Judgment Before Sunset

Judgment before sunset is an interesting novel whose story depicts how important a village member is in the Agikuyu context especially when one goes missing. The novel further narrates how cases were heard and determined in one of the villages in Mt. Kenya region. The entire village is rocked with great fear because of the repellant kidnappings. Murugu is an ambitious and stubborn boy and nothing will stop him from getting whatever his heart desires regardless of the prevailing circumstance and his disciplinarian mother. Mmbi, a respected woman is considered to be the wisest woman in the village but will she stand the test of the day after she is appointed as one of the Judges in a case whereby the accused persons are her own grandchildren? The villagers keep a close watch on the case proceedings. The story has been presented in a simple and easy to understand language. It borrows a lot from the Kikuyu community in terms of culture, proverbs and sayings coupled with the use of African names and scenes. The author has used sarcasm, hilarity and superstition to make the story more interesting. It has captured various themes that include crime, superstition, hard work, discipline and indiscipline. Because of the episodes, dramas and scenarios featured in the story the reader’s fingers will keep on turning pages wanting to know what will happen next.