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In a corrupt South Africa, the criminals are as likely to be in government—or even in the police—as on the streets.
Two decorated detectives must put their careers on the line to find the link between three seemingly-unrelated homicides in the latest thriller in the #1 internationally bestselling series
Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido are languishing in Stellenbosch. Run-of-the-mill police work in the leafy university town is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime and government corruption at the highest level. Then a student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered in what looks like a professional hit delivering a message—suffocated by fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat.
On the other side of the country, a beautiful wildlife guide is recruited by a group of special forces soldiers to act as a honeytrap, part of a dangerous multi-million-dollar heist that goes tragically wrong. A single link connects the murdered businessman to the special forces, making Benny and Vaughn’s case all the more mysterious. Another former soldier is soon killed, as is an agent of the country’s disgraced former president; and then the heist crew reorganizes with an even more audacious theft in mind.
Following leads as they fly at them, not sure exactly who to trust and struggling to connect the dots as the motives don’t seem to add up, Benny and Vaughn find their case increasingly points to the corruption polluting the country. They know the clock is ticking—and Benny also has to be at the altar on time for his anxiously-anticipated wedding day.
Two decorated detectives must put their careers on the line to find the link between three seemingly-unrelated homicides in the latest thriller in the #1 internationally bestselling series
Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido are languishing in Stellenbosch. Run-of-the-mill police work in the leafy university town is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime and government corruption at the highest level. Then a student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered in what looks like a professional hit delivering a message—suffocated by fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat.
On the other side of the country, a beautiful wildlife guide is recruited by a group of special forces soldiers to act as a honeytrap, part of a dangerous multi-million-dollar heist that goes tragically wrong. A single link connects the murdered businessman to the special forces, making Benny and Vaughn’s case all the more mysterious. Another former soldier is soon killed, as is an agent of the country’s disgraced former president; and then the heist crew reorganizes with an even more audacious theft in mind.
Following leads as they fly at them, not sure exactly who to trust and struggling to connect the dots as the motives don’t seem to add up, Benny and Vaughn find their case increasingly points to the corruption polluting the country. They know the clock is ticking—and Benny also has to be at the altar on time for his anxiously-anticipated wedding day.
464 pages, Hardcover
Published February 18, 2025
368 people are currently reading
5,066 people want to read
About the author
Deon Meyer
51books1,174followersDeon Meyer was born in the South African town of Paarl in the winelands of the Western Cape in 1958, and grew up in Klerksdorp, in the gold mining region of Northwest Province.
After military duty and studying at the Potchefstroom University, he joined Die Volksblad, a daily newspaper in Bloemfontein as a reporter. Since then, he has worked as press liaison, advertising copywriter, creative director, web manager, Internet strategist, and brand consultant.
Deon wrote his first book when he was 14 years old, and bribed and blackmailed his two brothers into reading it. They were not impressed (hey, everybody is a critic ...)
Deon Meyer
Heeding their wisdom, he did not write fiction again until he was in his early thirties, when he started publishing short stories in South African magazines.
"I still believe that is the best way to learn the craft of writing. Short stories teach you a lot about story structure - and you have limited space to develop character and plot," says Deon.
In 1994 he published his first Afrikaans novel, which has not been translated, "simply because it was not good enough to compete on the international market. However, it was a wonderful learning experience".
All later novels have been translated into several languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Finnish, Czech, Romanian, Slovakian and Bulgarian.
Deon lives in Melkbosstrand on the South African West Coast with his wife, Anita, and they have four children to keep them busy: Lida, Liam, Johan and Konstanz.
Other than his family, his big passions are motorcycling, music (he is a Mozart fanatic, but loves rock 'n roll too), reading, cooking and rugby (he unconditionally supports the national Springbok team and the Free State Cheetahs provincial team).
After military duty and studying at the Potchefstroom University, he joined Die Volksblad, a daily newspaper in Bloemfontein as a reporter. Since then, he has worked as press liaison, advertising copywriter, creative director, web manager, Internet strategist, and brand consultant.
Deon wrote his first book when he was 14 years old, and bribed and blackmailed his two brothers into reading it. They were not impressed (hey, everybody is a critic ...)
Deon Meyer
Heeding their wisdom, he did not write fiction again until he was in his early thirties, when he started publishing short stories in South African magazines.
"I still believe that is the best way to learn the craft of writing. Short stories teach you a lot about story structure - and you have limited space to develop character and plot," says Deon.
In 1994 he published his first Afrikaans novel, which has not been translated, "simply because it was not good enough to compete on the international market. However, it was a wonderful learning experience".
All later novels have been translated into several languages, including English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Russian, Finnish, Czech, Romanian, Slovakian and Bulgarian.
Deon lives in Melkbosstrand on the South African West Coast with his wife, Anita, and they have four children to keep them busy: Lida, Liam, Johan and Konstanz.
Other than his family, his big passions are motorcycling, music (he is a Mozart fanatic, but loves rock 'n roll too), reading, cooking and rugby (he unconditionally supports the national Springbok team and the Free State Cheetahs provincial team).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
March 4, 2025
The interplay between Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido comprises the largest amount of pages in this novel, but much of it includes undertakings involved in the planning of Griessel’s upcoming wedding. Relatively little space is devoted to following up their main case—the torture and murder of a former soldier. In comparison, a huge amount of narrative space is devoted to the planning and execution of two heists carried out by a crew that includes Christina Jaeger, a crew that was not involved in the torture/murder of the former soldier. Three independent novellas appear to have been interwoven into a single story: Benny’s investigation of the torture/murder of the soldier, Christina’s heist capers with her team, and another torture/murder, this time involving an influential political fixer.
Brief Synopsis
The novel begins with Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, but after one chapter, it switches to a narrative about Christina Jaeger, and her recruitment into a heist crew. We follow the preparations and execution of the heist, involving millions of U.S. dollars, until the caper ends. Griessel and Cupido do not appear again until Chapter 20 and that is in response to the unexplained death of a university student on a mountain trail. They quickly solve the mystery of how the student met her death, but cannot prove their theory without definitive forensic evidence.
Then the narrative switches back to Christina (chapters 26-33), now living in Europe. When we return to Benny and Vaughn, there is a lot of joking around about Benny’s upcoming wedding before their case develops a sudden urgency; the man whose actions probably caused the student’s death, Basie Small, has been found tortured and murdered. Only now, at close to the 30% point, does the novel become interesting, closer in tone to Deon Meyer’s better-known works.
Basie Small was a former Recce—the South African Special Forces Brigade—and soon the focus switches to another former Recce, Tau Berger. The action switches back and forth amongst Griessel and Cupido (who are following up on the Small murder), Christina Jaeger (who has rejoined the heist crew), and Tau Berger (who has his own agenda).
Culture and Politics
The author, Deon Meyer, is a South African who writes in Afrikaans and his novels are then translated into English (and other languages). Sprinkled throughout LEO are numerous commonly used Afrikaans words. Many are exclamations and most are easily comprehensible within the context wherein they are uttered. Meyer includes a glossary of these Afrikaans words in LEO. South Africa has 11 official languages, so words in this glossary originate from several sources, not only Afrikaans.
To understand comments made by the fictional characters, as well as important aspects of the plot, a reader needs some knowledge of South Africa’s current and past economic/political situation—not an academic knowledge but general knowledge gained by following international newspaper articles. For example, “load shedding� is mentioned frequently and plays a part in the action; it refers to the country’s energy crisis, which results in frequent energy blackout periods.
I cannot imagine reading this novel without a basic knowledge of the rampant political corruption that occurred during the reign of the ex-president (replaced in 1918). A detailed knowledge is not necessary, but Meyer wrote it for his fellow countrymen, and a reader would be expected to be familiar with the political upheaval that occurred during that president’s tenure. I notice that the names of real people have been slightly altered for this fictional tale, I suppose for legal purposes, but even someone who only reads the newspaper should be able to identify how closely the fictional fraudulent behaviour mirrors the real malfeasance that took place during the ex-president’s tenure.
