deadly mystery that becomes a race for the truth.
There's such a lot going on in No Ordinary Killing that it's hard to know quite where to begin when reviewing it. In many ways it reminded me of a John Buchan novel; the reluctant protagonist who unwittingly finds himself in mortal danger and must doggedly fight for justice and the truth in the face of despicable treachery. There is also a clear Holmesian connection with a few mentions of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his detective stories - some more significant than others. The three narrative strands of the story are told separately for some of the book and I did need to concentrate to fully appreciate what was happening, this is one of those books that drew me in gradually, the intricacies of the plot proving to be puzzle which doesn't fall finally into place until the latter stages of the story. The richly descriptive characterisation and magnificent scene setting - Cape Town is brought to life as is Camp Eureka - is matched by the gripping action particularly when the tension builds almost unbearably towards the end of the book. Though most definitely a murder mystery, No Ordinary Killing is also a political thriller and Finch discovers he can't trust anybody as it becomes clear that there is far more at stake here than the death of one man. Though there are some wry smiles raised at the pomposity of the British (and their maps), it's painfully obvious that this is a society split along racial and class divides meaning some lives are considered more disposable than others.
I know I'm reading a superb historical novel when I find myself researching more about the period after reading little fascinating snippets of information contained within the story. No Ordinary Killing enthralled me; the intense descriptions of the Boer War itself; the fascinating history of the indigenous people of the area, especially the Nama; the terrible sense of foreboding at what we know is to come - apartheid, a war ravaged Europe, concentration camps, genocide...
No Ordinary Killing is a thoroughly exciting, perplexing and intelligent mystery which never shies away from the realities of the atrocities of war and imperialism or the resulting moral and emotional impact on people. I loved this outstanding debut thriller from Jeff Dawson and look forward to reading more from him in the future. Highly recommended.

When Captain Ingo Finch of the Royal Army Medical Corps discovers that his friend and Command Officer, Major Cox, passed away for mysterious cases, he knows that this is not an ordinary killing and that there's something more... Let me say that he is not wrong, this will be the most dangerous case he will ever face, he will have to risk his life if he wants to discover the truth, but at the same time he is brave and is determined to try to solve the mystery, no matter what. Finch will not be alone in this investigation, he will have the help of an Australian nurse, Annie; she is not easy to scare and her principles are really high and not easy to ignore. She will be the perfect female character, but never underestimated. There is another character very important on the plot, the native African Mbutu Kefaleze, who has discovered a very dangerous secret that everyone that knows it dies...
I know it seems that all the characters feel disconnected, but that is the interesting part of the book, like a puzzle, all the pieces start falling together as the story progresses. But, as a fast paced story, sometimes it feels like the secret would be too big to be revealed and that the killers will leave without punishment.
I missed a little background of the main characters; the past, what they move to be where they are... It felt like there would be another case with the Captain Ingo Finch involved, answering all these little questions that haven't been solved on the case and that keep popping after reading the book.
This had been an interesting read, let me say that I am not used to read historical mysteries, but this one was highly detailed making the reader feel the oppressive situation that was living during the Boer War; human, real and dark.
If you are searching for an historical twisted mystery, this one is for you, but be prepared for not an easy read. Ready to discover which is the dangerous secret that everyone is ready to kill?

A realistic historical crime drama set against the background of the Boer war.

Captain Finch, a doctor, becomes an unlikely detective as he investigates the death of his superior officer. Told primarily from Finch and Mbutu( An escaped diamond miner) points of view, they describe different events that are cleverly linked as the story progresses. Annie, a nurse, joins the story later and she becomes a vital source of strength for Finch as the conspiracy deepens and their lives are endangered.

The historical detail is vivid and absorbing and illustrates the horror of war for civilians, soldiers and animals caught up in the mayhem. The racial prejudice of the time is realistically depicted and demonstrates how poorly the indigent population were treated by both sides in the war.

The characters are well drawn and fit perfectly into this sinister murder mystery scenario created at the end of the 19th-century in war-torn Africa. Finch is a courageous man, but his trusting nature leads him to make some questionable choices, which make his and Annie's survival precarious. The antagonist takes many forms, but ultimately the real evil is more potent than Finch could envisage.

The story is detailed and lengthy but full of action, historical interest and a well thought out whodunnit.
I received a copy of this book from Canelo via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book although it is outside my usual genre. The people are believable and the war described realistically, rather than artistically - horrors and all. The idea that the Boer War was where the British tested its gas is horrifying, but believable - nobody bothers until some whites are hit - the blacks don't count, sad but a sign of the times.

I got paper cuts from this novel, the pages turned so fast with all the action packed inside it! It’s a murder mystery against the backdrop of the Boer War and it really works. I didn’t expect to learn so much history about the war either which was a nice surprise as although the action and plot rattle along,the history keeps pace by its side and surprises you when you least expect it.

TheBoer War as it turns out has some very interesting stories to tell and acting as the back drop to this story allows the author to explore the world around his characters, the prelude to apartheid, the British rule and the changing face of warfare. He does all this with aplomb I have to say and that’s coming from someone who often shies away from full on action adventure style books.

The characters were very nicely drawn ; Finch, an RAMC captain, and Annie, an RAMC nurse and their involvement with the Military Foot Police, the secrets between those fighting in the Boer war....

There is a LOT to this book so I did get a bit lost towards the end - it gets a bit over the top for me but overall, it’s a cracking read. But then I read that he’s also written a non-fiction book about Quentin Tarantino and the cinema of Cool. If this is on the big screen one day...