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Leichtes Opfer
Kapstadt, Südafrika: Mitten in einer heißen Sommernacht werden Michael Lane und seine Frau Beverly von Schreien aus ihrem Liebesspiel gerissen. Die Vermutung, dass der drogenabhängige Sohn ihrer Haushälterin nach einer rauschenden Nacht heimgekehrt sei, verliert sich im Nichts, als das Ehepaar den Garten betritt. Vor dem Poolhaus liegt die Leiche einer jungen Frau. Neben ihr steht ihr Sohn Christopher. Für Beverly Lane steht schnell fest: Sie brauchen einen Schuldigen, der nicht ihr Sohn ist. Und damit beginnt eine hinterhältige Intrige, die das Schicksal zweier Familien auf tragische Weise miteinander verbindet und immer mehr Opfer fordert.
334 pages, Paperback
First published July 16, 2013
356 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Roger Smith
11 books118 followersRoger Smith's thrillers
Nowhere, Man Down, Sacrifices, Capture, Dust Devils, Wake Up Dead, Mixed Blood & Ishmael Toffee
are published in eight languages and two are in development as movies in the U.S.
His books have won the German Crime Award and been nominated for Spinetingler Magazine Best Novel awards. He also writes horror under the pen name Max Wilde.
“Roger Smith writes with brutal beauty." The Washington Post
“Smith’s writing is astonishing.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
“You’ll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current crime writing.”
Die Zeit (Germany)
“Smith is the shooting star of the crime scene.” Radio Europe
"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." BookPage
His books have won the German Crime Award and been nominated for Spinetingler Magazine Best Novel awards. He also writes horror under the pen name Max Wilde.
“Roger Smith writes with brutal beauty." The Washington Post
“Smith’s writing is astonishing.” Cleveland Plain Dealer
“You’ll struggle to find a more forceful voice in current crime writing.”
Die Zeit (Germany)
“Smith is the shooting star of the crime scene.” Radio Europe
"If you are a fan of George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane, give Roger Smith a close look." BookPage
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
April 24, 2016
Sacrifices follows two South African families of opposite social classes: the rich, white, and privileged Lanes and the less-privileged family of their black maid, Denise Solomons. We witness the disintegration of these families after Michael Lane and his wife witness their son commit a brutal crime in their home.
It's a grim, violent, and riveting piece of work where author Roger Smith uses his tale to not only comment on the prevalent crime in Cape Town but also the racial and socioeconomic conflicts that still cripple the area. I was really impressed with Smith's writing this time around too, the prose in this book (his 7th I believe) even more propulsive and assertive than in his first novel Mixed Blood . It's a real surprise that Smith isn't more popular in the mainstream; one could easily compare his writing to the likes of Lehane and Pelecanos.
There's a review that called Smith "the crime genre's greatest tragedian." Among the three books I've read by him so far, this one supports that claim the most, showing the fall of these desperate individuals and their families with a scope that is fully Shakespearean. And it's gripping to witness the characters, even though each is the cause of the other's destruction, gravitate to one another because they have nowhere else to go. That makes it even more tragic.
It's a grim, violent, and riveting piece of work where author Roger Smith uses his tale to not only comment on the prevalent crime in Cape Town but also the racial and socioeconomic conflicts that still cripple the area. I was really impressed with Smith's writing this time around too, the prose in this book (his 7th I believe) even more propulsive and assertive than in his first novel Mixed Blood . It's a real surprise that Smith isn't more popular in the mainstream; one could easily compare his writing to the likes of Lehane and Pelecanos.
There's a review that called Smith "the crime genre's greatest tragedian." Among the three books I've read by him so far, this one supports that claim the most, showing the fall of these desperate individuals and their families with a scope that is fully Shakespearean. And it's gripping to witness the characters, even though each is the cause of the other's destruction, gravitate to one another because they have nowhere else to go. That makes it even more tragic.
January 21, 2020
I categorically disagree with one reviewer who described the opening sentence of Sacrifices as the worst he’s ever read. If not the best opening sentence I’ve ever read, it was certainly among the most memorable.
The author of that sentence and this book is South African Roger Smith, whom I had never heard of but who, I discovered, has published an impressive number of novels and who has been compared to Elmore Leonard. For a writer of not only crime fiction but any fiction, I can think of no higher compliment. Frankly, I think his book is better than any I’ve read by Elmore Leonard.