My Perspective
LEO starts slowly. Not only were Griessel and Cupido missing from the action, but I found Christina Jaeger, the primary character in the beginning section, to be uninspiring. The account of the heist failed to gain my interest, and the characterizations of crew members other than Christina not well developed; Themba Jola, in particular, was an unclear figure, identified only as a member of the Xhosa tribe, with no distinguishing features. This section is narrated from the POV of Christina. She and one other crew member initially appeared in the novel “Trackers�. I read it years ago. I still own the copy purchased from the now-defunct Book Depository, but I cannot remember any details about the characters or plot. Unlike some of Meyer’s early novels, such as “Heart of the Hunter�, “Trackers� was not “unforgettable�.
The worst part of this early section was a long monologue by Christina describing her background (chapter 29 and most of chapter 30). While I plodded through it, I thought to myself: “This is not Deon Meyer’s style; he is so good at subtly conveying characterization using actions, speech, and thought patterns. Why was this soliloquy dumped on us?� The information Christina conveys has nothing to do with the rest of the novel. It merely slows down the action and makes Christina less likeable.
Thankfully, soon after this dreadful monologue, Griessel and Cupido take precedence in the narrative, and the story becomes far more interesting. Soon too, we encounter Tau Berger, and Basie Small’s sister, both antiheroes, but interesting antiheroes. During the final 70% of the novel, the are a few low spots (too much time spent describing the wedding preparations) and lots of high spots. The reader knows all the facts but Benny knows only a few. It is not a whodunnit, a whydunnit, or a howdunnit. It is more like a jigsaw puzzle, where the reader has all the pieces but Benny doesn’t, and whether he will be able to join clues together to see the larger picture, and still make his wedding on time, becomes a race.
For me, the first 30% of the book was slightly better than average, worth only 3.5 stars, the next 35% definitely merited 4 stars, and the final 35%—which had me turning pages as fast as I could—was undeniably a 5-star narrative. After pondering, I decided to give it a four-star overall rating—because I couldn’t award it 4.5 stars. It is better than most thrillers being published, but not as good as Meyer’s last two novels, “The Last Hunt� and “The Dark Flood�.
But still highly recommended. ** 4.5 rating **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for some other books in this series:
The Last Hunt (Benny Griessel #6)
The Dark Flood (Benny Griessel #7)
and also see:
Dead At Daybreak
Dead Before Dying
Trackers
Heart of the Hunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an electronic copy of this book via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
Brief Synopsis
The novel begins with Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, but after one chapter, it switches to a narrative about Christina Jaeger, and her recruitment into a heist crew. We follow the preparations and execution of the heist, involving millions of U.S. dollars, until the caper ends. Griessel and Cupido do not appear again until Chapter 20 and that is in response to the unexplained death of a university student on a mountain trail. They quickly solve the mystery of how the student met her death, but cannot prove their theory without definitive forensic evidence.
Then the narrative switches back to Christina (chapters 26-33), now living in Europe. When we return to Benny and Vaughn, there is a lot of joking around about Benny’s upcoming wedding before their case develops a sudden urgency; the man whose actions probably caused the student’s death, Basie Small, has been found tortured and murdered. Only now, at close to the 30% point, does the novel become interesting, closer in tone to Deon Meyer’s better-known works.
Basie Small was a former Recce—the South African Special Forces Brigade—and soon the focus switches to another former Recce, Tau Berger. The action switches back and forth amongst Griessel and Cupido (who are following up on the Small murder), Christina Jaeger (who has rejoined the heist crew), and Tau Berger (who has his own agenda).
Culture and Politics
The author, Deon Meyer, is a South African who writes in Afrikaans and his novels are then translated into English (and other languages). Sprinkled throughout LEO are numerous commonly used Afrikaans words. Many are exclamations and most are easily comprehensible within the context wherein they are uttered. Meyer includes a glossary of these Afrikaans words in LEO. South Africa has 11 official languages, so words in this glossary originate from several sources, not only Afrikaans.
To understand comments made by the fictional characters, as well as important aspects of the plot, a reader needs some knowledge of South Africa’s current and past economic/political situation—not an academic knowledge but general knowledge gained by following international newspaper articles. For example, “load shedding� is mentioned frequently and plays a part in the action; it refers to the country’s energy crisis, which results in frequent energy blackout periods.
I cannot imagine reading this novel without a basic knowledge of the rampant political corruption that occurred during the reign of the ex-president (replaced in 1918). A detailed knowledge is not necessary, but Meyer wrote it for his fellow countrymen, and a reader would be expected to be familiar with the political upheaval that occurred during that president’s tenure. I notice that the names of real people have been slightly altered for this fictional tale, I suppose for legal purposes, but even someone who only reads the newspaper should be able to identify how closely the fictional fraudulent behaviour mirrors the real malfeasance that took place during the ex-president’s tenure.
My Perspective
LEO starts slowly. Not only were Griessel and Cupido missing from the action, but I found Christina Jaeger, the primary character in the beginning section, to be uninspiring. The account of the heist failed to gain my interest, and the characterizations of crew members other than Christina not well developed; Themba Jola, in particular, was an unclear figure, identified only as a member of the Xhosa tribe, with no distinguishing features. This section is narrated from the POV of Christina. She and one other crew member initially appeared in the novel “Trackers�. I read it years ago. I still own the copy purchased from the now-defunct Book Depository, but I cannot remember any details about the characters or plot. Unlike some of Meyer’s early novels, such as “Heart of the Hunter�, “Trackers� was not “unforgettable�.
The worst part of this early section was a long monologue by Christina describing her background (chapter 29 and most of chapter 30). While I plodded through it, I thought to myself: “This is not Deon Meyer’s style; he is so good at subtly conveying characterization using actions, speech, and thought patterns. Why was this soliloquy dumped on us?� The information Christina conveys has nothing to do with the rest of the novel. It merely slows down the action and makes Christina less likeable.
Thankfully, soon after this dreadful monologue, Griessel and Cupido take precedence in the narrative, and the story becomes far more interesting. Soon too, we encounter Tau Berger, and Basie Small’s sister, both antiheroes, but interesting antiheroes. During the final 70% of the novel, the are a few low spots (too much time spent describing the wedding preparations) and lots of high spots. The reader knows all the facts but Benny knows only a few. It is not a whodunnit, a whydunnit, or a howdunnit. It is more like a jigsaw puzzle, where the reader has all the pieces but Benny doesn’t, and whether he will be able to join clues together to see the larger picture, and still make his wedding on time, becomes a race.
For me, the first 30% of the book was slightly better than average, worth only 3.5 stars, the next 35% definitely merited 4 stars, and the final 35%—which had me turning pages as fast as I could—was undeniably a 5-star narrative. After pondering, I decided to give it a four-star overall rating—because I couldn’t award it 4.5 stars. It is better than most thrillers being published, but not as good as Meyer’s last two novels, “The Last Hunt� and “The Dark Flood�.
But still highly recommended. ** 4.5 rating **
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My reviews for some other books in this series:
The Last Hunt (Benny Griessel #6)
The Dark Flood (Benny Griessel #7)
and also see:
Dead At Daybreak
Dead Before Dying
Trackers
Heart of the Hunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an electronic copy of this book via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.
November 1, 2023
#Leo � Deon Meyer
#HumanEnRousseau
Dis nie die beste seisoen in Bennie Griessel se bestaan nie. Sy troudag sluip nader, Cupido is knorrig omdat hy op die dieet-waentjie ry; daar is geen vooruitsig dat hulle binne die afsienbare toekoms in hulle range herstel sal word nie, en die Diens se agteruitgang, tesame met die besef dat hy eersdaags ‘n halfeeu oud sal wees met min om daarvoor te wys, is genoeg om hom leepoog na die naaste kroeg te laat loer. ‘n Oënskynlik geringe oortreding � ‘n honde-eienaar wat versuim om sy honde aan leibande te hou � dompel hulle egter midde-in ‘n ondersoek waarvan die los drade in alle denkbare rigtings waai.
