Mayfair

Zaid, an international aid worker, is based in East Africa. After an altercation that results in his being fired, he returns home to Mayfair, a Johannesburg suburb that was once defined as ‘Indian’ by the architects of Apartheid, but has since become a melting pot of immigrants from across the continent. His overbearing father, a complex businessman who moonlights as a money launderer and loan shark, faces death threats after a deal with a gang of ruthless Somalis collapses. Initially reluctant to involve himself in his father’s affairs, Zaid has no choice when Ameena, his first love, is kidnapped. Blecher has already shown herself to be a skilled director with actors, but here she delivers a taut, finely-tuned thriller that is guaranteed to keep you on tenterhooks.