The Loskop Killer by Theo Harms

The Loskop Killer by Theo Harms is an uncommon piece of South African true-crime writing, first published by Shuter & Shooter in 1975. Focusing on a notorious murder investigation, Harms reconstructs the circumstances surrounding the case and examines the evidence, personalities and questions that emerged during the investigation. The book belongs to a distinctive period of South African crime writing in which contemporary criminal cases were documented for a general readership, making surviving copies increasingly interesting to collectors of true crime, Africana and South African social history.

Published in Pietermaritzburg, this 202-page work provides a period account of policing, investigation and criminal proceedings in South Africa during the 1970s. The Loskop Killer is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and combines narrative reporting with documentary material surrounding the case. Its striking photographic cover, depicting a double-barrelled shotgun, gives the book an unmistakable appearance.

First-edition copies are not frequently encountered in general second-hand bookshops, particularly compared with more mainstream South African crime publications. This makes The Loskop Killer an interesting addition to collections concentrating on South African true crime, historical criminal investigations, KwaZulu-Natal publications, Africana or unusual twentieth-century non-fiction.

Condition – Good

Firmly bound with general age-toning to the pages and page edges. Some foxing and spotting are present, particularly around the endpapers. Previous ownership inscription, “L. E. Chapman”, with “No. 27” written on the front endpaper. The book has been covered externally in clear plastic which has been taped directly to the covers, with extensive tape visible internally; the plastic itself shows rubbing, creasing and surface wear.