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Albertus Beeslaar #2
Onse Vaders
In ’n miljoenêrsbuurt van Stellenbosch loop ’n huisroof skeef. Die slagoffer, ’n aantreklike rooikopvrou, se vernielde lyk word deur haar kinders ontdek.Kaptein Albertus Markus Beeslaar, op besoek aan dié pragtige Bolandse dorp van gewels, geld en wyn, word teen sy sin by die ondersoek betrek. Saam met die formidabele kaptein Vuyokazi Quebeka word elke kultuur- en geldklip op dié dorp omgedop op soek na die moordenaar.Vyftienhonderd kilometer noord van Beeslaar beland sersant Johannes Ghaap in Soweto, ’n lewensgevaarlike plek vir buitestanders – soos Ghaap. Maar daar is nie tyd om behoorlik ingebreek te raak nie, want Ghaap moet gaan soek na ’n vrou en haar kind wat tydens ’n motorkaping ontvoer is en iewers in hierdie vreemde plek van miljoene sink- en bokshuisies aangehou word.In die proses moet The Father aangedurf word – ’n man met so ’n wrede reputasie dat die meeste mense glo hy is bloot ’n urban legend . . .
509 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
24 people are currently reading
129 people want to read
About the author
Karin Brynard
4 books41 followersKarin Brynard’s crime novels have been published in Afrikaans, English, German, French and Dutch to great acclaim, having won the University of Johannesburg Debut Prize, two M-Net awards, and an ATKV prize for prose. Her most recent novel in Afrikaans, Tuisland, shot to the top of the bestseller list in the country when it was published in June 2016. Having worked as a journalist and political correspondent for Rapport for many years, she now writes full time. She lives in Stellenbosch.
Karin Brynard het reeds verskeie toekennings verower, waaronder die Universiteit van Johannesburg Debuutprys vir Kreatiewe Skryfwerk, die ATKV-prosaprys en twee M-Net-pryse. Haar boeke word ook in Engels, Duits, Frans en Nederlands uitgegee. Sy woon op Stellenbosch.
Karin Brynard het reeds verskeie toekennings verower, waaronder die Universiteit van Johannesburg Debuutprys vir Kreatiewe Skryfwerk, die ATKV-prosaprys en twee M-Net-pryse. Haar boeke word ook in Engels, Duits, Frans en Nederlands uitgegee. Sy woon op Stellenbosch.
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December 15, 2025
TERRA DI SANGUE
Karin Brynard torna a immergersi nel magma incandescente del suo paese, il Sudafrica post- apartheid: ma questa volta il risultato non è così succulento come nel precedente romanzo che aveva sempre al centro il capitano di polizia Albertus Beeslar, di discendenza boera, un armadio d’uomo alto due metri e largo due ante.
Quell’altro, il precedente, s’intitolava Terra di sangue ed era ambientato nel deserto e nel veld, nel Kalahari, al confine.
Il Kalahari, dove vive e lavora il protagonista, il poliziotto Albertus Beeslaar.
Questa volta, invece, l’azione principale si svolge a Cape Town e nell’adiacente ricco quartiere di Stellenbosch, pieno di ville in stile vittoriano con tanto di colonne e frontoni, e vigne sontuose (dio che vino fanno da quelle parti!): Albertus Beeslar arriva a Città del Capo in visita al suo amico più caro, probabilmente l’unico che ha, l’anziano poliziotto che lo ha addestrato e in pratica cresciuto come un padre (quello vero è morto presto, preda dell’alcol).
Il primo padre di una storia che si intitola per l’appunto I nostri padri.
Ma, Albertus Beeslar arriva per scoprire che può caso mai partecipare al funerale del suo amico, e se vuole trattenersi qualche giorno per aggregarsi a figlia e genero che vogliono disperdere le ceneri del defunto in cima a una montagna.
Beeslar si trova a partecipare a un’indagine davvero per caso. Ma siccome a capo dell’indagine c’è una giovane capitana di colore che è stata a sua volta allieva del suo amico morto, e siccome la donna è attraente, Albertus si trattiene al Capo per qualche giorno contribuendo in modo determinante a risolvere il caso.
Stellenbosch Mountain
Un caso che ruota intorno alla morte molto violenta della moglie di un ricchissimo uomo d’affari, madre di due adolescenti, una delle famiglie storiche del Sudafrica.
L’intreccio tra violenza, criminalità organizzata, riciclaggio, politica, corruzione, affari condisce e struttura questa linea narrativa.
Che è la principale, ma non l’unica: infatti, ce ne sono altre due. E da queste cominciano i primi problemi del romanzo.
South Western Townships, meglio nota come Soweto, zona di Johannesburg con due milioni di abitanti, è considerata la città più violenta e pericolosa del mondo. Visibili le due torri di raffreddamento dell’ex centrale elettrica di Orlando ora usate per fare il bungee jumping.
Le altre sono entrambe ambientate a Johannesburg e hanno per protagonisti un giovane sergente di polizia che viene dal Kalahari dove presta servizio al comando di Albertus Beeslar, col quale è in buoni rapporti. Nei limiti permessi dal carattere ruvido e spinoso di Beeslar.
L’altra vicenda ha invece al centro l’ex fidanzata di Albertus, che lo ha lasciato, nonostante il reciproco amore: e lo ha lasciato incinta di sua figlia.
