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Benny Griessel #6
The Last Hunt
When a cold case dossier lands on Captain Benny Griessel's desk, he and his partner Vaughn Cupido, fellow member of the Hawks elite police unit in South Africa, reluctantly set to work reviewing the evidence of the disappearance--and possible murder--of ex-cop Johnson Johnson on the world's most luxurious train line. Two fellow travelers might have the answers Griessel and Cupido need--but they too seem to have disappeared into thin air, and the few clues that exist suggest a cover-up. Meanwhile, Daniel Darret has settled into a new, quiet life in Bordeaux, far from his native South Africa and his revolutionary past. But when a man from that past reappears to commission his unique skills one more time, Daniel is forced to decide whether to remain anonymous or to strike a forceful blow against a corrupt government.
The two storylines eventually crash together in an ending as dramatic as it is unexpected, leaving Griessel and Cupido uncertain of their own future. With its rapid-fire plotting and beloved characters, The Last Hunt shows one of today's great crime writers operating at the peak of his powers and makes a brave and powerful statement about the pervasive corruption that has stolen so much from Meyer's native country.
The two storylines eventually crash together in an ending as dramatic as it is unexpected, leaving Griessel and Cupido uncertain of their own future. With its rapid-fire plotting and beloved characters, The Last Hunt shows one of today's great crime writers operating at the peak of his powers and makes a brave and powerful statement about the pervasive corruption that has stolen so much from Meyer's native country.
376 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2017
458 people are currently reading
2478 people want to read
About the author
Deon Meyer
59 books1,234 followersDeon 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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July 22, 2025
L’AQUILA E I FALCHI
Rovos Rail Train, il treno più lussuoso del mondo, attraversa le montagne Ceres per andare da Cape Town a Johannesburg.
Ho preso questo libro leccandomi i baffi: l’ho pregustato e poi assaporato nel mentre lo divoravo. Come un bambino col suo giocattolo preferito. Mi piacciono davvero tanto le crime story di Deon Meyer, i suoi personaggi, il suo Sudafrica.
Griessel si sentì avvampare per la vergogna. Sembrava di essere tornati ai tempi dell’apartheid, agli inganni e alle bugie.
Ma, oltre che gli inganni e le bugie, è la corruzione che devasta il paese. Sudafrica. Un quarto di secolo dopo la fine di quell’apartheid.
Rovos Rail Train: la stanza da letto di una cabina.
Griessel è Benny, il poliziotto della sezione speciale denominata Hawks (Falchi), già protagonista di altre storie: i romanzi Afrikaan Blues, Tredici ore, Sette giorni, Cobra, Icaro, e il non ancora tradotto The Woman in the Blue Cloak.
Qui condivide il palcoscenico con un altro personaggio ricorrente di Deon Meyer, Thobela Mpayipheli detto “Tiny”, che a dispetto del suo soprannome, è un gigante di colore alto un metro e novanta per una sproporzionata quantità di muscoli. Tiny è già stato protagonista in Codice: Cacciatore, romanzo nel quale a bordo di una grossa moto BMW percorreva in fuga l’Africa da sud a nord.
Entrambi facevano la loro prima apparizione nel romanzo Il sapore del sangue, nel quale però il testimone era in mano a un altro personaggio creato da Deon Meyer, il poliziotto Mat Joubert.
Bordeaux, dove è andato a rifarsi una nuova vita Thobela Mpayipheli detto “Tiny”.
La trama è divisa in due linee narrative: una ambientata in Sudafrica, principalmente a Cape Town, l’altra in Europa, tra Bordeaux, Amsterdam, Parigi. Le due storie scorrono parallele a capitoli alternati, che poi man mano diventano più capitoli dedicati a una per poi passare all’altra e restarci più a lungo. Man mano che la lotta contro il tempo cresce (elemento tipico della narrativa di Deon Meyer: penso per esempio a due romanzi che già il titolo determina come corsa contro l’orologio, Tredici ore e Sette giorni), che l’adrenalina sale si passa da una all’altra vicenda all’interno dello stesso capitolo, intrecciandole fino a farle convergere in un’unica.
Cape Twon: la sede degli Hawks, il reparto speciale di polizia specializzato in crimini violenti. Gli incorruttibili.
Meyer sembra più che mai preoccupato dalla corruzione imperante e dilagante del suo paese, perseguita da persone che hanno partecipato alla lotta contro l’apartheid, che hanno affiancato Nelson Mandela. I tempi sono cambiati, il dio denaro impera, il paese è una ricca mammella da spremere per quello che offre sopra e sotto il suo suolo. Tre miliardari indiani, mai nominati, muovono le fila come burattinai. Ma al gioco – gioco che prevede l’eliminazione fisica di chi si oppone o protesta, di chi vuol fare rispettare regole, di chi è ligio alla legge – partecipa da campione anche Vladimir Putin, prestando all’occorrenza i suoi servizi segreti speciali in veste di killer (droghe, veleni, ma anche violenza bruta).
Jan Mostaert: Christophle le More (1525 – 1530). Il primo ritratto di un africano che si conosce.
Ancora Bordeaux, la piazza della Borsa.
Parigi, ambasciata del Sudafrica.
Rovos Rail Train, il treno più lussuoso del mondo, attraversa le montagne Ceres per andare da Cape Town a Johannesburg.
Ho preso questo libro leccandomi i baffi: l’ho pregustato e poi assaporato nel mentre lo divoravo. Come un bambino col suo giocattolo preferito. Mi piacciono davvero tanto le crime story di Deon Meyer, i suoi personaggi, il suo Sudafrica.
Griessel si sentì avvampare per la vergogna. Sembrava di essere tornati ai tempi dell’apartheid, agli inganni e alle bugie.
Ma, oltre che gli inganni e le bugie, è la corruzione che devasta il paese. Sudafrica. Un quarto di secolo dopo la fine di quell’apartheid.
Rovos Rail Train: la stanza da letto di una cabina.
Griessel è Benny, il poliziotto della sezione speciale denominata Hawks (Falchi), già protagonista di altre storie: i romanzi Afrikaan Blues, Tredici ore, Sette giorni, Cobra, Icaro, e il non ancora tradotto The Woman in the Blue Cloak.
Qui condivide il palcoscenico con un altro personaggio ricorrente di Deon Meyer, Thobela Mpayipheli detto “Tiny”, che a dispetto del suo soprannome, è un gigante di colore alto un metro e novanta per una sproporzionata quantità di muscoli. Tiny è già stato protagonista in Codice: Cacciatore, romanzo nel quale a bordo di una grossa moto BMW percorreva in fuga l’Africa da sud a nord.
Entrambi facevano la loro prima apparizione nel romanzo Il sapore del sangue, nel quale però il testimone era in mano a un altro personaggio creato da Deon Meyer, il poliziotto Mat Joubert.
Bordeaux, dove è andato a rifarsi una nuova vita Thobela Mpayipheli detto “Tiny”.
La trama è divisa in due linee narrative: una ambientata in Sudafrica, principalmente a Cape Town, l’altra in Europa, tra Bordeaux, Amsterdam, Parigi. Le due storie scorrono parallele a capitoli alternati, che poi man mano diventano più capitoli dedicati a una per poi passare all’altra e restarci più a lungo. Man mano che la lotta contro il tempo cresce (elemento tipico della narrativa di Deon Meyer: penso per esempio a due romanzi che già il titolo determina come corsa contro l’orologio, Tredici ore e Sette giorni), che l’adrenalina sale si passa da una all’altra vicenda all’interno dello stesso capitolo, intrecciandole fino a farle convergere in un’unica.
Cape Twon: la sede degli Hawks, il reparto speciale di polizia specializzato in crimini violenti. Gli incorruttibili.
Meyer sembra più che mai preoccupato dalla corruzione imperante e dilagante del suo paese, perseguita da persone che hanno partecipato alla lotta contro l’apartheid, che hanno affiancato Nelson Mandela. I tempi sono cambiati, il dio denaro impera, il paese è una ricca mammella da spremere per quello che offre sopra e sotto il suo suolo. Tre miliardari indiani, mai nominati, muovono le fila come burattinai. Ma al gioco – gioco che prevede l’eliminazione fisica di chi si oppone o protesta, di chi vuol fare rispettare regole, di chi è ligio alla legge – partecipa da campione anche Vladimir Putin, prestando all’occorrenza i suoi servizi segreti speciali in veste di killer (droghe, veleni, ma anche violenza bruta).
Jan Mostaert: Christophle le More (1525 – 1530). Il primo ritratto di un africano che si conosce.
Ancora Bordeaux, la piazza della Borsa.
Parigi, ambasciata del Sudafrica.
December 8, 2019
Deon Meyer returns us to drought ridden Cape Town in South Africa with his brilliant series featuring traumatised and recovering alcoholic Captain Benny Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido of the elite Serious and Violent Crimes Unit, its members known as the Hawks. This is a thrilling and complex addition from Meyer, reflecting the dire political state of South Africa, the corruption, kleptocracy, betrayal, treachery, and greed infecting every institution, with the rot emanating right from the top with the President, one of the many old ANC warriors who have shifted to the dark side, selling out the country and its people. Unsurprisingly, this scenario has been viewed with horror, particularly by those who fought in the struggle with their vision of a fairer, more equitable and diverse democracy and now seeing that dream disintegrate. Those with integrity, honest and incorruptible, dissidents who challenge and question this state of affairs face smear campaigns, death threats, trumped up charges, fake news articles, isolation, exclusion, loss of employment, labelled traitors and much worse.
It is amidst this troubling background that Benny and Vaughn are handed the investigation of the death of an ex-cop turned bodyguard, Johnson Johnson, thrown out of a luxury train. The trail has grown cold, with the case docket they receive sparse in details and no leads whatsoever. It is clear the local police made mistakes and the crime scene was contaminated. As it becomes clear that the victim was not a suicide but a murder, the police face political interference and cover up. The head of the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Kaleni, normally a woman who does everything by the book, is unprepared to let this go with the damage it does to their reputation, so authorises a below the radar investigation. After a life of fighting for the struggle and personal tragedy, Daniel Durret has settled for the quiet life in Bordeaux, France, finally finding a precious measure of peace. However, the past and old comrades refuse to let him rest and Daniel finds himself unable to let go of old loyalties.
The two storylines remain separate for most of the book and it is only late on that the connection of Benny and Vaughn's case in Cape Town with that of Daniel in France becomes clear. Meyer writes a gripping and riveting novel, intricately plotted, with his terrific central protagonist in Benny, here worried about how he should propose to fellow recovering alcoholic, Alexa Bernard, a dilemma that often occupies his mind during the case, terrified that she will turn him down. This is a superb series with its pulse on the complicated and turbulent state of South Africa, providing insights and information for the reader, all of which is integral to the smart crime fiction that Meyer gives us. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
It is amidst this troubling background that Benny and Vaughn are handed the investigation of the death of an ex-cop turned bodyguard, Johnson Johnson, thrown out of a luxury train. The trail has grown cold, with the case docket they receive sparse in details and no leads whatsoever. It is clear the local police made mistakes and the crime scene was contaminated. As it becomes clear that the victim was not a suicide but a murder, the police face political interference and cover up. The head of the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Kaleni, normally a woman who does everything by the book, is unprepared to let this go with the damage it does to their reputation, so authorises a below the radar investigation. After a life of fighting for the struggle and personal tragedy, Daniel Durret has settled for the quiet life in Bordeaux, France, finally finding a precious measure of peace. However, the past and old comrades refuse to let him rest and Daniel finds himself unable to let go of old loyalties.
