The Death of Rex Nhongo, C. B. George
The Death of Rex Nhongo, C. B. George
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The Death of Rex Nhongo
A Novel

Author: C. B. George

Narrator: Denver Isaac

Unabridged: 9 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/12/2016


Synopsis

This is the Story of Five Marriages and One Gun

A British couple wonders at the unknowable city beyond their guarded compound while building walls between themselves.

An American suspects his new home is having an insidious effect on his Zimbabwean wife and their young daughter.

An enthusiastic young intellectual follows his wife to the city and finds only danger and disillusion.

An intelligence officer loses a crucial piece of evidence. It will cost him his marriage, his mistress, and maybe his life.

An impoverished taxi driver and his wife find a gun in the cab.

From this point on, all their lives are tied to the trigger.

In C.B. George's Zimbabwe, the betrayals and conspiracies of the corrupt world are nothing compared to those of marriage.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mrtruscott on June 30, 2018

Still thinking about this. Have been off-line/sidelined for a bit. It feels like a win to finish a novel (and perhaps be done with with short story project).......more

Goodreads review by Kenneth on August 11, 2016

The book opens as if it were a work of non-fiction with an account of the mysterious death of Zimbabwean ex-military chief Rex Nhongo in 2011. That political mystery is a haunting presence in the first two-thirds of the novel, as the gun that we may infer shot the fatal bullets, and the shadowy figu......more

Goodreads review by Benyakir on November 19, 2018

The short: An interesting story about British expats and their relationship (if any) to Zimbabwe that kinda failed to deliver The long: The Death of Rex Nhongo’s title seems to be about an important man in Zimbabwe, but his death isn’t that important to the rest of the book. It is a disparate collecti......more

Goodreads review by Matthew on April 18, 2025

excellent book for having gotten it solely because of the cover. petered out towards the end but worth the read......more

Goodreads review by Mal on April 06, 2017

The Death of Rex Nhongo is framed as a thriller, but its primary value (at least to me) is the intimate portrait it paints of Zimbabwe today. The setting: Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare Zimbabwe, as you are probably well aware, is a large nation that lies along the northern border of South Africa. It’s al......more


Quotes

"This is a brilliantly unsettling book; its shrewd, measured, darkly atmospheric prose describes the societal, familial, and psychological conditions that make it possible to find burnt corpses in fire-proof houses."
Helen Oyeyemi

"A terrific novel--absolutely compelling and chilling. A wonderfully astute and forensic blend of fact and fiction, lies and truth."
William Boyd

"This is a superbly intricate novel but perhaps the best part is George's vivid portrayal of Zimbabwe as a kleptoracy, a failed state ruled by fear."
Publishers Weekly

"With its title, The Death of Rex Nhongo suggests a nod to classic crime fiction. Yet this is no ordinary mystery...cleverly plotted [and] suspenseful....A deft commentary on the nuances of race and culture in a politically corrupt post-colonial society.... In this painfully resonant story we see the absurd fragility of our own humanity."
Washington Post

"I was fascinated by this novel.... The narrative's eye flits from one character to another, like a camera zooming in, pausing, then moving on. These portraits are superbly achieved... This author understands people and can effortlessly marshal a large cast through emotional intricacies... A terrific achievement...[by] a gifted storyteller."
Lee Child, New York Times Book Review

"Through the eyes of these well-rendered personalities, the reader encounters an intimate panorama of life in a dangerous city.... [C.B. George] doe a remarkable job placing a dozen or so interlocking personal stories within a larger context of greed, lust, sacrifice, hypocrisy and horror."
Wall Street Journal