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Benny Griessel #5.5
The Woman in the Blue Cloak: Benny Griessel
The Woman in the Blue Cloak is a brilliant novella which will thrill and entertain fans of Deon Meyer's much-loved detective Benny Griessel.
Benny Griessel is a cop on a he plans to ask Alexa Bernard to marry him. That means he needs to buy an engagement ring - and that means he needs a loan. So Benny has a lot on his mind when he is called to a top-priority murder case. A woman's body is discovered, naked and washed in bleach, draped on a wall beside a picturesque road above Cape Town. The identity of the victim is a mystery, as is the reason for her killing.
Gradually, Benny and his colleague Vaughn Cupido begin to work out the roots of the 17th century.
Benny Griessel is a cop on a he plans to ask Alexa Bernard to marry him. That means he needs to buy an engagement ring - and that means he needs a loan. So Benny has a lot on his mind when he is called to a top-priority murder case. A woman's body is discovered, naked and washed in bleach, draped on a wall beside a picturesque road above Cape Town. The identity of the victim is a mystery, as is the reason for her killing.
Gradually, Benny and his colleague Vaughn Cupido begin to work out the roots of the 17th century.
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First published January 1, 2017
351 people are currently reading
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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 363 reviews
April 29, 2019
An enjoyable novella, quick and easy to read. A woman's naked body has been found beside a roadway in South Africa, killed by a quick blow to the back of the head and covered in bleach to hide DNA evidence. Local cops Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido are on the case, which leads them to a Professor of History, a dodgy PI and an out of the way farm.
Who is the woman? What brought about her death in the middle of nowhere? Read it and find out, you'll find international intrigue and a satisfying conclusion, though it could have been fleshed out a lot more. A book for a rainy afternoon.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Who is the woman? What brought about her death in the middle of nowhere? Read it and find out, you'll find international intrigue and a satisfying conclusion, though it could have been fleshed out a lot more. A book for a rainy afternoon.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2018
This is a short novella by Deon Meyer in his marvellous Captain Benny Griessel series set in Cape Town, South Africa. Benny is a Hawk, a detective working in the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations under Mbali Kaleni, the head of his unit. His personal life is currently in a good place, his relationship with Alexa, the well known singer, makes him happy, and he wants to marry her. Both have been through challenging times, they are both ex-alcoholics and Benny has been married before. He is looking to buy an engagement ring, much to the disgust of his long term police partner, the commitment phobic Vaughn Cupido, who feels Benny's marriage plans put pressure on his relationship. The ring is going to be expensive, Benny wants Alexa to have a ring she can proudly show in public so he heads for a pawnshop run by long term reputable friend of his. However, despite being a long term and reliable customer of his bank, they are reluctant to advance him the loan he needs for the engagement ring.
Griessel and Cupido find themselves involved in a mystery that goes back in time to the 17th century to an explosion in Delft, a town in the Netherlands and the possession of a piece of art in a South African family that goes back centuries to Gysbert van Reenen. In the present day, a woman's naked body is found prominently displayed as if it was a work of art. The police are left bewildered as to her identity and there is little scope to gather evidence as the body has been bleached. When her identity is finally revealed, she turns out to have been an American residing in Britain who had retired from her work as an Art Recoveries expert. This is not a death that can be ignored with its international repercussions. Benny's investigations lead to encounters with a retired professor, a corrupt ex-cop turned private investigator, and a farming family residing in Villiersdorp. I really enjoyed reading this and my only complaint is that I would loved it to have been longer. This novella is a great addition to the series, it gives a picture of modern day South Africa with a wonderful protagonist in Benny Griessel, with both his police career and his personal life. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
Griessel and Cupido find themselves involved in a mystery that goes back in time to the 17th century to an explosion in Delft, a town in the Netherlands and the possession of a piece of art in a South African family that goes back centuries to Gysbert van Reenen. In the present day, a woman's naked body is found prominently displayed as if it was a work of art. The police are left bewildered as to her identity and there is little scope to gather evidence as the body has been bleached. When her identity is finally revealed, she turns out to have been an American residing in Britain who had retired from her work as an Art Recoveries expert. This is not a death that can be ignored with its international repercussions. Benny's investigations lead to encounters with a retired professor, a corrupt ex-cop turned private investigator, and a farming family residing in Villiersdorp. I really enjoyed reading this and my only complaint is that I would loved it to have been longer. This novella is a great addition to the series, it gives a picture of modern day South Africa with a wonderful protagonist in Benny Griessel, with both his police career and his personal life. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
May 8, 2019
This is a great series which I follow religiously, reading each one as it comes out. The Woman in the Blue Cloak is a reasonably long novella and another great story about Captain Benny Griessel.
Benny is in a really good place now having managed to give up alcohol. He is working in the top crime branch in Cape Town, has a good partner at work and is about to propose to his girl friend. Some times it is good to read a crime novel where the main character is feeling good and is able to concentrate on the job at hand.
This was a very enjoyable, if too short, read which left me feeling very nostalgic for when I used to live in South Africa.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Benny is in a really good place now having managed to give up alcohol. He is working in the top crime branch in Cape Town, has a good partner at work and is about to propose to his girl friend. Some times it is good to read a crime novel where the main character is feeling good and is able to concentrate on the job at hand.
This was a very enjoyable, if too short, read which left me feeling very nostalgic for when I used to live in South Africa.
Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
December 19, 2018
The oppressive heat of the day combined with swirls of constant dust against the windshield makes the tour bus driver squirm with frustration behind the wheel. He only wants to return safely with his cargo of thirteen shifting women to the end of their destination. But a scream erupts at the back of the bus. There from the bus window, in plain view, is the body of a dead woman perched, as if displayed, on the top of a wall alongside the road. Too late to turn back. Too late to "unsee" the seen.
Cape Town's Captain Benny Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido, are called in to the scene of the crime. They are known as the Hawks within the SAPS and have plenty of notches on their crime solving belts. But this one is going to be a rough one. The pathologist states the cause of death as blunt force trauma. And this killer knew just how to rid the body of DNA. A strong smell of household bleach fills the air as they approach.
As the investigation moves on, the stakes are raised higher. The body is that of an American woman who worked for many years with Restore recovering lost art. This could be quite the international fiasco in the making. Time is of the essence.
The Woman in the Blue Cloak is my introduction to Deon Meyer and his two saavy detectives hitting the streets in South Africa. The banter between the two is delightful with humorous darts hitting their target at just the right moments. Meyer allows you to view their weaknesses and touch the scars of their experiential backgrounds. There's a lot of worn leather on the bottom of their shoes.
