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Benny Griessel #4
Kobra
Deon Meyer word beskou as die koning van Suid-Afrikaanse misdaadfiksie. 'n Mens kan skaars vinnig genoeg omblaai om sy intriges te volg. Sy rillers ondersoek die sosiale en rassekompleksiteite van sy tuisland.
In Kobra word 'n beroemde Britse wiskundige ontvoer en sy twee lyfwagte doodgeskiet by 'n gastehuis in die lieflike Wes-Kaapse wynlande. Dis duidelik 'n professionele operasie, en die koeëldoppies verskaf 'n ysingwekkende leidraad: elkeen is gegraveer met die kop van 'n spoegkobra.
Intussen, in die stad, gebruik 'n vaardige sakkeroller sy talent om sy suster se mediese studie te finansier. Maar hy steel uit die verkeerde sak uit en gryp die beursie van 'n jong Amerikaanse vrou wat iets uiters waardevols en gevaarliks in Suid-Afrika kom aflewer. Die sluipdief word nie alleen die teiken van die dodelike sluipmoordenaar bekend as die Kobra nie, maar hou onbewustelik ook die sleutel om 'n dodelike internasionale bedreiging te voorkom.
Kaptein Bennie Griessel en sy elite ondersoekspan moet die sakkeroller én die Kobra opspoor in hierdie roman wat afstuur op 'n briljante, hartritmeversteurende slot op die voorstedelike pendeltreine.
Kobra is 'n eersteklasriller van 'n skrywer wat sy ambag meer as net bemeester het.
In Kobra word 'n beroemde Britse wiskundige ontvoer en sy twee lyfwagte doodgeskiet by 'n gastehuis in die lieflike Wes-Kaapse wynlande. Dis duidelik 'n professionele operasie, en die koeëldoppies verskaf 'n ysingwekkende leidraad: elkeen is gegraveer met die kop van 'n spoegkobra.
Intussen, in die stad, gebruik 'n vaardige sakkeroller sy talent om sy suster se mediese studie te finansier. Maar hy steel uit die verkeerde sak uit en gryp die beursie van 'n jong Amerikaanse vrou wat iets uiters waardevols en gevaarliks in Suid-Afrika kom aflewer. Die sluipdief word nie alleen die teiken van die dodelike sluipmoordenaar bekend as die Kobra nie, maar hou onbewustelik ook die sleutel om 'n dodelike internasionale bedreiging te voorkom.
Kaptein Bennie Griessel en sy elite ondersoekspan moet die sakkeroller én die Kobra opspoor in hierdie roman wat afstuur op 'n briljante, hartritmeversteurende slot op die voorstedelike pendeltreine.
Kobra is 'n eersteklasriller van 'n skrywer wat sy ambag meer as net bemeester het.
385 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2013
351 people are currently reading
2090 people want to read
About the author
Deon Meyer
59 books1,226 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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Displaying 1 - 30 of 332 reviews
April 7, 2024
NAJA MOSSAMBICA
La naja mossabica, o cobra sputatore del Mozambico.
Un prestigioso matematico inglese (di Oxford) viene rapito in una villa esclusiva. I rapitori lasciano sul terreno tre morti e un bossolo di troppo.
Un giovane borseggiatore intelligente e affascinante, orfano meticcio, mette le mani nelle tasche sbagliate.
Bennie Grissel deve risolvere il caso. Anzi, i casi.
Il romanzo si muove su un sentiero consumato: Benny Griessel, il protagonista detective di polizia, si presenta sulla scena del crimine con l'aria di chi ha passato una nottataccia.
Deon Meyer usa le regole e le situazioni che sono comuni al genere (poliziotti ubriachi, con situazioni familiari complicate, ladri abili, assassini pericolosi, violenza improvvisa…): ma siccome immerge tutto nel suo paese, il Sudafrica post-apartheid, nella regione di Città del Capo, là dove le montagne incalzano l’oceano, diventa unico nel genere.
Il luogo dove Tyrone, il giovane borseggiatore, ruba la borsa.
Circondato da uno scenario mozzafiato, il detective Griessel, che in questo romanzo è stato da poco promosso nei Cape Town Hawks, squadra d'élite di investigatori che si occupano di omicidi e crimini violenti, Benny Griessel, che discende da coloni olandesi, e fa quindi parte della minoranza che ha dominato fino a pochi anni fa (1994), si muove in un paese multirazziale dove alla fine dell’apartheid non è seguita né la fine della sua eredità né tanto meno una vera integrazione.
Ma il paese è in rapida modernizzazione.
Cape Town
Thriller e crime novel insolito, movimentato, emozionante, coinvolgente.
Senza retorica, senza cadute di tono, con bella atmosfera.
Dialogo efficace, senza sbavature.
Ben documentato, basato su un notevole lavoro di ricerca che svela particolari nuovi di fatti che fanno discutere ma si conoscono superficialmente.
Un plot denso e complesso, con dettagli curati.
Un intreccio che crea tensione in crescendo, con colpi di scena.
Il van del Deon Meyer Mistery Tour trasporta i lettori nei luoghi dei romanzi di Meyer.
Se la situazione è complessa, rendila ancora più complessa (è quella che io chiamo la regola Spielberg), se chi ti guarda o legge sta trattenendo il fiato per la suspense, levaglielo tutto, non lasciargliene neppure un po’, se è in ginocchio per l’ansia, stendilo a terra, in modo che lo spettatore o il lettore non abbia mai voglia di staccare gli occhi o posare il libro.
Personaggi robusti, ben costruiti, ben raccontati, non banali.
Un mondo fatto di bianco e nero (e bianchi e neri), e tutto quello che c’è in mezzo.
E, in più, uno spaccato del Sudafrica post-apartheid, paese misterioso travagliato e giovanissimo dalla realtà complessa e fragile, in gran parte sconosciuta.
Deon Meyer, Nell’estate 2015 è venuto a presentare "Cobra" a Roma: l’incontro s’è svolto all’Ergo Bar Culture lungo il Tevere.
La naja mossabica, o cobra sputatore del Mozambico.
Un prestigioso matematico inglese (di Oxford) viene rapito in una villa esclusiva. I rapitori lasciano sul terreno tre morti e un bossolo di troppo.
Un giovane borseggiatore intelligente e affascinante, orfano meticcio, mette le mani nelle tasche sbagliate.
Bennie Grissel deve risolvere il caso. Anzi, i casi.
Il romanzo si muove su un sentiero consumato: Benny Griessel, il protagonista detective di polizia, si presenta sulla scena del crimine con l'aria di chi ha passato una nottataccia.
Deon Meyer usa le regole e le situazioni che sono comuni al genere (poliziotti ubriachi, con situazioni familiari complicate, ladri abili, assassini pericolosi, violenza improvvisa…): ma siccome immerge tutto nel suo paese, il Sudafrica post-apartheid, nella regione di Città del Capo, là dove le montagne incalzano l’oceano, diventa unico nel genere.