The two storylines remain separate for most of the book and it is only late on that the connection of Benny and Vaughn's case in Cape Town with that of Daniel in France becomes clear. Meyer writes a gripping and riveting novel, intricately plotted, with his terrific central protagonist in Benny, here worried about how he should propose to fellow recovering alcoholic, Alexa Bernard, a dilemma that often occupies his mind during the case, terrified that she will turn him down. This is a superb series with its pulse on the complicated and turbulent state of South Africa, providing insights and information for the reader, all of which is integral to the smart crime fiction that Meyer gives us. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
March 26, 2021
Another brilliant book from this excellent South African author made especially good for me because I have actually travelled on the train where the first murder in the story is committed! Here's a plug for Rovos Rail - if you want to travel S.A. in comfort and style they operate the most beautiful luxury trains and you will enjoy every moment of your trip.
Anyway back to the book. The Last Hunt features the one and only Benny Griessel, on the wagon now and apparently winning the war against his alcoholism. Along with his partner, Vaughn Cupido, he is sent to solve the murder of a man whose body was tossed from a train travelling from Cape Town to Pretoria. Investigations start to expose corruption within the police force and Benny's team have to work undercover.
The book is written as two stories and while Benny is busy in South Africa we are also introduced to Daniel Durret, now living in France under an assumed name trying to escape from his original trade as an assassin. Sadly his old life catches up with him and sets him on course for the eventual connection with Griessel. It is cleverly done and I enjoyed both stories
This is the sixth book in the Benny Griessel series and he has come a very long way from the first books. He and Cupido make an excellent team. I enjoyed the whole thing very much indeed and the ending was perfect. Easily worth five stars.
Anyway back to the book. The Last Hunt features the one and only Benny Griessel, on the wagon now and apparently winning the war against his alcoholism. Along with his partner, Vaughn Cupido, he is sent to solve the murder of a man whose body was tossed from a train travelling from Cape Town to Pretoria. Investigations start to expose corruption within the police force and Benny's team have to work undercover.
The book is written as two stories and while Benny is busy in South Africa we are also introduced to Daniel Durret, now living in France under an assumed name trying to escape from his original trade as an assassin. Sadly his old life catches up with him and sets him on course for the eventual connection with Griessel. It is cleverly done and I enjoyed both stories
This is the sixth book in the Benny Griessel series and he has come a very long way from the first books. He and Cupido make an excellent team. I enjoyed the whole thing very much indeed and the ending was perfect. Easily worth five stars.
February 7, 2020
4.5 Stars. I wish to offer my sincere thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this suspenseful, exhilarating and informative crime thriller. I only became aware of Deon Meyer’s books set in and around Cape Town this month and had just finished the superb Devil’s Peak which compelled me to put all the Captain Griessel novels on my Must Read list. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of the Last Hunt in return for an honest review.
This bold and searing portrait of South Africa’s turbulent political scene after the end of apartheid and the hopes under Mandela for an equitable and diverse democracy. Instead what happened in the timeline of this book is now regarded as ‘state capture’. A scandal-plagued president, bribery for government contracts by wealthy Indian brothers, corrupt state officials, along with the minister of police and director of public prosecution are all based on real people in ‘state capture’. Kleptocracy, bribery and greed are infecting every political institution and business from the top down. Anyone who struggled for a fair democracy, and anyone of honour who challenges the dire state of the country may face false charges, smear campaigns to ruin their reputation, loss of employment, and are in danger of being labelled traitors.
Captain Benny Griessel and his partner, Cupido, are members of the elite Serious and Violent Crime Unit known as the Hawks. They are working in troubled times when they receive a cold case. It involves the death of an ex-policeman who later worked for a security agency, and was aboard a luxury train as a private bodyguard. His body was thrown off the train. The local police handled the case poorly and the scene was contaminated. No useful information is available. It becomes clear to Benny and Cupido that he was murdered, but higher officials have labelled it a suicide. After many interviews, the two Hawk detectives suspect two older men who were on the train under false identities and both have vanished. The head of the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Kaleni orders a secret investigation which may destroy their reputations and careers.
Meanwhile, a man named Daniel Durret is leading a quiet life in France. He is finding contentment crafting fine wooden furniture. Why is his story alternating with that of Benny and Cupido in Cape Town? His life is shattered by a visit from an old friend which makes him question his present peaceful life, his past, and future commitments. Their stories collide in a thrilling, action-packed conclusion.
While the investigations of Benny Griessel and his partner lead them further into the depths of State corruption, we get some insight into their private worries. Cupido wants to marry his present love but her son believes that his whole unit is ‘captured’ and that he is dishonest. Benny, a recovering alcoholic, is living with a woman who is likewise a recovering alcoholic. He has bought an engagement ring but is afraid to propose, dreading that a refusal will drive him back into a perpetual state of drunkenness.
This is a gripping, enthralling tale with glimpses of the truth amidst a fictional crime story. Well plotted and complex, and with flawed but unforgettable characters. A highly recommended series.
This bold and searing portrait of South Africa’s turbulent political scene after the end of apartheid and the hopes under Mandela for an equitable and diverse democracy. Instead what happened in the timeline of this book is now regarded as ‘state capture’. A scandal-plagued president, bribery for government contracts by wealthy Indian brothers, corrupt state officials, along with the minister of police and director of public prosecution are all based on real people in ‘state capture’. Kleptocracy, bribery and greed are infecting every political institution and business from the top down. Anyone who struggled for a fair democracy, and anyone of honour who challenges the dire state of the country may face false charges, smear campaigns to ruin their reputation, loss of employment, and are in danger of being labelled traitors.
Captain Benny Griessel and his partner, Cupido, are members of the elite Serious and Violent Crime Unit known as the Hawks. They are working in troubled times when they receive a cold case. It involves the death of an ex-policeman who later worked for a security agency, and was aboard a luxury train as a private bodyguard. His body was thrown off the train. The local police handled the case poorly and the scene was contaminated. No useful information is available. It becomes clear to Benny and Cupido that he was murdered, but higher officials have labelled it a suicide. After many interviews, the two Hawk detectives suspect two older men who were on the train under false identities and both have vanished. The head of the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Kaleni orders a secret investigation which may destroy their reputations and careers.
Meanwhile, a man named Daniel Durret is leading a quiet life in France. He is finding contentment crafting fine wooden furniture. Why is his story alternating with that of Benny and Cupido in Cape Town? His life is shattered by a visit from an old friend which makes him question his present peaceful life, his past, and future commitments. Their stories collide in a thrilling, action-packed conclusion.
While the investigations of Benny Griessel and his partner lead them further into the depths of State corruption, we get some insight into their private worries. Cupido wants to marry his present love but her son believes that his whole unit is ‘captured’ and that he is dishonest. Benny, a recovering alcoholic, is living with a woman who is likewise a recovering alcoholic. He has bought an engagement ring but is afraid to propose, dreading that a refusal will drive him back into a perpetual state of drunkenness.
This is a gripping, enthralling tale with glimpses of the truth amidst a fictional crime story. Well plotted and complex, and with flawed but unforgettable characters. A highly recommended series.
December 21, 2018
4.5 stars
Ek het hierdie boek vir my suster gekoop vir haar verjaarsdag met die voorneme om dit skelmpies te lees voor ek dit vir haar gee. Net om uit te vind dat haar *#$*%**%# kinders dit ook vir haar gekoop het. So, toe lees ek maar die “geskenk” en is nie eers spyt dat ek dit nou maar vir myself gekoop het nie.
Van Suid Afrika en Frankryk tot Amsterdam en Angola met karakters uit vorige boeke wat verrassende verskynings maak, ek het gesukkel om die boek neer te sit.
My hart klop custard vir Bennie EN Vaugn en hulle twee werk nou saam soos ‘n goed geoliede masjien. Altwee het ook bietjie vroumens probleeme maar dis die koue docket wat hulle gegee word om op te los wat die grootste hoofpyne gee.
Al die boeke in hierdie reeks het ‘n tikkie politiek in maar hierdie is die mees politiek georienteerde boek in die reeks. Van State Capture tot oud president Zuma en natuurlik die Guptas (wat nooit op naam genoem word nie)
Daar is twee storie lyne en ek het die Griesel storielyn so bietjie meer geniet as die Daniel storie maar dit was absoluut elke sent werd.
Doen maar so bietjie arm oefenige voor jy die boek optel – dis DIK
Ek het hierdie boek vir my suster gekoop vir haar verjaarsdag met die voorneme om dit skelmpies te lees voor ek dit vir haar gee. Net om uit te vind dat haar *#$*%**%# kinders dit ook vir haar gekoop het. So, toe lees ek maar die “geskenk” en is nie eers spyt dat ek dit nou maar vir myself gekoop het nie.
Van Suid Afrika en Frankryk tot Amsterdam en Angola met karakters uit vorige boeke wat verrassende verskynings maak, ek het gesukkel om die boek neer te sit.
My hart klop custard vir Bennie EN Vaugn en hulle twee werk nou saam soos ‘n goed geoliede masjien. Altwee het ook bietjie vroumens probleeme maar dis die koue docket wat hulle gegee word om op te los wat die grootste hoofpyne gee.
Al die boeke in hierdie reeks het ‘n tikkie politiek in maar hierdie is die mees politiek georienteerde boek in die reeks. Van State Capture tot oud president Zuma en natuurlik die Guptas (wat nooit op naam genoem word nie)
Daar is twee storie lyne en ek het die Griesel storielyn so bietjie meer geniet as die Daniel storie maar dit was absoluut elke sent werd.
Doen maar so bietjie arm oefenige voor jy die boek optel – dis DIK
June 9, 2022
Unlike the majority of the reviewers (in English) thus far, I have read all of Deon Meyer’s books, each in order soon after as they were published in English. For the past few years, he has been focusing on Benny Griessel, but some earlier books featured Tiny (Thobela Mpayipheli). We first met Tiny in “Dead at Daybreak” - as a supporting character. Then he was the main protagonist in “Heart of the Hunter”, my favourite Deon Meyer book (worth at least six stars as far as I’m concerned). Finally Tiny appeared with Benny in “Devil’s Peak”, and at the end he died. When we were first introduced to “Daniel” in THE LAST HUNT, within the first chapter, I said to myself “That’s Tiny, but he was killed in an earlier book. How is the author going to bring him back from the dead?” I again read the final chapters of “Devil’s Peak” and upon re-reading realized that Meyer had left a very small hint that Tiny might not be dead. But for several books we heard no more about him. He’s back as a major character in this latest novel (generally called Daniel for newbies to Meyer’s work), again contrasting his methodological mind and actions with Benny’s emotional, intuitive ones.