I problemi di questi due thread di racconto secondo me nascono dal fatto che sono sviluppati a capitoli molto più brevi del principale, il che lascia percepire che si tratti di sfondo, o comunque, di secondo piano.
E che le due storie si intrecciano tra loro, e alla prima, ben oltre la metà del romanzo: cioè, tardi, incredibilmente troppo avanti.
Johannesburg è circondata da depositi di rifiuti minerari, sei miliardi di tonnellate di rifiuti tossici.
Aggiungo che un buon quinto delle pagine potrebbe sparire senza un’unghia di danno: Brynard si dilunga inutilmente, e si ripete.
Ancora peggio, interrompe l’azione sempre sul più bello, raggiunge il climax e raffredda la temperatura spostando l’attenzione su un’altra vicenda. È una tecnica abusata, che può funzionare, ma serve più maestria: il suo connazionale Deon Meyer ci riesce, lei no.
Dopo l’apartheid i bianchi si lamentano d’essere diventati i nuovi neri, trattati come reietti, ultimi della lista.
I neri hanno secoli da recuperare, e però si fanno la guerra tra loro, divisi in numerose etnie (per menzionarne alcune, zulu, xhosa, sotho, tswana, venda, ndebele, tsonga, swazi, pedi), che vuol dire anche lingue diverse.
In mezzo ci sono i meticci, che in teoria sono l’unione, o incrocio, tra la razza bianca e quella nera: nella pratica sono gli ultimi degli ultimi, né bianchi né neri, né carne né pesci, schifati sia dai neri che dai bianchi.
Foto di Jason Larkin: Bambini giocano nel cortile a Delmore, Johannesburg, 2012.
Brynard sostiene che:
…i padri non esistono più. Tutti voi da bambini siete cresciuti senza un padre. Due terzi dei bambini di questo paese non hanno un padre. E vi chiedete ancora perché in giro c’è così tanta rabbia, tanta criminalità?
“E la colpa sarebbe di noi uomini?”
“sì. No. Aspetta, lasciami spiegare. Tradizionalmente, il padre in Africa è una figura molto rispettata. Ma la sua posizione è stata del tutto distrutta. E senza un padre, come fanno i ragazzi?
Brynard è cresciuta a Stellenbosch, dove vive ancora oggi e scrive in lingua afrikaans.
Karin Brynard torna a immergersi nel magma incandescente del suo paese, il Sudafrica post- apartheid: ma questa volta il risultato non è così succulento come nel precedente romanzo che aveva sempre al centro il capitano di polizia Albertus Beeslar, di discendenza boera, un armadio d’uomo alto due metri e largo due ante.
Quell’altro, il precedente, s’intitolava Terra di sangue ed era ambientato nel deserto e nel veld, nel Kalahari, al confine.
Il Kalahari, dove vive e lavora il protagonista, il poliziotto Albertus Beeslaar.
Questa volta, invece, l’azione principale si svolge a Cape Town e nell’adiacente ricco quartiere di Stellenbosch, pieno di ville in stile vittoriano con tanto di colonne e frontoni, e vigne sontuose (dio che vino fanno da quelle parti!): Albertus Beeslar arriva a Città del Capo in visita al suo amico più caro, probabilmente l’unico che ha, l’anziano poliziotto che lo ha addestrato e in pratica cresciuto come un padre (quello vero è morto presto, preda dell’alcol).
Il primo padre di una storia che si intitola per l’appunto I nostri padri.
Ma, Albertus Beeslar arriva per scoprire che può caso mai partecipare al funerale del suo amico, e se vuole trattenersi qualche giorno per aggregarsi a figlia e genero che vogliono disperdere le ceneri del defunto in cima a una montagna.
Beeslar si trova a partecipare a un’indagine davvero per caso. Ma siccome a capo dell’indagine c’è una giovane capitana di colore che è stata a sua volta allieva del suo amico morto, e siccome la donna è attraente, Albertus si trattiene al Capo per qualche giorno contribuendo in modo determinante a risolvere il caso.
Stellenbosch Mountain
Un caso che ruota intorno alla morte molto violenta della moglie di un ricchissimo uomo d’affari, madre di due adolescenti, una delle famiglie storiche del Sudafrica.
L’intreccio tra violenza, criminalità organizzata, riciclaggio, politica, corruzione, affari condisce e struttura questa linea narrativa.
Che è la principale, ma non l’unica: infatti, ce ne sono altre due. E da queste cominciano i primi problemi del romanzo.
South Western Townships, meglio nota come Soweto, zona di Johannesburg con due milioni di abitanti, è considerata la città più violenta e pericolosa del mondo. Visibili le due torri di raffreddamento dell’ex centrale elettrica di Orlando ora usate per fare il bungee jumping.
Le altre sono entrambe ambientate a Johannesburg e hanno per protagonisti un giovane sergente di polizia che viene dal Kalahari dove presta servizio al comando di Albertus Beeslar, col quale è in buoni rapporti. Nei limiti permessi dal carattere ruvido e spinoso di Beeslar.
L’altra vicenda ha invece al centro l’ex fidanzata di Albertus, che lo ha lasciato, nonostante il reciproco amore: e lo ha lasciato incinta di sua figlia.
I problemi di questi due thread di racconto secondo me nascono dal fatto che sono sviluppati a capitoli molto più brevi del principale, il che lascia percepire che si tratti di sfondo, o comunque, di secondo piano.
