A review by zmull
The Pursuit of William Abbey by Claire North

4.0

William Abbey is an English doctor who witnesses a lynching of black boy while in South Africa. He is cursed by the boy's mother to have the murdered boy's shadow follow Abbey for the rest of his life. As Langa, the shadow gets closer Abbey is possessed by a power to see the "truth" of the people around him. He sees the things they love, they care about, the things they truly believe. If Langa ever reaches him, someone Abbey loves will die. The novel quickly becomes a Victorian-era international spy thriller and the potency of the colonial metaphor fades. But, it's fast-paced and full of great ideas.