Double Echo — Francois Bloemhof

Ex-cop Paul Mullan has a lot more baggage than the rucksack he's carrying across the country. He's trying to get away from that night, that hour when life as he knew it came to an end. When Paul helps wealthy businessman Bernard Russell to change his car's burst tyre near Riebeek-Kasteel in the pouring rain, Russell offers him shelter. But the opulent wine estate Journey's End is no safe haven, and Paul soon senses that his life is about to resemble one of those old black-and-white movies: he is the fallible hero, a young woman in Russell's household the scheming femme fatale, and the outcome may be deadly. Filled with tension, temptation, secrets and sleight of hand, Double Echo is seasoned Afrikaans thriller writer François Bloemhof's exhilarating English debut.