E che le due storie si intrecciano tra loro, e alla prima, ben oltre la metà del romanzo: cioè, tardi, incredibilmente troppo avanti.
Johannesburg è circondata da depositi di rifiuti minerari, sei miliardi di tonnellate di rifiuti tossici.
Aggiungo che un buon quinto delle pagine potrebbe sparire senza un’unghia di danno: Brynard si dilunga inutilmente, e si ripete.
Ancora peggio, interrompe l’azione sempre sul più bello, raggiunge il climax e raffredda la temperatura spostando l’attenzione su un’altra vicenda. È una tecnica abusata, che può funzionare, ma serve più maestria: il suo connazionale Deon Meyer ci riesce, lei no.
Dopo l’apartheid i bianchi si lamentano d’essere diventati i nuovi neri, trattati come reietti, ultimi della lista.
I neri hanno secoli da recuperare, e però si fanno la guerra tra loro, divisi in numerose etnie (per menzionarne alcune, zulu, xhosa, sotho, tswana, venda, ndebele, tsonga, swazi, pedi), che vuol dire anche lingue diverse.
In mezzo ci sono i meticci, che in teoria sono l’unione, o incrocio, tra la razza bianca e quella nera: nella pratica sono gli ultimi degli ultimi, né bianchi né neri, né carne né pesci, schifati sia dai neri che dai bianchi.
Foto di Jason Larkin: Bambini giocano nel cortile a Delmore, Johannesburg, 2012.
Brynard sostiene che:
…i padri non esistono più. Tutti voi da bambini siete cresciuti senza un padre. Due terzi dei bambini di questo paese non hanno un padre. E vi chiedete ancora perché in giro c’è così tanta rabbia, tanta criminalità?
“E la colpa sarebbe di noi uomini?”
“sì. No. Aspetta, lasciami spiegare. Tradizionalmente, il padre in Africa è una figura molto rispettata. Ma la sua posizione è stata del tutto distrutta. E senza un padre, come fanno i ragazzi?
Brynard è cresciuta a Stellenbosch, dove vive ancora oggi e scrive in lingua afrikaans.
June 24, 2017
A taut police thriller that is meticulously researched, finely crafted and superbly executed, ‘Our Father’ is a clear statement that crime writing in South Africa is alive and well and in the hands of Karin Brynard.
‘Our Fathers’ tells two concurrent stories – Inspector Albertus Beeslaar is visiting Stellenbosch when he is dragged unwillingly into the investigation into a murder that threatens to split the historic town apart, while Sergeant Johannes Ghaap struggles to adjust to life in Gauteng as he desperately hunts for a missing woman and child.
While the plots are revealed slowly, it is the intricacies laid in the first few chapters that make ‘Our Fathers’ so much more than a typical crime novel. But Brynard’s main strength is her characters – believable heroes and anti-heroes draw the reader in through her skilful and subtle exposure of emotion and motivation, augmented by enough eccentricity to make them interesting.
Indeed, ‘Our Fathers’ is a book to be savoured and enjoyed – rather like a bottle of good red wine from Stellenbosch!
‘Our Fathers’ tells two concurrent stories – Inspector Albertus Beeslaar is visiting Stellenbosch when he is dragged unwillingly into the investigation into a murder that threatens to split the historic town apart, while Sergeant Johannes Ghaap struggles to adjust to life in Gauteng as he desperately hunts for a missing woman and child.
While the plots are revealed slowly, it is the intricacies laid in the first few chapters that make ‘Our Fathers’ so much more than a typical crime novel. But Brynard’s main strength is her characters – believable heroes and anti-heroes draw the reader in through her skilful and subtle exposure of emotion and motivation, augmented by enough eccentricity to make them interesting.
Indeed, ‘Our Fathers’ is a book to be savoured and enjoyed – rather like a bottle of good red wine from Stellenbosch!
September 28, 2014
Ek kon net nie wag om die tweede boek van die Karin Brynard te lees, na ek laas week haar eerste boek Plaasmoord verslind het nie. En Onse Vaders was nog beter, ek het dit in in twee middae klaar gelees. Wat ek regtig in die boek geniet het was hoe die karakters, soos Ghaap en Beeslaer ontwikkel het van die eerste boek af. Die feit dat die boek uit drie verskillende oogpunte geskryf is, en dat daar twee verskillende sake is, maak dat die spanningsvlak ook baie hoog is. Die trekkies en die Soweto lingo is baie entertaining en interessant, en ek hoop om van die karakters in volgende boeke raak te loop. Karin Brynard maak ook skerp waarnemings oor die situasie in Suid Afrika, en hoe dit veroorsaak word deur die feit dat daar so min vader figure in ons land is. Twee derdes van alle kinders word groot sonder 'n pa.
En nou moet ek wag tot haar derde boek gepubliseer word...
En nou moet ek wag tot haar derde boek gepubliseer word...
September 22, 2016
Elke keer as ek klaar is met ‘n goeie Afrkaanse boek soos hierdie wonder ek hoekom en nie meer gereeld Afrikaans lees nie. Die ondervinding was spanningsvol, snaaks en slim.
Ek lees nie veel speur verhale nie maar het laas jaar vir die eerste keer Deon Meyer se Griesel reeks begin en was vebaas hoe baie ek dit geniet het.
