Held up by Christopher Radmann

Paul Van NieKerk is proudly driving his brand new BMW home, when he is held up at gunpoint. Forced out of the car, Paul is forced to stand by and watch the hijackers drive off with his new car. It is only at this point that he remembers his 9 month old daughter Chantal is still in the back of his car. This is South Africa, where hijacking is a way of life and where whites and blacks live side by side in opposing worlds. Held up focuses on the raw grief and pain suffered by Paul and his wife Clara as they attempt to come to terms with what has happened. With a lack of interest or effort from the police, Paul is forced to believe the only way to find his daughter is to search for her himself. This search, at times bloody and violent, leads him into the poorest slums of South Africa and ultimately into the darkest recesses of his mind.

Held up is a book which is not given justice by the blurb on the back. On the surface, it looks like an ordinary, run of the mill action/thriller. I wondered if it had been a film, based on reading the short description. But the reality of the book is very much different. The story remains as described but what wasn’t, nor can’t be, portrayed, is the beautiful, at times poetic, use of language throughout the book.

What I had been expecting, alongside the standard thriller text, was a sub text based on South Africa. Not a country I know a great deal about, I had been looking forward to reading more about the politics, the day to day lives of people within such a troubled and confused country. We do get some insight into South Africa and the people who live there, but only through the eyes of the main character, Paul and so this viewpoint is, naturally, flawed and is based more on his experiences throughout the book rather than anything more descriptive. As a result, I did find it hard to get into at first, purely because it wasn’t what I was expecting. However, once I had got over this and was able to focus more on the book itself, I found I was able to relax more and get into the story.

Overall, this was a book that I am glad I have read. I hesitate to use the word enjoy, purely because the subject matter, and the ending, are hardly things I can say I have enjoyed. I am glad I stuck it out and I did enjoy the use of language and descriptions portrayed in the book. I would definitely look at reading more of this author’s works in the future.

Be warned, this is not an easy read, partly due to the content of the book and partly due to the language used. And don’t expect a happy ending. Held up is a bleak and painful book, showing just how far people will sink when they are floundering.