Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

The Quality of Mercy
The Quality of Mercy
The Quality of Mercy
Ebook466 pages7 hours

The Quality of Mercy

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Winner, Outstanding Fiction Book Prize, National Arts Merit Awards (Zimbabwe)
Shortlist, 2023 Sunday Times Literary Awards

From 2022 Windham Campbell Prize winner Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu, the breathtaking conclusion to her multiple award-winning City of Kings trilogy, including The Theory of Flight and The History of Man, “Perhaps the most monumental trilogy to come out of Southern Africa.”—Afrocritik


Everyone saw Emil Coetzee drive into the bush the day the ceasefire was announced. Beatrice, busy consoling her friend Kuki over the loss of her son and marriage. Dikeledi, the postwoman who refuses to lean. Tom, the drunk who makes his living impersonating Emil in backroads bars. Vida de Villiers, stuck in a coin-toss choice. Saskia, the feisty reporter determined to ruin Emil’s name. Marion, the enigmatic lover he left behind. Mrs. Louisa Alcott, the lonely farm wife reading Mills & Boon romances in her best dress, waiting for her life to begin. But nobody saw him drive out of it.

So begins the investigation of Spokes Moloi, the first black chief inspector in the City of Kings, who on the eve of his retirement is handed one final crime: the possible murder of Mr. Coetzee, the notorious head of the Organization of Domestic Affairs, who disappeared on the same day the country's independence beckoned. In investigating Emil’s disappearance, Spokes' path collides with an assortment of witnesses with the best and worst of intentions—including a pair of corrupt investigators with an eye towards framing the guerrilla icon Golide Gumede for Emil’s murder, and the insatiable public, infatuated with Emil and unable to come to terms with the fact that the future they had so long anticipated had, at last, arrived.

With a nation in flux and his beloved wife Loveness forever present in his mind, Spokes’ investigation leads him back to the very beginning— and gives him one last chance to solve the twenty-year-old murder case that determined both the path of his life and destiny of his country.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateSep 5, 2023
ISBN9781946395870
The Quality of Mercy
Author

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu is a writer, filmmaker and academic who holds a PhD in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, as well as master’s degrees in African Studies and Film. She has published research on Saartjie Baartman and she wrote, directed and edited the award-winning short film Graffiti. Born in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, she worked as a teacher in Johannesburg before returning to Bulawayo. Her first novel, The Theory of Flight won the Barry Ronge Fiction Prize in South Africa. In 2022, Siphiwe was awarded a Windham-Campbell Prize for Fiction.

Read more from Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Related to The Quality of Mercy

Related ebooks

General Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for The Quality of Mercy

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    The Quality of Mercy - Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