I took my time reading this book — reading it slowly over a 36 hour period instead of rushing through given its fast thriller pace. That’s because I wanted to savour every word and phrase from an author I consider one of the greatest in the world. His writing has an almost poetic quality that goes beyond the usual crime novelist. Now I need to read “The Devil’s Peak” again because obviously I read it too quickly the first time to pick up all the subtle nuances.
Addendum: I wrote that I recognized Tiny almost as soon as he was introduced. This was before we knew his race and, as he was working in France, a reader unfamiliar with him would have assumed he was white. I recognized Tiny because I knew how he thought. This is the mark of a great writer: Characters are unique, with unique thought patterns. Deon Meyer is a great example of a writer who uses “show, don’t tell.” I can’t praise him highly enough. I should add that the pacing near the end of the book, alternating between Daniel (Tiny) and Benny was extremely exciting but it would not have worked if Meyer had not established these as distinctly different characters with distinctly different thought and activity patterns.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also my review of:
The Dark Flood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I took my time reading this book — reading it slowly over a 36 hour period instead of rushing through given its fast thriller pace. That’s because I wanted to savour every word and phrase from an author I consider one of the greatest in the world. His writing has an almost poetic quality that goes beyond the usual crime novelist. Now I need to read “The Devil’s Peak” again because obviously I read it too quickly the first time to pick up all the subtle nuances.
Addendum: I wrote that I recognized Tiny almost as soon as he was introduced. This was before we knew his race and, as he was working in France, a reader unfamiliar with him would have assumed he was white. I recognized Tiny because I knew how he thought. This is the mark of a great writer: Characters are unique, with unique thought patterns. Deon Meyer is a great example of a writer who uses “show, don’t tell.” I can’t praise him highly enough. I should add that the pacing near the end of the book, alternating between Daniel (Tiny) and Benny was extremely exciting but it would not have worked if Meyer had not established these as distinctly different characters with distinctly different thought and activity patterns.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also my review of:
The Dark Flood
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
July 21, 2020
great tale of investigation and attempted assassination. it gets better and sharper as the plot advance. Meyer is not only a great story teller but very human as well. sometimes to many technical details - the writer want to trustworthy but it not really needed. amazing ending and fun read.
March 11, 2019
Prooi is het zesde deel in de serie met rechercheur Bennie Griessel in de hoofdrol.
De vertaling uit het Afrikaans is van de hand van Martine Vosmaer en Karina van Santen. Zij ontmoetten elkaar op de opleiding aan het Instituut voor Vertaalkunde in Amsterdam. Inmiddels vertalen zij al ruim 30 jaar samen boeken uit het Engels en Frans, en sinds 2011 ook uit het Afrikaans. Zij vertaalden al eerder boeken van Deon Meyer.
Het ontwerp van de prachtige omslag is weer van Studio Jan de Boer, een grafisch ontwerpbureau voor het boekenvak. 4 ontwerpers maken alles voor boeken van omslagen tot websites. Ze bestaan inmiddels ruim 30 jaar. Ze maakten o.a. ook de boekomslag voor Koudvuur van Cilla en Rolf Börjlind, Enter van Willem Asman, Tik Tak van Chris McGeorge en ook andere boeken van deze schrijver.
Ik vroeg aan de schrijver of hij zelf nog inspraak had bij het kiezen van het ontwerp. Hij gaf aan dat zijn Nederlandse uitgever altijd zijn mening vraagt en dat hij eigenlijk altijd zegt: I love it! Omdat ze erg goed zijn in wat ze doen. Voor zijn research maakt hij altijd veel foto's. Zijn Nederlandse editor vraagt meestal aan hem om zijn beste foto's op te sturen en soms belanden ze op de cover. Zoals nu de foto's van de trein en de skyline van Bordeaux.
Het verhaal begint met Daniel Darret in Bordeaux, Frankrijk. Hij kan op een nacht niet slapen en gaat hardlopen. Dan ziet hij hoe een groep van 5 mannen een vrouw opjaagt en mishandelt. Waarschijnlijk willen ze haar doden. Hij grijpt in en redt haar het leven. Dit zet een aantal dingen in gang, die hij liever had vermeden.....
In BelleVille, Zuid-Afrika, krijgen Bennie Griessel en zijn collega Cupido Vaughn van hun chef Mbali Kaleni een nieuwe zaak. Een moord. Een zaak van een andere afdeling. Dat vraagt om de nodige problemen. Dat is altijd het geval als de zaak door De Valken wordt overgenomen.
Het slachtoffer is Johnson Johnson, een 'consulent persoonsbeveiliging'. Hij is verdwenen tijdens een treinreis. Pas meer dan een week later wordt zijn lichaam gevonden naast de belangrijkste spoorlijn in de Karoo gevonden, vlakbij de heuvels van Drie Zusters.
Zoals we gewend zijn van Deon Meyer word je het verhaal ingezogen door zijn prachtige manier van schrijven. Niet te snelle wisselingen tussen de twee verhaallijnen. En niet te vergeten de beschrijvingen van Zuid-Afrika en Bordeaux, waardoor je je echt onderdeel voelt van het boek. Een extra dimensie geeft het als je de straten en plaatsen waar Bennie en Daniel zich bevinden, opzoekt via Streetview. Loop door de straat en bekijk de omgeving, dan creëert dat een mooie verbinding met de personen. En dat maakt het heel fijn lezen.
Dit boek is het zesde deel met Bennie Griessel in de hoofdrol. Je kunt het lezen zonder de andere delen eerst te lezen, maar je mist dan zeker de achtergrond van alle karakters en hun geschiedenis en onderlinge relatie. Als je niets wilt missen van de ontwikkeling, dan is het aan te raden te beginnen bij deel 1, Duivelspiek (eerder uitgegeven als De Artemis Affaire), gevolgd door deel 2: 13 uur, deel 3: 7 dagen, deel 4: Cobra en deel 5: Icarus. Voor het geschenkboekje voor de Spannende Boekenweken 2017 schreef hij het verhaal De vrouw in de blauwe mantel.
Bennie Griessel is een rechercheur die op overtuigende wijze wordt neergezet als een man die worstelt met zijn alcoholverslaving, die hem soms op de rand van de afgrond brengt en soms er overheen. En aan de andere kant zijn drang om iedereen te beschermen, de wereld beter te maken. Dit betekent dat hij zich verantwoordelijk voelt voor bijna alles wat er gebeurt. Hij wil bovenal zorgen dat de impact voor alle betrokkenen zo klein mogelijk is. Het maakt hem menselijk. Een belangrijke factor in boeken is of je een verbinding kunt maken met de personen in het verhaal. Kun je je inleven in hun belevingswereld? Kun je dat niet, dan wordt een verhaal al snel onbegrijpelijk.
Bennie is een driedimensionaal personage met zijn goede en slechte kanten. En vooral de wisselwerking met zijn partner Vaughn Cupido maakt dat je betrokken wordt bij hun belevenissen. Vaughn is een man die wars is van corruptie en het haat hoe de mensen tegen het politiekorps aankijken. Hij vecht tegen het negatieve imago van omkoping en vriendjespolitiek. Bennie en Vaughn houden elkaar in evenwicht. Beiden zijn uitstekende rechercheurs. De een kan zich goed inleven in de gebeurtenissen om een profielschets te maken van de dader en de ander heeft oog voor detail. Ze vullen elkaar aan. Het is een genot om te lezen hoe zij zaken aanpakken en zich erin vastbijten om de onderste steen boven te krijgen.
Deon Meyer is een meester in het verweven van menselijke emoties en misdaden tegen de politieke achtergrond van een land dat al eeuwen worstelt met zichzelf. Langzaam neemt de schrijver ons bij de hand en voert ons kleine brokjes informatie. Zo kan onze verbeelding nog even met ons aan de haal. Waarna we op een prachtige manier getuige zijn van het plot dat zich voor onze ogen ontvouwt.
De vertaling uit het Afrikaans is van de hand van Martine Vosmaer en Karina van Santen. Zij ontmoetten elkaar op de opleiding aan het Instituut voor Vertaalkunde in Amsterdam. Inmiddels vertalen zij al ruim 30 jaar samen boeken uit het Engels en Frans, en sinds 2011 ook uit het Afrikaans. Zij vertaalden al eerder boeken van Deon Meyer.
Het ontwerp van de prachtige omslag is weer van Studio Jan de Boer, een grafisch ontwerpbureau voor het boekenvak. 4 ontwerpers maken alles voor boeken van omslagen tot websites. Ze bestaan inmiddels ruim 30 jaar. Ze maakten o.a. ook de boekomslag voor Koudvuur van Cilla en Rolf Börjlind, Enter van Willem Asman, Tik Tak van Chris McGeorge en ook andere boeken van deze schrijver.
Ik vroeg aan de schrijver of hij zelf nog inspraak had bij het kiezen van het ontwerp. Hij gaf aan dat zijn Nederlandse uitgever altijd zijn mening vraagt en dat hij eigenlijk altijd zegt: I love it! Omdat ze erg goed zijn in wat ze doen. Voor zijn research maakt hij altijd veel foto's. Zijn Nederlandse editor vraagt meestal aan hem om zijn beste foto's op te sturen en soms belanden ze op de cover. Zoals nu de foto's van de trein en de skyline van Bordeaux.
Het verhaal begint met Daniel Darret in Bordeaux, Frankrijk. Hij kan op een nacht niet slapen en gaat hardlopen. Dan ziet hij hoe een groep van 5 mannen een vrouw opjaagt en mishandelt. Waarschijnlijk willen ze haar doden. Hij grijpt in en redt haar het leven. Dit zet een aantal dingen in gang, die hij liever had vermeden.....
In BelleVille, Zuid-Afrika, krijgen Bennie Griessel en zijn collega Cupido Vaughn van hun chef Mbali Kaleni een nieuwe zaak. Een moord. Een zaak van een andere afdeling. Dat vraagt om de nodige problemen. Dat is altijd het geval als de zaak door De Valken wordt overgenomen.
Het slachtoffer is Johnson Johnson, een 'consulent persoonsbeveiliging'. Hij is verdwenen tijdens een treinreis. Pas meer dan een week later wordt zijn lichaam gevonden naast de belangrijkste spoorlijn in de Karoo gevonden, vlakbij de heuvels van Drie Zusters.