Il luogo dove Tyrone, il giovane borseggiatore, ruba la borsa.
Circondato da uno scenario mozzafiato, il detective Griessel, che in questo romanzo è stato da poco promosso nei Cape Town Hawks, squadra d'élite di investigatori che si occupano di omicidi e crimini violenti, Benny Griessel, che discende da coloni olandesi, e fa quindi parte della minoranza che ha dominato fino a pochi anni fa (1994), si muove in un paese multirazziale dove alla fine dell’apartheid non è seguita né la fine della sua eredità né tanto meno una vera integrazione.
Ma il paese è in rapida modernizzazione.
Cape Town
Thriller e crime novel insolito, movimentato, emozionante, coinvolgente.
Senza retorica, senza cadute di tono, con bella atmosfera.
Dialogo efficace, senza sbavature.
Ben documentato, basato su un notevole lavoro di ricerca che svela particolari nuovi di fatti che fanno discutere ma si conoscono superficialmente.
Un plot denso e complesso, con dettagli curati.
Un intreccio che crea tensione in crescendo, con colpi di scena.
Il van del Deon Meyer Mistery Tour trasporta i lettori nei luoghi dei romanzi di Meyer.
Se la situazione è complessa, rendila ancora più complessa (è quella che io chiamo la regola Spielberg), se chi ti guarda o legge sta trattenendo il fiato per la suspense, levaglielo tutto, non lasciargliene neppure un po’, se è in ginocchio per l’ansia, stendilo a terra, in modo che lo spettatore o il lettore non abbia mai voglia di staccare gli occhi o posare il libro.
Personaggi robusti, ben costruiti, ben raccontati, non banali.
Un mondo fatto di bianco e nero (e bianchi e neri), e tutto quello che c’è in mezzo.
E, in più, uno spaccato del Sudafrica post-apartheid, paese misterioso travagliato e giovanissimo dalla realtà complessa e fragile, in gran parte sconosciuta.
Deon Meyer, Nell’estate 2015 è venuto a presentare "Cobra" a Roma: l’incontro s’è svolto all’Ergo Bar Culture lungo il Tevere.
October 21, 2024
Meyer works his magic once again, transporting us straight to South Africa with his brilliant storytelling. He paints a vivid picture of a world that's both sad and beautiful, and you can’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia as you read. Bennie, the main character, is wild and deeply flawed, but that’s what makes him so real—you’ll feel every one of his struggles. It's another hit in the series, keeping you hooked from start to finish!
August 11, 2020
Cobra is my 7th book involving Benny Griessel and his post-apartheid multi-cultural team of the Hawks, and chronologically it is the 4th book in the series. It is set in Capetown.
Professor Adair has been kidnapped shortly after arriving in Capetown from Cambridge. He travelled under a false name and fake passport. His two bodyguards were shot dead. Benny, Cupido and other members of the Hawks are assigned to the case. Bullet shells carrying the engraving on the casings of a cobra are the only clue.
I found the beginning very complicated and it fell flat for me. There was much discussion and speculation about the professor's specialty in mathematics, computer programming, and his design of the Adair Algorithm. This work is feared by terrorist groups, gangster money launderers, local and international banks, and some high-ranking government officials.
The insignia on the bullets are traced through Interpol to a group of assassins, lead by a man who calls himself the Cobra. They have been carrying out contract killings on people in various countries over the years, and are believed to be ex-members of the French Foreign Legion. Interpol identifies the identity of the Cobra and his deadly path of assassinations over the years. Files about the Cobra are sent to the Hawks. A government police agency tries unsuccessfully to shut Griessel and team down. There is another mass slaughter by the Cobra.
This award-winning series paints a vivid portrait of crime and corruption in present-day South Africa. The books are written in Afrikaans and translated into several languages. Some local and foreign expressions add an element of flavour to the dialogues. The first part of the book which included Interpol documents and complicated speculation about tracing money trails through banks by technology made my eyes glaze over and my brain turn to mush. I can't recommend reading this book before reading the other exciting thrillers proceeding it and in getting to know the characters more. Once the story kicks into high gear, we are treated to some pulse-pounding, breathtaking and explosive action with some brilliant police work by the Hawks. The thrills and chills are all there once the plot is set up and falls into place.
Where are the professor and his data? Why does so much of the story concentrate on an endearing young pickpocket? Who is following whom? Who hired the Hawks to abduct the professor? The finale is action-packed, frightening and bloody.
Professor Adair has been kidnapped shortly after arriving in Capetown from Cambridge. He travelled under a false name and fake passport. His two bodyguards were shot dead. Benny, Cupido and other members of the Hawks are assigned to the case. Bullet shells carrying the engraving on the casings of a cobra are the only clue.
I found the beginning very complicated and it fell flat for me. There was much discussion and speculation about the professor's specialty in mathematics, computer programming, and his design of the Adair Algorithm. This work is feared by terrorist groups, gangster money launderers, local and international banks, and some high-ranking government officials.
The insignia on the bullets are traced through Interpol to a group of assassins, lead by a man who calls himself the Cobra. They have been carrying out contract killings on people in various countries over the years, and are believed to be ex-members of the French Foreign Legion. Interpol identifies the identity of the Cobra and his deadly path of assassinations over the years. Files about the Cobra are sent to the Hawks. A government police agency tries unsuccessfully to shut Griessel and team down. There is another mass slaughter by the Cobra.
This award-winning series paints a vivid portrait of crime and corruption in present-day South Africa. The books are written in Afrikaans and translated into several languages. Some local and foreign expressions add an element of flavour to the dialogues. The first part of the book which included Interpol documents and complicated speculation about tracing money trails through banks by technology made my eyes glaze over and my brain turn to mush. I can't recommend reading this book before reading the other exciting thrillers proceeding it and in getting to know the characters more. Once the story kicks into high gear, we are treated to some pulse-pounding, breathtaking and explosive action with some brilliant police work by the Hawks. The thrills and chills are all there once the plot is set up and falls into place.
Where are the professor and his data? Why does so much of the story concentrate on an endearing young pickpocket? Who is following whom? Who hired the Hawks to abduct the professor? The finale is action-packed, frightening and bloody.
April 4, 2021
I knew when I started this book that it had been a few years since I’d last read a novel in the Benny Griessel series, but checking back on GR I was surprised to see that it was as far back as October 2014 that I read the previous one. The upshot was that I struggled to recall the various characters, though I think I remember Mbali Kaleni from previous adventures. I also had to pick up from scratch with Benny’s personal life. This doesn’t play a huge part in the book, but that aspect of the story is done really well and provided an element of light relief.
Deon Meyer writes in Afrikaans and I read his books in English translation. The translator for the Benny Griessel books is K.L. Seegers, and he chooses to leave quite a few Afrikaans words and phrases in the English text. Personally I find this works well and heightens my enjoyment of reading the books.
With Deon Meyer you are almost guaranteed a decent thriller. Yet again he delivers that, although for me the “thriller” element wasn’t quite as good as the author’s very best. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.
