Scan barcode
the_travellingmind's review
3.0
Hmm, I expected more. It was intriguing and I love CSI/Police/Investigative stories. The characters are relatable -I like that, but it feels like something is missing. Just cannot put my finger on it. Besides this, I enjoyed it.
sandin954's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite police procedural series. Benny Griessel is a great character, the South African setting is always fascinating, and the plot in this entry was very exciting.
liberrydude's review against another edition
2.0
Detective Bennie Griessel returns in this allegedly intense thriller. A woman lawyer was murdered and now a mysterious sniper is stalking the police for their incompetence in finding the murderer or their perceived collusion in protecting the politically connected murderer. Bennie is called in for a fresh look even though his personal life is in chaos as he courts an alcoholic celebrity/singer. I had a hard time engaging with the plot and wasn't connecting with all the South African cultural allusions and politics-wish they did footnotes. Even when the perp or perps is/are apprehended there isn't much excitement, only relief the book is over. Meyer throws a lot of twists and turns in at the end and the ending is certainly a surprise( like something out of Clue) but something was missing in this one. The whole premise of the sniper shooting at the police for their inability to solve the murder seemed unreal and sort of absurd. There wasn't a lot of kinetic energy in connecting the dots-but that might have been my fault-too many distractions while I was reading this book.
christa_amnell's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
matosapa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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
3.0
pvantees's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
barry_x's review
2.0
I received this book through Goodreads First Time Giveaways.
Okay crime fiction from South Africa. The book is the third in a series and although the book works as a standalone novel I think readers of the first two books would appreciate this more.
Benny Griessel is a recovering alcoholic who is brought in to investigate a recent murder of a lawyer in her apartment. The reason Griessel is brought into the case is because someone is shooting police officers on a daily basis until the murder is solved.
The strength of the book is the snapshot of South African society and the variety of cultures and language and how people interact and work with each other. I found the glossary at the end of the book really useful and is probably needed for non South African readers.
The weakness for the book is that I struggled with the pacing. Despite the novel being set over 7 days I never got a sense of urgency and I didn't find this a 'one more chapter page turner'.
Without spoiling the end I found the finale a little flat.
Okay crime fiction from South Africa. The book is the third in a series and although the book works as a standalone novel I think readers of the first two books would appreciate this more.
Benny Griessel is a recovering alcoholic who is brought in to investigate a recent murder of a lawyer in her apartment. The reason Griessel is brought into the case is because someone is shooting police officers on a daily basis until the murder is solved.
The strength of the book is the snapshot of South African society and the variety of cultures and language and how people interact and work with each other. I found the glossary at the end of the book really useful and is probably needed for non South African readers.
The weakness for the book is that I struggled with the pacing. Despite the novel being set over 7 days I never got a sense of urgency and I didn't find this a 'one more chapter page turner'.
Without spoiling the end I found the finale a little flat.
urlphantomhive's review against another edition
4.0
READ IN DUTCH
Ik had zeer veel positieve verhalen gehoord of Deon Meyer, waardoor ik erg nieuwsgierig was geworden naar zijn boeken. Dat, in combinatie met het feit dat ik ook benieuwd was naar een thriller uit Zuid-Afrika, maakte de keus voor mij erg makkelijk. Ik wilde dit boek heel graag lezen.
Gelukkig kreeg ik een kans via de BUZZ-club van Crimezone.
7 Dagen, waarin de politie moet stoppen de communistische moordenaars van Hanneke Sloet te beschermen en de moord moet op lossen. Of anders... zullen er meer politie-agenten neergeschoten worden.
Het gegeven voor dit race-tegen-de-klok/kat-en-muis spelletje. Het leest heel makkelijk weg, de spanning wordt goed opgebouwd. Naarmate de dagen volgen wordt je meer en meer in het verhaal gezogen. Enig minpuntje vond ik toch wel dat het einde me heel erg deed denken aan een boek van Jo Nesbo, waardoor ik het toch opeens een stuk minder origineel vond. Ik ben zeker van plan in de toekomst nog meer boeken van Deon Meyer te gaan lezen.
Ik had zeer veel positieve verhalen gehoord of Deon Meyer, waardoor ik erg nieuwsgierig was geworden naar zijn boeken. Dat, in combinatie met het feit dat ik ook benieuwd was naar een thriller uit Zuid-Afrika, maakte de keus voor mij erg makkelijk. Ik wilde dit boek heel graag lezen.
Gelukkig kreeg ik een kans via de BUZZ-club van Crimezone.
7 Dagen, waarin de politie moet stoppen de communistische moordenaars van Hanneke Sloet te beschermen en de moord moet op lossen. Of anders... zullen er meer politie-agenten neergeschoten worden.
Het gegeven voor dit race-tegen-de-klok/kat-en-muis spelletje. Het leest heel makkelijk weg, de spanning wordt goed opgebouwd. Naarmate de dagen volgen wordt je meer en meer in het verhaal gezogen. Enig minpuntje vond ik toch wel dat het einde me heel erg deed denken aan een boek van Jo Nesbo, waardoor ik het toch opeens een stuk minder origineel vond. Ik ben zeker van plan in de toekomst nog meer boeken van Deon Meyer te gaan lezen.
taniabotes's review
3.0
I am a big Deon Meyer fan, and as always enjoyed hiw work. The pace is much slower than previous titles, but keeps you guessing until the last page. I also love his characters