IN THE SHADOWS

167pp., paperback, First English Language Edition, Cape Town, 2024

Originally published in 2019 in Kaaps as Innie Shadows.

Ley is the youngest detective at her precinct. When the unidentifiable remains of a body are found in a field in Shadow Heights outside Cape Town, she is assigned to the case. Soon after she hears that her friend Carl, who has links to the Drug King of Shadow Heights, has gone missing. 

"A searing crime novel, a spellbinding story of queer desire, friendship, and resilience, and a trailblazing work of fiction ... an authentic, unsentimental, fearless achievement. Even in its darkest moments, it brims with life." Kathy Friedman, author of All the Shining People

Olivia M. Coetzee was born in Mariental, Namibia, grew up in Electric City on the Cape Flats, and lives in Ceres. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town and has translated fairy tales and parts of the Bible into Kaaps.