Deon Meyer writes in Afrikaans and I read his books in English translation. The translator for the Benny Griessel books is K.L. Seegers, and he chooses to leave quite a few Afrikaans words and phrases in the English text. Personally I find this works well and heightens my enjoyment of reading the books.
With Deon Meyer you are almost guaranteed a decent thriller. Yet again he delivers that, although for me the “thriller” element wasn’t quite as good as the author’s very best. 3.5 stars rounded up to four.
October 16, 2017
The most notable thing with this book was the quality of the writing - so, so good! And since it is a translation points must go to both the author and the translator. I love the way certain Afrikaans phrases are left in the English text. They give it atmosphere and constantly remind the reader that you are in a country with very specific cultural issues.
Meyer's books vary as to the balance of police procedural versus action thriller. This one leans heavily towards procedure and it is a delight to watch the varied cast of characters working as a team to come up with results. Of course there is action and a pretty high body count as well!
Benny is a fantastic character and after four books I am coming to know him well. He has a grip on his alcoholism now although it is a perpetual concern for him and by the end of this book he seems to have his private life sorted. Best of all was watching him in charge of the whole team and managing their way to success.
A really good book from a talented author and I have the next one all ready on my shelf:)
Meyer's books vary as to the balance of police procedural versus action thriller. This one leans heavily towards procedure and it is a delight to watch the varied cast of characters working as a team to come up with results. Of course there is action and a pretty high body count as well!
Benny is a fantastic character and after four books I am coming to know him well. He has a grip on his alcoholism now although it is a perpetual concern for him and by the end of this book he seems to have his private life sorted. Best of all was watching him in charge of the whole team and managing their way to success.
A really good book from a talented author and I have the next one all ready on my shelf:)
February 1, 2018
Tyrone Kleinbooi is a petty thief, riding the train network in the Cape Town area, working the tourist spots to fund his sister’s studies at Stellenbosch University. He dreams of hitting it rich and one day travelling to Barcelona: the Holy Grail of pickpocketing. At the Victoria and Albert Waterfront his scheme comes undone when he steals the purse from a young woman’s bag - the wrong mark - and is apprehended by security guards and taken to the control centre. Within minutes the door bursts open and the guards are killed, Tyrone loses his backpack while fleeing for his Life.
As Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido investigate the shootings, the spent cartridges are found to be marked with the drawing of a cobra, the same ammunition used earlier to kill two bodyguards from “Body Armour” hired to protect an Englishman at an exclusive retreat at a vineyard, and who is now missing. The British Consulate in Cape Town is anxious to hose things down and Captain Vaughn Cupido is unconvinced.
’No Benna. Here we have an academic who suddenly has a false passport? How? I don’t buy it. Here’s this innocent professor who has a whole other Morris identity, and makes his Gmail cleaner than a virgin’s conscience? I mean, come on…’
Before the investigation can proceed the detectives are told to stand down and hand over all evidence to the South African secret service, working with MI6. Risking their careers, the flamboyant Cupido, himself a Cape coloured, the recovering alcoholic Griessel, and the short stout Zulu Mbali, pistol in her handbag and highly intelligent, press on to find the professor and the killers, pulling together as never before.
A vetgat, windgat and a dronkgat. The fat, the vain, and the drunk.
On the run from the heavies pickpocket Tyrone heads to Bellville, unaware of its contents of the purse he has stolen, until the killer uses the thief’s mobile, found in his rucksack to trap the sister, and now Tyrone needs all the help he can get.
…on the square at Krustal Avenue and among the informal trader’s stalls in the alleyways and malls, you found more characters and shysters per square metre than any other place in the Cape.
Again Deon Meyer has produced a gritty masterpiece that has the pages turning, the storyline switching between the “Hawks” investigation and the street-savvy thief. Like his earlier books, Meyer produces a map in the front (gets an extra star from me), and a glossary of Afrikaans words and explanations of terms such as “MK” - Mkhonto we Sizwe - or Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) – the military wing of the ANC. But it’s his description of minor characters that adds extra flavour.
He was chunky and hairy – short beard and moustache, hair growing out of his ears, hair out of his nose, hair that pushed out from under the collar of his grey pullover, like plants reaching for light.
What’s not to like?
As Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido investigate the shootings, the spent cartridges are found to be marked with the drawing of a cobra, the same ammunition used earlier to kill two bodyguards from “Body Armour” hired to protect an Englishman at an exclusive retreat at a vineyard, and who is now missing. The British Consulate in Cape Town is anxious to hose things down and Captain Vaughn Cupido is unconvinced.
’No Benna. Here we have an academic who suddenly has a false passport? How? I don’t buy it. Here’s this innocent professor who has a whole other Morris identity, and makes his Gmail cleaner than a virgin’s conscience? I mean, come on…’
Before the investigation can proceed the detectives are told to stand down and hand over all evidence to the South African secret service, working with MI6. Risking their careers, the flamboyant Cupido, himself a Cape coloured, the recovering alcoholic Griessel, and the short stout Zulu Mbali, pistol in her handbag and highly intelligent, press on to find the professor and the killers, pulling together as never before.
A vetgat, windgat and a dronkgat. The fat, the vain, and the drunk.
On the run from the heavies pickpocket Tyrone heads to Bellville, unaware of its contents of the purse he has stolen, until the killer uses the thief’s mobile, found in his rucksack to trap the sister, and now Tyrone needs all the help he can get.
…on the square at Krustal Avenue and among the informal trader’s stalls in the alleyways and malls, you found more characters and shysters per square metre than any other place in the Cape.
Again Deon Meyer has produced a gritty masterpiece that has the pages turning, the storyline switching between the “Hawks” investigation and the street-savvy thief. Like his earlier books, Meyer produces a map in the front (gets an extra star from me), and a glossary of Afrikaans words and explanations of terms such as “MK” - Mkhonto we Sizwe - or Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation) – the military wing of the ANC. But it’s his description of minor characters that adds extra flavour.
He was chunky and hairy – short beard and moustache, hair growing out of his ears, hair out of his nose, hair that pushed out from under the collar of his grey pullover, like plants reaching for light.
What’s not to like?
September 24, 2014
South African Deon Meyer is the putative giant of second-tier thrillers (but he should be first-tier!). He stays consistently at the top of my pile of crime fiction literature, and never fails to pull me in with his muscular prose and taut, thrilling plot lines, the kind of narrative that usually takes place in a narrow period of time and with a lot at stake. In COBRA (and I won't reveal *why* the title, since it is fun just getting to it!), Benny Griessel is back again, fighting his personal demons as well as the external ones.
Meyer has hit on the global zeitgeist of crime in his latest book, placing technology at the center of the plot. It is also fun watching Luddite Benny Griessel struggling to get a handle on 21st century telecommunications. Meyer, while keeping pace with progress, nails down the importance of creating rich characters to engage readers. He doesn't rely on technology alone to fasten us to the story.
