Held Up

Paperback Published on: 28/02/2013
Price: £18.99
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Synopsis

How far do you go to rescue your child?

Paul van Niekirk, a successful white South African is held up at gun-point when driving his new BMW. He's dragged out and his abductor drives off in his car. It's an everyday car jacking. Except his nine-month old daughter is in the back seat. As a pacifist, Paul is reluctant to carry a gun, but he descends into the heart of darkness of his country determined to find his child. He uncovers a criminal gang involved in people trafficking and discovers in himself a capacity for violence. When the trail goes cold, he is on the verge of losing everything but finds redemption in the most unlikely circumstances. Moving from the enclaves of Johannesburg's northern suburbs to the throbbing heart of Soweto's informal settlements, Paul is forced to confront the changing political and social landscape of the new South Africa, questioning his own values as his perfect life crumbles around him.

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Headline Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9780755389216
  • Number of pages: 384
  • Dimensions: 197 x 130 x 25 mm
  • Weight: 257g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Held Up
What would you do for your child?
Held Up is set in the 1990s ‘New’ South Africa when the country is going through great upheavals. Paul van Niekirk, a successful white businessman is carja... READ MORE
CharlieFeather
Held Up
Exiting and engaging!
Luckily I had the time to read this book all at once. It was extremely stylishly written, I loved the extended use of imagery and it was emotionally stirin... READ MORE
RusselBrandFan
Held Up
A powerful novel of violence and hope
In late 1990s post-apartheid South Africa, white advertising executive Paul is on the way home in his new BMW when he is carjacked and the vehicle is stole... READ MORE
CuteBadger
Held Up
Gutsy Read
A very gutsy read which follows the journey of Paul van Nieberk after his nine month old daughter is abducted from his brand new BMW. How would we cope in ... READ MORE
50socks
Held Up
A great new talent
I received this book as an uncorrected proof copy- I had not heard of the author, so was intrigued to find out more. I started reading, and was hooked! It`... READ MORE
penguin64
Held Up
Complex and disturbing...
Paul Van Neikerk is a successful white South African, contented with his status in life, and proud of his new BMW. When he is stopped at gunpoint and made ... READ MORE
Josib
Held Up
Held Up - More Than Just a Thriller
This is Christopher Radmann’s debut novel. What I didn’t realise is that he’s been living in the UK for 12 years, so he might not have the most freshest id... READ MORE
BulletSouls
Held Up
Literary novel that is also a fast-paced thriller
This is an astonishing first novel. From the opening car jacking to the final, heartbreaking lyrical pages, this is a novel that demands the reader's atten... READ MORE
LoneMortonSupporter
Held Up
An interesting debut
Chris Radmann's debut novel was hard to put down. His prose is like a whirlwind transporting you to Johnannesburg and is perfectly suited to this type of n... READ MORE
mylifeapancake
Held Up
Difficult
Christopher Radmann's debut novel is a difficult read in two ways. It is a difficult subject and is set in a country where violence is very common place, I... READ MORE
Anne Cater