Zoals we gewend zijn van Deon Meyer word je het verhaal ingezogen door zijn prachtige manier van schrijven. Niet te snelle wisselingen tussen de twee verhaallijnen. En niet te vergeten de beschrijvingen van Zuid-Afrika en Bordeaux, waardoor je je echt onderdeel voelt van het boek. Een extra dimensie geeft het als je de straten en plaatsen waar Bennie en Daniel zich bevinden, opzoekt via Streetview. Loop door de straat en bekijk de omgeving, dan creëert dat een mooie verbinding met de personen. En dat maakt het heel fijn lezen.
Dit boek is het zesde deel met Bennie Griessel in de hoofdrol. Je kunt het lezen zonder de andere delen eerst te lezen, maar je mist dan zeker de achtergrond van alle karakters en hun geschiedenis en onderlinge relatie. Als je niets wilt missen van de ontwikkeling, dan is het aan te raden te beginnen bij deel 1, Duivelspiek (eerder uitgegeven als De Artemis Affaire), gevolgd door deel 2: 13 uur, deel 3: 7 dagen, deel 4: Cobra en deel 5: Icarus. Voor het geschenkboekje voor de Spannende Boekenweken 2017 schreef hij het verhaal De vrouw in de blauwe mantel.
Bennie Griessel is een rechercheur die op overtuigende wijze wordt neergezet als een man die worstelt met zijn alcoholverslaving, die hem soms op de rand van de afgrond brengt en soms er overheen. En aan de andere kant zijn drang om iedereen te beschermen, de wereld beter te maken. Dit betekent dat hij zich verantwoordelijk voelt voor bijna alles wat er gebeurt. Hij wil bovenal zorgen dat de impact voor alle betrokkenen zo klein mogelijk is. Het maakt hem menselijk. Een belangrijke factor in boeken is of je een verbinding kunt maken met de personen in het verhaal. Kun je je inleven in hun belevingswereld? Kun je dat niet, dan wordt een verhaal al snel onbegrijpelijk.
Bennie is een driedimensionaal personage met zijn goede en slechte kanten. En vooral de wisselwerking met zijn partner Vaughn Cupido maakt dat je betrokken wordt bij hun belevenissen. Vaughn is een man die wars is van corruptie en het haat hoe de mensen tegen het politiekorps aankijken. Hij vecht tegen het negatieve imago van omkoping en vriendjespolitiek. Bennie en Vaughn houden elkaar in evenwicht. Beiden zijn uitstekende rechercheurs. De een kan zich goed inleven in de gebeurtenissen om een profielschets te maken van de dader en de ander heeft oog voor detail. Ze vullen elkaar aan. Het is een genot om te lezen hoe zij zaken aanpakken en zich erin vastbijten om de onderste steen boven te krijgen.
Deon Meyer is een meester in het verweven van menselijke emoties en misdaden tegen de politieke achtergrond van een land dat al eeuwen worstelt met zichzelf. Langzaam neemt de schrijver ons bij de hand en voert ons kleine brokjes informatie. Zo kan onze verbeelding nog even met ons aan de haal. Waarna we op een prachtige manier getuige zijn van het plot dat zich voor onze ogen ontvouwt.
March 24, 2023
The Last Hunt opens in Bordeaux and introduces South African Daniel Darret (not his real name), a former hitman living peacefully in middle-age, assistant to a skilled furniture restorer/artisan, sought out by an old friend from the “Struggle” (against apartheid) to make one last kill. Meanwhile Cape Town detectives Captains Bennie Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, under Colonel Mbali Kaleni, are handed the docket for the murder of a former SA special police officer, turned private security consultant, the body thrown off the luxurious Rovos train en route to Pretoria.
While both men face issues in their private lives (Griessel and girlfriend Alexa are both recovering alcoholics, Cupido is trying to be a good ‘step-dad’ to a suspicious Donovan), this does not deflect from the real story: corruption in high places, foreign influence, and a betrayal/erosion of the vision Mandela set for his country.
The detectives find their investigation hampered at every turn and are then ordered to close it down, forcing them to act unofficially. When a key witness is found dead, they gain valuable support from forensics and an important lead from an IT expert.
He found nothing. Not even the normal signs that Menzi Dikela had a lifetime of computer systems behind him. Such as the use of an offbeat, alternative web browser. This PC had only Microsoft Edge. He knew of no self-respecting career techie would tolerate that abomination. Far rather Tor, or Freenet, or 12P, or Yandex. At the very least Firefox, Google Chrome or Waterfox. (This reader gave silent applause)
A slow burner at times, the story alternates between the investigation on home soil, while in Europe, Darret is up against Albanian gun dealers and Russian apparatchiks, the two threads coming together in a heart-pounding climax.
This is the fourth novel by South African crime writer, Deon Meyer I have read, and am yet to be disappointed. (It helps perhaps that my partner and I visited the Western and Eastern Capes when Nelson Mandela was alive, and have fond memories of the places and people we met.) I enjoyed following the place-names in the Western Cape, Bordeaux and Paris and for Australian readers there is a nod to South African-born author, the late Peter Temple, and his most famous character, Jack Irish.
This could be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading some of the earlier ones first (Trackers Cobra Icarus). Well recommended.
While both men face issues in their private lives (Griessel and girlfriend Alexa are both recovering alcoholics, Cupido is trying to be a good ‘step-dad’ to a suspicious Donovan), this does not deflect from the real story: corruption in high places, foreign influence, and a betrayal/erosion of the vision Mandela set for his country.
The detectives find their investigation hampered at every turn and are then ordered to close it down, forcing them to act unofficially. When a key witness is found dead, they gain valuable support from forensics and an important lead from an IT expert.
He found nothing. Not even the normal signs that Menzi Dikela had a lifetime of computer systems behind him. Such as the use of an offbeat, alternative web browser. This PC had only Microsoft Edge. He knew of no self-respecting career techie would tolerate that abomination. Far rather Tor, or Freenet, or 12P, or Yandex. At the very least Firefox, Google Chrome or Waterfox. (This reader gave silent applause)
A slow burner at times, the story alternates between the investigation on home soil, while in Europe, Darret is up against Albanian gun dealers and Russian apparatchiks, the two threads coming together in a heart-pounding climax.
This is the fourth novel by South African crime writer, Deon Meyer I have read, and am yet to be disappointed. (It helps perhaps that my partner and I visited the Western and Eastern Capes when Nelson Mandela was alive, and have fond memories of the places and people we met.) I enjoyed following the place-names in the Western Cape, Bordeaux and Paris and for Australian readers there is a nod to South African-born author, the late Peter Temple, and his most famous character, Jack Irish.
This could be read as a standalone, but I suggest reading some of the earlier ones first (Trackers Cobra Icarus). Well recommended.
December 19, 2018
Soos Vaugn Cupido sou se - Pappie, dit vat nie rocky science om uit te figure dat hierdie nog 'n briljante boek deur Deon Meyer is nie.
Vlymskerp humor en interessante, vol karakters is twee van hierdie skrywer se vele sterkpunte. In Prooi het ek ook die dinamika van Cupido en Bennie se verhouding geniet - dit het my so bietjie laat dink aan Tana French se fokus op speurdervennootskappe in haar reeks boeke.
Die feit dat die storielyn so 'n amper spieelbeeld is van Suid-Afrika se onlangse politieke gebeurtenisse, gee dit 'n ekstra element van realisme.
Die storie speel af in Suid-Afrika, Frankryk en Nederland met wonderlike beskrywings van die geskiedenis, argitektuur en atmosfeer van elke plek.
Local is darem maar lekker.
En nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende boek....
Vlymskerp humor en interessante, vol karakters is twee van hierdie skrywer se vele sterkpunte. In Prooi het ek ook die dinamika van Cupido en Bennie se verhouding geniet - dit het my so bietjie laat dink aan Tana French se fokus op speurdervennootskappe in haar reeks boeke.
Die feit dat die storielyn so 'n amper spieelbeeld is van Suid-Afrika se onlangse politieke gebeurtenisse, gee dit 'n ekstra element van realisme.
Die storie speel af in Suid-Afrika, Frankryk en Nederland met wonderlike beskrywings van die geskiedenis, argitektuur en atmosfeer van elke plek.
Local is darem maar lekker.
En nou begin die lang wag tot die volgende boek....
May 25, 2020
Besides compelling, complex characters, like Benny Griessel and Tiny, Deon Meyer has a gift for describing the majesty and beauty of places as far ranging as South Africa, Bordeaux, and Amsterdam. (The way he captured the essence of Amsterdam was stunning.) In this sixth book, Benny Griessel seems on the rise: in love, exercising, and has stopped his destructive drinking. He and partner Vaughan Cupido are drawn into an apparent suicide of a P.I. and retired spook (Johnson Johnson - a silly name already taken by John Sandford in his Virgil Flowers series), whose body was found beside the tracks of the luxurious Rovos Rail train, where J.J. was accompanying a billionaire Dutch lady. When his last call was to a former colleague, who dodges the investigators and then tries to suppress the investigation, Benny knows there is more to the story. Then, the father of a close friend of his commander, who has always proudly followed protocol, decides to investigate another suicide, also with ties to a group protesting corruption of the South African government. And a retired assassin, working for a master woodworker in Bordeaux is approached by a friend to help cut off the head of the snake. He refuses, but then his friend immediately dies of a heart attack in the airport, changing his mind. Gripping as always, there is lots of mystery and intrigue here.
I especially liked Meyer's description of a Hawks detective as a "weapon of mass seduction" because of his charm with women, and a t-shirt that read: "The universe is made up of protons, neutrons, electrons and morons." We all need a good laugh or two in these times.
I especially liked Meyer's description of a Hawks detective as a "weapon of mass seduction" because of his charm with women, and a t-shirt that read: "The universe is made up of protons, neutrons, electrons and morons." We all need a good laugh or two in these times.
November 4, 2018
Asembenemend: die kompleksiteit, die een verhaallyn wat in Europa afspeel, die relevansie (Meyer se sterkste gebruik daarvan sedert Onsigbaar), die karakters, die samespel tussen Bennie en Vaughn, en Mbali Kaleni - die werk van 'n meester. Dis nog die amperste dat hy Infanta se topposisie op die lys van Beste Meyer-boeke ontneem het.
Ek is helaas te oud om Meyer meer deurnag te lees: die gees is gewillig en so, en word darem tevrede gestel met lang middae waarin ek uitasem op die storiespoor draf en wonder watter verrassings en ontdekkings vir my voorlê. En diep en deeglik vermaak word.
Meyer plots masterfully, weaves in a European setting, complex character interactions, and very particular current affairs. Spicy, and perfectly blended. Still does not quite dethrone Infanta, published in English as Devil's peak, but it's close.
Ek is helaas te oud om Meyer meer deurnag te lees: die gees is gewillig en so, en word darem tevrede gestel met lang middae waarin ek uitasem op die storiespoor draf en wonder watter verrassings en ontdekkings vir my voorlê. En diep en deeglik vermaak word.
Meyer plots masterfully, weaves in a European setting, complex character interactions, and very particular current affairs. Spicy, and perfectly blended. Still does not quite dethrone Infanta, published in English as Devil's peak, but it's close.