Deon Meyer weaves an additional thread through this storyline involving a mysterious work by Carel Fabritius, a pupil of Rembrandt. Pages turn swiftly as we readers are given a glimpse into the art world revolving from today into the long lost corridors of the past. My interest has been piqued as I search out previous books in the Benny Griessel Series set in Cape Town. Perhaps you will, too.
I received a copy of The Woman in the Blue Cloak through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press and Deon Meyer for the opportunity.
Cape Town's Captain Benny Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido, are called in to the scene of the crime. They are known as the Hawks within the SAPS and have plenty of notches on their crime solving belts. But this one is going to be a rough one. The pathologist states the cause of death as blunt force trauma. And this killer knew just how to rid the body of DNA. A strong smell of household bleach fills the air as they approach.
As the investigation moves on, the stakes are raised higher. The body is that of an American woman who worked for many years with Restore recovering lost art. This could be quite the international fiasco in the making. Time is of the essence.
The Woman in the Blue Cloak is my introduction to Deon Meyer and his two saavy detectives hitting the streets in South Africa. The banter between the two is delightful with humorous darts hitting their target at just the right moments. Meyer allows you to view their weaknesses and touch the scars of their experiential backgrounds. There's a lot of worn leather on the bottom of their shoes.
Deon Meyer weaves an additional thread through this storyline involving a mysterious work by Carel Fabritius, a pupil of Rembrandt. Pages turn swiftly as we readers are given a glimpse into the art world revolving from today into the long lost corridors of the past. My interest has been piqued as I search out previous books in the Benny Griessel Series set in Cape Town. Perhaps you will, too.
I received a copy of The Woman in the Blue Cloak through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Atlantic Monthly Press and Deon Meyer for the opportunity.
May 6, 2019
Thanks to Netgalley and Grove Atlantic for a digital galley in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea that this novella was part of a a series, but it played out like a stand alone with enough illusions to main character, Captain Benny Griessel to keep me interested. I also found the South African setting a nice break from the number of UK and US police procedurals that I read.
When a woman's bleached remains are discovered and not a lot of clues evident, Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido, find themselves going places they hadn't imagined.
Whether you're a long time fan or an interested newbie, this is a thrilling police mystery.
Goodreads Review 04/05/19
Expected publication 07/05/19
I had no idea that this novella was part of a a series, but it played out like a stand alone with enough illusions to main character, Captain Benny Griessel to keep me interested. I also found the South African setting a nice break from the number of UK and US police procedurals that I read.
When a woman's bleached remains are discovered and not a lot of clues evident, Griessel and his partner, Vaughn Cupido, find themselves going places they hadn't imagined.
Whether you're a long time fan or an interested newbie, this is a thrilling police mystery.
Goodreads Review 04/05/19
Expected publication 07/05/19
August 11, 2020
This is the 6th of the brilliant Benny Griessel series I have read in 2020. The book is a short one, only 160 pages and I only wish it had been longer. The previous books present a searing and fearless portrait of social, business and political strife post-apartheid. Benny and his partner, Vaughn Cupido have worked in solving cases involving crime and corruption. They are members of the Hawks, also known as the directory of Priority Crimes and Investigations based in Capetown. Their boss is Mbali Kaleni, a Zulu woman.
Benny was an alcoholic for many years which impeded his career and lead to a divorce. He has now been sober for a long time and wants to marry a singer who is also an ex-alcoholic. They are both happy and very much in love. Benny is concerned that he will never afford to buy an engagement ring worthy of her.
The characters and their dialogue are always engaging. The award-winning books have been originally written in Afrikaans and impeccably translated into English. The series ranks highly on my list of favourite detective and crime novels,and presents a vivid picture of Capetown and surroundings.
A woman is found murdered and posed against a rock on a beach. Her body has been bleached to destroy DNA evidence. She is identified as Alicia Lewis from England. She was an expert in old Dutch paintings who specialized in the recovery of lost art. They discover that she came to South Africa searching for a painting, The Woman in the Blue Cloak. This was a rare painting by Rembrandt's most gifted student, Carel Fabritius. He died in 1654 when an explosion destroyed most of his art and took his life. A quarter of the city of Delft was destroyed and very few of his paintings remain. The Goldfinch of the best-selling book and the movie that followed was one of his few existing paintings that survived the damage from the explosion. The Woman in the Blue Cloak disappeared from Delft in 1654 according to the story.
Alicia traced the painting through historic documents to a family in SouthAfrica in the 1700s. The manner of her death and the fate of the painting leads Benny and Cupido to a dapper, retired history professor, a sleazy ex-cop who now works as a Private Investigator, and a farmhouse in the countryside. The murderer and his motive are surprising.
I am hoping there will soon be another book in this enjoyable and informative series.
Benny was an alcoholic for many years which impeded his career and lead to a divorce. He has now been sober for a long time and wants to marry a singer who is also an ex-alcoholic. They are both happy and very much in love. Benny is concerned that he will never afford to buy an engagement ring worthy of her.
The characters and their dialogue are always engaging. The award-winning books have been originally written in Afrikaans and impeccably translated into English. The series ranks highly on my list of favourite detective and crime novels,and presents a vivid picture of Capetown and surroundings.
A woman is found murdered and posed against a rock on a beach. Her body has been bleached to destroy DNA evidence. She is identified as Alicia Lewis from England. She was an expert in old Dutch paintings who specialized in the recovery of lost art. They discover that she came to South Africa searching for a painting, The Woman in the Blue Cloak. This was a rare painting by Rembrandt's most gifted student, Carel Fabritius. He died in 1654 when an explosion destroyed most of his art and took his life. A quarter of the city of Delft was destroyed and very few of his paintings remain. The Goldfinch of the best-selling book and the movie that followed was one of his few existing paintings that survived the damage from the explosion. The Woman in the Blue Cloak disappeared from Delft in 1654 according to the story.
Alicia traced the painting through historic documents to a family in SouthAfrica in the 1700s. The manner of her death and the fate of the painting leads Benny and Cupido to a dapper, retired history professor, a sleazy ex-cop who now works as a Private Investigator, and a farmhouse in the countryside. The murderer and his motive are surprising.
I am hoping there will soon be another book in this enjoyable and informative series.
October 13, 2017
Niet echt een meesterwerk. Slordig geschreven over Schiedam en Delft, hoewel ik het deel over Fabritius en de buskruitexplosie wel kon waarderen. Beetje Baantjer-achtig in mijn idee. Dit is het eerste wat ik van Deon Meyer lees, dus hij krijgt nog een kans.