‘n Oud Recce word vermoor. Die vulskuim in sy mond stuur ‘n duidelike boodskap: Hou jou bek. Die lyk van ‘n korrupte politikus word op ‘n gholfbaan gevind. Ook met vulskuim in die mond en met ‘n kriptiese boodskap daarnaas. In ‘n aparte storielyn word ‘n grootskaalse transito-rooftog beplan; Amerikaanse dollars en goud. Maar die beplanners kan mekaar nie vertrou nie, “there is no honor among thieves.�
Die roman is natuurlik fiktief, maar die name van die karakters laat min twyfel oor na wie verwys word, wat bydra tot die oortuigingskrag van die gebeure. Die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, het bande gehad met Indiese skarminkels, die Chandas, en die Zamisa-kommissie na staatskaping het gevolg. ‘n Etiese misdaadverslaggewer in die Wes Kaap, Julian Jenkens, maak ook sy verskyning.
Die woordspel waaraan die titel ontleen is, verdien vermelding. Elke afdeling van die roman is vernoem na ‘n roofdier en die leeu word beklemtoon deur die bynaam van ‘n karakter, Tau, wat leeu is Sesotho, Setswana en Sepedi beteken, asook deur die verwysing na die mite van Herakles en die Nemeïese leeu.
Die ruimtes waarin die roman grootliks afspeel, naamlik die Wes Kaap, word kleurvol beskryf deur na Stellenbosch as Volvoville te verwys, en beurtkrag en die verval van sekere areas in te sluit. Die tydsraamwerk is kort en die aftik van die horlosie word beklemtoon deur die aftelling na Griessel se troudag as deel van die teks.
Verwysings na vorige romans deur die skrywer kom deurgaans voor en word toegelig deur middel van voetnotas. Dis egter nie ‘n voorvereiste om die voormelde romans te lees om ‘Leo� te geniet nie; die roman staan onafhanklik en terugblikke na die voorafgaande publikasies is bloot terloops.
‘n Interessante morele dilemma word subtiel geopper, naamlik hoe om die diefstal van gesteelde eiendom te beoordeel. As die besitter nie in regmatige besit is nie, verdien hy enige beskerming as die eiendom deur ‘n derde party gesteel word? Stof tot nadenke.
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek
#HumanEnRousseau
Dis nie die beste seisoen in Bennie Griessel se bestaan nie. Sy troudag sluip nader, Cupido is knorrig omdat hy op die dieet-waentjie ry; daar is geen vooruitsig dat hulle binne die afsienbare toekoms in hulle range herstel sal word nie, en die Diens se agteruitgang, tesame met die besef dat hy eersdaags ‘n halfeeu oud sal wees met min om daarvoor te wys, is genoeg om hom leepoog na die naaste kroeg te laat loer. ‘n Oënskynlik geringe oortreding � ‘n honde-eienaar wat versuim om sy honde aan leibande te hou � dompel hulle egter midde-in ‘n ondersoek waarvan die los drade in alle denkbare rigtings waai.
‘n Oud Recce word vermoor. Die vulskuim in sy mond stuur ‘n duidelike boodskap: Hou jou bek. Die lyk van ‘n korrupte politikus word op ‘n gholfbaan gevind. Ook met vulskuim in die mond en met ‘n kriptiese boodskap daarnaas. In ‘n aparte storielyn word ‘n grootskaalse transito-rooftog beplan; Amerikaanse dollars en goud. Maar die beplanners kan mekaar nie vertrou nie, “there is no honor among thieves.�
Die roman is natuurlik fiktief, maar die name van die karakters laat min twyfel oor na wie verwys word, wat bydra tot die oortuigingskrag van die gebeure. Die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, het bande gehad met Indiese skarminkels, die Chandas, en die Zamisa-kommissie na staatskaping het gevolg. ‘n Etiese misdaadverslaggewer in die Wes Kaap, Julian Jenkens, maak ook sy verskyning.
Die woordspel waaraan die titel ontleen is, verdien vermelding. Elke afdeling van die roman is vernoem na ‘n roofdier en die leeu word beklemtoon deur die bynaam van ‘n karakter, Tau, wat leeu is Sesotho, Setswana en Sepedi beteken, asook deur die verwysing na die mite van Herakles en die Nemeïese leeu.
Die ruimtes waarin die roman grootliks afspeel, naamlik die Wes Kaap, word kleurvol beskryf deur na Stellenbosch as Volvoville te verwys, en beurtkrag en die verval van sekere areas in te sluit. Die tydsraamwerk is kort en die aftik van die horlosie word beklemtoon deur die aftelling na Griessel se troudag as deel van die teks.
Verwysings na vorige romans deur die skrywer kom deurgaans voor en word toegelig deur middel van voetnotas. Dis egter nie ‘n voorvereiste om die voormelde romans te lees om ‘Leo� te geniet nie; die roman staan onafhanklik en terugblikke na die voorafgaande publikasies is bloot terloops.
‘n Interessante morele dilemma word subtiel geopper, naamlik hoe om die diefstal van gesteelde eiendom te beoordeel. As die besitter nie in regmatige besit is nie, verdien hy enige beskerming as die eiendom deur ‘n derde party gesteel word? Stof tot nadenke.
NB-Uitgewers/Publishers
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #Uitdieperdsebek
November 2, 2023
So goed soos altyd, en 'n "groter" storielyn as Donkerdrif. Dis moeilik om veel oor die boek te sê sonder om dinge weg te gee wat jy eerder self moet ontdek. Ek sal sê moenie eers die sinopsis lees nie, duik net in en geniet die storie. Daar is waaghalsige rooftogte, lekker speurwerk en persoonlike intriges. 500 bladsye later en jy gaan wens daar was nog 500 om mee aan te gaan. Nie perfek nie, daar is so een of twee plekke waar die boek se pas 'n bietjie makeer, maar dit pla nie rerig nie.
November 5, 2023
3.5 opgerond na 4 sterre. Dit is onmoontlik om nie meegesleur te word deur Bennie en Vaughn se interessante gesprekke en unieke verhouding nie. Bennie se empatiese innerlike geworstel met alles wat hy in sy daaglikse ondersoeke sien in kontras met Cupido se humor en sjarme is wat hierdie speur-paar een van die vermaaklikstes maak.
Ek het ook die tong-in-kies name van sekere van die politieke spelers (onder andere die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, en sy korrupte Indiese borge, die Chandas) geniet.
Ongelukkig het die spanning in die storie vir my net bietjie te lank gevat voor dit ingeskop het. Nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende Deon Meyer.
Ek het ook die tong-in-kies name van sekere van die politieke spelers (onder andere die voormalige korrupte president, Joe Zaca, en sy korrupte Indiese borge, die Chandas) geniet.
Ongelukkig het die spanning in die storie vir my net bietjie te lank gevat voor dit ingeskop het. Nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende Deon Meyer.
February 18, 2023
Le titre original, en afrikaans, "Koors", et en anglais, "Fever", traduit bien mieux l'objet du récit que le poétique titre choisi en français. Un détail.
Comme Thilliez (Pandemia), que j'avais lu avec passion, mais aussi, wikipedia me l'a appris, Dean Koontz et Fred Vargas (à inscire dans mes projets de lecture), le sud-africain Meyer raconte avant la pandémie que nous avons vécue, que nous vivons encore, même si le fléau semble (mieux) géré, les effets d'un conona-virus qui a décimé 95% de la population mondiale, peu avant "le nôtre".
Thriller sous forme du récit d'un survivant, une espèce de journal, témoignage des rescapés d'une communauté qui a réussi, dans la douleur, la guerre de gangs vandales meurtiers, à reconstruire un monde en miniature.