The first pages open with murder and abduction, with the Hawks (South Africa's top police) investigating the bloody mess at a remote guesthouse. Captain Griessel lines up a team to chase down the killer and the kidnapped. The next chapter introduces us to a petty pickpocket named Tyrone, who is trying to help his sister, Nadia, pay for university. We don't know how Tyrone figures into the multiple-homicide case, but Meyer seamlessly provides a juncture for the disparate threads to connect and catapult the story in thicker and more dangerous territory.
Meyer is expert at enriching the story while moving forward vertically. For new readers, the author blends in enough for you to know that Griessel is a recovering alcoholic, and providing some backstory for his current circumstances. Although Benny is a tough, strong guy with plenty of mettle, the veteran detective has some burning issues that cause him to question aspects of his nature. Meyer has created a believable, long-suffering character in Benny.
I was also delighted that he included the heavy-set, sharp, sometimes-comical Captain Mbali Kaleni, the only female in the DCPI Violent Crimes team. I first met her in Thirteen Hours, a memorable character who is both sympathetic and, in the latter book, periodically the brunt of a joke. However, when it comes to fighting crime, she is a force to be reckoned with, a crackerjack detective who is decisive, authoritative, and morally unequivocal. In COBRA, we also see new facets of her character. I'd like to see Meyer write a series of books with Kaleni as the primary protagonist.
If you are new to this author, I am confident that COBRA will not be your last Meyer book. If you are already a fan, your expectations will be amply met; you'll be addicted from the first page. And, the answer to all COBRA's questions aren't guaranteed until the very last page, which keeps you guessing. Meyer is at his peak without being over-the-top! And the Glossary at the back of the book is not only edifying, but enjoyable.
Meyer has hit on the global zeitgeist of crime in his latest book, placing technology at the center of the plot. It is also fun watching Luddite Benny Griessel struggling to get a handle on 21st century telecommunications. Meyer, while keeping pace with progress, nails down the importance of creating rich characters to engage readers. He doesn't rely on technology alone to fasten us to the story.
The first pages open with murder and abduction, with the Hawks (South Africa's top police) investigating the bloody mess at a remote guesthouse. Captain Griessel lines up a team to chase down the killer and the kidnapped. The next chapter introduces us to a petty pickpocket named Tyrone, who is trying to help his sister, Nadia, pay for university. We don't know how Tyrone figures into the multiple-homicide case, but Meyer seamlessly provides a juncture for the disparate threads to connect and catapult the story in thicker and more dangerous territory.
Meyer is expert at enriching the story while moving forward vertically. For new readers, the author blends in enough for you to know that Griessel is a recovering alcoholic, and providing some backstory for his current circumstances. Although Benny is a tough, strong guy with plenty of mettle, the veteran detective has some burning issues that cause him to question aspects of his nature. Meyer has created a believable, long-suffering character in Benny.
I was also delighted that he included the heavy-set, sharp, sometimes-comical Captain Mbali Kaleni, the only female in the DCPI Violent Crimes team. I first met her in Thirteen Hours, a memorable character who is both sympathetic and, in the latter book, periodically the brunt of a joke. However, when it comes to fighting crime, she is a force to be reckoned with, a crackerjack detective who is decisive, authoritative, and morally unequivocal. In COBRA, we also see new facets of her character. I'd like to see Meyer write a series of books with Kaleni as the primary protagonist.
If you are new to this author, I am confident that COBRA will not be your last Meyer book. If you are already a fan, your expectations will be amply met; you'll be addicted from the first page. And, the answer to all COBRA's questions aren't guaranteed until the very last page, which keeps you guessing. Meyer is at his peak without being over-the-top! And the Glossary at the back of the book is not only edifying, but enjoyable.
October 20, 2019
Ευχάριστο police procedural που διαβάζεται εύκολα, έχει ωραίους χαρακτήρες και, παρότι δεν είναι πρωτότυπο σε κάποιο επίπεδο, μπορείς να το ξεχωρίσεις λόγω της γραφής του από τα συνηθισμένα σκανδιναβικά.
March 9, 2019
Μια πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα ιστορία,ένας μαθηματικός διάνοια θύμα απαγωγής και ένας δολοφόνος που αφήνει την υπογραφή του στον τόπο του εγκλήματος.Ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες,"ανθρώπινοι" ήρωες με τους δαίμονές τους,προσπαθούν να διαλευκάνουν την υπόθεση ερχόμενοι αντιμέτωποι με το διεφθαρμένο σύστημα.Το μόνο που μου έλειψε,είναι λίγη περισσότερη Αφρική.Ενώ υπήρχαν αναφορές και στην ιδιαίτερη γεωγραφία της και στα πολιτικά της καθεστώτα σκόρπιες εδώ κι εκεί,μου έλειψε το άρωμα και οι περιγραφές που θα μου δημιουργούσαν ανεξίτηλες εικόνες.Σε αρκετά σημεία είχα την εντύπωση ότι θα μπορούσε να εκτυλίσσεται και οπουδήποτε αλλού.Ανακάλυψα τον Deon Meyer από αναρτήσεις φίλων και τους ευχαριστώ γι αυτό,ανήκει σίγουρα σε αυτούς που θα επιδιώξω να ξαναδιαβάσω.4,5⭐
September 26, 2018
very nice thriller. i like the events and mainly the characters but most of all that Meyer add to my idea that good thrillers can show their society and it's problems with clear view. this time south africa looked as a country which involve in its corruption. meyer is interesting and sometimes even funny when talks about the problems his main hero the inspector benny have problems how to satisfy in bed his new love. of course it is all in the head. great action. i loved to use of africaner.
March 14, 2015
**2.5 STARS** I should have read this rather than listen to an audible version of the novel. It's an intricate South African plot and the language is mostly Afrikaans. Apparently there was a glossary at the back of the book, which would have been helpful. Most of my GR friends gave this 5 stars so I know it's about me...not the story.
August 12, 2018
Weer eens 'n uitstekende Meyer-spanningsverhaal! Die naelbyt-aksie, die aktuele kwessies en die boeiende karakters maak dit 'n eensitboek: oor en oor die moeite werd. Ek reken steeds dat Infanta koning kraai in Meyer-land, met Onsigbaar so 'n kortkop agter, maar Kobra is 'n waardige toevoeging tot Meyer se al hoe indrukwekkender oeuvre.
Kobra is an excellent new suspence novel by Deon Meyer. While those of us who can read Afrikaans rave a little gloatingly, his other fans need to wait for the translations to stream forth. I'm sure the translators are already slaving away with great joy. I realise how Yrsa Sigurdardóttir's Icelandic fans must feel while I gnash my teeth and watch Amazon with a hawk's eye!
Kobra is an excellent new suspence novel by Deon Meyer. While those of us who can read Afrikaans rave a little gloatingly, his other fans need to wait for the translations to stream forth. I'm sure the translators are already slaving away with great joy. I realise how Yrsa Sigurdardóttir's Icelandic fans must feel while I gnash my teeth and watch Amazon with a hawk's eye!
