THE BURNING LAND

259pp., paperback, Edinburgh, 2019

A political thriller set in contemporary South Africa. Shady deals by powerful people mean large tracts of land are being sold to foreign investors, leaving those who farm it without jobs or homes. Activist Lesedi Motlantshe, son of a prominent anti-apartheid campaigner who is now part of a corrupt elite, is murdered. Childhood friends Lindi Seaton, who works in conflict resolution, and Kagiso Rapabane, activist son of the Seaton's former housekeeper, form an alliance in order to discover the truth.

British news journalist George Alagiah presents the BBC News at Six and is the main presenter of GMT on BBC World News. As a foreign correspondent for the BBC he covered the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.