July 7, 2019
This is fully a 3.5 star for my read, but I will not round it up because the first 30 to 40 pages were confusing, and IMHO- just frustrating as a reader to decipher. That it is part of a series is only part of the problem in this type of introduction to the context of the case. But if I had read others of this series before, I may have been less distracted by numerous factors of new characters' exchanges and the general asides of organizations, colloquialisms etc. of South Africa. Not having all those duck knowledge points in a row- it makes the intro of numerous levels and primes in all this just awkward.
But I did persist. And was fully glad that I did. Because the next novella length piece was a full 4 star. Especially when you got into the precise minutia of all the criteria that brought our victim to South Africa and the "Woman in Blue" painting itself. Those were top notch.
Good plot for the searching of the providence and existence of this painting! And the fractional history portions WERE distracting, but there were few of them and so they did give you historical reality without totally breaking the tension of the case.
I did find the last 5 pages of explanation a bit far fetched- but overall, still an intriguing case/ story/ outcome. And I found the South African law rather leaning toward "guilty until proven innocent" in methods, but certainly a window.
Finally I must admit I had more "trouble" understanding this nomenclature for this tiny book than in some pretentious tomes of 500 erudite phrasings. What is a "ou"? As in he was a real "ou"? And rusks? I read that they can be packed, or dunked! Then finally I determine that they are some kind of formed muesli mix solidified? Myriads of South African words, phrases, titles (calling tribal characters "uncle") etc. are found in this writing. I love it. What I don't love is the redundant words. Skinny is one, but there are others too. The same word used too often. And the South African "sense of humor" seems quirky/ slanted too. A different flavor. Like the English within Monty Python forms etc.- something quite "owned". I have to be the in right mood (truly attend wording/ inflection/ nuance) to "get it" as it varies greatly from my own native humor forms. Of this, I'm not completely sure- but 90% convinced that it holds huge cultural onus. It's a play of different cultural/ manners "eyes" assorted, thrown together, holding "no go" lines- that some things considered joke worthy, giggly in some place and ethnic senses are NOT in others. And where a word play, a rhyme, a slapstick motion- all can be read / heard differently.
I'm going to read more of these, Deon Meyer. Not for the snarky Hawks folks either. The characters are not my most likable at all, but they are teaching me a different English language ambiance/ definition of terms.
Finally I have to add. A former Inn B&B owner (we visited MI there for years) I knew and grew to know as a friend- was from South Africa. He told me at least 20 stories of his life there before he emigrated that were awesome. He called it "the Garden of Eden" and I believed him when he would describe all the paths of his childhood, youth and beach too legacies. The natural bounty and beauty sound incredible. I wish there were more fiction books set on that stage.
But I did persist. And was fully glad that I did. Because the next novella length piece was a full 4 star. Especially when you got into the precise minutia of all the criteria that brought our victim to South Africa and the "Woman in Blue" painting itself. Those were top notch.
Good plot for the searching of the providence and existence of this painting! And the fractional history portions WERE distracting, but there were few of them and so they did give you historical reality without totally breaking the tension of the case.
I did find the last 5 pages of explanation a bit far fetched- but overall, still an intriguing case/ story/ outcome. And I found the South African law rather leaning toward "guilty until proven innocent" in methods, but certainly a window.
Finally I must admit I had more "trouble" understanding this nomenclature for this tiny book than in some pretentious tomes of 500 erudite phrasings. What is a "ou"? As in he was a real "ou"? And rusks? I read that they can be packed, or dunked! Then finally I determine that they are some kind of formed muesli mix solidified? Myriads of South African words, phrases, titles (calling tribal characters "uncle") etc. are found in this writing. I love it. What I don't love is the redundant words. Skinny is one, but there are others too. The same word used too often. And the South African "sense of humor" seems quirky/ slanted too. A different flavor. Like the English within Monty Python forms etc.- something quite "owned". I have to be the in right mood (truly attend wording/ inflection/ nuance) to "get it" as it varies greatly from my own native humor forms. Of this, I'm not completely sure- but 90% convinced that it holds huge cultural onus. It's a play of different cultural/ manners "eyes" assorted, thrown together, holding "no go" lines- that some things considered joke worthy, giggly in some place and ethnic senses are NOT in others. And where a word play, a rhyme, a slapstick motion- all can be read / heard differently.
I'm going to read more of these, Deon Meyer. Not for the snarky Hawks folks either. The characters are not my most likable at all, but they are teaching me a different English language ambiance/ definition of terms.
Finally I have to add. A former Inn B&B owner (we visited MI there for years) I knew and grew to know as a friend- was from South Africa. He told me at least 20 stories of his life there before he emigrated that were awesome. He called it "the Garden of Eden" and I believed him when he would describe all the paths of his childhood, youth and beach too legacies. The natural bounty and beauty sound incredible. I wish there were more fiction books set on that stage.
December 20, 2021
Somehow, I once again read a book in the middle of a series and a novella at that! The Woman in the Blue Cloak by Deon Meyer is book 5.5 of the Benny Griesel series but it read quite well as a standalone, and I didn't find myself lost which is a plus. I really liked Benny's character and this taste of the series definitely made me want to read the whole thing! I loved the mystery, and the procedural aspect isn't too heavy, so if you don't love police procedurals you will probably still enjoy this. I am so used to reading books set in the US, Sweden, and the UK that it was also a nice change to be reading a detective mystery set in South Africa. There is pretty much nonstop action, and even though this is a novella so it is fast anyway, the pacing made it go even quicker, but I found myself wishing it wouldn't!
The audiobook is also very good, and I really enjoyed listening to it. The narrator Simon Vance did such a great job, and I could totally picture Benny and the rest of the scene thanks to his narration. There is a great art aspect to this story as well, and I loved the fact that Meyer even mentions The Goldfinch. There is also a fun line from a character about too many books and so little time, which every bookworm will appreciate. The Woman in the Blue Cloak may be short, but there is a lot packed into the story and it didn't feel incomplete at all which can occasionally be the case with novellas and short stories. I had to go back and listen to the ending a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything, and there was a great complexity to the plot that I wasn't expecting. I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the series now and I can't wait to read more from Meyer.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is also very good, and I really enjoyed listening to it. The narrator Simon Vance did such a great job, and I could totally picture Benny and the rest of the scene thanks to his narration. There is a great art aspect to this story as well, and I loved the fact that Meyer even mentions The Goldfinch. There is also a fun line from a character about too many books and so little time, which every bookworm will appreciate. The Woman in the Blue Cloak may be short, but there is a lot packed into the story and it didn't feel incomplete at all which can occasionally be the case with novellas and short stories. I had to go back and listen to the ending a second time to make sure I didn't miss anything, and there was a great complexity to the plot that I wasn't expecting. I will definitely be going back to the beginning of the series now and I can't wait to read more from Meyer.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
November 27, 2017
Soos altyd was ek mal oor Deon Meyer se nuutste Bennie Griesel. Soos met al sy boeke het ek lekker geglimlag, iets geleer en nie die einde sien kom nie. Ek wens net die novella was langer...
