A delightful twist in the tail

TANNIE MARIA & THE SATANIC MECHANIC Sally Andrew (R Loot.co.za Umuzi

REVIEWER: JENNIFER CROCKER

IF YOU’RE looking for an absorbing and clever read, look no further than the second in the series of Tannie Maria Mystery books.

In her first book, Recipes for Love and Murder, Sally Andrews gave readers a clever story about Tannie Maria who lives in Ladismith in the Karoo. She works for the local newspaper and has an advice column, which always includes a meal for those who seek her wisdom.

It’s a small office in a small town and she works alongside the editor Hattie and young reporter Jessie.

Tannie Maria has a penchant for attempting to solve crimes and this has brought her into contact with one local policemen, Kannemeyer. At the start of this book, things are cooking along quite well on the relationship front with Marie and Henk. In fact, the book starts out as Maria is waiting for Henk to arrive for dinner and possibly more. In the quirky style of the first book. Henk acquired a pet lamb called Kosie, who is also coming to dinner. Maria has problems of her own; she is a widow and not nearly as old as the title Tannie might suggest. Her late husband was abusive and she harbours a terrible secret she feels might come of the Henk between her and Henk if she doesn’t tell him about it.

To say that a secret, an attempted tryst, and a lamb on the bed are not the ingredients for a seduction are to put it mildly. And the next day finds Maria troubled and bothered.

Of course, a mystery has to have a crime and in this case it surrounds a land claim that has just been decided in favour of a group of Bushmen.

Their leader Slimgat has had threats made against his life and Jessie, the intrepid reporter, is following the story. Henk is determined that Maria not become involved, or put herself at risk in any way and this also causes stress in the fledgling relationship.

But involved Maria will become. And Henk will turn to her to try to work out how a crime might have been committed, and by whom.

Andrews has a way with descriptions and the landscape of the Karoo comes alive with her storytelling.

If anything, as a very slight criticism, she sometimes puts in too much detail, although, having said that knowing that Maria is wearing her dress with the blue flowers on does work well in this genre of book.

If there is a slight sense of formula in it, then it must be said that it follows in Alexander McCall’s Botswana series, which needs very little plot and a lot of detail. Andrews has clearly pulled it off as her first book was sold overseas and has been published in 14 languages.

Maria has her own problems to deal with and she turns to Riccus, the Satanic Mechanic, to try to find peace and to heal the trauma that she has not been able to shed after being in an abusive relationship.

The group she joins is a strange one and the author conveys the power of different ways of healing and almost a sense of tenderness.

In this Andrews digs beneath the surface of what could just be a light mood and focuses the reader’s attention on issues such as abuse, guilt, the horrors of apartheid and the evil that people will embrace to protect money.

She does this without preaching and the sadness in the book is cosseted in its gentle style and language.

Maria has to face up to the thing she cannot bring herself to confess to Henk, but she needs the guidance of an unlikely bunch of people drawn together from very different walks of life to reach a point where she can openly talk about what has happened to her.

A gentle approach to confronting the real horror of what abuse, cruelty and war do to people.

In the end there is a link that ties the story together, but not without drawing the reader through the beauty of the Karoo, a liberal scattering of crime and of course recipes. As with her first book, Tannie Maria’s advice column always ends with giving the reader a recipe or two to solve their problems, and the readers’ letters interspersed between all the drama are a delight in their sensitivity and the issues they deal with.

The plot line is subtle and sometimes lost in details of birds and makes of cars, but that is part of the delight of the book – rather like peeling an onion.

It’s a book that will appeal to readers on a number of levels, and is a compelling and satisfying read.

The twist in the tail of the story is unexpected and well concealed throughout the story. A very satisfying read. I look forward to the next one.