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pact83's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
book_concierge's review against another edition
4.0
Digital audiobook performed by Simon Vance
Book #1 in the Inspector Benny Geissel mystery series, starring the South African detective. There’s a serial killer on the loose; the reader knows it is Thobela Mpayipheli, a man torn by grief over the death of his son who has sworn vengeance by killing those who have harmed children. A second thread involves Christine Van Rooyen, a sex worker with a need to confess. And then there’s Benny and his alcoholism; at the outset he awakens to find his wife standing over him with a packed suitcase – she gives him six months to sober up, or get out of the family’s life forever.
Knowing who the serial killer is does nothing to lessen the tension and suspense in this novel. Benny is such a flawed character and watching him try to make sense of his life and keep away from the bottle while he tracks the serial killer and becomes ensnared in the mystery Christine weaves had me backtracking and re-reading sections to try to make sense of what was happening. Meyer does a great job of adding layers to an already complicated plot. And the final chapters are a wild ride!
The audio version is performed by Simon Vance. Need I say more?
Book #1 in the Inspector Benny Geissel mystery series, starring the South African detective. There’s a serial killer on the loose; the reader knows it is Thobela Mpayipheli, a man torn by grief over the death of his son who has sworn vengeance by killing those who have harmed children. A second thread involves Christine Van Rooyen, a sex worker with a need to confess. And then there’s Benny and his alcoholism; at the outset he awakens to find his wife standing over him with a packed suitcase – she gives him six months to sober up, or get out of the family’s life forever.
Knowing who the serial killer is does nothing to lessen the tension and suspense in this novel. Benny is such a flawed character and watching him try to make sense of his life and keep away from the bottle while he tracks the serial killer and becomes ensnared in the mystery Christine weaves had me backtracking and re-reading sections to try to make sense of what was happening. Meyer does a great job of adding layers to an already complicated plot. And the final chapters are a wild ride!
The audio version is performed by Simon Vance. Need I say more?
murmur75's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
marco5599's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Crime soap from South Africa with three angles. One. Bennie Griessel; a detective fighting the bottle with his job and family on the line. Two. Christine; tragic confession of a daughter, mother and prostitute. And three. Tobela; vigilante after losing his son and faith in the justice system. Obviously, somewhere down the line these stories meet each other.
Before that; a tough start with loads of heavy-handed drama to get things going. Didn't work for me. Too much, too forced. Wasn't too fond of the thing with Christine's box either. Or better said, the mysterious content of it. Bit of a cheap way to get and keep the reader's attention, if you ask me.
What kept me in it was Bennie doing some actual policing. For example; there's a scene with a strangler @ Woolies and it's a total winner. Best part of the opening, however, is Tobela's new life mission. What he does is not right, but it doesn't feel that wrong either. Mr. Spearman. Cool weapon. Of course it doesn't take long before Bennie gets put on the case.
Result? A slightly better, but still not very satisfactory balance between drama and crime. I read too many of what, I believe, were unsuccessful attempts of turning a walking talking detective cliché into a so - called well-developed character. Perhaps I'm totally wrong here, perhaps he is. If so, he developed into somebody who gave me the feeling he is unable to function properly. No way he could slash should lead such a high-profile case.
Everything is just so overdone. The only times I felt like the author showed some tact, is when it comes to Bennie's kids. How they respond, how Bennie deals with them. It's where he is at his most relatable. Too bad that tact doesn't last very long. A Colombian knot is about to tie the three stories together.
In a rather far-fetched way. A trap backfires and from that point on the plot starts to derail with all kinds of improbable developments. Fabricated is putting it mildly. I could not find a reason to care anymore, so I didn't. A very disappointing first encounter with Bennie Griessel. It's going to take a while before I pick up the next part. If ever. Bummer!
Before that; a tough start with loads of heavy-handed drama to get things going. Didn't work for me. Too much, too forced. Wasn't too fond of the thing with Christine's box either. Or better said, the mysterious content of it. Bit of a cheap way to get and keep the reader's attention, if you ask me.
What kept me in it was Bennie doing some actual policing. For example; there's a scene with a strangler @ Woolies and it's a total winner. Best part of the opening, however, is Tobela's new life mission. What he does is not right, but it doesn't feel that wrong either. Mr. Spearman. Cool weapon. Of course it doesn't take long before Bennie gets put on the case.
Result? A slightly better, but still not very satisfactory balance between drama and crime. I read too many of what, I believe, were unsuccessful attempts of turning a walking talking detective cliché into a so - called well-developed character. Perhaps I'm totally wrong here, perhaps he is. If so, he developed into somebody who gave me the feeling he is unable to function properly. No way he could slash should lead such a high-profile case.
Everything is just so overdone. The only times I felt like the author showed some tact, is when it comes to Bennie's kids. How they respond, how Bennie deals with them. It's where he is at his most relatable. Too bad that tact doesn't last very long. A Colombian knot is about to tie the three stories together.
In a rather far-fetched way. A trap backfires and from that point on the plot starts to derail with all kinds of improbable developments. Fabricated is putting it mildly. I could not find a reason to care anymore, so I didn't. A very disappointing first encounter with Bennie Griessel. It's going to take a while before I pick up the next part. If ever. Bummer!
bracky's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sandin954's review against another edition
5.0
I thought the author's previous books were all very good but this book is even better. Set in South Africa this story of three very different people whose lives intersect had a plot that kept me on edge of my seat, realistic characters, and a powerful ending.
bianca306's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0