Bad Seeds Jassy Mackenzie Soho, 368 pages, $31.95

On the surface, based solely on a handful of her more violent encounters — once, for example, she shot dead the man who killed her father — Jade de Jong might seem a totally tough character. But that’s not the whole story.

Jade works as a private investigator in Johannesburg, and “Bad Seeds” is Jassy Mackenzie’s fifth book featuring Jade. In this one, she’s hired to track down the nefarious character who is attempting to sabotage South Africa’s nuclear power industry. As in past books, Jade throws herself wholeheartedly into the dangers involved. And while there’s nothing wishy washy about her, she comes across as if she’d prefer to stay home with a good book than clear the world of bad guys. And that makes her more beguiling.