So natuurlik kan ek nie help on Onse Vaders so bietjie met die Griesel reeks te vergelyk nie:
Hoofkarakter: Ek moet erken dat so bietjie meer van Bennie Griesel hou as Beeslaar maar dalk net omdat ek Beeeslaar as karakter nog nie goed genoeg ken nie.
Sekondere karakters: Ek vind Mbali meer oortuigend as Quebeka in terme van haar taalgebruik. Ek het ook onmiddelik van Gaap gehou waar Cupido in die Griesel boeke baie langer gevat het om aan gewoond te raak. Hy voel altyd as amper te aggresief vir my.
Humor: Daar is definitief baie meer humor in hierdie boek as in Griesel boeke en die oorsprong was meerendeels van die “trackies” Tracker personeel in Onse Vaders.
Woordeskat: Altwee boeke het absolute puik Afrikaans maar hierdie boek het baie meer krag woorde en pittige segoed waarvan koeltekonte (Verkeers polisie) my gunsteling was
Die storielyn was baie interessant en het gefokus op temas soos land verdeeling tussen wit en swart, korrupsie, sangoma’s, cape flats gangs en was merkbaar meer polities uitgesproke as die Griesel boeke.
Ek kan sonder arsel hierdie boek aanbeveel, dis die perfekte boek vir die Desember vakansies.
Ek lees nie veel speur verhale nie maar het laas jaar vir die eerste keer Deon Meyer se Griesel reeks begin en was vebaas hoe baie ek dit geniet het.
So natuurlik kan ek nie help on Onse Vaders so bietjie met die Griesel reeks te vergelyk nie:
Hoofkarakter: Ek moet erken dat so bietjie meer van Bennie Griesel hou as Beeslaar maar dalk net omdat ek Beeeslaar as karakter nog nie goed genoeg ken nie.
Sekondere karakters: Ek vind Mbali meer oortuigend as Quebeka in terme van haar taalgebruik. Ek het ook onmiddelik van Gaap gehou waar Cupido in die Griesel boeke baie langer gevat het om aan gewoond te raak. Hy voel altyd as amper te aggresief vir my.
Humor: Daar is definitief baie meer humor in hierdie boek as in Griesel boeke en die oorsprong was meerendeels van die “trackies” Tracker personeel in Onse Vaders.
Woordeskat: Altwee boeke het absolute puik Afrikaans maar hierdie boek het baie meer krag woorde en pittige segoed waarvan koeltekonte (Verkeers polisie) my gunsteling was
Die storielyn was baie interessant en het gefokus op temas soos land verdeeling tussen wit en swart, korrupsie, sangoma’s, cape flats gangs en was merkbaar meer polities uitgesproke as die Griesel boeke.
Ek kan sonder arsel hierdie boek aanbeveel, dis die perfekte boek vir die Desember vakansies.
December 5, 2012
Ek wens ek kon hierdie boek meer as 5 sterre gee. Dis een van die beste boeke wat ek al gelees het. Die skrywer het 'n ongelooflike klomp navorsing gedoen en haar karakters is lewensgetrou. Selfs wanneer hulle vloek, klink dit presies reg en is glad nie steurend nie. Ek sou net baie graag 'n meer afgeronde einde wou gehad het, maar hopelik gee dit aanduiding van 'n opvolg. Quebeka en Beeslaar en Gerda en Ghaap gaan nog lank met my saamloop. Ek sal hulle graag weer in die toekoms wil raakloop.
July 23, 2017
Jô! Nog beter as Plaasmoord. Kannie ophou praat oor die boek nie!
June 20, 2022
Ai, hoe lekker is dit om in Afrikaans te lees!
Albertus Beeslaar is eintlik op vakansie in Stellenbosch toe hy by teen sy sin by 'n moord ondersoek bedrek word. 'n Vrou is grusaam in haar huis vermoor en die klein dorpie is in roer om die moordenaar op te spoor. Terselfdertyd word Ghaap by 'n vermiste persoon ondersoek bedrek en hy vind gou dat Beeslaar ook hier belang in het.
Die feit dat daar twee ondersoeke terselftertyd plaasneem het die spanning hoog gehou en ek het die boek baie geniet en sommer vinnig klaar gelees - al is dit 'n deurstop van 'n boek.
My eerste Karin Brynard maar nie die laaste.
Albertus Beeslaar is eintlik op vakansie in Stellenbosch toe hy by teen sy sin by 'n moord ondersoek bedrek word. 'n Vrou is grusaam in haar huis vermoor en die klein dorpie is in roer om die moordenaar op te spoor. Terselfdertyd word Ghaap by 'n vermiste persoon ondersoek bedrek en hy vind gou dat Beeslaar ook hier belang in het.
Die feit dat daar twee ondersoeke terselftertyd plaasneem het die spanning hoog gehou en ek het die boek baie geniet en sommer vinnig klaar gelees - al is dit 'n deurstop van 'n boek.
My eerste Karin Brynard maar nie die laaste.
April 24, 2020
wat 'n ongelooflike goeie storie !! ek is so laat om hierdie boek te lees, maar is nou bly dat ek uiteindelik tyd gekry het om dit te lees.
ek het 'plaasmoord' lank terug gelees en dit was ook baie goed gewees. ek geniet die skrywer se skryfstyl. dit boei, en 'n mens wil eenvoudig net nie die boek neersit nie. ek het die laaste 60 of so bladsye buite sit en lees en dit was al tyd vir aandete maak. ek het net my vinger gelig vir my gesin terwyl ek aanhou lees, en hulle het geweet hulle sal moet wag.
ek sien uit na die volgende boek.