Sous l'impulsion de Willem, un homme sage, savant, philosophe, courageux, désireux de transmettre à son fils Nico une nouvelle vie, meilleure.
Narration de ce fils. Le journal peut sembler fastidieux mais il mérite l'effort de le déchiffrer intégralement.
Tout oppose le fils et le père. Ils s'aiment tous les deux, le père exprime son amour immense pour ce fils, adolescent au moment de l'aventure épique, qui, lui, reste perpétuellement écartelé entre amour et haine envers ce père.
Le fils veut savoir (je ne dévoile rien, Meyer l'annonce dès les premières pages) qui a assassiné son père, ce père le nez toujours dans les étoiles mais d'une exceptionnelle efficacité dans la reconstruction de sa tribu.
Multiples possibilités: le pasteur plutôt intégriste, rival politique au sein de la nouvelle communauté, un chef de gang pilleur et tueur sans pitié, un autre ennemi inconnu?
Un grand roman, vraiment original, par sa forme un peu ardue, parfois chaotique, par son écriture simple, qui donne la parole à un tas d'acteurs, le plus souvent modestes, dans leur langage personnel. Une énorme humanité. Des personnages simples dans leur fabuleuse complexité.
Et une conclusion qui surprendra.
Comme Thilliez (Pandemia), que j'avais lu avec passion, mais aussi, wikipedia me l'a appris, Dean Koontz et Fred Vargas (à inscire dans mes projets de lecture), le sud-africain Meyer raconte avant la pandémie que nous avons vécue, que nous vivons encore, même si le fléau semble (mieux) géré, les effets d'un conona-virus qui a décimé 95% de la population mondiale, peu avant "le nôtre".
Thriller sous forme du récit d'un survivant, une espèce de journal, témoignage des rescapés d'une communauté qui a réussi, dans la douleur, la guerre de gangs vandales meurtiers, à reconstruire un monde en miniature.
Sous l'impulsion de Willem, un homme sage, savant, philosophe, courageux, désireux de transmettre à son fils Nico une nouvelle vie, meilleure.
Narration de ce fils. Le journal peut sembler fastidieux mais il mérite l'effort de le déchiffrer intégralement.
Tout oppose le fils et le père. Ils s'aiment tous les deux, le père exprime son amour immense pour ce fils, adolescent au moment de l'aventure épique, qui, lui, reste perpétuellement écartelé entre amour et haine envers ce père.
Le fils veut savoir (je ne dévoile rien, Meyer l'annonce dès les premières pages) qui a assassiné son père, ce père le nez toujours dans les étoiles mais d'une exceptionnelle efficacité dans la reconstruction de sa tribu.
Multiples possibilités: le pasteur plutôt intégriste, rival politique au sein de la nouvelle communauté, un chef de gang pilleur et tueur sans pitié, un autre ennemi inconnu?
Un grand roman, vraiment original, par sa forme un peu ardue, parfois chaotique, par son écriture simple, qui donne la parole à un tas d'acteurs, le plus souvent modestes, dans leur langage personnel. Une énorme humanité. Des personnages simples dans leur fabuleuse complexité.
Et une conclusion qui surprendra.
November 25, 2023
3.5 sterre
Hierdie is my gunsteling skrywer van my gunsteling Afrikaanse reeks. Dit was so lekker om weer terug te wees by Bennie en Vaugn al het die storie so n ruk gevat om aan die gang te kom.
Hierdie is my gunsteling skrywer van my gunsteling Afrikaanse reeks. Dit was so lekker om weer terug te wees by Bennie en Vaugn al het die storie so n ruk gevat om aan die gang te kom.
September 19, 2024
This is the eight book in the Bennie Griessel series, a series of police thrillers set in Cape Town, South Africa and featuring veteran detectives Bennie Griessel and Vaughn Cupido. Griessel and Cupido form an awesome duo with great chemistry, they have become more than just partners over the years, their relationship has been carefully crafted over these 8 books and I love it.
The setting of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and other places in South Africa makes for an interesting one, I have been to Cape Town once and it is beautiful. The colorful background of South African society also includes many aspects of its diverse culture, different languages as well as politics and corruption.
Although this book may seem somewhat long for a police thriller at 500 pages, it never feels long, Meyer has an excellent writing style, and the chapters are relatively short. The story is very good, at the center of it is a heist (always fun!) and the characters are well developed.
The camaraderie between Cupido and Griessel is great. They deal with issues like how to deal with the younger generation when you are slowly getting older yourself, and they have relationships which present challenges sometimes as well.
It is written in Afrikaans which is a language very much like Dutch so I read it in Dutch, my native language. But there is an English translation available as well, called “Leo� I believe, I recommend the whole series to be honest, the Bennie Griessel series sets the bar for police thrillers in my opinion.
The setting of Cape Town, Stellenbosch and other places in South Africa makes for an interesting one, I have been to Cape Town once and it is beautiful. The colorful background of South African society also includes many aspects of its diverse culture, different languages as well as politics and corruption.
Although this book may seem somewhat long for a police thriller at 500 pages, it never feels long, Meyer has an excellent writing style, and the chapters are relatively short. The story is very good, at the center of it is a heist (always fun!) and the characters are well developed.
The camaraderie between Cupido and Griessel is great. They deal with issues like how to deal with the younger generation when you are slowly getting older yourself, and they have relationships which present challenges sometimes as well.
It is written in Afrikaans which is a language very much like Dutch so I read it in Dutch, my native language. But there is an English translation available as well, called “Leo� I believe, I recommend the whole series to be honest, the Bennie Griessel series sets the bar for police thrillers in my opinion.
January 19, 2024
Hierdie is vir my een van die beste Deon Meyer boeke. Maar ek soek 'n opvolg. Want ek wil weet. Van Chrissie. Ongeag het ek heeltyd vir haar en Ig ge"root". En Bennie. Ag Bennie, jy en Vaughn maak my hart marshmellow. Skryf vinnig Deon!
March 15, 2024
ja, ja, ja en ja. dis al wat ek kan sê van 'n deon meyer boek. dit het nie teleurgestel nie en was briljant.
November 17, 2023
Ek het die afgelope weke ’n hele rits boeke gelees wat deel uitmaak van reekse waarvan ek die vorige boeke nie gelees het nie, of te lank gelede om die detail mooi te herroep. Die jongste daarvan is Leo, die splinternuwe Deon Meyer-spanningsverhaal wat reeds druk bespreek word.
Ek het weereens so proe-proe begin om te kyk of ek gaan koers kry, gegewe die feit dat ek, met die uitsondering van Koors, baie lanklaas ’n Deon Meyer gelees het. Ek kan in alle eerlikheid sê dat ek sommer van meets af aan betrokke geraak het by die wel en weë van Griessel en Cupido, twee speurders wat huishoudelike name is onder krimilesers. Om Cupido aan te haal, ek het spoedig gesit met ’n “conundrum�: lees ek stadig, maak notas, trek breinkaarte om die kloutjie by die oor te kry én daar te hou met al die partye wat betrokke is, of lees ek vinnig om by die ontknoping uit te kom? Bevrees laasgenoemde opsie het gewen, en sal ek dalk eendag op die aftreeoord se stoep moet herlees!
Die fiktiewe verhaal het sterk klanke van die ware korrupsie, vergrype en misdaad in Suid-Afrika en elders in Afrika. Die magspel tussen onderskeie regs- en ondersoekeenhede wat veroorsaak dat Griessel en Cupido telkens aan iemand anders moet rapporteer, klink ook baie relevant. Dit dra ook grootliks by tot Bennie se futloosheid en negatiwiteit. “Dis soos padtekens wat sê daar is nie ’n manier dat jy vorentoe ’n sukses kan maak van enigiets nie.� (p.179). Vir Cupido het ek baie geniet. Hy is pal in Bennie se hoek: “Dis ’n classic case of midlife crisis, pappie. Ma� hier’s die goeie nuus: There’s a cure, Benna.� (p.179/180)
Hoe bekend klink byvoorbeeld ook “’n vars gesiggie by die Nasionale Intelligensiediens. Baie slim, baie ambisieus, vloeibare morele waardes,� (p. 339) Die skrywer verweef feit en fiksie bepaald meesterlik.