February 29, 2020
Deon Meyer is back with a great thriller! Benny Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido are ensnared in a case that has an ex-cop, Johnson Johnson, thrown off a train. Was it murder, an accident or suicide? Things just don't add up and the case ends up having tendrils that travel far from South Africa where it began.
Benny and Vaughn are both in the HAWKS, the elite South African police unit. They are good complements to one another. Vaughn has a quick wit and is more familiar with how the social structure of things work. Benny is a recovering alcoholic who spends his free time playing in a band and is worried about how to propose to his love, Alexa. Make no bones about it though - they are both top-notch cops and don't miss a thing.
Meanwhile, in France, Daniel Darret has a new life as an apprentice furniture maker. He has taken on a sobriquet and loves the quiet, calming life and work that is now his. When Lonnie, a man he knew from his past life, appears and then is suddenly dead, Daniel knows there is trouble ahead. Once an African revolutionary, Daniel has given all this up. Will he have to go back to this era in time when violence was nothing more to him than a quiet breath? When the most important aspect of his life were the noises he made in hopes of the changes that would come about?
As expected, Vaughn and Benny's investigation crosses paths with Daniel Darrin's situation and the plot becomes complexly wonderful. As I'd read about one aspect of a huge conspiracy, I'd forget momentarily about the other aspects of this novel, thinking things were going in one direction when they were actually headed somewhere else entirely.
This novel is a joy ride and it is going at top speed. There were times when it was a bit difficult to follow but that is not uncommon in Meyer's writings. Take my word, it will all make complete sense if you just follow along. And besides this novel being a thriller, it has great characters that are fleshed out and full of life (or death, if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time). What I especially like about Deon Meyer is the way that cultural aspects of South Africa are intricately woven into the narrative. This book has it all and it is not one to miss.
Benny and Vaughn are both in the HAWKS, the elite South African police unit. They are good complements to one another. Vaughn has a quick wit and is more familiar with how the social structure of things work. Benny is a recovering alcoholic who spends his free time playing in a band and is worried about how to propose to his love, Alexa. Make no bones about it though - they are both top-notch cops and don't miss a thing.
Meanwhile, in France, Daniel Darret has a new life as an apprentice furniture maker. He has taken on a sobriquet and loves the quiet, calming life and work that is now his. When Lonnie, a man he knew from his past life, appears and then is suddenly dead, Daniel knows there is trouble ahead. Once an African revolutionary, Daniel has given all this up. Will he have to go back to this era in time when violence was nothing more to him than a quiet breath? When the most important aspect of his life were the noises he made in hopes of the changes that would come about?
As expected, Vaughn and Benny's investigation crosses paths with Daniel Darrin's situation and the plot becomes complexly wonderful. As I'd read about one aspect of a huge conspiracy, I'd forget momentarily about the other aspects of this novel, thinking things were going in one direction when they were actually headed somewhere else entirely.
This novel is a joy ride and it is going at top speed. There were times when it was a bit difficult to follow but that is not uncommon in Meyer's writings. Take my word, it will all make complete sense if you just follow along. And besides this novel being a thriller, it has great characters that are fleshed out and full of life (or death, if they're in the wrong place at the wrong time). What I especially like about Deon Meyer is the way that cultural aspects of South Africa are intricately woven into the narrative. This book has it all and it is not one to miss.
May 21, 2022
Was für ein furioses Finale! Dieses Buch hat mich wirklich gepackt, von an Anfang an. Toll!
March 28, 2020
This is the first Meyer book that scored less than stellar for me. I was surprised and disappointed to experience Meyer’s regular police crime fighter, Benny Griessel, and his partner, Vaughn Cupido, as routine and unexciting. The pages, the prose, and the rhythm felt static, and almost as if the cast were journeymen actors that just showed up to read their lines. The one personal stress for Benny, beyond the crime, was the plan to ask his partner, Alexa, to marry him. In fact, the crime-solving didn’t even pop much. Any time it started to rev up, it just faded, or froze, or wet to sleep, while waiting while they waited for information. A lot was done by phone or customary visits. Ho-hum stuff compared with Meyer’s sizzling talents.
Vaughn is also trying to prove to a lover—well, her son, actually, that the Serious Crimes Unit the Hawks, was not corrupted, nor was he bought. But it all felt prosaic. And the alternating narratives of Griessel and another character, Daniel, that may merge with Benny’s current case later on didn’t have sufficient spark to start the motor for me. And Mbali Kaleni, probably the most colorful of all characters in Meyer’s past books, has become the most notable of one-note creatures in THE LAST HUNT.
Thanks to Meyer’s intelligence, which does filter out some of the ennui of this putdownable book, I found some ground to settle in and still engage with the clever plot. Daniel’s fate became alluring at times, and towards his climax I was surely all in, but I wish that the vitality and spontaneity of the author’s past books had been injected into Last Hunt. But I will be first in line for whatever Meyer writes next, anyway.
Addendum: Most readers love this one. Perhaps my reading experience here is because nothing has more danger and kilowatts as our current global pandemic. That is a possibility, but this one just seemed to tell more than it showed, and the characters felt like network TV.
Vaughn is also trying to prove to a lover—well, her son, actually, that the Serious Crimes Unit the Hawks, was not corrupted, nor was he bought. But it all felt prosaic. And the alternating narratives of Griessel and another character, Daniel, that may merge with Benny’s current case later on didn’t have sufficient spark to start the motor for me. And Mbali Kaleni, probably the most colorful of all characters in Meyer’s past books, has become the most notable of one-note creatures in THE LAST HUNT.
Thanks to Meyer’s intelligence, which does filter out some of the ennui of this putdownable book, I found some ground to settle in and still engage with the clever plot. Daniel’s fate became alluring at times, and towards his climax I was surely all in, but I wish that the vitality and spontaneity of the author’s past books had been injected into Last Hunt. But I will be first in line for whatever Meyer writes next, anyway.
Addendum: Most readers love this one. Perhaps my reading experience here is because nothing has more danger and kilowatts as our current global pandemic. That is a possibility, but this one just seemed to tell more than it showed, and the characters felt like network TV.
December 9, 2019
I thought The Last Hunt was excellent. I have enjoyed Deon Meyer’s books in the past and I think think is one of his best.
Benny Griessel (now sober and living with Alexa) and Vaughn Cupido are sent to investigate a dodgy death on a luxury train and immediately come up against secretive obstruction from other agencies. Meanwhile we also get a seemingly unrelated narrative of Daniel Darret in Bordeaux who turns out to be an ex-fighter for The Struggle, trying to make a new, peaceful life for himself. What follows is a beautifully paced and completely gripping mix of excellent police procedural and a sort of Day Of The Jackal story, all of which I found believable and involving.
The great strength of the book is its characters in Daniel and, of course, in Vaughn and especially Benny, who is at his most human as he tries to raise the courage to ask Alexa to marry him. The other fine aspect is the picture of South Africa under Jacob Zuma and the frightful extent of corruption and “state capture” by Zuma and the Gupta family who are never named but often referred to. The writing and translation (by K.L. Seegers) are excellent and I was wholly absorbed from start to finish.
Even if you haven’t read any of the previous books in this series, this is a very fine novel and a great read. Very warmly recommended.
(My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley.)
Benny Griessel (now sober and living with Alexa) and Vaughn Cupido are sent to investigate a dodgy death on a luxury train and immediately come up against secretive obstruction from other agencies. Meanwhile we also get a seemingly unrelated narrative of Daniel Darret in Bordeaux who turns out to be an ex-fighter for The Struggle, trying to make a new, peaceful life for himself. What follows is a beautifully paced and completely gripping mix of excellent police procedural and a sort of Day Of The Jackal story, all of which I found believable and involving.
The great strength of the book is its characters in Daniel and, of course, in Vaughn and especially Benny, who is at his most human as he tries to raise the courage to ask Alexa to marry him. The other fine aspect is the picture of South Africa under Jacob Zuma and the frightful extent of corruption and “state capture” by Zuma and the Gupta family who are never named but often referred to. The writing and translation (by K.L. Seegers) are excellent and I was wholly absorbed from start to finish.
Even if you haven’t read any of the previous books in this series, this is a very fine novel and a great read. Very warmly recommended.
(My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC via NetGalley.)
March 8, 2020
Das Docket, die Fallakte für die Abteilung Kapitalverbrechen der Kriminalpolizei Kapstadt, versprach nichts Gutes. Mbali Kaleni, Griessel und Cupido konnten bereits an den Markierungen auf dem Pappdeckel erkennen, dass ihnen damit ein heißes Eisen untergeschoben wurde, an dem sich andere Abteilungen nicht die Finger verbrennen wollten. An einer Bahnstrecke, auf der regelmäßig ein Luxuszug für Touristen verkehrte, war ein Toter gefunden worden. Johnson Johnson arbeitete als privater Personenschützer und hatte eine wohlhabende Niederländerin auf der Reise begleitet. Außer Johnsons Frau wusste niemand von diesem Job – wie konnte also ein möglicher Täter davon erfahren haben? Mbali Kaleni, Bennie Griessels Chefin ist sauer, dass ihnen ein kalter Fall untergejubelt wird; denn die ersten 72 Stunden nach der Tat sind längst vergangen. Da der ermordete Personenschützer ein Ex-Kollege aus Pretoria ist, setzt der Jagdinstinkt der drei "Falke"-Mitglieder ein – in einem höchst vertrackten Fall.
Parallel dazu wird in Bordeaux ein älterer schwarzer Handwerker von alten Kampfgefährten kontaktiert. Als Daniel Darret hat er sich in Frankreich eine bescheidene Existenz als Möbelrestaurateur aufgebaut. Der in seinem Viertel angesehene Mann ist niemand anderes als der KGB-Auftragskiller Thobela, der 2002 in "Das Herz des Jägers" Südafrika mit dem Motorrad durchquert hatte. Thobela soll in Paris ein Attentat begehen, weil seine Kampfgefährten aus dem ehemaligen militärischen Flügel des ANC meinen, nur so den schleichenden Staatsstreich per Korruption des amtierenden südafrikanischen Staatspräsidenten beenden zu können. Für Thobela bedeutet der Auftrag einen unlösbaren Konflikt – nur er kann diese Tat ausführen und sie wird das Ende seiner bescheidenen bürgerlichen Existenz sein …
Während in Kapstadt die couragierte und überaus korrekte Mbali Kaleni ihr Team auf die Spur des Eisenbahnmörders setzt, bereitet sich in Frankreich der vom KGB und der ostdeutschen Stasi trainierte Scharfschütze "Daniel" auf ein winziges Zeitfenster vor, in dem er freie Schussbahn auf den südafrikanischen Präsidenten haben wird. Kaleni, Griessel und Cupido haben sich mit dem Fall Johnson Johnson ohnehin zwischen alle Stühle gesetzt, als ein weiterer Todesfall ihren Ermittlungen die Krone aufzusetzen scheint. Der Vater einer guten Freundin von Kaleni soll sich das Leben genommen haben. Dem Fall dieses Mannes können die drei Ermittler nur illegal außerhalb des Dienstes nachspüren – und damit werden sie die Existenz aller Beteiligten aufs Spiel setzen.