September 11, 2016
The first book of this series was published in German a few weeks ago and I liked it a lot, so I'm happy that I'm now in South Africa to start reading this new release! Yeah!
So, finished! That it took me so long was because of my eventful and exciting vacation here in South Africa:) nevertheless I didn't like this one as much as the first book. The two storylines were separated too long, no real interaction except for a few calls. On top of that there were things mentioned in a repetitive way that got a bit boring.
On the other hand I never thought of DNF, the whole thing kept me interested until the final pages, which totally call for the next book.
So, finished! That it took me so long was because of my eventful and exciting vacation here in South Africa:) nevertheless I didn't like this one as much as the first book. The two storylines were separated too long, no real interaction except for a few calls. On top of that there were things mentioned in a repetitive way that got a bit boring.
On the other hand I never thought of DNF, the whole thing kept me interested until the final pages, which totally call for the next book.
September 4, 2013
After Plaasmoord I was looking forward to the second issue from the pen of Karinn Brynard, only to find that all the cliches of the South African police force and the method of dealing with crimes have been rehashed. Yes we know that the main character needs to suffer some epiphany and that his psychologicall well-being is at stake, but it was somehow too predictable. I found the ensuing chapters in which the witch doctor features slightly far fetched and therefore unbelievable. The book would have been better had this part been left to the wayside.
December 27, 2012
Brynard se tweede speurroman met Beeslaar en Ghaap aan die stuur van sake. 'n Uitsonderlik goeie speurroman - maar ook skryfwerk van die hoogste gehalte.
April 22, 2015
Boeiende verhaal, goeie navorsing en voortreflike skryfwerk
April 9, 2018
Brynard has once again delivered a very complex plot that pulls together various disparate elements of South African society in a well-researched police procedural. It is difficult to think of a bigger contrast in the settings of the different strands of this novel - Soweto and Stellenbosch starkly represent the different outcomes of apartheid.
The novel was published in 2012 and predates the current spate of high profile murders in Stellenbosch, but Brynard delivers very clever social commentary in this book. It is quite a dark read as it represents the inequality that is also an inevitable part of the South African crime system.
The huge challenges faced by the South Afircan police force in terms of resources, capacity and inclusivity is well incorporated in the story line. The main characters represent the various challenges faced by individuals in these roles in a very realistic manner.
I read the original in Afrikaans and highly recommend it, but have no idea how it will translate as the township slang mixed with Dutch and Cape dialect could be quite a challenge.
The novel was published in 2012 and predates the current spate of high profile murders in Stellenbosch, but Brynard delivers very clever social commentary in this book. It is quite a dark read as it represents the inequality that is also an inevitable part of the South African crime system.
The huge challenges faced by the South Afircan police force in terms of resources, capacity and inclusivity is well incorporated in the story line. The main characters represent the various challenges faced by individuals in these roles in a very realistic manner.
I read the original in Afrikaans and highly recommend it, but have no idea how it will translate as the township slang mixed with Dutch and Cape dialect could be quite a challenge.
January 15, 2017
Wow! Net soos met Plaasmoord het dit my geboei.
Een van die beste boeke wat ek nog gelees het.
Gaan nou Tuisland begin....
En hoop daar is nog vele meer wat uit Karin se pen gaan vloei...
Een van die beste boeke wat ek nog gelees het.
Gaan nou Tuisland begin....
En hoop daar is nog vele meer wat uit Karin se pen gaan vloei...
February 8, 2019
This is the second in Brynard's Captain Albertus Beeslar series. The first is Weeping Waters and the third is Homeland. They are available in English and Afrikaans.
This is a long post so let me say upfront that I really enjoyed this book and would like to hear what South Africans think of it.
For US readers of this blog, Our Fathers is very South African in story elements as well a language. Be prepared to visit Google frequently. Personally, I love books with local flavor so I think it's worth it.
This time the settings are Cape Town and Johannesburg. Albertus is on his way to visit an old friend in Cape Town when he gets a phone call that his friend, an old school colonel in the SAPS has died. After the funeral. At the funeral one of the mourners gets a call that her daughter-in-law, wife of a wealthy Stellenbach property developer has been brutally murdered. He is reluctantly pulled along to the crime scene where he meets Captain Vuyokazi Qhubeka (Vuvu). This is her first big investigation. While initially cool to Alburtus, she manages to ensnare him into the investigation, unofficially. It is awkward for him because he has no status in the case but the white family is overtly hostile to the Black captain and try to make him their personal investigator.
In Johannesburg, Sgt Johannes Ghaap has transferred to Johannesburg from the Kalahari where he and Beeslar worked together. Beeslar warned him that he wasn't ready for the big time and he was right. Ghaap is an outsider who doesn't know the lingo to be able to communicate effectively. Through a series of misadventures, he gets involved with trackies, private security who pursue hijacking and stolen cars for their clients. One case becomes desperate when a pregnant white woman with a small child is kidnapped in Soweto. It is even more desperate when it emerges that an legendary evil man known as The Fatha is involved.
