Stolen Lives: A Jade de Jong Investigation

(Paperback)

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When wealthy Pamela Jordaan hires PI Jade de Jong as a bodyguard after her husband Terrance disappears, Jade thinks keeping an eye on this anxious wife will be an easy way to earn some cash. She soon discovers this isn't the case when they are both nearly shot and Jade finds Terrance tortured and barely alive. At the same time Jade's relationship with police superintendent David Patel is on the rocks, and following the kidnapping of his son, it soon becomes clear that all the events are connected to a dangerous international human trafficking ring.

Reviews

Praise for Stolen Lives:

With danger and mayhem at every turnand Mackenzie provides plenty of twistsStolen Lives is a page turner of superior power. Its shocking conclusion leaves the reader breathlessand eagerly awaiting the next installment in Jades life.Richmond Times-Dispatch

The second Jade de Jong novel by Jassy Mackenzie is every bit as vivid and violent as the first. Mackenzies turf is Johannesburg, in the new South Africa, but she has a much more jaded view than writers like Deon Meyer.... Mackenzies roots are in the grit and grime of noir fiction, but she gives the old style a twist all her own.Toronto Globe and Mail

Mackenzie offers insight into postapartheid South Africa, an area of the world unfamiliar to most U.S. mystery buffs. For those readers who like Sara Paretsky and Lynda La Plante and fans of international crime fiction.Library Journal, Starred Review

"Jassy Mackenzies followup to Random Violence delivers on all fronts that matter: dextrous pacing, unflinching action, and stark, brave compassion in the clutch. South Africa comes alive on the page, but its no travel-guide versionthe Joburg skyline and dusty shops, the embassy offices and dreary mine-dumpseven the pristine suburbs pulse with dark energy. Jade de Jong is a heroine to cherish: tough, passionate, and pocked with enough flaws to keep her interesting."Sophie Littlefield, Anthony Awardwinning author of A Bad Day for Sorry

Gripping.... Stolen Lives is as thought-provoking and socially conscious as it is suspenseful.... Without preaching, this book should cause readers to care, and perhaps even get involved in fighting the sex trafficking industry. A fascinating read with a strong heart.ForeWord Reviews

Under Mackenzies deft hand, Joberg and Jade crackle with frenetic energy.Publishers Weekly

Jade's sophomore adventure (Random Violence, 2010) provides a crackling pace and nonstop action... Mackenzie's Johannesburg is as gritty and dangerous as noir L.A. or the drug meccas of South America.Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Random Violence:

A hard edged first novel... Even as Mackenzie captures Johannesburgs crazy boomtown energy, she doesnt shy away from the rough stuff. None of which, it should be said, is quite rough enough to scare this remarkable new sleuth, whose future exploits should be worth watching.Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review

The heroic private investigator with a dark side is hardly a new concept, but Jassy Mackenzie makes one her own in her debut novel.... Mackenzie, who has lived in South Africa from an early age, plays her hand deftly, with a page turner of a story, intriguing charactersJade is particularly memorableand a wealth of South African color, including its appalling racial history. At once brutal and beautiful, Random Violence leaves nothing to chance in hooking the reader.
Richmond Times Dispatch

Starred Review: South African writer Mackenzie has created a strong female character with amazing resilience, unusual friends, and incredible luck. This gripping first entry in a new crime series set in postapartheid South Africa should please readers of Zo Sharp and Suzanne Arruda. Fans of other South African crime fiction by Deon Meyer, Roger Smith, and Malla Nunn will also want to try.Library Journal

Starred Review: Set in contemporary South Africa, Mackenzies triumphant debut introduces PI Jade de Jong.... The plot has more than its fair share of nice twists, and Mackenzie does a superb job of making the reader care for her gutsy lead while offering a glimpse at life in South Africa after apartheid. Readers will wish Jade a long fictional career.Publishers Weekly

Author Bio

Jassy Mackenzie was born in Rhodesia and moved to South Africa when she was eight years old. She lives in Kyalami near Johannesburg and edits and writes for the annual publication Best of South Africa. From the Hardcover edition.