’n Kenmerk wat ek onthou van vorige boeke, is dat die skrywer graag aftel na ’n bepaalde gebeurtenis of sperdatum, wat grootliks bydra tot die spanningslyn. In Leo tel Bennie af na sy troudag, wat dalk onskuldig mag voorkom maar vir hom groot stres inhou. Uiteindelik word dit ook ’n groot faktor in die finale hoofstukke. Hoofstukke wat my tot middernag laat vasbyt het, totdat die stof letterlik gaan lê het. Ek móés lees, verby die slot tot by die Erkennings, want neersit was later nie ’n opsie nie.
Wat ek ook waardeer het was dat die taalgebruik nie onnodig kru was nie, telkens in karakter en relevant tot die situasie. Ek kon selfs die gewelddadige tonele verteer sonder nagmerries, selfs vir Tau Berger, wat “niemand se speelmaatjie� is nie. Waar Recces betrokke is, is dit vanselfsprekend dat dinge rof kan raak, maar die aanbieding was puik.
Ek het weereens so proe-proe begin om te kyk of ek gaan koers kry, gegewe die feit dat ek, met die uitsondering van Koors, baie lanklaas ’n Deon Meyer gelees het. Ek kan in alle eerlikheid sê dat ek sommer van meets af aan betrokke geraak het by die wel en weë van Griessel en Cupido, twee speurders wat huishoudelike name is onder krimilesers. Om Cupido aan te haal, ek het spoedig gesit met ’n “conundrum�: lees ek stadig, maak notas, trek breinkaarte om die kloutjie by die oor te kry én daar te hou met al die partye wat betrokke is, of lees ek vinnig om by die ontknoping uit te kom? Bevrees laasgenoemde opsie het gewen, en sal ek dalk eendag op die aftreeoord se stoep moet herlees!
Die fiktiewe verhaal het sterk klanke van die ware korrupsie, vergrype en misdaad in Suid-Afrika en elders in Afrika. Die magspel tussen onderskeie regs- en ondersoekeenhede wat veroorsaak dat Griessel en Cupido telkens aan iemand anders moet rapporteer, klink ook baie relevant. Dit dra ook grootliks by tot Bennie se futloosheid en negatiwiteit. “Dis soos padtekens wat sê daar is nie ’n manier dat jy vorentoe ’n sukses kan maak van enigiets nie.� (p.179). Vir Cupido het ek baie geniet. Hy is pal in Bennie se hoek: “Dis ’n classic case of midlife crisis, pappie. Ma� hier’s die goeie nuus: There’s a cure, Benna.� (p.179/180)
Hoe bekend klink byvoorbeeld ook “’n vars gesiggie by die Nasionale Intelligensiediens. Baie slim, baie ambisieus, vloeibare morele waardes,� (p. 339) Die skrywer verweef feit en fiksie bepaald meesterlik.
’n Kenmerk wat ek onthou van vorige boeke, is dat die skrywer graag aftel na ’n bepaalde gebeurtenis of sperdatum, wat grootliks bydra tot die spanningslyn. In Leo tel Bennie af na sy troudag, wat dalk onskuldig mag voorkom maar vir hom groot stres inhou. Uiteindelik word dit ook ’n groot faktor in die finale hoofstukke. Hoofstukke wat my tot middernag laat vasbyt het, totdat die stof letterlik gaan lê het. Ek móés lees, verby die slot tot by die Erkennings, want neersit was later nie ’n opsie nie.
Wat ek ook waardeer het was dat die taalgebruik nie onnodig kru was nie, telkens in karakter en relevant tot die situasie. Ek kon selfs die gewelddadige tonele verteer sonder nagmerries, selfs vir Tau Berger, wat “niemand se speelmaatjie� is nie. Waar Recces betrokke is, is dit vanselfsprekend dat dinge rof kan raak, maar die aanbieding was puik.
March 21, 2025
Deon Meyers kindly asks your patience when you read one of his books.
They often sell by the kilogram. Chunky-monkey, Uncle ( or Auntie) !
Wordy. But chapters are short.
Descriptions of surroundings can be detailed, exotic, lavish.
You will learn most characters' lunch or dinner menus. Nice, personal touch.
Their favorite music. Music is universal, ne' ?
Afrikaans slang ? A handy optional directory is provided.
It's ok to blush.....
Character descriptions, quirks, relationships, speech patterns. Vivid.
References to previous books and recurring characters ; get out your wallet.
LEO is his latest South African police procedural thriller.
Number 8 in a series.
Could be a standalone.
Is this book lekker ? Djas !
An international bestseller? Heito !
Worth your time, your patience ?
Yebo, all of the above.
It is, it is.
They often sell by the kilogram. Chunky-monkey, Uncle ( or Auntie) !
Wordy. But chapters are short.
Descriptions of surroundings can be detailed, exotic, lavish.
You will learn most characters' lunch or dinner menus. Nice, personal touch.
Their favorite music. Music is universal, ne' ?
Afrikaans slang ? A handy optional directory is provided.
It's ok to blush.....
Character descriptions, quirks, relationships, speech patterns. Vivid.
References to previous books and recurring characters ; get out your wallet.
LEO is his latest South African police procedural thriller.
Number 8 in a series.
Could be a standalone.
Is this book lekker ? Djas !
An international bestseller? Heito !
Worth your time, your patience ?
Yebo, all of the above.
It is, it is.
November 15, 2024
A Deon Meyer that disappointed me, which is not surprising given the narrative technique used: we constantly jump from one point of view to another in this book, to the point of ending up feeling seasick.
It is also very long, too long, disrupted by the preparations for Benny's wedding that have virtually no interest, and a plot that once again veers a little too much into politics, and that lacks credibility. I was often on the verge of boredom and abandonment.
I also wondered if this was a book written with the idea of a film adaptation in mind. We will see.
Only my adoration of the author and the last hundred pages, rhythmic and full of suspense, allowed me to get to the end.
I prefer (by much) the investigations centered on Benny and Vaughn.
I hope to find a more classic police investigation in their next adventures.
It is also very long, too long, disrupted by the preparations for Benny's wedding that have virtually no interest, and a plot that once again veers a little too much into politics, and that lacks credibility. I was often on the verge of boredom and abandonment.
I also wondered if this was a book written with the idea of a film adaptation in mind. We will see.
Only my adoration of the author and the last hundred pages, rhythmic and full of suspense, allowed me to get to the end.
I prefer (by much) the investigations centered on Benny and Vaughn.
I hope to find a more classic police investigation in their next adventures.
October 29, 2023
You can never go wrong with Deon Meyer!
Another outstanding book from this master writer. Leo is one of Meyer's best books and I can not wait for the next chapter in Bennie Griesel's life.
Another outstanding book from this master writer. Leo is one of Meyer's best books and I can not wait for the next chapter in Bennie Griesel's life.
December 12, 2024
Another great book from Deon Meyer. There are several plots that you know are going to intertwine and just when you think you have it figured out, you don't. The ending felt a bit rushed and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more detail at the end. Overall a great book though.
March 16, 2025
I read Leo without reading other books in the Benny Griessel series by Deon Meyer. Leo is number 8 in the series; I'm not sure if that affected my enjoyment of the book. It seemed like a stand-alone as I was reading it. Meyer weaves together two different storylines that eventually intersect. Benny Griessel and his work partner Vaughn Cupido investigate a suspicious death on one side of South Africa while a complex robbery is taking place on the other side of the country. The detective work interested me somewhat in the beginning of the book, but otherwise I found much of it boring. The book engrossed me more at about the two-thirds mark, where I was invested enough to be curious about the outcome.