October 26, 2017
***This review is in Dutch because the book was only published in the Netherlands. ***
Spoiler vrij
Dit boekje heb ik gratis gekregen bij het kopen van een boek in de week van het spannende boek. Ik vindt dit altijd een erg leuke actie en ben blij dat dit nog steeds voortgezet wordt in Nederland.
Oke dus week van het spannende boek, dan verwacht je een enorm spannend boek wat je in 1 ruk uitleest. Helaas was dat hier niet het geval en heb ik bijna 4 WEKEN! over dit boekje van minder dan 100 pagina’s gedaan.
Ik weet niet hoe de schrijver dit voor elkaar heeft gekregen in 100 pagina’s maar het plot was echt tergend langzaam. 1 Pagina lezen voelde als 10 in een normaal boek. Er was gewoon geen beweging in de zaak en er werden allemaal dingen bij gehaald die er niet toe deden. Wat boeit het mij nou welke verlovingsring er uitgezocht wordt en hoe knap zijn vrouw is als ik helemaal niks van dit personage weet? Verder lopen er door dit boek verschillende verhaallijnen, normaal vindt ik dit altijd erg prettig, dit geeft meerdere kanten van het verhaal, je snapt anderen hun motivaties en het zorgt voor wat afwisseling. Maar hier was het zo onprettig lezen. Het ging van de hak op de tak en ik snap nog steeds niet wat er nou allemaal aan de hand was met de achtervolgde man (het was blijkbaar een paar eeuwen geleden en toen vond hij het schilderij en nam mee naar Zuid-Afrika?). Dit voegde totaal geen spanning toe, eerder verwarring en toen ik aan het lezen was dacht ik de hele tijd van wat heeft dit met dit plot te maken? Ik snap nog steeds niet door wie en waarom hij nou achtervolgt werd. Later in dit boekje (zo ongeveer pagina 70) werd het plot wel wat beter, ik was nieuwsgierig wat de prive detective hiermee te maken zou hebben, wie de moordenaar was en hoe alles uiteindelijk zou ontrafelen met het schilderij.
De schrijfstijl was ook niet echt mijn ding, er wordt verteld vanuit de alwetende verteller wat sowieso niet mijn favoriet is, maar hier is het gewoon bijna vervelend om te lezen, ik weet niet precies waar het aan lag. Ik weet wel dat een misdaad thriller zo moet worden geschreven dat het aan je blijft trekken. Dat je jezelf constant af blijft vragen; wie is het? Wie kan het gedaan hebben? En hier was dat gewoon niet het geval in het begin. Ik heb mezelf echt moeten dwingen om dit boekje uit te moeten lezen omdat ik vond dat ik een boek onder de 100 pagina’s niet kon DNF’en. Maar ik heb er totaal geen plezier aan beleeft. Ook vond ik de schrijfstijl erg emotieloos, of dit lag aan de personages. Ik voelde me totaal niet blij als de personage blij was of boos als deze boos was. Op de een of andere manier kwamen ze gewoon niet over. Ook zijn het geen personages die blijven hangen, er was niks bijzonders aan ze en ik ben ze nu al weer vergeten (ik snap dat het lastig is om in 100 pagina’s personages te creëren die je bij blijven maar ik vond ze nu gewoon erg saai en ze boeide me ook vrij weinig, in Incendio ,week van het spannende boek 2014, weet ik nog steeds dat het Julia was en dat ze van viool spelen houdt, dus het is wel mogelijk). Verder vond ik het erg vervelend dat mensen (de rechercheurs) zowel bij hun voornaam, als bij hun achternaam, als bij hun bijnaam werden aangesproken. In zo’n dun boekje is het erg overbodig en vooral verwarrend. En daarnaast was dit boekje erg lastig en ergerlijk om te lezen door het door elkaar gebruiken van de Engelse en Nederlandse taal. Dit omschakelen was erg vervelend en ik vind het erg onprettig lezen. Daar komt nog bij dat ook nog de constructie van de zinnen soms echt bagger was. Ik bedoel zinnen als dit; “’I hear you… Denk je dat die Donald in de scam zit?’” maken mij niet blij en denken dat ik een of ander maffia boek aan het lezen ben.
Dit boekje krijgt van mij alsnog twee sterren omdat het einde op zich ‘wel oke was’. Maar voor de rest was dit boekje echt niet mijn ding en ik denk dat het ook zeker geen reclame voor de schrijver is.
Spoiler vrij
Dit boekje heb ik gratis gekregen bij het kopen van een boek in de week van het spannende boek. Ik vindt dit altijd een erg leuke actie en ben blij dat dit nog steeds voortgezet wordt in Nederland.
Oke dus week van het spannende boek, dan verwacht je een enorm spannend boek wat je in 1 ruk uitleest. Helaas was dat hier niet het geval en heb ik bijna 4 WEKEN! over dit boekje van minder dan 100 pagina’s gedaan.
Ik weet niet hoe de schrijver dit voor elkaar heeft gekregen in 100 pagina’s maar het plot was echt tergend langzaam. 1 Pagina lezen voelde als 10 in een normaal boek. Er was gewoon geen beweging in de zaak en er werden allemaal dingen bij gehaald die er niet toe deden. Wat boeit het mij nou welke verlovingsring er uitgezocht wordt en hoe knap zijn vrouw is als ik helemaal niks van dit personage weet? Verder lopen er door dit boek verschillende verhaallijnen, normaal vindt ik dit altijd erg prettig, dit geeft meerdere kanten van het verhaal, je snapt anderen hun motivaties en het zorgt voor wat afwisseling. Maar hier was het zo onprettig lezen. Het ging van de hak op de tak en ik snap nog steeds niet wat er nou allemaal aan de hand was met de achtervolgde man (het was blijkbaar een paar eeuwen geleden en toen vond hij het schilderij en nam mee naar Zuid-Afrika?). Dit voegde totaal geen spanning toe, eerder verwarring en toen ik aan het lezen was dacht ik de hele tijd van wat heeft dit met dit plot te maken? Ik snap nog steeds niet door wie en waarom hij nou achtervolgt werd. Later in dit boekje (zo ongeveer pagina 70) werd het plot wel wat beter, ik was nieuwsgierig wat de prive detective hiermee te maken zou hebben, wie de moordenaar was en hoe alles uiteindelijk zou ontrafelen met het schilderij.