June 11, 2024
Back in South Africa with detective Benny Griessel.
A character not dissimilar to Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole, predominantly as he also fights with the demon drink whilst maintaining a high level of functionality AND of course I likes him, it’s been a great series to follow getting better with each read.
We start with a murder scene which has all the hallmarks of a professional hit, the story escalating as the investigation reveals various idiosyncrasies at the start.
There is a plethora of characters (at the start) in this one, new & old, all with differing reactions to our main man, but it soon settles into a rhythm, each easy to follow along with their motives & quirks. As well as the converging threads.
As always, the story is littered with Afrikaans (and other languages/dialects) phrases, curses & local expressions where the context is clear enough (most of the time) even if you don’t know the direct meaning or take the time to look them up, its not a distraction for me tbh but sometimes they do come thick & fast & I suspect they have more cultural intent/context than I realise or can relate to, plus there is a glossary at the back translating them all.
Certainly, gives you a flavour of the Cape region… I forgot to mention it’s set in & around Cape Town.
Lots of twists along the way, good paced action thriller
5 stars for me, very enjoyable
A character not dissimilar to Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole, predominantly as he also fights with the demon drink whilst maintaining a high level of functionality AND of course I likes him, it’s been a great series to follow getting better with each read.
We start with a murder scene which has all the hallmarks of a professional hit, the story escalating as the investigation reveals various idiosyncrasies at the start.
There is a plethora of characters (at the start) in this one, new & old, all with differing reactions to our main man, but it soon settles into a rhythm, each easy to follow along with their motives & quirks. As well as the converging threads.
As always, the story is littered with Afrikaans (and other languages/dialects) phrases, curses & local expressions where the context is clear enough (most of the time) even if you don’t know the direct meaning or take the time to look them up, its not a distraction for me tbh but sometimes they do come thick & fast & I suspect they have more cultural intent/context than I realise or can relate to, plus there is a glossary at the back translating them all.
Certainly, gives you a flavour of the Cape region… I forgot to mention it’s set in & around Cape Town.
Lots of twists along the way, good paced action thriller
5 stars for me, very enjoyable
December 8, 2025
4½✨
Die spanning het hoog geloop in hierdie een.
Met tye was my adrenalien net so hoog soos die karakters sin en ek moes my slef die boek maak neersit en net bietjie asem haal.
Ek het ñ onverklarbare vrees gehad dat dat van my gunsteling karakters dit nie gaan maak nie, dat daar dood aan die einde van die boek lê, en ek wou nie weet wie ek gaan verloor nie. So toe sit ek die boek neer vir 2 maande en top hard of ek vêrder moet lees.
Obviously het ek, en ek is nie een oomblik spyt ek het nie. Meyer het ñ amazing skryfstyl, wat boeiend en senu-tergind is. Wat jou wil laat lees tot heeltemal te laat in die aand. En ek moet sê hy is soos goeie rooiwyn - raak net beter met ouderdom.
Ek sien uit na my volgende Bennie riller, gelukkige staan hy reeds op my boekrak.
Die spanning het hoog geloop in hierdie een.
Met tye was my adrenalien net so hoog soos die karakters sin en ek moes my slef die boek maak neersit en net bietjie asem haal.
Ek het ñ onverklarbare vrees gehad dat dat van my gunsteling karakters dit nie gaan maak nie, dat daar dood aan die einde van die boek lê, en ek wou nie weet wie ek gaan verloor nie. So toe sit ek die boek neer vir 2 maande en top hard of ek vêrder moet lees.
Obviously het ek, en ek is nie een oomblik spyt ek het nie. Meyer het ñ amazing skryfstyl, wat boeiend en senu-tergind is. Wat jou wil laat lees tot heeltemal te laat in die aand. En ek moet sê hy is soos goeie rooiwyn - raak net beter met ouderdom.
Ek sien uit na my volgende Bennie riller, gelukkige staan hy reeds op my boekrak.
July 23, 2020
This is the fourth installment in the Benny Griessel series. Set in post-apartheid South Africa, the writing (and translation) is really good, the pacing is well done, and the characters interesting. The story alternates between a couple of threads that you know will connect. I continue to dip into this series whenever I need an compelling yarn with consistently good writing. That Simon Vance narrates the audiobook is the icing on the cake.
December 31, 2015
Sarà anche un libro "di genere" senza pretese di essere una pietra miliare della storia della letteratura, ma funziona benissimo assemblando l'intrattenimento costituito dalla trama thriller con la rappresentazione della realtà del Sudafrica di oggi.
Formalmente l'eroe eponimo è Bennie Griessel, detective un po' in disarmo, ma pari dignità nell'economia del romanzo hanno gli altri membri degli Hawks, il corpo di polizia di élite protagonista delle gesta narrate nei libri di Meyer, la cui composizione etnica è molto "rainbow", esattamente come il Sudafrica aspira ad essere tra mille contraddizioni e difficoltà. La corruzione dei governanti post Mandela si avverte sullo sfondo in ogni pagina, ma più forte èla carica morale ed ideale che accomuna i poliziotti di ogni estrazione etnica (ci sono il meticcio Vaughn Cupido, il xhosa Boshingo, la zulu Mbali, oltre al frastornato e malinconico eroe bianco afrikaan Bennie Griessel).
Letteratura di pura evasione certo, ma scritta con mestiere, ma anche con profondo affetto per la propria giovane e complicata terra.
Deon Meyer, da bravo sudafricano bianco, è tifosissimo di rugby (come il sottoscritto) e dei gloriosi Springboks in primis, ed alla fine non resiste alla tentazione di vendicarsi......Il famigerato commando di sicari che si firma "Cobra" è costituito da ex membri della legione straniera, di cui solo uno è di origine francese, e viene ucciso nel conflitto a fuoco con gli Hawks, un tal Romain Poite.
Per chi non frequenta i campi di rugby Romain Poite è un arbitro francese che ha osato espellere Bismarck Du Plessis (il n° 2 degli Springboks) per un placcaggio regolarissimo su Dan Carter (il n°10 degli All Blacks) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZdaV...
ed è decisamente impopolare in Sudafrica. Immagino che Meyer abbia goduto tanissimo a trattare il suo personaggio come bambolina woodoo dell'odiato fischietto.
Formalmente l'eroe eponimo è Bennie Griessel, detective un po' in disarmo, ma pari dignità nell'economia del romanzo hanno gli altri membri degli Hawks, il corpo di polizia di élite protagonista delle gesta narrate nei libri di Meyer, la cui composizione etnica è molto "rainbow", esattamente come il Sudafrica aspira ad essere tra mille contraddizioni e difficoltà. La corruzione dei governanti post Mandela si avverte sullo sfondo in ogni pagina, ma più forte èla carica morale ed ideale che accomuna i poliziotti di ogni estrazione etnica (ci sono il meticcio Vaughn Cupido, il xhosa Boshingo, la zulu Mbali, oltre al frastornato e malinconico eroe bianco afrikaan Bennie Griessel).
