The Score

The Score: A Powerful Vee Johnson Mystery

Vee Johnson came to review a quiet tourist lodge. Then a body appears hanging from a tree with her purple scarf around its neck.

In The Score by H. J. Golakai, Cape Town reporter Vee Johnson returns with her loyal assistant, Chlöe Bishop.

The two women have been sent away from the City Chronicle newsroom to write about a tourist lodge in sleepy Oudtshoorn.

The assignment appears ordinary, dull and safely removed from the investigations that usually attract Vee’s attention.

That changes soon after they arrive.

A body is discovered hanging from a tree. More disturbing still, Vee’s own purple silk scarf has been used as the noose.

Suicide, Murder or a Carefully Planned Warning?

The death might be suicide. It could also be strangulation disguised to prevent further investigation.

Vee cannot ignore the questions surrounding the body, especially when a personal possession places her uncomfortably close to the crime.

Her instincts tell her that the obvious explanation cannot be trusted.

As Vee begins asking questions, she discovers a complicated network of private grudges, hidden addictions and commercial interests.

Someone knows more than they are willing to reveal.

Someone may also be watching Vee’s investigation very closely.

A Quiet Town Filled with Dangerous Secrets

Oudtshoorn appears far removed from the pace and pressure of Cape Town.

The tourist lodge promises calm surroundings and an uncomplicated assignment.

Beneath that peaceful appearance lies a world of corruption, deception and unresolved conflict.

The Score uses the contrast between the quiet town and the growing danger to create an unsettling atmosphere.

Every conversation may contain a clue. Every apparently harmless person may have a reason to lie.

As the investigation expands, the lodge becomes the centre of a conspiracy involving individuals, corporations and government interests.

Meet Vee Johnson, an Investigator Who Refuses to Quit

Voinjama Johnson, known as Vee, is not a conventional detective.

She is an investigative journalist with sharp instincts, an independent mind and a habit of pursuing questions other people would rather leave unanswered.

Vee can be impulsive, confrontational and emotionally complicated.

She does not always follow procedure, but she recognises inconsistencies and refuses to accept convenient explanations.

Her flaws make her unpredictable. They also make her a compelling investigator.

In The Score, her determination places her directly in the path of people with influence, money and a great deal to lose.

Vee and Chlöe Make an Unforgettable Team

Chlöe Bishop is more than Vee’s assistant.

She is a loyal partner whose personality, judgement and methods frequently clash with Vee’s.

The two women argue, tease and frustrate one another.

Yet their differences make them an effective investigative team.

Chlöe can see situations that Vee’s determination sometimes causes her to overlook.

Vee provides the instinct and relentless energy that keep them moving when the investigation becomes dangerous.

Their friendship adds humour and warmth to a story filled with suspicion and betrayal.

Corruption Behind Respectable Appearances

The investigation leads Vee into conferences, business arrangements and government connected projects.

Public discussions about economic opportunity conceal private negotiations and questionable financial interests.

Contracts may be deliberately inflated. Consultants and officials may be benefiting from arrangements designed to appear legitimate.

Corporate respectability provides an effective cover for fraud.

The Score explores how corruption can become normalised when everyone involved expects to receive a share.

The people responsible do not necessarily think of themselves as criminals. They describe their actions as business, opportunity or survival.

Crime in the Fading Rainbow Nation

The mystery unfolds against the complicated social landscape of post apartheid South Africa.

The country promises transformation, equality and new economic opportunities.

However, racism, xenophobia, inequality and political corruption continue beneath that hopeful national image.

Characters carry assumptions about race, class, nationality and belonging into their interactions.

Vee’s Liberian background affects how some people respond to her.

Chlöe’s identity and position create different reactions.

Through their experiences, The Score reveals tensions that the language of national unity cannot easily conceal.

A Mystery Filled with Intrigue and Subterfuge

This investigation moves through suspicious deaths, break ins, drugs, personal betrayals and hidden financial arrangements.

Each discovery leads to another question.

Witnesses provide incomplete information. Suspects protect themselves by redirecting attention towards other people.

Vee must determine which secrets are connected to the death and which are dangerous distractions.

The deeper she investigates, the harder it becomes to separate personal motives from corporate corruption.

The result is an African crime thriller that combines murder, journalism and political intrigue.

Love Complicates an Already Dangerous Investigation

Vee’s professional life is not the only source of difficulty.

She is also attempting to manage relationships with two men.

Her romantic decisions reveal another side of her complicated personality.

Vee can pursue a murder investigation with confidence while remaining uncertain about what she wants from intimacy.

Her emotional contradictions make her feel human rather than invincible.

Romance, desire and frustration add personal stakes without slowing the central mystery.

The Second Vee Johnson Mystery

The Score follows H. J. Golakai’s acclaimed first Vee Johnson novel, The Lazarus Effect.

The earlier book introduces Vee, Chlöe and their distinctive investigative partnership in Cape Town.

This second mystery expands their world and tests their friendship in a very different setting.

Returning readers will recognise Vee’s intelligence, humour and refusal to leave a suspicious death unexplained.

Readers who want to begin the series from the first investigation can discover The Lazarus Effect by H. J. Golakai.

Why You Should Read The Score

• A fearless Black female investigative journalist
• A suspicious death involving Vee’s own scarf
• A vivid South African setting
• A memorable partnership between Vee and Chlöe
• Corporate fraud and political corruption
• Sharp observations about race, class and nationality
• Romance, humour and personal conflict
• A complex mystery filled with surprising revelations
• An entertaining addition to African crime fiction

Who Will Enjoy This Crime Thriller?

The Score is ideal for readers of African crime fiction, investigative mysteries and thrillers led by complex female characters.

It will appeal to anyone searching for crime novels set in South Africa or mysteries involving journalists rather than traditional police detectives.

Readers interested in corporate corruption, political intrigue and post apartheid society will find additional depth beneath the central investigation.

The novel is also an excellent choice for readers who enjoy complicated friendships, sharp dialogue and protagonists who are courageous without being perfect.

About H. J. Golakai

Hawa Jande Golakai is a Liberian author, scientist and health consultant.

Her knowledge of medical investigation and forensic detail contributes to the convincing mysteries within her fiction.

She was selected for Africa39, a project recognising promising writers from sub Saharan Africa under the age of forty.

Her writing combines crime, social observation, humour and memorable African female characters.

Read an interview with H. J. Golakai about Vee Johnson, her creative process and the inspiration behind the mystery series.

Explore more gripping books in Cassava Republic Press’s African crime fiction and thrillers collection.

Order The Score Today

The Score is a bold, intelligent and entertaining mystery about a journalist who refuses to stop asking questions.

What begins as a routine travel assignment becomes a dangerous investigation into murder, fraud, addiction and betrayal.

Order your copy today and join Vee Johnson as she uncovers the deadly secret hidden behind the peaceful appearance of Oudtshoorn.