    ebook_preview_excerpt.html}ےƑ@$eLES[7EI=R45ٷH 2Lĥ'}ļKq@ LqK|~/<{TiB5iU:ah4Xͩk>y/CRXanüxS_5; *M䉱J/i҅<8Wcxz%w>͋N2C_8軱TBS]$_lf!ӓTxC;L:?ƱQn5-cSW[Q+=ocaJu:yC7yjڦ,['Ԇ}K7[˔*i*ce8pqK'ew|BFUmǦ sO'{!^寇4ʣ2񿶇.ʦ`.4D.ֳ N"?.C7:+wkw?r |h݋>4oIB03dMRaRkO;r8uHZ,hIXWZ"C.  tZ.YdL>Ӳ IT^ j$DK8aM᪛f[9MSA<(kiǃڜ;l*ޤ $r$j)nh .c& 9ChuX(+E#x ]eeA6D, }ȔE~vv걉is/KK 9eYX\gܝcO @mvxmhb)(]ۋWƴO BxQ~򁼝(@@+ f{YwPBG|j%/ Q -'y {h&-`|ĉ5u[g&Ωzbl*>*҈]6)0?y˸#՛)9. Vq:WghvV5:lb~^a[X!;_, dlHgcpm?d4vΎ6aem;) aXsؑS{Q:,DEwU͉b7߫&OL/ީ ( O"'3YNa.BW YAAؘz99"(,VJ8ZIxhwbJUed\2e e̢U|C}aI>v*v`XƼUjMVIL v^a g/lҾTSU曄CVUe[aЋ蒒#[};PB,(3J6.5m$geS¬(cQna:icWrQ}ۘЂ~y%jXT%pI;:\&di߮&k,5`i4>OPj?;Hx!'^޷ӝ0>1&KW.&OoRI݉R8'՞GG{3:%kN7oȪ1~4mF h"dY2r5z^Ι"ܸ3[]~{4V B;CK=<?Mue\EnI۳sFE0y`b C@O Ȉ;#O]/|-[OkG;#PVݵU>6Hۭ6ϓKlɡg6|OX"-v"Ξ0r0ᠨǣ_ β#|Ȍp;24bQ_C)$4@Nao ;=`yLy]M@ߕQiŁnO~$Sp]Ԝz5|Of[ NǛ('B6)x":iVy?49kpC3ޝUdAZ1\`韧tȿM J=T)ӥ^7 >m#~G r Rr 1DL.l1v2NpF'\iZ&g {!#Fbߩ)FWD$U%EIFI 5nſ5Ǜ.T Pe]m nY) !0jrS[ŦaC$NJO //Uc|1w*oiٕ vl/#`CtspVj9<$s]dڎCM v#x[;@@Zfxެ8|Ѫ5EQ7.OtՈꕗŃN2:Zecpi wVf.L}i'RY3˟LpɁȉ$@Y4"ldGcFTĵnx2&$q ׁ# ȥ $ۍP=maJyzrC*aQ89Rwkćz$9B7FFV *%)3s TPr;~ՀڢP^zjDLjBȅ -vစ'h . 尀89M]H0l-{8B8=8*`>J cèj^5qfb'@%:#*xP(\HNe8S[g8+x*\KH`WHļ{kK'#36cDӡ'sWmTQdBvD͒e񘺱~MoqM~;fZTB2؂FR'C3;^@ ЃRva/S-PNMs3A+jTe3HobPxt!{lp۟+&EEDϘg}Vs%1"I"NK#(@fq9lfp<.< ; 9 g Y] M:osh>m٫ʉb6 9+=TIgia7WS 8xE}0-2@~59}PPxlTV'do AP+͔]@g(3J7jpIrIgL|LUiŬi_\rSYNRcqA=t!.xt٫U/Do92{RH'V!7yPv4nER=-t6P1%_(K[iB&X3xᆶGĭ^hZڽOG6 L=&H($JK=#KL2 IwR\V+jnTA e__M q\'kh'?B?JhN"$B)dIx~ɪ7R¸C Ĝ~$vj#uX0"}4 6=RD/GLBoޯ/F29HL|蟉sx"\T8B_!ˆ8 T4L!{0t|g)Ʀ߇`QNW ijM!yj4m|o&%8OEvS'a" e'$+@yؾ]z AX%}ԩw%czfM ^QJWLΙp6MbG59p1OFm΋l-wh€$>O;ݜ*ڑ(Z2<\.