De schrijfstijl was ook niet echt mijn ding, er wordt verteld vanuit de alwetende verteller wat sowieso niet mijn favoriet is, maar hier is het gewoon bijna vervelend om te lezen, ik weet niet precies waar het aan lag. Ik weet wel dat een misdaad thriller zo moet worden geschreven dat het aan je blijft trekken. Dat je jezelf constant af blijft vragen; wie is het? Wie kan het gedaan hebben? En hier was dat gewoon niet het geval in het begin. Ik heb mezelf echt moeten dwingen om dit boekje uit te moeten lezen omdat ik vond dat ik een boek onder de 100 pagina’s niet kon DNF’en. Maar ik heb er totaal geen plezier aan beleeft. Ook vond ik de schrijfstijl erg emotieloos, of dit lag aan de personages. Ik voelde me totaal niet blij als de personage blij was of boos als deze boos was. Op de een of andere manier kwamen ze gewoon niet over. Ook zijn het geen personages die blijven hangen, er was niks bijzonders aan ze en ik ben ze nu al weer vergeten (ik snap dat het lastig is om in 100 pagina’s personages te creëren die je bij blijven maar ik vond ze nu gewoon erg saai en ze boeide me ook vrij weinig, in Incendio ,week van het spannende boek 2014, weet ik nog steeds dat het Julia was en dat ze van viool spelen houdt, dus het is wel mogelijk). Verder vond ik het erg vervelend dat mensen (de rechercheurs) zowel bij hun voornaam, als bij hun achternaam, als bij hun bijnaam werden aangesproken. In zo’n dun boekje is het erg overbodig en vooral verwarrend. En daarnaast was dit boekje erg lastig en ergerlijk om te lezen door het door elkaar gebruiken van de Engelse en Nederlandse taal. Dit omschakelen was erg vervelend en ik vind het erg onprettig lezen. Daar komt nog bij dat ook nog de constructie van de zinnen soms echt bagger was. Ik bedoel zinnen als dit; “’I hear you… Denk je dat die Donald in de scam zit?’” maken mij niet blij en denken dat ik een of ander maffia boek aan het lezen ben.
Dit boekje krijgt van mij alsnog twee sterren omdat het einde op zich ‘wel oke was’. Maar voor de rest was dit boekje echt niet mijn ding en ik denk dat het ook zeker geen reclame voor de schrijver is.
March 10, 2018
Die gute Nachricht zuerst: Bennie Griessel von der Valke, der Sondereinheit der südafrikanischen Polizei, ist seit 147 Tagen trockener Alkoholiker. Chefin Mbali Kaleni hat ihre Jungs fest im Griff (saubere Sprache, saubere Uniform) und Kollege Vaugn Cupido hält eine Ehe noch immer für ein unkalkulierbares Risiko. Als eine nackt aufgefundene Tote als Amerikanerin identifiziert wird, muss die Valke den Fall übernehmen. Dem örtlichen Ermittler in Somerset West traut man einen so brisanten Fall nicht zu, der vermutlich internationales Aufsehen erregen wird. Der Täter wusste offenbar genau, wie er seine Spuren am Fundort beseitigen konnte – und das verrät mehr über ihn, als ihm lieb sein kann. Die tote Alicia Lewis war eine renommierte Kunstexpertin, die als Fahnderin vermisste Kunstgegenstände aufspürte. Was wollte eine Frau von ihrem Format in Südafrika - und warum hat sie vor ihrer Reise - für Vertraute überraschend - ihren Job gekündigt? In einem parallelen Handlungsstrang flüchtet in einem früheren Jahrhundert in den Niederlanden ein Mann vor mehreren Verfolgern, und in der Gegenwart erfährt Bennie Griessel von einem befreundeten Pfandleiher, dass in Südafrika ein Gemälde gestohlen sein soll und noch nicht wieder aufgetaucht ist. Es handelt sich um das Werk eines Rembrandt-Schülers, für das ein absurd hoher Preis geschätzt wird.
Die Lösung des Falls der „Frau im blauen Mantel“ (OT) ist so charmant wie überraschend, ebenso Meyers Idee, zu einem weltbekannten Roman über ein Gemälde einen Sidekick zu verfassen. Warum er das tat, verrät er zum Glück im Nachwort; denn eine Erzählung von unter 200 Seiten ist für den Schöpfer von Bennie Griessel doch mehr als ungewöhnlich.
Die Lösung des Falls der „Frau im blauen Mantel“ (OT) ist so charmant wie überraschend, ebenso Meyers Idee, zu einem weltbekannten Roman über ein Gemälde einen Sidekick zu verfassen. Warum er das tat, verrät er zum Glück im Nachwort; denn eine Erzählung von unter 200 Seiten ist für den Schöpfer von Bennie Griessel doch mehr als ungewöhnlich.
March 20, 2018
Toe ek hierdie novella op my suster se boekrak sien moes ek dit vat en so in die totsiens wegry deur die venster skree dat ek die boek leen. My suster sal verstaan, sy is net so groot fan as ek van die Bennie Griesel reeks.
Hierdie novella het nie ‘n baie goeie rating nie en ek dink die rede daarvoor was dat die Nederlandse mark, waarvoor hierdie geskryf is, geen agtergrond kennis van Bennie Griesel het nie en hierdie book is net te kort om die volle prentjie te skilder en ‘n nuwe leser te “hook”.
Vir iemand soos ek wat elke boek in die reeks gelees het was hierdie ‘n wonderlike bonus en is ‘n moet lees vir enige iemand wat van hierdie reeks hou.
Hierdie novella het nie ‘n baie goeie rating nie en ek dink die rede daarvoor was dat die Nederlandse mark, waarvoor hierdie geskryf is, geen agtergrond kennis van Bennie Griesel het nie en hierdie book is net te kort om die volle prentjie te skilder en ‘n nuwe leser te “hook”.
Vir iemand soos ek wat elke boek in die reeks gelees het was hierdie ‘n wonderlike bonus en is ‘n moet lees vir enige iemand wat van hierdie reeks hou.
June 24, 2017
English below!