In einer Zeitspanne von 4 Wochen lässt Deon Meyer sich das Team um Bennie Griessel und den einsamen Wolf Thobela in zwei Handlungsfäden aufeinander zu bewegen. Die Lösung kommt auf leisen Sohlen, unerwartet in einem Thriller. Bennie Griessel überrascht mich immer wieder damit, wie er gesundheitlich und privat doch noch auf die Füße fällt, wenn er völlig am Ende zu sein scheint. Auch Kaleni und Cupido haben ihr Problempäckchen zu tragen. Thobela-Fan bin ich seit seiner Motorrad-Tour durch Südafrika und habe die Begegnung mit ihm trotz der unterschwelligen Tragik genossen. Deon Meyer ist für seine akribische Recherche bekannt, seine Danksagungen im Anhang sprechen stets für sich.
Ein absolut spannender, bis in winzige Details perfekt recherchierter Polit-Thriller und bisher mein Thriller-Highlight des Jahres.
Parallel dazu wird in Bordeaux ein älterer schwarzer Handwerker von alten Kampfgefährten kontaktiert. Als Daniel Darret hat er sich in Frankreich eine bescheidene Existenz als Möbelrestaurateur aufgebaut. Der in seinem Viertel angesehene Mann ist niemand anderes als der KGB-Auftragskiller Thobela, der 2002 in "Das Herz des Jägers" Südafrika mit dem Motorrad durchquert hatte. Thobela soll in Paris ein Attentat begehen, weil seine Kampfgefährten aus dem ehemaligen militärischen Flügel des ANC meinen, nur so den schleichenden Staatsstreich per Korruption des amtierenden südafrikanischen Staatspräsidenten beenden zu können. Für Thobela bedeutet der Auftrag einen unlösbaren Konflikt – nur er kann diese Tat ausführen und sie wird das Ende seiner bescheidenen bürgerlichen Existenz sein …
Während in Kapstadt die couragierte und überaus korrekte Mbali Kaleni ihr Team auf die Spur des Eisenbahnmörders setzt, bereitet sich in Frankreich der vom KGB und der ostdeutschen Stasi trainierte Scharfschütze "Daniel" auf ein winziges Zeitfenster vor, in dem er freie Schussbahn auf den südafrikanischen Präsidenten haben wird. Kaleni, Griessel und Cupido haben sich mit dem Fall Johnson Johnson ohnehin zwischen alle Stühle gesetzt, als ein weiterer Todesfall ihren Ermittlungen die Krone aufzusetzen scheint. Der Vater einer guten Freundin von Kaleni soll sich das Leben genommen haben. Dem Fall dieses Mannes können die drei Ermittler nur illegal außerhalb des Dienstes nachspüren – und damit werden sie die Existenz aller Beteiligten aufs Spiel setzen.
In einer Zeitspanne von 4 Wochen lässt Deon Meyer sich das Team um Bennie Griessel und den einsamen Wolf Thobela in zwei Handlungsfäden aufeinander zu bewegen. Die Lösung kommt auf leisen Sohlen, unerwartet in einem Thriller. Bennie Griessel überrascht mich immer wieder damit, wie er gesundheitlich und privat doch noch auf die Füße fällt, wenn er völlig am Ende zu sein scheint. Auch Kaleni und Cupido haben ihr Problempäckchen zu tragen. Thobela-Fan bin ich seit seiner Motorrad-Tour durch Südafrika und habe die Begegnung mit ihm trotz der unterschwelligen Tragik genossen. Deon Meyer ist für seine akribische Recherche bekannt, seine Danksagungen im Anhang sprechen stets für sich.
Ein absolut spannender, bis in winzige Details perfekt recherchierter Polit-Thriller und bisher mein Thriller-Highlight des Jahres.
March 16, 2020
Truth or Dare
An der Strecke eines südafrikanischen Luxuszuges wird ein Personenschützer tot aufgefunden. Als Bennie Griessel den Fall übertragen bekommt, sind schon ein paar Wochen vergangen. Eigentlich zu viel, um den Fall aufklären zu können. Aber natürlich machen sich Griessel und sein Partner Cupido an die Nachforschungen. Es ist zunächst unklar, ob der Tote Selbstmord begangen hat oder aus dem fahrenden Zug geworfen wurde. Zur gleichen Zeit treffen sich in Frankreich zwei Männer, die sich schon lange kennen, aber die sich schon ewig nicht mehr gesehen haben. Der Besucher will seinen alten Freund und Mitstreiter überreden, einen brisanten Auftrag zu übernehmen.
In seinem sechsten Fall bekommt es Bennie Griessel mit einem rätselhaften Todesfall zu tun. Auch wenn er seine Alkoholkrankheit nie ganz überwinden wird, ist er nun schon eine Weile trocken und auch mit seiner Freundin Alex läuft es gut. Er ist entschlossen, ihr einen Heiratsantrag zu machen. Nur weiß er noch nicht, wie er das am besten anstellen soll. Im Moment geht die Sache um den toten Personenschützer vor. Dieser hat früher bei der Polizei gearbeitet und seine ehemaligen Kollegen sind nicht sehr eifrig bei der Aufklärung des Sachverhaltes. Was wird hier im Geheimen gehalten?
Der Autor Deon Meyer ist dafür bekannt, dass seine Kriminalromane die aktuelle politische Lage in Südafrika aufgreifen. Danach scheint es als sei mehr als zwanzig Jahre nach Beendigung der Apartheidspolitik nicht so viel gewonnen wie gewünscht. In vielen Bereichen bis in die hohe Politik herrscht ein System der Korruption und Bevorteilung. Auch der Polizeiapparat bleibt nicht verschont. In diesem Umfeld entwickelt der Autor einen spannenden und vielschichtigen Kriminalfall. Mit den wechselnden Schauplätzen in Südafrika und Frankreich wird die Handlung noch bereichert. Durch dieses Wechselspiel begreift man nach und nach immer mehr Zusammenhänge und ist jederzeit gefesselt. Ein besonderer Kriminalroman mit einer ausgewogenen Mischung aus packendem Fall, den privaten Lebensumständen der Ermittler und den politischen Gegebenheiten im heutigen Südafrika.
4,5 Sterne
An der Strecke eines südafrikanischen Luxuszuges wird ein Personenschützer tot aufgefunden. Als Bennie Griessel den Fall übertragen bekommt, sind schon ein paar Wochen vergangen. Eigentlich zu viel, um den Fall aufklären zu können. Aber natürlich machen sich Griessel und sein Partner Cupido an die Nachforschungen. Es ist zunächst unklar, ob der Tote Selbstmord begangen hat oder aus dem fahrenden Zug geworfen wurde. Zur gleichen Zeit treffen sich in Frankreich zwei Männer, die sich schon lange kennen, aber die sich schon ewig nicht mehr gesehen haben. Der Besucher will seinen alten Freund und Mitstreiter überreden, einen brisanten Auftrag zu übernehmen.
In seinem sechsten Fall bekommt es Bennie Griessel mit einem rätselhaften Todesfall zu tun. Auch wenn er seine Alkoholkrankheit nie ganz überwinden wird, ist er nun schon eine Weile trocken und auch mit seiner Freundin Alex läuft es gut. Er ist entschlossen, ihr einen Heiratsantrag zu machen. Nur weiß er noch nicht, wie er das am besten anstellen soll. Im Moment geht die Sache um den toten Personenschützer vor. Dieser hat früher bei der Polizei gearbeitet und seine ehemaligen Kollegen sind nicht sehr eifrig bei der Aufklärung des Sachverhaltes. Was wird hier im Geheimen gehalten?
Der Autor Deon Meyer ist dafür bekannt, dass seine Kriminalromane die aktuelle politische Lage in Südafrika aufgreifen. Danach scheint es als sei mehr als zwanzig Jahre nach Beendigung der Apartheidspolitik nicht so viel gewonnen wie gewünscht. In vielen Bereichen bis in die hohe Politik herrscht ein System der Korruption und Bevorteilung. Auch der Polizeiapparat bleibt nicht verschont. In diesem Umfeld entwickelt der Autor einen spannenden und vielschichtigen Kriminalfall. Mit den wechselnden Schauplätzen in Südafrika und Frankreich wird die Handlung noch bereichert. Durch dieses Wechselspiel begreift man nach und nach immer mehr Zusammenhänge und ist jederzeit gefesselt. Ein besonderer Kriminalroman mit einer ausgewogenen Mischung aus packendem Fall, den privaten Lebensumständen der Ermittler und den politischen Gegebenheiten im heutigen Südafrika.
4,5 Sterne
May 1, 2020
Having never read this author before I was drawn to the story. I will say that I did start the book twice just so I had all of the characters down, but that is just me. It is set in Cape Town. You have Captain Benny Griessel who is living with Alexa and Vaughn Capudio. Benny and Vaughn are sent to investigate a murder on a train that is expensive but run into problems from the start from other agencies who are already there. In a second story inside of this book, you have a boxer named Daniel Darret. He is struggling in his life just in life trying to make a new one for himself.
The author weaves you through both stories and all of the different characters. He adds the political corruption of South Africa hindering their investigation. He also brings you to the personal struggle with Griessel in coming up with the courage to ask Alexa to marry, I found that to be more of a struggle for him than the case. Seemed liked he was expecting all of the political parts of that, but he was torn up about marriage, the courage to ask, there is always a possibility that your woman will say no. Daniel's story is just as strong as it helps with this book at least for me. At the beginning of this book, I was drawn to his character first then I was into all of the rest of the book. I will say that this is a very good book with really strong characters and that once you get into it you won’t want to stop. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
The author weaves you through both stories and all of the different characters. He adds the political corruption of South Africa hindering their investigation. He also brings you to the personal struggle with Griessel in coming up with the courage to ask Alexa to marry, I found that to be more of a struggle for him than the case. Seemed liked he was expecting all of the political parts of that, but he was torn up about marriage, the courage to ask, there is always a possibility that your woman will say no. Daniel's story is just as strong as it helps with this book at least for me. At the beginning of this book, I was drawn to his character first then I was into all of the rest of the book. I will say that this is a very good book with really strong characters and that once you get into it you won’t want to stop. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 5 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
October 23, 2018
Prooi – Deon Meyer
Prooi bestaan uit twee parallelle storielyne wat in verskillende halfrondtes van die wêreld afspeel. In Suid-Afrika erf Bennie en Cupido ‘n moorddossier van amper drie weke oud. Die liggaam is langs ‘n treinspoor ontdek terwyl die eintlike moord op die Rovos Rail plaasgevind het. In die Noordelike Halfrond voer Daniel Darret ‘n oënskynlik ongekompliseerde lewe in Bordeaux.