Letteratura di pura evasione certo, ma scritta con mestiere, ma anche con profondo affetto per la propria giovane e complicata terra.
Deon Meyer, da bravo sudafricano bianco, è tifosissimo di rugby (come il sottoscritto) e dei gloriosi Springboks in primis, ed alla fine non resiste alla tentazione di vendicarsi......Il famigerato commando di sicari che si firma "Cobra" è costituito da ex membri della legione straniera, di cui solo uno è di origine francese, e viene ucciso nel conflitto a fuoco con gli Hawks, un tal Romain Poite.
Per chi non frequenta i campi di rugby Romain Poite è un arbitro francese che ha osato espellere Bismarck Du Plessis (il n° 2 degli Springboks) per un placcaggio regolarissimo su Dan Carter (il n°10 degli All Blacks) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZdaV...
ed è decisamente impopolare in Sudafrica. Immagino che Meyer abbia goduto tanissimo a trattare il suo personaggio come bambolina woodoo dell'odiato fischietto.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2014
Deon Meyer se boeke is amazing, en Kobra is een van my gunstelinge. Die karakters is almal volrond met unieke stemme, soveel so dat jy hulle mis aan die einde van die boek. Ek het veral die cape flat stemme van uncle Solly, Tyrone en Cupido geniet. Never trust a phone company that makes fridges, pappie. Sy beskrywing van Kaapstad en omgewing laat mens ook sommer voel of jy daar is.
Sy uitbeelding van SA se huidige politieke situasie is hartseer, maar 100% akuraat. ...maar nou voel dit weer soos in die ou dae. 'n Regering wat stadigaan verrot. En dit is aansteeklik. Al hoe meer polisiemanne vang sotlikhede aan en daar's al hoe meer wanbestuur, korrupsie en gierigheid... Hy verwys gereeld na dinge wat onlangs in die nuus was, en dis nice om 'n storie te lees waarin iemand nie bang is om iets te roep soos hy dit sien nie. Definitief nie polities korrek nie, maar baie real.
Laastens was die storie self boeiend en ek kon nie die boek neersit nie, ek het dit in twee dae deurgevlieg. As jy nog nie 'n Deon gelees het nie, beveel ek aan dat jy met Infanta, die eerste van die Bennie Griessel boeke begin. You'll never look back.
Die lewe is een lang proses van ontnugtering, om jou te genees van die fabels van jou jeug.
Sy uitbeelding van SA se huidige politieke situasie is hartseer, maar 100% akuraat. ...maar nou voel dit weer soos in die ou dae. 'n Regering wat stadigaan verrot. En dit is aansteeklik. Al hoe meer polisiemanne vang sotlikhede aan en daar's al hoe meer wanbestuur, korrupsie en gierigheid... Hy verwys gereeld na dinge wat onlangs in die nuus was, en dis nice om 'n storie te lees waarin iemand nie bang is om iets te roep soos hy dit sien nie. Definitief nie polities korrek nie, maar baie real.
Laastens was die storie self boeiend en ek kon nie die boek neersit nie, ek het dit in twee dae deurgevlieg. As jy nog nie 'n Deon gelees het nie, beveel ek aan dat jy met Infanta, die eerste van die Bennie Griessel boeke begin. You'll never look back.
Die lewe is een lang proses van ontnugtering, om jou te genees van die fabels van jou jeug.
October 25, 2014
Two bodyguards and a hotel worker are killed, and their charge (a Cambridge University professor involved in detecting terrorist financing) goes missing. Captain Benny Griessel, now part of the elite Hawks corps (of the South African Police Service) is called to investigate, and quickly determines the involvement of a professional killer. Shell casings marked with a cobra are linked to an assassin for hire by Interpol. Meanwhile, a young pickpocket (Tyrone) trying to support his sister, unknowingly steals the ransom, leading to another killing spree. But Tyrone is angered by their kidnapping of his innocent sister, and he goes off to settle things himself. Meyer has superb, but flawed characters, the now sober Benny, his new love interest/musician Alexa, the always serious female Captain Mbali, his boss Colonel Nyathi. Another excellent one by this South African author, relatively unknown here in the U.S. Highly recommended.
August 29, 2018
I’ve become a big fan of Deon Meyer’s writing! Meyer sets scenes and gives life to characters with a winning combination of dialogue (using wide variations of Cape Town/Afrikaans dialects) and apt descriptions. Each character becomes cemented in my mind soon after the book begins and it’s a delight to watch them interact with each other as the plot unfolds. Captain Benny Griessel, is the main protagonist in Cobra. He is brilliant, troubled and battling alcoholism. Griessel works alongside two other ‘Hawk team’ inspectors, Vaughn Cupido, a Cape coloured and the handbag wielding Zulu Mbali to make sense of the death of a heavily body-guarded English mathematician, a mass shooting at a mall and the kidnapping of a young female medical student.
November 4, 2019
Μια μικρή ομάδα αστυνομικών αντιστέκεται στις δυσκολίες και παρά τα περιορισμένα μέσα που διαθέτει, προσπαθεί να πιάσει τον περίφημο επαγγελματία δολοφόνο "Κόμπρα" και να απελευθερώσει τον όμηρο. Η ιστορία ξεκινάει από την υπόθεση ομηρίας, αλλά στην πορεία προκύπτουν πολλά θύματα και ένα ανελέητο ανθρωποκυνηγητό.
Μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ, είχε πολλή δράση και αγωνία, είχε την διάλεκτο των Afrikaans, είχε πολύ συμπαθητικούς χαρακτήρες και θα ήθελα πολύ να το δω γυρισμένο σε ταινία.
Αν και είναι το τέταρτο βιβλίο της σειράς, στέκεται καλά και μόνο του, εμβαθύνοντας στον χαρακτήρα του πρωταγωνιστή (Μπένι) και των υπόλοιπων ηρώων που τον συντροφεύουν. Ο Μπένι είναι ιδιαίτερα ανθρώπινος, με αδυναμίες και προτερήματα και η υπόλοιπη ομάδα τον συμπληρώνει.
Από την άλλη, πρωταγωνιστής (που ίσως κλέβει την παράσταση) είναι και ο μικρούλης Tyrone. Στη λάθος ώρα, στο λάθος μέρος, πάει και κλέβει το λάθος πρόσωπο και ανοίγει τον ασκό του Αιόλου! Έξυπνος, ευέλικτος, ευπροσάρμοστος, ευρηματικός, ταχύτατος και σε πολλά σημεία προνοητικός. Καταφέρνει να τα βάλει μόνος του με την ομάδα των 5 δολοφόνων και να βγει νικητής.
Το στοιχεία που δεν μου άρεσαν είναι:
- ότι τελικά η κόμπρα δεν ήταν μία, αλλά πέντε (σαν τη Λερναία Ύδρα ένα πράγμα!)