אcU?i}_}Y͡?˞[5<#"xܯGP{CBX4#zyaiySE"q5 m :X=3H?geJ"B6o\7viHWu!' ~'ؙΥMYI "wD]3[Pe 0zڈ2d^WTY'07OJ,+Č,z|!c8t3m2UO%,D׺ ~+`)s<>EӍ9g yr`! b5z;'۰ybrv0NTیD6=5ef<5h!}L"?tN|$,Qѥ*ygơO"&ϋ%+_ԉILNm)RCUI?3-Xi9%;ic7J+\QNWQ^1jGM<^˗YބbwyM0&xabJB0i @hQdS:sUt4<-jsq.SL>'@;ztd8K.ϳs>xt_XތW,$GnA(X虮b~SԀx%v vȶ d`Pg%+8qYpϤQk=GʹpyW"w)QւR\vNї|g@ &M$9Y9dws#C10({,O@׊x?#K". ˂ڝBKX#P噧ȤLdWxr`摉%ΛgYp m[:k0:|/8ӟe=o{@98΍#0[UV?X r]РMCV>hlL})}wS CO-0jSߧkTS[ ]fqy԰Œޗ,b2XFfU64s˥eVcyݩ=[4VWǴ]xSF4ylw B:e9i JR:hjd +J~߳rzljsa3sN=|O7ȫ2|=?Oʑ bƾez iy6Ԃtv蠱anW[ih<!P[^kk7|qe@!y_5;F1R& 7(+ f,F=+ˉ'[[Mj9͆;}yWs>"j,Y&2EClB碂Ny#=܏_+i+OU&"Z#6;ߙ15n 䄶2z}'1NGD>-&zJbxΌB=iOFb#m͌ !}U!ǀJ2/dn"6PݝΪY̎*S>㸨FP* Ǡf ";ޙFi8A$̈́ͻ}II@NwISg|>\=}5|s 6Sí>m#c6OЗ=>u^P$}Jm;K哲`/{哺)-MQzIv{U`L8"ջB:%|/?L!& WX gf{`'O-0K+0)-|Բ)` (: "YiK\nڬCQHXi4cJ7#tsƫy elH=eT ziǭZE[ȒkA\zJ>}bOgyVz#k7mT>z?rܛ^?2*[ X,LĮQ}#}wXQ86n#s>SV&, Ej[^fmʣ+&gD|}f%epITӭyqgb` LmzZA\SePEꯗM|2+Lmy>p%ND>`ҫIe\IK<>ilݮ7៳G|R~)WRIg9(ǯ1S30=ITlOyѧCa!KakPWV#GN*^!;+M[0(KL<͠8Lﯞf\oꛖAOeZ͗f8g\ `%3'Q\{1}*bȞ&I6-2s49L`ĎwK0vw-`gDÏrJ1B4IQq, Go-~ u!(n`lȡmU~[$ juݳyQLu@}Zj-ɜDBOS"rsvesPJֿP,b2P'9BM-Hf,$#%8%5&pK &7ЁqF@&Sm'}3 "܀l,yއN\w fiS 1LqHL`13ьԄQJy~h[19 .w[<@x}O(GKҝQ]Ybk*8&%\ iTE>rLY>\syU amIllxey  9zRƶ\Uۢ(5p_nu zl$M3+NN+\8yR,;@MOMz Og' w@v4d5_uenՓ X+v| ;_7G@ΦOCx"9߳_WLͯ:O]rxΚ7>9 PK;_p͡ GB?JE4n&m/UҍTtFC{tUM}O,x1cKEZKz w} 0r:$!Q1Sͭq|Kg dȻރzL`۫421dh!S_id^ tsOmg6RAK]]BmBΧ'lx3'@ψ me slɚψK060#'' CeA{%L*ү"Iw'Qy1~u=h >jS)V oAY=p5yӵaϖ;cWN] KAlW2ԌF&xo7ZXͲD_J&m>оwrb.