Prooi beskik oor al die elemente om dit een van 2018 se gunstelingspanningsromans te maak. Daar is die uitstekende karakterisering, deurlopende spanningslyn, relevante en aktuele onderwerpe en droë humor. Bennie beplan ook die perfekte huweliksaansoek aan Alexa. Bennie het beslis ontwikkel sedert ons die eerste keer in Infanta met hom kennis gemaak het.
Die ruimtes waarin die boek afspeel word ook interessant beskryf: Bordeax in Frankryk. Parys, Amsterdam, Kaapstad en die Rovos Rial. Nou is my ‘bucketlist’, of moet ek eerder sê ‘budget list,’ nog langer want ‘n rit op die Rovos Rail is ‘n droom wat bygekom het.
Ek was ook aangenaam verras om ‘n karakter uit vorige boeke in Prooi aan te tref. Ek hoop Deon gebruik in toekomstige boeke weer van karakters uit sy vorige boeke.
Jy weet jy het met ‘n meesterskrywer te doen, as hy twee storielyne wat oënskynlik nie verwant is nie, saambind tot ‘n eenheid.
Prooi bestaan uit twee parallelle storielyne wat in verskillende halfrondtes van die wêreld afspeel. In Suid-Afrika erf Bennie en Cupido ‘n moorddossier van amper drie weke oud. Die liggaam is langs ‘n treinspoor ontdek terwyl die eintlike moord op die Rovos Rail plaasgevind het. In die Noordelike Halfrond voer Daniel Darret ‘n oënskynlik ongekompliseerde lewe in Bordeaux.
Prooi beskik oor al die elemente om dit een van 2018 se gunstelingspanningsromans te maak. Daar is die uitstekende karakterisering, deurlopende spanningslyn, relevante en aktuele onderwerpe en droë humor. Bennie beplan ook die perfekte huweliksaansoek aan Alexa. Bennie het beslis ontwikkel sedert ons die eerste keer in Infanta met hom kennis gemaak het.
Die ruimtes waarin die boek afspeel word ook interessant beskryf: Bordeax in Frankryk. Parys, Amsterdam, Kaapstad en die Rovos Rial. Nou is my ‘bucketlist’, of moet ek eerder sê ‘budget list,’ nog langer want ‘n rit op die Rovos Rail is ‘n droom wat bygekom het.
Ek was ook aangenaam verras om ‘n karakter uit vorige boeke in Prooi aan te tref. Ek hoop Deon gebruik in toekomstige boeke weer van karakters uit sy vorige boeke.
Jy weet jy het met ‘n meesterskrywer te doen, as hy twee storielyne wat oënskynlik nie verwant is nie, saambind tot ‘n eenheid.
June 14, 2020
“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
But who are the good men and how far must they go in their actions?
There are 2 storylines in this book. The first one starts in South Africa, where on the most luxurious train in the world the bodyguard of a Dutch tourist disappears. Later, his mangled corpse is found. When ‘the docket’ is given to Benna Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, the case is already cold and most tourists that were on the train have already left the country. On top of that, the first investigation was done very shoddy and amateurish. As they proceed with their own investigation, they raise more questions than answers. A high-placed officer in the VIP protection unit lies to them that the victim called an ex-colleague and told him that he was committing suicide; a flat-out lie, as he was found with part of a knife lodged in his head. From up in Pretoria, they’re ordered to drop the case.
The second story is set in Bordeaux (France) where Daniel Darrel (formerly Thobela Mpayipheli, a government killer) tries to live a calm and peaceful life as a carpenter until one of his former comrades visits him with the message that the president is compromised and causes too much damage. D.D. is chosen to take him down.
And of course, if you’re familiar with the templates of this kind of stories, both lines of enquiry will connect eventually. And they do this in a brilliant manner.
I’m a bit ashamed to say that the only time that I read by Deon Meyer was ages ago and –for no deliberate reason- I didn’t revisit this author. I know of him of course and expected a lot from this book. The book fulfilled all its promises and expectations in a grand way and I’m sure that this time it won’t take as long before I read another book by this author.
So, I’m not familiar with the history and backstories of the main characters and that’s a bit of a shame. I could follow all threads in this book, but I felt that I missed out on certain things.
The author is proud of his country and his nationality but not blind to the things that go wrong.
I love how Cupido described Dutch as “Afrikaans for drunken people.” I think I can repay this compliment and would love to have a go at trying to read the original version of this book and see how much I can understand. It always intrigued me how much our languages have diversified and evolved from a communal stem.
The author also states very clearly the difference between Holland and The Netherlands. Even though I’m not Dutch but Flemish Belgian (we share the same language), I understand their frustration with having to explain this every time.
Apart from being a brilliant detective, Griessel is also a recovering alcoholic, as is his girlfriend Alexa. Now he wants to propose to her but he doesn’t know how to. In fact, he fears that she’ll say “no” despite knowing how much they both love each other. Griessel plays guitar in a cover band but his real talent lies in his ability to visualise a crime scene and tell frame by frame what happened there.
His partner Cupido can be a bit of a pain with a peculiar sense of humour. But he’s an extremely good investigator and with his friendly attitude gets people to talk to and confide in him.
This is a chilling read about the frightening levels of corruption and greed from the street-level up to the highest echelons of government. An evil that permeated society so much, that it leaves the common man with nothing to hope for or believe in. And even though Deon Meyer loves his country to death, he’s not blind for this awful reality. Of course, in this work of fiction, he doesn’t outright accuse the actual people in those positions, but the truth is never far away. The state capture case has been all over the local media but the major American and European press showed little to no interest in the matter.
For further knowledge about this practice:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_c...
Or S.A. in particular
-https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa...
I thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the free ARC they provided, this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
But who are the good men and how far must they go in their actions?
There are 2 storylines in this book. The first one starts in South Africa, where on the most luxurious train in the world the bodyguard of a Dutch tourist disappears. Later, his mangled corpse is found. When ‘the docket’ is given to Benna Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, the case is already cold and most tourists that were on the train have already left the country. On top of that, the first investigation was done very shoddy and amateurish. As they proceed with their own investigation, they raise more questions than answers. A high-placed officer in the VIP protection unit lies to them that the victim called an ex-colleague and told him that he was committing suicide; a flat-out lie, as he was found with part of a knife lodged in his head. From up in Pretoria, they’re ordered to drop the case.
The second story is set in Bordeaux (France) where Daniel Darrel (formerly Thobela Mpayipheli, a government killer) tries to live a calm and peaceful life as a carpenter until one of his former comrades visits him with the message that the president is compromised and causes too much damage. D.D. is chosen to take him down.
And of course, if you’re familiar with the templates of this kind of stories, both lines of enquiry will connect eventually. And they do this in a brilliant manner.
I’m a bit ashamed to say that the only time that I read by Deon Meyer was ages ago and –for no deliberate reason- I didn’t revisit this author. I know of him of course and expected a lot from this book. The book fulfilled all its promises and expectations in a grand way and I’m sure that this time it won’t take as long before I read another book by this author.
So, I’m not familiar with the history and backstories of the main characters and that’s a bit of a shame. I could follow all threads in this book, but I felt that I missed out on certain things.
The author is proud of his country and his nationality but not blind to the things that go wrong.
I love how Cupido described Dutch as “Afrikaans for drunken people.” I think I can repay this compliment and would love to have a go at trying to read the original version of this book and see how much I can understand. It always intrigued me how much our languages have diversified and evolved from a communal stem.
The author also states very clearly the difference between Holland and The Netherlands. Even though I’m not Dutch but Flemish Belgian (we share the same language), I understand their frustration with having to explain this every time.
Apart from being a brilliant detective, Griessel is also a recovering alcoholic, as is his girlfriend Alexa. Now he wants to propose to her but he doesn’t know how to. In fact, he fears that she’ll say “no” despite knowing how much they both love each other. Griessel plays guitar in a cover band but his real talent lies in his ability to visualise a crime scene and tell frame by frame what happened there.
His partner Cupido can be a bit of a pain with a peculiar sense of humour. But he’s an extremely good investigator and with his friendly attitude gets people to talk to and confide in him.
This is a chilling read about the frightening levels of corruption and greed from the street-level up to the highest echelons of government. An evil that permeated society so much, that it leaves the common man with nothing to hope for or believe in. And even though Deon Meyer loves his country to death, he’s not blind for this awful reality. Of course, in this work of fiction, he doesn’t outright accuse the actual people in those positions, but the truth is never far away. The state capture case has been all over the local media but the major American and European press showed little to no interest in the matter.
For further knowledge about this practice:
-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_c...
Or S.A. in particular
-https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa...
I thank Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for the free ARC they provided, this is my honest and unbiased review of it.
February 12, 2020
Wanted ..... Ethical cop in a foreign milieu who in the face of pervasive adversity maintains his scruples . Ever since the sorrowful passing of Philip Kerr there has been a gaping hole in my crime fiction enjoyment .... I needed a replacement for the World War II exploits of Bernie Gunther. And, along comes Deon Meyer's " The Last Hunt " featuring the impressive duo of Captain Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, members of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit ... an elite force better known as the "Hawks". This is my first foray into the oeuvre of Meyer and the eighth entry into his series featuring the South African Police Service (SAPS). Simmering in the background are the implications of trying to police effectively in post-Apartheid South Africa. The freedom "Struggle" of this nation eventually culminated in the first democratic, and multi-racial election in April 1994. The Anti-Apartheid cause was locked into devastating conflicts ... this social movement entailed not only passive resistance but at times guerrilla warfare. The consequences leak into the forces and motivation of this convoluted tale. Three storylines are told in juxtaposition.. seemingly unrelated, but eventually intersecting into an explosive and powerful denouement . Griessel and Cupido are assigned a cold case that was botched by the local police. They are tasked with the investigation of a possible murder of an ex-cop Johnson Johnson. Possibly murdered on the luxurious Rovos Train, running from Cape Town to Pretoria and tossed out and found trackside , With an investigation ensuing of 65 passengers, reminiscent of "Murder on the Orient Express". Eventually they discover Johnson was stabbed in back of the neck with an Okapi knife (deemed " A Saturday Night Special") and then thrown off the train. Paralleling this investigation, is the questionable suicide of Menzi Dekela in his kitchen ... called into question is his motivation considering his past as one of sixteen old fighters, former senior fighures in the Struggle. .... Is the note authentic or forged ? ... Where is the shell casing? ...... And thirdly, we find Daniel Darret living an anonymous sedate life under an assumed name in Bordeaux, France. Once known as Thobela Mpayipheli, an accomplished sniper who earned his bones long ago , as a young participant in The Struggle. He's approached by a dear old friend, Lonnie May, and entreated to enter the fray one more time and strike a blow for South Africa.
