The Pursuit Of William Abbey

"In colonial South Africa, in 1884, Dr. William Abbey stood by as a boy was killed at the hands of a white mob. For doing nothing to intervene, the boy’s mother cursed him, and now no matter where he goes, the spirit of the dead boy will follow him – slowly but inexorably, never stopping. And when it catches him, it will kill someone he loves. Claire North uses this brilliant setup to tell a chameleon story that is a different thing chapter to chapter, sometimes page to page. It is a horror story, a thriller, a supernatural mystery, a spy story, a heavily political indictment of capitalism and empire, a war story, a love story, a confession. But every piece of it is remarkable and comes together to make for one of the most moving, horrifying and gut-wrenching novels of the year."