+ {J%5cZ[ߒԈpPIz7s-'g*Ld(N%\X.!v+tI4lQȵwytrໂoٽ!k L )B٢s0d$^S[E=xGkP&uX}|/mF8,4wjm5Yf"B5TiLRr쮹T2xOT"3^kM;K4Kiaʏo) q_v`hK }]9#aQq&!UUJ ^)_aZv|ϩb,@} кaւG'A-l'~i9y8޿e+RSs>S2 c\K DSSzu[ǔڛU'qRB>,W7!kA+u`4b_q+ՙ1vb ,pm8ߠv"< Y˨2 $귭OAQ'嶈"x@ 䤹؄pJh@[I"*؎1SɾYP˥KVse.S4Z(XР.{ Ǝ G7#+]>:ڳU#WZ E*"ʪqe90,S\ߒ s`F-f=#c62CۄVm,6>Y>1n:!'Xu+#}238##_os +PU]f`冿ѪmgmsSר(ruYAaN&g5M8{e6vS8aڱf[E? k།]Z<3<@y,gT VKRefZ8ٓPLړg{l=,)]d{e ' R-:tY>tv.]_B-^~j o{Bcyջ08M>` w9ޚ#u\ŭ_8{SԠRf"^Ǝ1ٕ}x>ԃ~6gnv ט7)jDЊĥ5ˊ+&xP>K;Ez[/Xm>V ^d#=JϚhRZjeQCB%[==i[!|k'Yu6+ M,^3e wW*fez:O*O%5X+Z¸k- oM{SVYz'뎎sS3S_הǛv(̉LT9ZJfԨ`H79dkG74w4Rܰ\c y>kiok (! Ns)ʛվѪ2#tOel_q@N ggo pC;m(=i0'_Htz41#7{ hx!#y! .!:XpߊAF;):; ]^yE a'V4ZV0Pf-9Sžrt f<3s_l}cRLeAiVP1}<}WC]eިx[RpG1#ewȐwͯy=ʦ@Z"ȂbG wgV Z_&b[|jt{k1P6j){k5Ȍ*=3Wh6 Iv 3hp΃2LovbIt3m`Hg Byˤmѳݮ` /'kkKp=Q"dɤ)';)Wqb&Dx Yy<̻ [Ő'KG6gu׵G=ٚIe^˒VBw;+[wJ1 ;}ZTk Smh[8/Vf3N]$9 g %Uq0&U{X yh&ŏYt17d(RoFz])|4j`wGjʞ;(w?g[IiUfx^emaҥ#4X<,=ȭTk.䤳. SF"*bMa(_'&@ RvfE .Xoͭ*2-VYЎҎvRnΗˋ$B:YBednQ=i@'u cn ĵ?V p}gxm \&2ygzНh)x #ۧ=I !?i5d6ygo$́;ށ9Y'>J%2~ 㼾8[{$ 6;;LK.D0`1 :CJ3&'Lva̯Ų5Z쭭+~|Ei[M9&nJ'ū5q=-±nCk7XӺ>q NlkDL@gHEN9%9Џz\KX1$-E5<6͎u5XEc"@qͣ.1[pFEI\^K c2E>!wɭ۷A?ů)E v_ORxepJ;UۺeimTvSzK}vmиZ:f븼h7$`ZfcqΑ,q#,{4"Qv9vsiæ|VάNg' MU0}'׸a2nCe^5K`2##<ԫ)QQ3x0Lbvrdg5^֡F q8s8ѣ3y+Qt~tYa5ILo#b <΍~z/m֓?a{709;b:q7_F1Jr}db@y( oǖob RFoo2e$>)k-$fW|fmk|=^yN]E!#L |ʋo ad$]N'ley\g_y 5&%W$-zX-3˦`cʻhi,yuMtK]Oh͠W7U>mǵ6w~{[/C@ZZ&᩠bxr*j|Mka7^]5\d>e0SbD^n^^)ccy\R = q-_fcf|‫Sg/dy^ۻ,PM]dY?@q!諾^JxIc\įv_柨6̚sG4)+!.?,z#0 +].w9x[-VL,=y0C?sٷ: q6d9pzBC\%lօN*iۇMˀQf0,,j p͕jy/J,*+ _|!^lљE(k4u7V #?Y$Dq^ǜ?Njѯ} @o82,3<&Q(nƓYzYS1]|ה SO%P|EXX z۸kd=#D7@xSK+x=Wwջ~8 H /^Zew5m[7LXf!_L?#T2
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1