Dit is niet mijn soort boek. Ik erger mij enorm aan de met Engels doorspekte dialogen. Aan de andere kant is het misschien dat zo in Zuid-Afrika wordt gesproken, maar dat weet ik niet. Er zit geen spanning in het verhaal en de plot voelt wat gekunsteld en voorspelbaar. Het boekje is maar 90 bladzijden, en toch zitten er 3 verhaallijnen in. Ik denk dat dat teveel is om het hoofdverhaal beter uit te kunnen werken. Het belangrijkste verhaal gaat over een onbekend werk van Fabritius. Daarnaast zit er een stukje over een van de hoofdpersonen die wil gaan trouwen. Dat verhaal voegt weinig toe; het zorgt er niet voor dat de karakters van de hoofdpersonen meer diepgang krijgen. Ik merk zelfs dat ik mij een beetje erger aan het geneuzel over trouwringen en hoe geweldig zijn beeldschone vrouw wel niet is. De hoofdstukken worden ook afgewisseld met een ontzettend onduidelijk verhaal over iemand die achtervolgt wordt. Waarschijnlijk ligt het aan mij, maar ik begreep helemaal niets van die stukjes. Het is mij volstrekt onduidelijk waar die stukjes toe dienen. Kennelijk spelen die stukjes zich in de 16e eeuw, maar dat blijkt nergens uit.
Ik realiseer mij dat het misschien niet eerlijk is om een boekje van 90 bladzijden een negatieve review te geven, maar voor mijn gevoel had er meer in gezeten. Dit lijkt op een schets voor een langer verhaal.
This is not my kind of book. In the Dutch translation the dialogues are filled with english slang, wich annoys me endlessly. But maybe this is common for dialogue in South-Africa? The story lacks any tensionbuilding and the plot feels artificial and predictable. It'd only a 90 page story, but there still are 3 different storylines. I think that's to much for a short story like this. It results in all of the three storylines being no more than sketches of what they could have been. Firstly there's the main story: the search for an unknown work of art by the Dutch painter Fabritius. Then there's the story about one of the main characters who wants to get married. That part does not add anything to the characters. I find it annoys me mostly, the ranting about weddingrings and how absolutely gorgeous and wonderful the bride-to-be is. Lastly there are some chapters about someone being chased. It's completely unclear to me what this about. Only when i finished i thought isort of realised what they were about. It seems they are situated in the 16th century, but that's not very clear. Maybe it's me bit i didnt understand tjose chapters at all. I realise it may be unfair to give a 90 page book a negative review, but i believe it could have been much better. This is nothing more than a sketch for a much longer story.
Dit is niet mijn soort boek. Ik erger mij enorm aan de met Engels doorspekte dialogen. Aan de andere kant is het misschien dat zo in Zuid-Afrika wordt gesproken, maar dat weet ik niet. Er zit geen spanning in het verhaal en de plot voelt wat gekunsteld en voorspelbaar. Het boekje is maar 90 bladzijden, en toch zitten er 3 verhaallijnen in. Ik denk dat dat teveel is om het hoofdverhaal beter uit te kunnen werken. Het belangrijkste verhaal gaat over een onbekend werk van Fabritius. Daarnaast zit er een stukje over een van de hoofdpersonen die wil gaan trouwen. Dat verhaal voegt weinig toe; het zorgt er niet voor dat de karakters van de hoofdpersonen meer diepgang krijgen. Ik merk zelfs dat ik mij een beetje erger aan het geneuzel over trouwringen en hoe geweldig zijn beeldschone vrouw wel niet is. De hoofdstukken worden ook afgewisseld met een ontzettend onduidelijk verhaal over iemand die achtervolgt wordt. Waarschijnlijk ligt het aan mij, maar ik begreep helemaal niets van die stukjes. Het is mij volstrekt onduidelijk waar die stukjes toe dienen. Kennelijk spelen die stukjes zich in de 16e eeuw, maar dat blijkt nergens uit.
Ik realiseer mij dat het misschien niet eerlijk is om een boekje van 90 bladzijden een negatieve review te geven, maar voor mijn gevoel had er meer in gezeten. Dit lijkt op een schets voor een langer verhaal.
This is not my kind of book. In the Dutch translation the dialogues are filled with english slang, wich annoys me endlessly. But maybe this is common for dialogue in South-Africa? The story lacks any tensionbuilding and the plot feels artificial and predictable. It'd only a 90 page story, but there still are 3 different storylines. I think that's to much for a short story like this. It results in all of the three storylines being no more than sketches of what they could have been. Firstly there's the main story: the search for an unknown work of art by the Dutch painter Fabritius. Then there's the story about one of the main characters who wants to get married. That part does not add anything to the characters. I find it annoys me mostly, the ranting about weddingrings and how absolutely gorgeous and wonderful the bride-to-be is. Lastly there are some chapters about someone being chased. It's completely unclear to me what this about. Only when i finished i thought isort of realised what they were about. It seems they are situated in the 16th century, but that's not very clear. Maybe it's me bit i didnt understand tjose chapters at all. I realise it may be unfair to give a 90 page book a negative review, but i believe it could have been much better. This is nothing more than a sketch for a much longer story.
May 17, 2019
A naked woman is found alongside a highway outside of Cape Town, with her body having been washed in bleach to destroy DNA evidence. Benny Griessel of the prestigious Hawks investigative unit is asked to assist. The dead woman turns out to be Alicia Lewis, an art expert, who is trying to find a rare painting by Carel Fabritius, Rembrandt's finest student, not seen since it disappeared from Delft in 1654. Benny and his partner find the two men she had contacted prior to her sudden trip to South Africa: one sleazy and one not.
I was disappointed by this novella, because there was little character development, other than Benny's worries over the cost and provenance of an engagement ring.
I was disappointed by this novella, because there was little character development, other than Benny's worries over the cost and provenance of an engagement ring.
August 19, 2025
Deze thriller speelt in Zuid Afrika en draait om een verdwenen schilderij van Johan Fabritius, een leerling van Rembrandt. Een kunstkenner uit Londen, Alicia Lewis is op jacht naar dit dure en unieke kunstwerk. Zij bekoopt deze speurtocht met haar leven. Twee inspecteurs, Griesel en Cupido, ook bekend als 'de Valken' gaan aan de slag zodra haar lijk is gevonden, hoewel ze bepaald geen kunstkenners zijn. Uiteindelijk komen ze achter de dader. ondertussen schetst Deon Meijer een beeld van de internationale kunsthandel met woekerprijzen en maffiapraktijken en komen we ook nog wat meer te weten over de zeventiende-eeuwse Nederlandse schilderkunst. Een aardig boekenweekgeschenk uit de week van het spannende boek 2017.
August 26, 2022
Leuk boekje. Goed geschreven maar je zag de dader natuurlijk al aankomen. Apart hoe het in Delft is afgelopen.
November 19, 2017
Die lewe is dikwels interessanter as wat jy dink, maar nie noodwendig op die manier wat jy dink nie.