- ότι δεν είχε πολύ νόημα να αφήνουν παντού κάλυκες με την κόμπρα
- ότι από ένα σημείο και μετά "ξέφυγε" λίγο η ιστορία, ειδικά με τις σούπερ παρακολουθήσεις (μέχρι και στα κείμενα των μηνυμάτων) και με τον υπερ-αλγόριθμο του καθηγητή
Μου άρεσε πάρα πολύ, είχε πολλή δράση και αγωνία, είχε την διάλεκτο των Afrikaans, είχε πολύ συμπαθητικούς χαρακτήρες και θα ήθελα πολύ να το δω γυρισμένο σε ταινία.
Αν και είναι το τέταρτο βιβλίο της σειράς, στέκεται καλά και μόνο του, εμβαθύνοντας στον χαρακτήρα του πρωταγωνιστή (Μπένι) και των υπόλοιπων ηρώων που τον συντροφεύουν. Ο Μπένι είναι ιδιαίτερα ανθρώπινος, με αδυναμίες και προτερήματα και η υπόλοιπη ομάδα τον συμπληρώνει.
Από την άλλη, πρωταγωνιστής (που ίσως κλέβει την παράσταση) είναι και ο μικρούλης Tyrone. Στη λάθος ώρα, στο λάθος μέρος, πάει και κλέβει το λάθος πρόσωπο και ανοίγει τον ασκό του Αιόλου! Έξυπνος, ευέλικτος, ευπροσάρμοστος, ευρηματικός, ταχύτατος και σε πολλά σημεία προνοητικός. Καταφέρνει να τα βάλει μόνος του με την ομάδα των 5 δολοφόνων και να βγει νικητής.
Το στοιχεία που δεν μου άρεσαν είναι:
- ότι τελικά η κόμπρα δεν ήταν μία, αλλά πέντε (σαν τη Λερναία Ύδρα ένα πράγμα!)
- ότι δεν είχε πολύ νόημα να αφήνουν παντού κάλυκες με την κόμπρα
- ότι από ένα σημείο και μετά "ξέφυγε" λίγο η ιστορία, ειδικά με τις σούπερ παρακολουθήσεις (μέχρι και στα κείμενα των μηνυμάτων) και με τον υπερ-αλγόριθμο του καθηγητή
November 1, 2023
Jis, Deon Meyer is next level.
Hierdie boek is briljant.
Hierdie boek is briljant.
June 2, 2014
In het begin moest ik er even inkomen. Er werden met lastige termen gesmeten. Maar op een gegeven moment grijpt het verhaal en dan wil je maar blijven lezen, om te weten te komen hoe het gaat aflopen.
Kapitein Bennie Griessel wordt betrokken bij een bloedbad bij een luxe vakantiehuis. Er worden hulzen gevonden met de mysterieuze spugende Cobra en hierdoor start een onderzoek met heel veel ellende en moeilijkheden. Griessel zit niet op moeilijkheden te wachten want die heeft hij al genoeg, hij liegt, bedriegt en heeft contact met zijn AA sponsor. Zal hij het onderzoek tot een goed einde brengen?
Ik heb genoten van dit boek, dus ik hoop jullie ook!
Kapitein Bennie Griessel wordt betrokken bij een bloedbad bij een luxe vakantiehuis. Er worden hulzen gevonden met de mysterieuze spugende Cobra en hierdoor start een onderzoek met heel veel ellende en moeilijkheden. Griessel zit niet op moeilijkheden te wachten want die heeft hij al genoeg, hij liegt, bedriegt en heeft contact met zijn AA sponsor. Zal hij het onderzoek tot een goed einde brengen?
Ik heb genoten van dit boek, dus ik hoop jullie ook!
April 28, 2018
Dieses Hörbuch wurde mir wärmsten empfohlen und somit habe ich es mir angehört. Zunächst war ich etwas enttäuscht. Zu viele Namen man muss höllisch aufpassen, gerade wenn man noch nie etwas aus der Griessel Reihe gehört hat. Doch die Spannung ist kaum zu überbieten. Ganz tolle rasante Story hat mir gut gefallen. 5 Sterne für dieses Hörbuch, das ich innerhalb von nur 2 Tagen durchgehört habe.
Folge mir auf YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEqm...
Folge mir auf YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEqm...
August 11, 2024
Grote fan van Bennie Griessel geworden. Zuid-Afrikaanse politie op zijn best. Racisme onder zwarten, blanken, en kleurlingen. En dan de manier van schrijven. Geweldig.
January 20, 2015
i will start by stating that i won this thru Goodreads and this was my first Deon Meyer. one of my online book friends enjoys this series so I was very happy to give it a try. she noted that you will not be hindered by not reading the others in the series and that is certainly the case. Benny is part of an elite team (the Hawks) of South African law enforcement and we are introduced to him and his team as they try to track down a possible kidnapping victim. this storyline soon merges with a local pickpocket who is trying to help his sister, but also crosses paths with the kidnapper(s). this is a pretty good procedural with a plot torn from the headlines re terrorism, banking, gov't corruption, etc. Meyer keeps the pages turning with quick scene changes and the last third of the book is all out action, race against time drama. very well done and the ending should have an impact for the next entry assuming there will be more. I will definitely be on board. thanks Goodreads!
April 8, 2016
A surprisingly good read, for an Afrikaans book. If it wasn't for it being one of our book club reads, I probably never would've read this. I'm not too fond of Afrikaans books, but Meyer's storytelling skills and a solid plot drew me into this book in no time. I even laughed a few times. I really liked a lot of the characters and was wholly impressed by Meyer's research i.t.o. the Intelligence environment. I might read more of his books.
December 5, 2013
As always, a great read. You can NOT go wrong with a Deon Meyer-book! Keeps you on the edge of your seat, all the time, guessing until the end.
Only one complaint: the lack of sleep you get when you've started reading, because you can't put any of his books down easily.
Only one complaint: the lack of sleep you get when you've started reading, because you can't put any of his books down easily.
November 17, 2014
i read this way too fast. deon meyer, please write more books. i need you.
oh, review: this book is perfect. the end.
oh, review: this book is perfect. the end.
April 30, 2024
Solide Story und ein bisschen Südafrika - wieder eine gelungene Mischung!
March 3, 2019
In 2015 was de succesvolste Zuid-Afrikaanse thrillerauteur Deon Meyer met Cobra, de vierde Bennie Griessel-thriller, genomineerd voor de International Dagger Award van dat jaar. Het lukte hem niet om deze prestigieuze prijs in de wacht te slepen. Een jaar eerder werd dit boek in Zuid-Afrika nog beloond met de ATKV-prijs voor de beste thriller. Dat hij zoveel succes heeft, heeft ook een keerzijde, want hij kan nergens meer verschijnen zonder herkend te worden. Dit is een reden voor hem om wat minder in zijn eigen land te zijn.