Karin writes very good crime fiction and she is on my "always buy" watch list. This is tricky since her books are not readily available in the US. Readers not from SA might have difficulty since the stories are intensely South African. I can generally hold my own thanks to my long-time reading of SA literature, online SA newspapers, and Google. I learned lots of new slang words here.
Underlying the Cape Town story are issues of apartheid, distrust between Blacks and Whites, and land. Basically, what a mess South Africa is in. One character toward the end gives an impassioned speech on why the moral framework of South Africa is disintegrating and it hits a little too close to home for Beeslar's comfort.The social issues flow through the Cape Town and Johannesburg stories and are integrated into it without being imposed. By the time the book ends, the title will make sense.
I very much enjoyed the way Karin shows the criminal investigations proceeding. The trackies in Johannesburg dominate that story and it's both exciting and interesting. The author might have exaggerated their activities a bit but from what I've not by much. Karin rode with a Joburg company, Tracker, as part of her research. The Cape Town investigation is a bit more subtle since everyone is lying, big money and lawyers are involved, and the SAPS brass wants to see a quick resolution.
The character of Albertus Beeslar is very nicely developed. He is a blunt, rough, Boer only interested in justice. He is also very impatient and doesn't always want to listen. Often the reader —at least this one — would like to give him a klap to make him really hear what someone is trying to tell him.
Captain Vuyokazi Ohubeka — and her relationship with Beeslar — is an interesting part of the Cape Town story. Her trying to conduct a thorough investigation in the face of racial hostility and pressure from above is well done. She's someone I'd like to know in real life and I hope Brynard has plans for her in future books. I think she is strong enough for a book of her own she and Beeslar make for a good team as well.
Sitting 3,898 km away I come away from this book feeling both entertained as well as informed (the author includes a bibliography which warms this librarian's heart). I would be interested in hearing what people living in SA think about the book and how Brynard integrates social issues.
This is a long post so let me say upfront that I really enjoyed this book and would like to hear what South Africans think of it.
For US readers of this blog, Our Fathers is very South African in story elements as well a language. Be prepared to visit Google frequently. Personally, I love books with local flavor so I think it's worth it.
This time the settings are Cape Town and Johannesburg. Albertus is on his way to visit an old friend in Cape Town when he gets a phone call that his friend, an old school colonel in the SAPS has died. After the funeral. At the funeral one of the mourners gets a call that her daughter-in-law, wife of a wealthy Stellenbach property developer has been brutally murdered. He is reluctantly pulled along to the crime scene where he meets Captain Vuyokazi Qhubeka (Vuvu). This is her first big investigation. While initially cool to Alburtus, she manages to ensnare him into the investigation, unofficially. It is awkward for him because he has no status in the case but the white family is overtly hostile to the Black captain and try to make him their personal investigator.
In Johannesburg, Sgt Johannes Ghaap has transferred to Johannesburg from the Kalahari where he and Beeslar worked together. Beeslar warned him that he wasn't ready for the big time and he was right. Ghaap is an outsider who doesn't know the lingo to be able to communicate effectively. Through a series of misadventures, he gets involved with trackies, private security who pursue hijacking and stolen cars for their clients. One case becomes desperate when a pregnant white woman with a small child is kidnapped in Soweto. It is even more desperate when it emerges that an legendary evil man known as The Fatha is involved.
Karin writes very good crime fiction and she is on my "always buy" watch list. This is tricky since her books are not readily available in the US. Readers not from SA might have difficulty since the stories are intensely South African. I can generally hold my own thanks to my long-time reading of SA literature, online SA newspapers, and Google. I learned lots of new slang words here.
Underlying the Cape Town story are issues of apartheid, distrust between Blacks and Whites, and land. Basically, what a mess South Africa is in. One character toward the end gives an impassioned speech on why the moral framework of South Africa is disintegrating and it hits a little too close to home for Beeslar's comfort.The social issues flow through the Cape Town and Johannesburg stories and are integrated into it without being imposed. By the time the book ends, the title will make sense.
I very much enjoyed the way Karin shows the criminal investigations proceeding. The trackies in Johannesburg dominate that story and it's both exciting and interesting. The author might have exaggerated their activities a bit but from what I've not by much. Karin rode with a Joburg company, Tracker, as part of her research. The Cape Town investigation is a bit more subtle since everyone is lying, big money and lawyers are involved, and the SAPS brass wants to see a quick resolution.
The character of Albertus Beeslar is very nicely developed. He is a blunt, rough, Boer only interested in justice. He is also very impatient and doesn't always want to listen. Often the reader —at least this one — would like to give him a klap to make him really hear what someone is trying to tell him.
Captain Vuyokazi Ohubeka — and her relationship with Beeslar — is an interesting part of the Cape Town story. Her trying to conduct a thorough investigation in the face of racial hostility and pressure from above is well done. She's someone I'd like to know in real life and I hope Brynard has plans for her in future books. I think she is strong enough for a book of her own she and Beeslar make for a good team as well.
Sitting 3,898 km away I come away from this book feeling both entertained as well as informed (the author includes a bibliography which warms this librarian's heart). I would be interested in hearing what people living in SA think about the book and how Brynard integrates social issues.
August 11, 2017
Goed, ek het nie veel gedink van Karin Brynard se eerste boek (Plaasmoord) nie. Dit het my in werklikheid eers laat terughou op haar boeke.