Hierdie novelle van Deon Meyer was die 2017 Spannende Boekenweek-geskenk in Nederland: 'n groot eer vir Meyer, en welverdiend daarby. Sy terugkerende hoofkarakter Bennie Griessel betree hierin 'n nuwe fase in sy lewe; dus moes die Afrikaanse Bennie-bewonderaars ook die episode te lees kry. En omdat die Boekenweek-geskenk beperk word in terme van woordetal, kon hierdie publikasie effens langer wees. Steeds veel korter as 'n gewone Meyer-roman, maar darem.
Ons hoef nie verbaas te wees dat Meyer die korter vorm met vaardigheid hanteer nie: van die langer verhale wat opgeneem is in Karoonag en ander verhale bewys reeds dat goeie Meyer ook in klein pakkies kan kom. Die vrou in die blou mantel bewys dié vaardigheid weer eens.
Al die kenmerkende Meyer-trekke is daar: die vreemde moord, die speurtog wat allerlei soorte ondersoeke insluit (forensiese laboratoriumwerk, tegnologiese argeologie, ensovoorts), die interessante karakters (hoof- én newekarakters) met hul geite en giere wat die storie se vlees en bloed is.
Weer verras die ontknoping jou, en daar is ook elemente wat die leser laat wonder: Meyer het ons nou al 'n slag verras met 'n boek in 'n ander genre (die post-apokaliptiese Koors) - is Meyer besig om te oefen vir 'n historiese roman?!?
Ons wag in spanning. Minstens vir die beloofde nuwe Bennie-boek wat vir Oktober 2018 beplan word. Die vreugde van Die vrou in die blou mantel sal ook net so lank hou!
In this novella Meyer displays not only his typical strengths as crime writer, but also his ability to concentrate his story into the short form. It is not his first short thriller. This one stands its ground in the Meyer oeuvre with the interesting plot and the quirky characters. But a short book will only serve to tide readers over until the next full Bennie Griessel novel appears (as promised) in October 2018. It will be a tense wait.
Hierdie novelle van Deon Meyer was die 2017 Spannende Boekenweek-geskenk in Nederland: 'n groot eer vir Meyer, en welverdiend daarby. Sy terugkerende hoofkarakter Bennie Griessel betree hierin 'n nuwe fase in sy lewe; dus moes die Afrikaanse Bennie-bewonderaars ook die episode te lees kry. En omdat die Boekenweek-geskenk beperk word in terme van woordetal, kon hierdie publikasie effens langer wees. Steeds veel korter as 'n gewone Meyer-roman, maar darem.
Ons hoef nie verbaas te wees dat Meyer die korter vorm met vaardigheid hanteer nie: van die langer verhale wat opgeneem is in Karoonag en ander verhale bewys reeds dat goeie Meyer ook in klein pakkies kan kom. Die vrou in die blou mantel bewys dié vaardigheid weer eens.
Al die kenmerkende Meyer-trekke is daar: die vreemde moord, die speurtog wat allerlei soorte ondersoeke insluit (forensiese laboratoriumwerk, tegnologiese argeologie, ensovoorts), die interessante karakters (hoof- én newekarakters) met hul geite en giere wat die storie se vlees en bloed is.
Weer verras die ontknoping jou, en daar is ook elemente wat die leser laat wonder: Meyer het ons nou al 'n slag verras met 'n boek in 'n ander genre (die post-apokaliptiese Koors) - is Meyer besig om te oefen vir 'n historiese roman?!?
Ons wag in spanning. Minstens vir die beloofde nuwe Bennie-boek wat vir Oktober 2018 beplan word. Die vreugde van Die vrou in die blou mantel sal ook net so lank hou!
In this novella Meyer displays not only his typical strengths as crime writer, but also his ability to concentrate his story into the short form. It is not his first short thriller. This one stands its ground in the Meyer oeuvre with the interesting plot and the quirky characters. But a short book will only serve to tide readers over until the next full Bennie Griessel novel appears (as promised) in October 2018. It will be a tense wait.
May 10, 2019
3.25 ✨
I wanted to read this short book because I was interested in the artistic theme hidden behind the plot and because I wanted to discover the writing of Deon Meyer, author I had heard about but I had not read any book. My curiosity has been fulfilled and I can say that I have found a good, interesting and dynamic, captivating, very well written book.
I liked the characters and the plot, which was not stretched too much, and I appreciated the dynamics that moved the characters. A good start to read more books by the author
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
I wanted to read this short book because I was interested in the artistic theme hidden behind the plot and because I wanted to discover the writing of Deon Meyer, author I had heard about but I had not read any book. My curiosity has been fulfilled and I can say that I have found a good, interesting and dynamic, captivating, very well written book.
I liked the characters and the plot, which was not stretched too much, and I appreciated the dynamics that moved the characters. A good start to read more books by the author
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
July 5, 2017
Dat was nou eens een echte ouderwetse detective. Ik vond het verhaal en de inspecteurs grappig en het was voor mij vooral een verademing om eens niet op de meest zieke bloed- en slachtpartijen getrakteerd te worden. Ik heb geen idee hoe de andere boeken van Deon Meyer zijn en ben daar ook niet echt nieuwsgierig naar, maar Deon Meyer is wel een alternatief voor detective-liefhebbers die het zo langzamerhand wel een beetje gehad hebben met de uiterst geweldadige thrillers.
January 29, 2019
The Woman In The Blue Cloak is a novella with two detectives, Bennie and Vaughn at the forefront. I have never read this author before, so I had no background information. A woman is found dead. She's from London and was searching for a painting by a student of Rembrandt. The pair investigate and crack the case. Set in South Africa, the author deftly portrays the tensions in the region. The story is short but well written and completely engaging. The characters are likeable and definitely have different personalities. The author accomplishes a lot of characterization in a short space. I liked the story and recommend. It's particularly appealing if you don't have a lot of time but want a more cerebral read. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 3, 2018
I started, got sidetracked again - happens a lot lately - but then I returned and read it more or less in one sitting. It was a good read, a bit short but the author explained that, and I'm already waiting for the next book.
June 14, 2017
review volgt
June 11, 2017
yes yes yes! dit is een typische Deon Meyer: heb gestikt van het lachen, heb iets geleerd over de ZA cultuur en heb op m'n nagels gebeten van de spanning. I loved it!
August 15, 2020
Weereens - Hoera, hoera, hoera!!! Lank lewe Deon Meyer. Ek is bietjie laat vir die partytjie van Die vrou in die blou mantel en het reeds die volgende partytjie vir Prooi bygewoon. Maar dit het beslis geen inbraak gemaak op die genot van eersgenoemde partytjie nie.