November 5, 2023
Ek moet skaamteloos erken dat ek in die tydperk tussen die verskyning van “Donker drif� en Deon Meyer se nuutste boek “Leo� amper vergeet het wat ‘n fees dit is om ‘n Meyer boek te lees. Bennie en Vaughn bevind hulself steeds in Stellenbosch met ‘n ernstige begeerte om terug te keer na hulle geliefde Valke eenheid. Intussen doen hulle hul bes om daar te bewys dat hulle verdien om terug te skuif. ‘n Jong student word dood gevind met bytmerke aan haar bene. Kort daarna word hulle verdagte in die saak dood gevind met vullerskuim in sy mond � ‘n duidelike “hou jou mond� boodskap. Dit is egter net die eerste van ‘n reeks moored. Intussen beplan ‘n groep om die miljoene van die staatskaping wat versteek is in ‘n goed bewaarde stoorplek, te roof. Bennie en Vaugh moet kophou en albei het soveel wat aangaan in hulle lewens. Vaughn veg teen die vetjies en Bennie het sy grootste sperdatum ooit � sy troue met Alexa kom elke dag nader.
Die boek is slim verdeel in gedeeltes wat elk met ‘n roofdier en die name oor wie die gedeelte meestal gaan. Daar is ook ‘n lekker speling met die naam van ‘n karakter, Tau wat ook leeu beteken en die van van ‘n ander, Jaeger wat jagter beteken. Dit is inderdaad ‘n geveg tussen die roofdiere waarop die storie afstuur en wat sorg vir ‘n sterk spanningslyn in die boek. Ek was heeltemal ingetrek in die storie en kon weens daardie einste spanninglyn hier teen die einde glad nie die boek neersit nie. Die gebruik van Bennie se troue as ‘n vaste datum en tyd dra by tot die skep van die spanning in die boek.
Teen die agtergrond van die staatskaping word baie duidelike verwysings na regte mense gebruik maar ook opwindende nuwe karakters geskep. Vir my is dit ‘n heerlike lekkerte wanneer Meyer karakters uit sy vorige boeke weer ‘n kans gee om hulle verskyning te maak. In hierdie boek is daar ‘n paar verwysings na vorige boeke en karakters wat nuttig ook in voetnotas gemeld word. Om die waarheid te sê party van hulle verskyn prominent weer. Hierdie skep ‘n gevoel van bekendheid � vir my is van hulle al soos ou vriende of kennise wat jy weer raakloop.
Meyer speel lekker met die morele dilemma van steel van die steler en wanneer dit reg, of dan verkeerd is, om te neem van die wat soveel meer en soveel skelmer gesteel het. As leser vind jy jouself simpatiek teenoor die wat dit dalk nie heeltemal verdien op ‘n morele vlak nie. Dit bewys net weereens hoe knap skrywer Deon Meyer is.
Ek het in Leo ‘n woord raakgeloop wat my pla. Dit is bloot persoonlik maar ek sukkel steeds om gewoond te raak aan die woord “grimas� wat deesdae meer en meer in boeke gebruik word vir “grimace� en nou spring die woord “sjameer� uit in Leo. Siende dat dit vir Cupido gebruik word: “Cupido doen sy bes om haar te sjameer� wonder ek of die Engelse “charm� of ‘n ander sinskonstruksie soos “Cupido gebruik sy sjarme� nie beter sou wees nie. Maar dis een woord in ‘n wonderlike leesplesier van 490 bladsye.
Leo bewys net weereens dat Meyer ‘n meester van die krimi is. Die boek is spannend en vervleg vele storielyne wat mekaar beinvloed sonder om noodwendig verwikkeld te raak. Dit is ‘n blitsblaaier en stel nie een oomblik teleur nie. Lekker lees! Ek het beslis.
Die boek is slim verdeel in gedeeltes wat elk met ‘n roofdier en die name oor wie die gedeelte meestal gaan. Daar is ook ‘n lekker speling met die naam van ‘n karakter, Tau wat ook leeu beteken en die van van ‘n ander, Jaeger wat jagter beteken. Dit is inderdaad ‘n geveg tussen die roofdiere waarop die storie afstuur en wat sorg vir ‘n sterk spanningslyn in die boek. Ek was heeltemal ingetrek in die storie en kon weens daardie einste spanninglyn hier teen die einde glad nie die boek neersit nie. Die gebruik van Bennie se troue as ‘n vaste datum en tyd dra by tot die skep van die spanning in die boek.
Teen die agtergrond van die staatskaping word baie duidelike verwysings na regte mense gebruik maar ook opwindende nuwe karakters geskep. Vir my is dit ‘n heerlike lekkerte wanneer Meyer karakters uit sy vorige boeke weer ‘n kans gee om hulle verskyning te maak. In hierdie boek is daar ‘n paar verwysings na vorige boeke en karakters wat nuttig ook in voetnotas gemeld word. Om die waarheid te sê party van hulle verskyn prominent weer. Hierdie skep ‘n gevoel van bekendheid � vir my is van hulle al soos ou vriende of kennise wat jy weer raakloop.
Meyer speel lekker met die morele dilemma van steel van die steler en wanneer dit reg, of dan verkeerd is, om te neem van die wat soveel meer en soveel skelmer gesteel het. As leser vind jy jouself simpatiek teenoor die wat dit dalk nie heeltemal verdien op ‘n morele vlak nie. Dit bewys net weereens hoe knap skrywer Deon Meyer is.
Ek het in Leo ‘n woord raakgeloop wat my pla. Dit is bloot persoonlik maar ek sukkel steeds om gewoond te raak aan die woord “grimas� wat deesdae meer en meer in boeke gebruik word vir “grimace� en nou spring die woord “sjameer� uit in Leo. Siende dat dit vir Cupido gebruik word: “Cupido doen sy bes om haar te sjameer� wonder ek of die Engelse “charm� of ‘n ander sinskonstruksie soos “Cupido gebruik sy sjarme� nie beter sou wees nie. Maar dis een woord in ‘n wonderlike leesplesier van 490 bladsye.
Leo bewys net weereens dat Meyer ‘n meester van die krimi is. Die boek is spannend en vervleg vele storielyne wat mekaar beinvloed sonder om noodwendig verwikkeld te raak. Dit is ‘n blitsblaaier en stel nie een oomblik teleur nie. Lekker lees! Ek het beslis.
October 20, 2024
I haven’t read Deon Meyer in a while. I’m a devoted fan and I turn to him with relief from some of the heavy non-fiction that I’ve been reading lately. LEO is his latest novel. I am a South African and so I relate completely to the background of Meyer’s novel. I love his main characters Griessel and Cupido. The plot is, as always intricate, but interestingly so, and the writing articulate and fast paced. Sadly the malfeance in our country around which this plot revolves is far from over. On the other hand this should provide Meyer with plenty of additional material for his next novel and of course the writer is bringing it to the attention of those South Africans who do not have the time or energy to read the more serious exposés out there. Highly recommended.
November 24, 2023
I enjoyed reading the latest Deon Meyer book, Leo, immensely. It is a real page-turner. The author definitely has a special gift to create tension and keep the reader on his/her toes. He employs various techniques to do so with great success. I enjoyed the plot as it unfolded. The main characters; our two detectives, who have been with us as readers in various other novels, have become, I think, folk heroes in South Africa , and elsewhere.Their interaction with each other is priceless.
November 14, 2023
Puik soos al die vorige boeke. My senuwees was op vir Bennie se part.
December 29, 2023
Hierdie was heeltemal te ingewikkeld (convoluted) om tot maksimum te geniet. Wat van ñ gewone moordsaak oom Deon? Vat Benna weer bietjie terug na die basics.
February 26, 2025
Très bon mais un peu lent pour arriver dans le vif du suspense.