A turbulent political scene still exists in South Africa. .... leaked to the media is the suspicion that the state government is "captured" ... incriminating the president of the country and half of his cabinet ... completely controlled and following the interest of three Indian billionaire businessmen. In the face of present day corruption the story unfolds. Meyer's narrative seamlessly flows through the eyes of multiple flawed but unforgettable characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for providing an electronic proof in exchange for an honest review. Deon Meyer is now officially added to my list of preferred authors to read.
(from readersremains.com)
A turbulent political scene still exists in South Africa. .... leaked to the media is the suspicion that the state government is "captured" ... incriminating the president of the country and half of his cabinet ... completely controlled and following the interest of three Indian billionaire businessmen. In the face of present day corruption the story unfolds. Meyer's narrative seamlessly flows through the eyes of multiple flawed but unforgettable characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic Press for providing an electronic proof in exchange for an honest review. Deon Meyer is now officially added to my list of preferred authors to read.
(from readersremains.com)
May 8, 2020
4⭐
Benny Griessel and his partner Vaughan Cupido, both captains in a South African police unit called the Hawks, are assigned with the investigation of the mysterious death of Johnson Johnson , whose body was found thrown off the luxury Rovos train. As it turned out, the victim, was an ex-member of the security forces and was working as a bodyguard accompanying a rich Dutch client.
Bordeaux, France; meet Daniel Darret he's living a quiet existence as a handyman and assistant in an antique restoring shop.
His peaceful bubble is about to be burst by the abrupt visit of an old acquaintance, asking him once again to do a "job".
How both worlds are related?
The last hunt is the translated version of the sixth book from the serie featuring detective Benny Griessel.
One of my favorite things about this book was acquiring a little knowledge about South Africa, and Africaans language. That was one of the reasons it took me so long to get through because every time I've found myself searching an expression, a place, or a particular food.
Running two stories in parallel without any apparent relation, then making them collide was very impressive The characterization was brilliant. I genuinely enjoyed every side story apart. My favorite character has to be captain Cupido. I am definitely checking out the previous parts of the serie.
My thanks are due to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this novel.
Benny Griessel and his partner Vaughan Cupido, both captains in a South African police unit called the Hawks, are assigned with the investigation of the mysterious death of Johnson Johnson , whose body was found thrown off the luxury Rovos train. As it turned out, the victim, was an ex-member of the security forces and was working as a bodyguard accompanying a rich Dutch client.
Bordeaux, France; meet Daniel Darret he's living a quiet existence as a handyman and assistant in an antique restoring shop.
His peaceful bubble is about to be burst by the abrupt visit of an old acquaintance, asking him once again to do a "job".
How both worlds are related?
The last hunt is the translated version of the sixth book from the serie featuring detective Benny Griessel.
One of my favorite things about this book was acquiring a little knowledge about South Africa, and Africaans language. That was one of the reasons it took me so long to get through because every time I've found myself searching an expression, a place, or a particular food.
Running two stories in parallel without any apparent relation, then making them collide was very impressive The characterization was brilliant. I genuinely enjoyed every side story apart. My favorite character has to be captain Cupido. I am definitely checking out the previous parts of the serie.
My thanks are due to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to have an advanced copy of this novel.
December 25, 2019
Brilliant read! Brimming with action from beginning to end. Deon and Bennie is back with a bang! This was one of the best books for me in the Bennie Griessel series. Bennie is getting his life back on track. He is riding his bike and living a healthier life.
A body is found next to the train tracks near Drie Susters. Bennie and his sidekick Cupido is put in charge of the investigation. The body belongs to Johnson Johnson who disappeared of a luxury train a few days before. Did he jump from the train or are there more sinister forces at play?
The book takes you on a whirlwind ride from France to South Africa to France and back. The storylines seem unrelated but are they really? Who is Daniel Darret and who is looking for him and why?
The main focus of this book is state capture. Something that is very relevant in South Africa at the moment and a very hot topic. Deon takes quite a strong stance against corruption in the book without naming anyone outright but if you have a good knowledge of South African politics it is quite easy to see who he is referencing.
A book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end! I can see a movie in the future.
And finally.....will Bennie pluck up the courage to propose to Alexa?
Thank you to #netgalley and #groveatlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
A body is found next to the train tracks near Drie Susters. Bennie and his sidekick Cupido is put in charge of the investigation. The body belongs to Johnson Johnson who disappeared of a luxury train a few days before. Did he jump from the train or are there more sinister forces at play?
The book takes you on a whirlwind ride from France to South Africa to France and back. The storylines seem unrelated but are they really? Who is Daniel Darret and who is looking for him and why?
The main focus of this book is state capture. Something that is very relevant in South Africa at the moment and a very hot topic. Deon takes quite a strong stance against corruption in the book without naming anyone outright but if you have a good knowledge of South African politics it is quite easy to see who he is referencing.
A book that will keep you on the edge of your seat from the beginning to the end! I can see a movie in the future.
And finally.....will Bennie pluck up the courage to propose to Alexa?
Thank you to #netgalley and #groveatlantic for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 4, 2022
To date, I have read all of Deon Meyer’s full novels. I love his mix of South African culture and fast-paced thrillers, but unfortunately The Last Hunt disappointed. I am not really sure about the reasons, I read the last novels a while ago and might have been out of touch. But I mostly think it was the story. It did not garb me that much. I also could not really understand the reason for Benny’s actions. The ending was way too abrupt and I feel far from satisfied. I can still recommend the author for crime aficionados, but for this one, my high expectations were not met.
December 27, 2018
Nou hoe lank gaan ons moet wag vir die vgl boek??!!
Hierdie een was briljant. Miskien is ek bietjie "biased", want my gunsteling Deon Meyer is Infanta. Goed om weer bietjie op te vang.
Hierdie een was briljant. Miskien is ek bietjie "biased", want my gunsteling Deon Meyer is Infanta. Goed om weer bietjie op te vang.
June 14, 2022
In the thriller ‘Prooi’ by Deon Meyer there are two story lines, which at the end appear to have a connection in how to cope with corruption on a high governmental level. In South-Africa a man is found dead next to a train track; in France a former secret service agent is asked by a former comrad to take the live of another man. Meyer takes a clear point that corruption is a very serious subject to deal with. You can trust Meyer in making the story up tempo and exciting nearly all the way. For example: on a high level it is officially decided that the next-to-the-train-corps was a man who took his own life. Well, Bennie Griessel doesn’t take that for granted. It appears that the corruption is influenced by people and officials of other countries – amongst others Russians and the Russian president Putin are mentioned in a negative connotation. Aspects of the personal life of the main characters make them very human with their own weaknesses. Together with the important issue of the internationalisation and the political actuality of corruption this adds up to the credibility of this excellent thriller as a whole. JM
April 5, 2023
Deuxième roman lu de cet auteur cette année. Emballante découverte, je vais en lire d’autres. Un duo d’enquêteurs sud-africains atypiques, Cupido et Griesel. Les nouveaux flics incorruptibles. Dans un pays tout neuf où tout est corruption. Un thriller plein d’imagination ancrée dans la réalité du paysage, la toute puissance du sinistre Poutine et de ses alliés milliardaires indiens plantée dans le décor.
Comme dans « L’année du Lion », où Deon Meyer imagine la pandémie récente des années à l’avance, il se montre de nouveau prémonitoire en annonçant les avancées de Poutine - même si l’idée reste furtive - pour annexer des territoires.
Lutte du bien contre le mal, un grand classique, mais passionnant du début à la fin. Hâte de découvrir d’autres romans de cet auteur qui écrit en afrikaans.
Comme dans « L’année du Lion », où Deon Meyer imagine la pandémie récente des années à l’avance, il se montre de nouveau prémonitoire en annonçant les avancées de Poutine - même si l’idée reste furtive - pour annexer des territoires.
Lutte du bien contre le mal, un grand classique, mais passionnant du début à la fin. Hâte de découvrir d’autres romans de cet auteur qui écrit en afrikaans.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2018
4.5 / 5
Dis sal seker nie regverdig wees om 'n 450 bladsy boek wat jy binne 24 uur in 3 leessessies verslind net 4 sterre te gee nie.
Prooi is klassieke Deon Meyer. Twee parallele storielyne, een in Suid-Afrika en een in Europa wat uiteindelik verbind word. Die momentum en spanning wat feitlik deurgaans onderhou word. Dis eintlik moeilik om baie oor hierdie boek te skryf sonder om te veel weg te gee.
Al waar die boek amper 'n sterretjie by my verloor is 'n gedeelte so net na die eerste derde. Meyer onderbreek hier die Griessel storielyn op 'n geweldige interessante stadium om byna 100 bladsye aan die Darett storielyn te spandeer, wat op daardie stadium veel stadiger beweeg. 'n Korter onderbreking hier sou dalk die boek 'n meer konstante momentum gegee het. Miskien was hierdie leser maar net te ongeduldig om te sien hoe die moordondersoek ontvou.
Verder gaan ek nie 'n boek probeer analiseer wat my so kompulsief laat lees het nie. Meyer aanhangers sal nie teleurgesteld wees nie. Behalwe, miskien, wanneer jy besef jy het sopas 'n boek waarvoor jy twee jaar moes wag in een dag klaargelees. Maar daaraan is ons seker nou al gewoond, of hoe?
Dis sal seker nie regverdig wees om 'n 450 bladsy boek wat jy binne 24 uur in 3 leessessies verslind net 4 sterre te gee nie.
Prooi is klassieke Deon Meyer. Twee parallele storielyne, een in Suid-Afrika en een in Europa wat uiteindelik verbind word. Die momentum en spanning wat feitlik deurgaans onderhou word. Dis eintlik moeilik om baie oor hierdie boek te skryf sonder om te veel weg te gee.
Al waar die boek amper 'n sterretjie by my verloor is 'n gedeelte so net na die eerste derde. Meyer onderbreek hier die Griessel storielyn op 'n geweldige interessante stadium om byna 100 bladsye aan die Darett storielyn te spandeer, wat op daardie stadium veel stadiger beweeg. 'n Korter onderbreking hier sou dalk die boek 'n meer konstante momentum gegee het. Miskien was hierdie leser maar net te ongeduldig om te sien hoe die moordondersoek ontvou.
Verder gaan ek nie 'n boek probeer analiseer wat my so kompulsief laat lees het nie. Meyer aanhangers sal nie teleurgesteld wees nie. Behalwe, miskien, wanneer jy besef jy het sopas 'n boek waarvoor jy twee jaar moes wag in een dag klaargelees. Maar daaraan is ons seker nou al gewoond, of hoe?
November 4, 2020
I am no fan of Benny Griessel but this was the best one in a while. I really liked the plot and the as usual it's full of humor and to find out that it has a background in real life is icing on the cake. It was also great that Thobela "Tiny" Mpayipheli appeared in the story, he is one of Deon Meyers characters I really like. The version I read is in Swedish and is titled Villebråd. I am getting more and more fond of reading books set in a country that is not the same old as always. You get to learn a lot about different cultures and people. If you by some strange reason have missed the books by this wonderful South African writer you better start from the beginning and do it right now.
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