Ek sien die grootste kritiek vir die dun boekie is, die boekie is te dun Snaaks genoeg was dit nou vir my tans net perfek. Tyd vir lees is daar min, om nie eens te praat van 'n gemiddelde deurstop soos net Deon Meyer kan skryf nie. Die ou dun boekie was dus vanoggend vir my net lekker lees en is sommer kant en klaar ook. Ek hoef dus nie deur die hele week se werk en dinge te worstel in smagting daarna om my boek klaar te lees nie.
Ja, dit is anders om Deon Meyer in die minder bekende novelle formaat tee te kom en ek moet hom geluk wens met hoe uiters bekwaam hy dit aangepak het. Ons het glad nie die vrees en bewing waargeneem nie, Deon. Ek as Afrikaane leser, is maar net te dankbaar dat ons die ekstra 7000 woorde in Afrikaans kon kry.
Die storie-lyn het vinnig afgespeel en ja, dit sou 'n uitstekende deurstop ook kon gewees het, inhoud was daar genoeg. Dit was lekker om so vlugtig weer vir ou Bennie en Cupido en selfs vir Dik en Dun raak te loop. Nie tyd vir koffie nie, net 'n vinnige verbystap.
Hierdie boekie het my net laat besef dat ek vinnige my prioriteite in orde moet kry en dit wat moet klaar kom, gedoen kry. Voor die nuwe Bennie Griesel ons eersdags op die winkelrakke verras.
Ek kannie wag nie!
Ek sien die grootste kritiek vir die dun boekie is, die boekie is te dun Snaaks genoeg was dit nou vir my tans net perfek. Tyd vir lees is daar min, om nie eens te praat van 'n gemiddelde deurstop soos net Deon Meyer kan skryf nie. Die ou dun boekie was dus vanoggend vir my net lekker lees en is sommer kant en klaar ook. Ek hoef dus nie deur die hele week se werk en dinge te worstel in smagting daarna om my boek klaar te lees nie.
Ja, dit is anders om Deon Meyer in die minder bekende novelle formaat tee te kom en ek moet hom geluk wens met hoe uiters bekwaam hy dit aangepak het. Ons het glad nie die vrees en bewing waargeneem nie, Deon. Ek as Afrikaane leser, is maar net te dankbaar dat ons die ekstra 7000 woorde in Afrikaans kon kry.
Die storie-lyn het vinnig afgespeel en ja, dit sou 'n uitstekende deurstop ook kon gewees het, inhoud was daar genoeg. Dit was lekker om so vlugtig weer vir ou Bennie en Cupido en selfs vir Dik en Dun raak te loop. Nie tyd vir koffie nie, net 'n vinnige verbystap.
Hierdie boekie het my net laat besef dat ek vinnige my prioriteite in orde moet kry en dit wat moet klaar kom, gedoen kry. Voor die nuwe Bennie Griesel ons eersdags op die winkelrakke verras.
Ek kannie wag nie!
December 18, 2017
So Deon Meyer can master the novella too. I picked this up and like everyone else my first question was 'why is it so thin?'. After reading the preface and happy that I was settling in to a purposefully-written novella (and not the manifestation of Meyer running out of ideas), I was excited to start reading and finished it in one sitting. The very end felt a bit rushed, but since Meyer had a word count limit and a lack of novella experience, I feel he handled it superbly. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 7, 2018
Perfect characters, beautiful plot, Deon Meyer signs there an excellent novella. This investigation, led by his recurring character Benny Griessel, is largely at the level of the previous ones.
With always this intriguing South African society that brings to the story a lot of originality.
Highly recommended for fans of Deon Meyer, this novella can also be a very nice gateway to discover this major author of 21st century's crime literature.
With always this intriguing South African society that brings to the story a lot of originality.
Highly recommended for fans of Deon Meyer, this novella can also be a very nice gateway to discover this major author of 21st century's crime literature.
May 28, 2019
Having read the synopsis, I couldn't wait to read this book. Unfortunately it didn't hit the mark for me and i did leave the book to one side for a while. Having picked up the book again, i did sail through it in one sitting. I never realised that this was part of a series, not that it mattered too much. Overall, a good book.
January 20, 2019
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle ARC of
The Woman in the Blue Cloak.
I did not know this was a novella featuring characters from a mystery series when I requested it but it worked fine as a standalone.
Captains Benny and Vaughn are members of an elite murder squad in South Africa. The detectives are called in to investigate the murder of a tourist from London, a renowned expert in the world of art recovery.
When the men discover the woman had located a lost masterpiece by one of Rembrandt's students from over two centuries ago, the men must decide who among the few people in town, was aware of her intention.
The novella is quite short, less than 200 pages and a quick read, yet despite its brevity, I was able to get a sense of Benny and Vaughn as individuals, as men, as partners, with hints of their respective personal lives.
Benny is a recovering alcoholic who met his soon to be fiancee in AA; here he is struggling to afford a beautiful ring for his beloved, who used to be a famous singer.
Vaughn is Benny's opposite; a dapper dresser, a ladies' man with a hot temper and abrupt manner yet both men work well together and are a formidable team as their reputation precedes them when they begin investigating the case.
I enjoyed the South African setting, a nice change of pace over the usual mysteries I read and the brief art history lesson given in relation to the artwork the murder victim was interested in.
A quick and decent read!
I did not know this was a novella featuring characters from a mystery series when I requested it but it worked fine as a standalone.
Captains Benny and Vaughn are members of an elite murder squad in South Africa. The detectives are called in to investigate the murder of a tourist from London, a renowned expert in the world of art recovery.
When the men discover the woman had located a lost masterpiece by one of Rembrandt's students from over two centuries ago, the men must decide who among the few people in town, was aware of her intention.
The novella is quite short, less than 200 pages and a quick read, yet despite its brevity, I was able to get a sense of Benny and Vaughn as individuals, as men, as partners, with hints of their respective personal lives.
Benny is a recovering alcoholic who met his soon to be fiancee in AA; here he is struggling to afford a beautiful ring for his beloved, who used to be a famous singer.
Vaughn is Benny's opposite; a dapper dresser, a ladies' man with a hot temper and abrupt manner yet both men work well together and are a formidable team as their reputation precedes them when they begin investigating the case.
I enjoyed the South African setting, a nice change of pace over the usual mysteries I read and the brief art history lesson given in relation to the artwork the murder victim was interested in.
A quick and decent read!
August 24, 2017
Mijn 2e boek van Deon Meyer. Het eerste boek is prima bevallen, niks bijzonders. Dit boek beviel heel wat minder. Ik vond de inspecteurs niet grappig en ik vond het verhaal niet spannend. En vooral dat laatste zoek ik juist in een boekje wat je krijgt in de maand van het spannende boek. Het einde verraste me nog enigszins, maar er blijven ook te veel gaten over.
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