November 26, 2023
Dit maak nie saak hoé ek na nog 'n Bennie Griessel uitgesien het nie, hierdie boek het my effe teleurgestel. Die eerste Griessel wat ek gelees het, het my fassineer omdat die leser so naby aan hierdie speurder gekom het. Nou voel dit asof Meyer probeer om te veel dinge in die loop van die verhaal te laat gebeur, met die gevolg dat karakter-ontwikkeling in die steek bly.
As jy egter vir die eerste keer 'n Deon Meyer lees, sal jy waarskynlik die boek geniet.
As jy egter vir die eerste keer 'n Deon Meyer lees, sal jy waarskynlik die boek geniet.
January 2, 2024
Nog ’n puik storie deur Deon Meyer. Maar jy sal moet kophou soos 'n dronk weeluis. Daar is BAIE drade om bymekaar te hou. Te veel, eintlik, om die storie net lekker te lees en te geniet � vandaar die 4 sterre.
March 15, 2025
This was brilliant! Benny and Cupido! A heist! All coming together for an intense ending! I absolutely love this series!!
April 19, 2024
Het kenmerkende recherchekoppel Bennie Griessel en Vaughn Cupido is terug. Dit duo speelt een belangrijke rol in de meeste boeken van Zuid-Afrika’s bekendste en succesvolste thrillerauteur Deon Meyer. Ook in het 2024 verscheen Leeuw, alweer het achtste deel van de serie, laten beide politiemannen zich van hun beste kant zien. Het boek, dat volledige fictief is, is geïnspireerd door niet bevestigde geruchten over grote hoeveelheden goud en dollars die door de voormalige Libische leider Moammar Gaddafi vlak voor zijn overlijden in 2011 naar Zuid-Afrika zouden zijn gevlogen.
Verscholen in het fynbos op de Stellenboschberg wordt het bekraste lichaam van een jonge vrouw gevonden. Het moet lijken of ze door een luipaard overvallen is, maar Griessel en Cupido hebben hun twijfels. Niet veel later worden ze belast met het onderzoek naar de gewelddadige dood van advocaat Basie Small. Een eind verderop, in Botswana, wordt natuurgids Chrissie Jaeger gevraagd om deel te nemen aan een overval. Omdat dit uitloopt op een faliekant mislukking, zoekt ze haar toevlucht in Europa, waar haar later een ander aanbod wordt gedaan. Ondertussen hebben beide Zuid-Afrikaanse rechercheurs hun handen vol aan een nieuwe zaak.
Net als in de voorgaande delen uit de serie heeft Meyer ook in zijn nieuwste thriller een thema verwerkt dat in Zuid-Afrika behoorlijk actueel is. Deze keer draait het om staatskaping, waarbij politieke machthebbers zichzelf ten koste van alles en iedereen verrijken. De kritiek die de auteur hierop heeft, valt zo nu en dan tussen de regels door te lezen. Door dit onderwerp als leidraad te nemen, krijgt zijn boek in bepaald opzicht een realistisch tintje. Een goed voorbeeld in het verhaal is de president Joseph (Joe) Zaca en een goed verstaander kan in hem overduidelijk Jacob Zuma, voormalig president en ANC-leider, herkennen. Laatstgenoemde stond internationaal symbool voor staatscorruptie en systematische beroving van de Zuid-Afrikanen.
Hoewel de plot even op gang moet komen, doen zich toch al vrij snel diverse ontwikkelingen voor en ontstaat er een klein beetje actie. In de plot neemt dit geleidelijk aan steeds meer toe, waarna ze in de ontknoping in een stroomversnelling raken. De verschillende subtiel met elkaar verbonden verhaallijnen zorgen ervoor dat de gebeurtenissen van diverse kanten worden belicht. De lezer krijgt daardoor zowel vanuit het oogpunt van de rechercheurs als de overvallers kijk op de vele voorvallen. Maar niet alleen dat, want ook de reden van de overval wordt uit de doeken gedaan, waardoor je heel stiekem enige sympathie voor de overvallers krijgt. De spanning in het verhaal is wisselend, de ene keer enigszins onderhuids, de andere keer juist weer heel erg zichtbaar, zoals onder andere aan het eind, waarin alle partijen hun absolute deadline moeten halen.
De rol die Griessel en Cupido hebben, is � net als in alle voorgaande delen � weer een prominente. Ze voeren hun taak met verve uit, hun onderlinge interactie is als vanouds schitterend en aan hun privéleven wordt eveneens wat aandacht besteed. Wat dat laatste betreft is het raadzaam de serie op volgorde van verschijnen te lezen, met name om te voorkomen dat je het een en ander over hun achtergrond mist. Over de andere ertoe doende personages wordt meer dan voldoende verteld om hen te kunnen plaatsen. In ieder geval zijn alle karakters boeiend en intrigerend, net als de omgeving waarin het geheel zich afspeelt. Op een levendige wijze beschrijft de auteur de Zuid-Afrikaanse plaatsen en het landschap.
Leeuw, dat zich in een aanzienlijk tempo afspeelt en in de kenmerkende Meyer-stijl geschreven is, leest eveneens erg vlot. De auteur laat met dit achtste Griessel-deel zien dat de rechercheurs nog niet aan slijtage onderhevig zijn, evenmin als hij dat zelf is. Hoe dan ook is deze thriller wederom een schot in de roos.
Verscholen in het fynbos op de Stellenboschberg wordt het bekraste lichaam van een jonge vrouw gevonden. Het moet lijken of ze door een luipaard overvallen is, maar Griessel en Cupido hebben hun twijfels. Niet veel later worden ze belast met het onderzoek naar de gewelddadige dood van advocaat Basie Small. Een eind verderop, in Botswana, wordt natuurgids Chrissie Jaeger gevraagd om deel te nemen aan een overval. Omdat dit uitloopt op een faliekant mislukking, zoekt ze haar toevlucht in Europa, waar haar later een ander aanbod wordt gedaan. Ondertussen hebben beide Zuid-Afrikaanse rechercheurs hun handen vol aan een nieuwe zaak.
Net als in de voorgaande delen uit de serie heeft Meyer ook in zijn nieuwste thriller een thema verwerkt dat in Zuid-Afrika behoorlijk actueel is. Deze keer draait het om staatskaping, waarbij politieke machthebbers zichzelf ten koste van alles en iedereen verrijken. De kritiek die de auteur hierop heeft, valt zo nu en dan tussen de regels door te lezen. Door dit onderwerp als leidraad te nemen, krijgt zijn boek in bepaald opzicht een realistisch tintje. Een goed voorbeeld in het verhaal is de president Joseph (Joe) Zaca en een goed verstaander kan in hem overduidelijk Jacob Zuma, voormalig president en ANC-leider, herkennen. Laatstgenoemde stond internationaal symbool voor staatscorruptie en systematische beroving van de Zuid-Afrikanen.
Hoewel de plot even op gang moet komen, doen zich toch al vrij snel diverse ontwikkelingen voor en ontstaat er een klein beetje actie. In de plot neemt dit geleidelijk aan steeds meer toe, waarna ze in de ontknoping in een stroomversnelling raken. De verschillende subtiel met elkaar verbonden verhaallijnen zorgen ervoor dat de gebeurtenissen van diverse kanten worden belicht. De lezer krijgt daardoor zowel vanuit het oogpunt van de rechercheurs als de overvallers kijk op de vele voorvallen. Maar niet alleen dat, want ook de reden van de overval wordt uit de doeken gedaan, waardoor je heel stiekem enige sympathie voor de overvallers krijgt. De spanning in het verhaal is wisselend, de ene keer enigszins onderhuids, de andere keer juist weer heel erg zichtbaar, zoals onder andere aan het eind, waarin alle partijen hun absolute deadline moeten halen.