Nou het ek uiteindelik by Onse Vaders uitgekom. En dis beter. Tot die mag twee.
Toegegee, daar is gedeeltes in die eerste 300 bladsye wat vir my getrekkkk het. Byvoorbeeld, Ghaap se dwaling te voet deur Johannesburg agter sy gesteelde kar aan, en sy aanhoudende gekerm oor die kar vir wie weet hoe lank daarna, het so bietjie aan my begin krap. Ek wou later die knaap met 'n non-stick pan klap. Die storielyn in Stellenbosch het ook vir my te stadig ontwikkel; die aksie van die Johannesburg storielyne was broodnodig om die boek 'n gevoel van momentum te gee, al veroorsaak dit aanvanklik effe van 'n onsamehangendheid.
Die laaste 200 bladsye of so was egter meesleurend en het die lang tog tot daar die moeite werd gemaak. Die navorsing wat die skrywer vir hierdie boek moes doen is indrukwekkend en ek haal my hoed af vir haar. Sy slaag fantasties daarin om die leser reg in die plek en situasie te plaas. Die Soweto en Johannesburg jaagtogte en aksietonele veral is briljant geskryf, en die dialoog oortuigend.
Onse Vaders verg aanvanklik geduld, maar die leser se geduld word ryklik beloon in die laaste helfte van die boek wanneer die storielyne begin jel en die karakters meer vleis om hulle bene gekry het en meer bekend voel. Ek sien nou uit daarna om Tuisland te lees.
Nou het ek uiteindelik by Onse Vaders uitgekom. En dis beter. Tot die mag twee.
Toegegee, daar is gedeeltes in die eerste 300 bladsye wat vir my getrekkkk het. Byvoorbeeld, Ghaap se dwaling te voet deur Johannesburg agter sy gesteelde kar aan, en sy aanhoudende gekerm oor die kar vir wie weet hoe lank daarna, het so bietjie aan my begin krap. Ek wou later die knaap met 'n non-stick pan klap. Die storielyn in Stellenbosch het ook vir my te stadig ontwikkel; die aksie van die Johannesburg storielyne was broodnodig om die boek 'n gevoel van momentum te gee, al veroorsaak dit aanvanklik effe van 'n onsamehangendheid.
Die laaste 200 bladsye of so was egter meesleurend en het die lang tog tot daar die moeite werd gemaak. Die navorsing wat die skrywer vir hierdie boek moes doen is indrukwekkend en ek haal my hoed af vir haar. Sy slaag fantasties daarin om die leser reg in die plek en situasie te plaas. Die Soweto en Johannesburg jaagtogte en aksietonele veral is briljant geskryf, en die dialoog oortuigend.
Onse Vaders verg aanvanklik geduld, maar die leser se geduld word ryklik beloon in die laaste helfte van die boek wanneer die storielyne begin jel en die karakters meer vleis om hulle bene gekry het en meer bekend voel. Ek sien nou uit daarna om Tuisland te lees.
December 5, 2017
'Our Fathers' smelt of South Africa: the good, the bad, the ugly and the regular. With two story lines, connected only loosely by one character, one set in the Cape, the other in Soweto, there was never a dull moment. In that regard, this book did everything I wanted it to. Having said that, however, there was one thing that I felt knocked it a bit in my opinion. While I really enjoyed the two stories, I think the really exciting one got less 'screen time' because the protagonist, Beeslaar, was not there. He only had dealings with it over the phone.
This story was very well researched. I learnt a lot about local slang, Soweto, trackers and tracking devices in cars (I think I might look into getting one installed).
I would recommend this one for folks who are fans of crime fiction. I am just not sure how easily non-South Africans would handle the slang (the regular stuff - which is taken for granted would not need translation).
This story was very well researched. I learnt a lot about local slang, Soweto, trackers and tracking devices in cars (I think I might look into getting one installed).
I would recommend this one for folks who are fans of crime fiction. I am just not sure how easily non-South Africans would handle the slang (the regular stuff - which is taken for granted would not need translation).
August 2, 2021
Un buon giallo - per coloro cui piacciono i polizieschi; ma soprattutto un tuffo nella contemporaneita' del Sud Africa delle grandi citta'. Ambientato in parte a Citta' del Capo e in parte a Johannesburg e Soweto, il libro e' un alternarsi di 2 filoni - che hanno come collante Albertus Breslaar, commissario di polizia, che dal Kalahari si reca a Citta' del Capo in ferie a trovare il suo mentore. Peccato che questi muoia proprio pochi giorni prima dell'arrivo di Albertus, che suo malgrado si trova coinvolto in una indagine - un omicidio, brutale, in una famiglia molto facoltosa. Nel mentre a Johannesburg il suo ex collega Ghaab si fa le ossa nella township di Soweto.
C'e' un po' di tutto, in quest'opera: il Sud Africa da cartolina, parchi naturali, vigneti, spiaggie, e benessere; la poverta' estrema e le violenze inaudite di Soweto; e un gruppo di personaggi che si barcamena nel presente, portandosi le cicatrici (non solo metaforiche) di un difficile passato. Bello.
C'e' un po' di tutto, in quest'opera: il Sud Africa da cartolina, parchi naturali, vigneti, spiaggie, e benessere; la poverta' estrema e le violenze inaudite di Soweto; e un gruppo di personaggi che si barcamena nel presente, portandosi le cicatrici (non solo metaforiche) di un difficile passato. Bello.