In een gastenverblijf van een wijnboerderij in Franschhoek worden drie lichamen aangetroffen en lijkt er iemand te zijn ontvoerd. Bennie Griessel verricht het eerste onderzoek. De slachtoffers zijn alle door het hoofd geschoten, het lijkt dus op een professionele afrekening. Op de gevonden hulzen staat de afbeelding van een spugende cobra, wat het team van Griessel voor een raadsel stelt. Dit blijkt echter wel hun enige aanwijzing te zijn, dus het lijkt een gecompliceerde zaak te worden. Tot, op last van hogerhand, de nationale veiligheidsdienst het onderzoek overneemt. Daarnaast heeft Griessel ook nog te maken met zijn eigen problemen.
Het begin van Cobra liegt er niet om. Door de vondst van drie lichamen is het al direct interessant, heeft het spanning en bevindt de lezer zich volop in het verhaal, dat eigenlijk nog moet beginnen. En dan is dat in feite nog maar de eerste verhaallijn, want, zoals zo vaak, er is ook nog een tweede. Daarin draait het vooral om Tyrone Kleinbooi, een kleine straatcrimineel, eigenlijk zakkenroller. Op een dag rolt hij de portemonnee van een vrouw, maar dat loopt voor hem niet goed af. Vanaf dat moment komt hij in een rollercoaster van gebeurtenissen terecht waar een doorgewinterde misdadiger angstig van kan worden. En, heel subtiel, beide verhaallijnen komen op een gegeven moment samen tot één geheel. Voor de lezer brengt dat spanning mee, maar diezelfde lezer krijgt ook sympathie voor Tyrone, want in wezen is hij niet eens zo heel erg slecht.
Net als in de voorgaande boeken uit de serie komen de persoonlijke problemen en valkuilen van Griessel ook ruim voldoende aan bod. Meyer doet dit echter wel gedoseerd, want je krijgt nergens het gevoel dat je al die sores nu wel een keer kent en gezien hebt. Waarschijnlijk komt dat ook omdat er in ieder boek weer een nieuwe dimensie aan toe wordt gevoegd. Een handige zet van de auteur, mede omdat je daardoor steeds meer over Griessel te weten komt, het boek krijgt daardoor toch ook weer wat meer diepgang.
Hoewel Cobra vooral een thriller is, geeft het toch ook een vrij goed beeld van en over Zuid-Afrika. Meyer heeft er min of meer zijn handelsmerk van gemaakt om in zijn boeken de maatschappelijke problemen van zijn land aan de kaak te stellen. Daarbij is hij ook wel eens kritisch. Niet erg, want daarmee stijgt zijn werk op de realiteitsmeter. De Afrikaanse woorden die in het verhaal voorkomen, maken het eigenlijk nog realistischer. De lezer waant zich, en dat komt ook door de beeldende schrijfwijze van de auteur, in Zuid-Afrika. Dit mag dan de vierde thriller uit de Griessel-serie zijn, maar daar is niets van te merken. Het boek kan uitstekend afzonderlijk van de eerdere gelezen worden. Daar waar nodig, geeft de auteur een goede en duidelijke uitleg over wat sommige personages in de eerdere boeken hebben meegemaakt. Maar eigenlijk is dat heel sporadisch, vooral omdat dat helemaal niet nodig is.
Op basis van dit boek wekt Meyer geen enkel moment de indruk dat het tijdperk Bennie Griessel voorbij is. De auteur lijkt nog meer dan voldoende inspiratie te hebben om de serie flink uit te breiden. Cobra is daarvoor het onomstotelijke bewijs.
In een gastenverblijf van een wijnboerderij in Franschhoek worden drie lichamen aangetroffen en lijkt er iemand te zijn ontvoerd. Bennie Griessel verricht het eerste onderzoek. De slachtoffers zijn alle door het hoofd geschoten, het lijkt dus op een professionele afrekening. Op de gevonden hulzen staat de afbeelding van een spugende cobra, wat het team van Griessel voor een raadsel stelt. Dit blijkt echter wel hun enige aanwijzing te zijn, dus het lijkt een gecompliceerde zaak te worden. Tot, op last van hogerhand, de nationale veiligheidsdienst het onderzoek overneemt. Daarnaast heeft Griessel ook nog te maken met zijn eigen problemen.
Het begin van Cobra liegt er niet om. Door de vondst van drie lichamen is het al direct interessant, heeft het spanning en bevindt de lezer zich volop in het verhaal, dat eigenlijk nog moet beginnen. En dan is dat in feite nog maar de eerste verhaallijn, want, zoals zo vaak, er is ook nog een tweede. Daarin draait het vooral om Tyrone Kleinbooi, een kleine straatcrimineel, eigenlijk zakkenroller. Op een dag rolt hij de portemonnee van een vrouw, maar dat loopt voor hem niet goed af. Vanaf dat moment komt hij in een rollercoaster van gebeurtenissen terecht waar een doorgewinterde misdadiger angstig van kan worden. En, heel subtiel, beide verhaallijnen komen op een gegeven moment samen tot één geheel. Voor de lezer brengt dat spanning mee, maar diezelfde lezer krijgt ook sympathie voor Tyrone, want in wezen is hij niet eens zo heel erg slecht.
Net als in de voorgaande boeken uit de serie komen de persoonlijke problemen en valkuilen van Griessel ook ruim voldoende aan bod. Meyer doet dit echter wel gedoseerd, want je krijgt nergens het gevoel dat je al die sores nu wel een keer kent en gezien hebt. Waarschijnlijk komt dat ook omdat er in ieder boek weer een nieuwe dimensie aan toe wordt gevoegd. Een handige zet van de auteur, mede omdat je daardoor steeds meer over Griessel te weten komt, het boek krijgt daardoor toch ook weer wat meer diepgang.
Hoewel Cobra vooral een thriller is, geeft het toch ook een vrij goed beeld van en over Zuid-Afrika. Meyer heeft er min of meer zijn handelsmerk van gemaakt om in zijn boeken de maatschappelijke problemen van zijn land aan de kaak te stellen. Daarbij is hij ook wel eens kritisch. Niet erg, want daarmee stijgt zijn werk op de realiteitsmeter. De Afrikaanse woorden die in het verhaal voorkomen, maken het eigenlijk nog realistischer. De lezer waant zich, en dat komt ook door de beeldende schrijfwijze van de auteur, in Zuid-Afrika. Dit mag dan de vierde thriller uit de Griessel-serie zijn, maar daar is niets van te merken. Het boek kan uitstekend afzonderlijk van de eerdere gelezen worden. Daar waar nodig, geeft de auteur een goede en duidelijke uitleg over wat sommige personages in de eerdere boeken hebben meegemaakt. Maar eigenlijk is dat heel sporadisch, vooral omdat dat helemaal niet nodig is.
Op basis van dit boek wekt Meyer geen enkel moment de indruk dat het tijdperk Bennie Griessel voorbij is. De auteur lijkt nog meer dan voldoende inspiratie te hebben om de serie flink uit te breiden. Cobra is daarvoor het onomstotelijke bewijs.
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