De rol die Griessel en Cupido hebben, is � net als in alle voorgaande delen � weer een prominente. Ze voeren hun taak met verve uit, hun onderlinge interactie is als vanouds schitterend en aan hun privéleven wordt eveneens wat aandacht besteed. Wat dat laatste betreft is het raadzaam de serie op volgorde van verschijnen te lezen, met name om te voorkomen dat je het een en ander over hun achtergrond mist. Over de andere ertoe doende personages wordt meer dan voldoende verteld om hen te kunnen plaatsen. In ieder geval zijn alle karakters boeiend en intrigerend, net als de omgeving waarin het geheel zich afspeelt. Op een levendige wijze beschrijft de auteur de Zuid-Afrikaanse plaatsen en het landschap.
Leeuw, dat zich in een aanzienlijk tempo afspeelt en in de kenmerkende Meyer-stijl geschreven is, leest eveneens erg vlot. De auteur laat met dit achtste Griessel-deel zien dat de rechercheurs nog niet aan slijtage onderhevig zijn, evenmin als hij dat zelf is. Hoe dan ook is deze thriller wederom een schot in de roos.
December 30, 2024
My eerste Deon Meyer boek..gekry as persent is was aangenaam verras. Page Turner tot die end.
October 18, 2024
I will do this review in English (for the readers that read the translated version).
Might contain some spoilers!
First off, congratulations are in order to Deon Meyer for another wonderful story! Like always, the book begins with a lot of things happening simultaneously, ending up merging together.
I must commend, the chapters are a lot shorter than usual, which is quite a breath of fresh air. I'm one of those readers that really loves short chapters.
Then, an old face with a new name, is also brought back into the story. Cornel van Jaarsveld aka Vlooi, was a character in Spoor (Trackers), who is now Christina Jaeger, and again doing illegal things with a group of old Recce's.
Everything started with the death of a student who was found with bite marks on her legs, and a broken neck. The culprit (Basie Small), tried to wash off the evidence, tamper with the scene of crime, and play innocent when Bennie and Vaughn asked him questions.
He ended up dead himself, along with his two murderous dogs. And from here, the rollercoaster began for the two heroes. It involves tracking everything from bank statements to phone call records, running around like usual. And when they ask Basie's sister for help and information, they are even more lost.
Then there is another character, a previous recce himself, who was friends with Basie Small. Tau Berger. Now, the way the story describes this character, reminded me immediately of Faf de Klerk (without the beard) who is a Springbok Rugby player for South Africa. Short, feisty, long blonde hair, fearless and won't stand back for anything. He (the character), was a loose canon with some morals.
And then the best part, with all this happening, Bennie has to get ready for his wedding. There is a lot of things to do before the big day, and he almost went into a "panic" attack. Luckily, with his two children helping him and all his friends, the planning goes smooth. He almost didn't make it for a haircut. And in every story, his hair is always a mess.
By the end of the story, a lot of action is taking place. People turning on one another, lying, deceiving, things getting ugly and not going to plan. With all this, Bennie and Vaughn are driving against the clock from Pretoria to Cape Town, to be in time for Bennie's wedding.
I enjoyed this story, like all the other Deon Meyer stories. Thanks!
Might contain some spoilers!
First off, congratulations are in order to Deon Meyer for another wonderful story! Like always, the book begins with a lot of things happening simultaneously, ending up merging together.
I must commend, the chapters are a lot shorter than usual, which is quite a breath of fresh air. I'm one of those readers that really loves short chapters.
Then, an old face with a new name, is also brought back into the story. Cornel van Jaarsveld aka Vlooi, was a character in Spoor (Trackers), who is now Christina Jaeger, and again doing illegal things with a group of old Recce's.
Everything started with the death of a student who was found with bite marks on her legs, and a broken neck. The culprit (Basie Small), tried to wash off the evidence, tamper with the scene of crime, and play innocent when Bennie and Vaughn asked him questions.
He ended up dead himself, along with his two murderous dogs. And from here, the rollercoaster began for the two heroes. It involves tracking everything from bank statements to phone call records, running around like usual. And when they ask Basie's sister for help and information, they are even more lost.
Then there is another character, a previous recce himself, who was friends with Basie Small. Tau Berger. Now, the way the story describes this character, reminded me immediately of Faf de Klerk (without the beard) who is a Springbok Rugby player for South Africa. Short, feisty, long blonde hair, fearless and won't stand back for anything. He (the character), was a loose canon with some morals.
And then the best part, with all this happening, Bennie has to get ready for his wedding. There is a lot of things to do before the big day, and he almost went into a "panic" attack. Luckily, with his two children helping him and all his friends, the planning goes smooth. He almost didn't make it for a haircut. And in every story, his hair is always a mess.
By the end of the story, a lot of action is taking place. People turning on one another, lying, deceiving, things getting ugly and not going to plan. With all this, Bennie and Vaughn are driving against the clock from Pretoria to Cape Town, to be in time for Bennie's wedding.
I enjoyed this story, like all the other Deon Meyer stories. Thanks!
January 1, 2024
Bennie en Vaughn is kniediep in die dag-tot-dag misdaad ondersoeke in Stellenbosch. Bennie se kop is verward want sy troudag is nader en nader. Vaughn is knorrig want hy diet kliphard. En albei sien uit na die dag wat Mbali hulle terug roep na die Valke, maar dan is Mbali skielik weg en hulle hoop om terug, in die midde van die aksie te wees is daarmee weg.
Maar 'n saak van 'n honde eienaar wat nie sy honde op die leiband hou nie draai vinnig om in iets baie meer en hulle is gou weer te midde die staadskaping skandaal.
Dit het 'n tydtjie gevat voor die boek ten volle te loop is maar toe die spanning eers gebou is het dit vinnig gelees. Ek is ook so vasgevang in Vaughn en Bennie se persoonlike lewens dat die trou drama's my net so vasgehou het as die speurwerk.
Maar 'n saak van 'n honde eienaar wat nie sy honde op die leiband hou nie draai vinnig om in iets baie meer en hulle is gou weer te midde die staadskaping skandaal.
Dit het 'n tydtjie gevat voor die boek ten volle te loop is maar toe die spanning eers gebou is het dit vinnig gelees. Ek is ook so vasgevang in Vaughn en Bennie se persoonlike lewens dat die trou drama's my net so vasgehou het as die speurwerk.
December 23, 2022
This was so good !!! I was going to give 5 stars until I got to the last few chapters.. I was quite disappointed by the big reveal .. but what a ride! It's been a while since I've read such a thrilling thriller. Insert *chef's kiss*
It's the first book I started in 2022 however, the fact that it was about the aftermath of a covid pandemic made it hit too close to home for me so I put it to the side for a bit. Or for the whole year 😂
Picked it up again in December and I'm really glad I did! what a ride!
It's the first book I started in 2022 however, the fact that it was about the aftermath of a covid pandemic made it hit too close to home for me so I put it to the side for a bit. Or for the whole year 😂
Picked it up again in December and I'm really glad I did! what a ride!
December 24, 2023
Wow!!! As daar 10 sterre was sou ek 10 gegee het.
Ek wag altyd vir ‘n vakansie voor ek met ‘n Deon Meyer boek begin.
Ek kon vandag met niks Kersfees Voorbereiding begin tot ek klaar js met Leo nie. Aan die einde kan mens letterlik nie die boek neersit nie. Ek is so erg oor Bennie en Vaughn en elke keer as iemand vir hulle ‘n kompliment gee bars ek self van trots. Welgedaan Deon vir nog ‘n fantastiese boek!
Ek wag altyd vir ‘n vakansie voor ek met ‘n Deon Meyer boek begin.
Ek kon vandag met niks Kersfees Voorbereiding begin tot ek klaar js met Leo nie. Aan die einde kan mens letterlik nie die boek neersit nie. Ek is so erg oor Bennie en Vaughn en elke keer as iemand vir hulle ‘n kompliment gee bars ek self van trots. Welgedaan Deon vir nog ‘n fantastiese boek!
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