January 2, 2020
Nach dem wmir weinende Wasser gut gefallen hat, musste ich die Reihe fortsetzen.
Beeslaar in Stellenbosch... dieser Fall reicht aber nicht an Weinende Wasser heran. Hier ist alles zuviel, Die Charaktere des ersten Bandes befinden sich sowohl in Soweto (Ghaap/Greta) als auch in Stellenbosch. Ohne Südafrika zu kennen kann es wohl nicht gegensätzlicher sein. Es sind drei Stränge, die auch nur bedingt zueinander finden. Der Stellenbosch-Strang ist auch irgendwie überflüssig ausser das er STellenbosch vorstellt.
Der Soweto-Strang ist so sehr mit den verschiedenen Slangwörtern durchsetzt, die leider nicht immer erklärt werden, dass man das GEfühl bekommt irgendwas verpasst zu haben oder einen Sprachführer liest :-)
Trotzdem viel Lokalkolorit und Einblicke ins Südafrika.
Beeslaar in Stellenbosch... dieser Fall reicht aber nicht an Weinende Wasser heran. Hier ist alles zuviel, Die Charaktere des ersten Bandes befinden sich sowohl in Soweto (Ghaap/Greta) als auch in Stellenbosch. Ohne Südafrika zu kennen kann es wohl nicht gegensätzlicher sein. Es sind drei Stränge, die auch nur bedingt zueinander finden. Der Stellenbosch-Strang ist auch irgendwie überflüssig ausser das er STellenbosch vorstellt.
Der Soweto-Strang ist so sehr mit den verschiedenen Slangwörtern durchsetzt, die leider nicht immer erklärt werden, dass man das GEfühl bekommt irgendwas verpasst zu haben oder einen Sprachführer liest :-)
Trotzdem viel Lokalkolorit und Einblicke ins Südafrika.
August 24, 2017
This was the first book of Karin Brynard I have read. Now I cannot wait to read her other books!! It's a crime novel which is thoroughly researched & spell binding, the characters are real, the story line keeps you guessing till the end. Very few writers can accomplish this. She can definitely be listed with the top crime writers!!
August 14, 2019
Managed to get hold of an English Translation of ‘Our Fathers’ while travelling in South Africa. And delighted I did. Another excellent and powerful novel from Karin Brynard that is not just a gripping detective saga but also a fascinating insight into modern S Africa - crime, race, politics, social tensions and the aftermath of apartheid.
October 3, 2018
I read this book in english but the english translation is not showing on Goodreads
January 2, 2020
Spannend
December 23, 2020
Excellent!
Very good read, as always with one of the very best thriller authors in Afrikaans. Looking forward to her next book!
Very good read, as always with one of the very best thriller authors in Afrikaans. Looking forward to her next book!
December 3, 2023
Crime fiction that does not disappoint. The fact that it is set in South Africa both attracted and repelled me, since it reveals that soft underbelly that so distresses locals like myself
January 13, 2013
Karin's background as political journalist has a strong influence on the book. It's not a bad thing, though. I was sceptical at first to read this kind of book in (1.) Afrikaans and (2) from a South African author. I am a absolute Deon Meyer fan and according to me, he is the best writer in this genre in Afrikaans. But.... I was pleasantly suprised!! Well done Karin! I struggled at first to keep track with all the characters in the book (because there are 2 storylines happening at once), but is was well brought together. Also, it did not read the first book with more of less the same characters (Plaasmoord), so the characters were unknown to me. Very good book, with research well done. Nothing that irritates me more than poor researching.
January 3, 2017
Translated expertly from the Afrikaans by Linde Dietrich, it is far more than a pair of entwined gripping thrillers. It is a mirror of the uneasy racial melting pot that is the New South Africa, where racism remains firmly entrenched in some quarters, but a slowly increasing respect and understanding reaches out a tenuous grip in others. There is no lack of humour, either.
While non-South African readers will probably find this a real strain on colloquial adjustment, locals may also be stretched to keep up with the slang/s influenced by several of the 11 official languages.
Trying to explain the title may be to introduce a spoiler or two, so I won’t bother. Speaking for myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
For my full review, please go to www.bookpostmortem.wordpress.com
While non-South African readers will probably find this a real strain on colloquial adjustment, locals may also be stretched to keep up with the slang/s influenced by several of the 11 official languages.
Trying to explain the title may be to introduce a spoiler or two, so I won’t bother. Speaking for myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the read.
For my full review, please go to www.bookpostmortem.wordpress.com
December 29, 2012
Uitstekende boek maar baie moeilik om te lees as gevolg van die baie "issues", wat in die storie geweef is.
Stadige eerste klomp bladsye maar het daarna ontwikkel in 'n moet lees, veral vir Afrikaners.
Stadige eerste klomp bladsye maar het daarna ontwikkel in 'n moet lees, veral vir Afrikaners.
February 9, 2014
Lekker spanningsverhaal. Speel af in bekende omgewing verweef met huidige misdaadtendense in Suid-Afrika. Maar die boek is te lank. Te veel detail oor kos, sooibrand ens.wat niks met die storielyn te doene het nie. Kon te minste met 'n derde gesny gewees het - sou baie meer trefkrag gehad het.
February 24, 2013
Was mal daaroor!
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