In Sacrifices, a gripping tale of lies, murder, guilt, and — following its own delicious logic — retribution, Mr. Smith has created a powerful cast of tragic characters. Bev, for one, is Lady Macbeth minus the remorse.
In the beginning of the book is a brief epigraph from Seneca: “Crime when it succeeds is called virtue.” I never understood the meaning of that quotation until the end of this book. The end of this book that gave me the chills.
I’m not sure at what stage mere fiction becomes literature, but in this book Roger Smith illustrates how. His Sacrifices is a splendid piece of writing and provides a genuine pleasure to witness a master at work practicing his craft.
The author of that sentence and this book is South African Roger Smith, whom I had never heard of but who, I discovered, has published an impressive number of novels and who has been compared to Elmore Leonard. For a writer of not only crime fiction but any fiction, I can think of no higher compliment. Frankly, I think his book is better than any I’ve read by Elmore Leonard.
In Sacrifices, a gripping tale of lies, murder, guilt, and — following its own delicious logic — retribution, Mr. Smith has created a powerful cast of tragic characters. Bev, for one, is Lady Macbeth minus the remorse.
In the beginning of the book is a brief epigraph from Seneca: “Crime when it succeeds is called virtue.” I never understood the meaning of that quotation until the end of this book. The end of this book that gave me the chills.
I’m not sure at what stage mere fiction becomes literature, but in this book Roger Smith illustrates how. His Sacrifices is a splendid piece of writing and provides a genuine pleasure to witness a master at work practicing his craft.
January 23, 2019
An easy read. Loved the twists and turns in the story line. I started to think at one stage how could so much bad luck happen to one family. The last page was a “yoh yoh yoh”moment that gave mixed emotions! Worth the read.
August 2, 2024
This is a very clever book set in Cape Town, South Africa. It tracks two Families involved in ten murders and their entangled relationships.
On the one hand is the wealthy white Lane family: Beverley, the cunning dominating and amoral mother who idolizes her sociopathic son and will stop at nothing to protect him, and the weak conscience stricken Father Michael caught up in the web of deceit.
On the other hand there is the non white family of their maid, who has a clever daughter Louise and a delinquent son. As children they live closely with the Lanes. However their estranged father lives in a shack in the filthy slums of the Cape flats -as a criminal gang leader, no stranger to Pollsmoor prison. This book paints a scary but evocative picture of Cape Town set during apartheid days, wealth, crime and poverty. Highly recommended
On the one hand is the wealthy white Lane family: Beverley, the cunning dominating and amoral mother who idolizes her sociopathic son and will stop at nothing to protect him, and the weak conscience stricken Father Michael caught up in the web of deceit.
On the other hand there is the non white family of their maid, who has a clever daughter Louise and a delinquent son. As children they live closely with the Lanes. However their estranged father lives in a shack in the filthy slums of the Cape flats -as a criminal gang leader, no stranger to Pollsmoor prison. This book paints a scary but evocative picture of Cape Town set during apartheid days, wealth, crime and poverty. Highly recommended
July 23, 2021
Tough read, not because it was boring, but because the subject matter and dichotomy brought home the reality of racism. One could feel the emptiness and despair in both protagonists.
October 25, 2017
I've found a new favorite author!
I must admit I had never read any of this authors work before, till i got bored one night and started reading Capture. Well my boring night was over and I started downloading every book of his i could find, and Sacrifices was just as great! Mr Smith writes with an earthy quality that brings his characters to life and leaves you hanging in anticipation of what they will do or say next, while the suspense builds with every sentence! Very happy new reader starting her next Roger Smith book, Nowhere, as soon as I finish writing this. I dare you to read one of his books and not enjoy every single Afrikaans or English word of it, while being shocked at the post apartheid world of South Africa!
I must admit I had never read any of this authors work before, till i got bored one night and started reading Capture. Well my boring night was over and I started downloading every book of his i could find, and Sacrifices was just as great! Mr Smith writes with an earthy quality that brings his characters to life and leaves you hanging in anticipation of what they will do or say next, while the suspense builds with every sentence! Very happy new reader starting her next Roger Smith book, Nowhere, as soon as I finish writing this. I dare you to read one of his books and not enjoy every single Afrikaans or English word of it, while being shocked at the post apartheid world of South Africa!
April 22, 2018
I LOVED THIS BOOK!
This story has brought about so many emotions. It's a story that includes sadness, weakness, strength, hate, lust, psychotic chaos, murder, revenge and the ultimate want and need for closure. ALL of the characters seemingly got what they deserved and I LOVED EVERY moment of it.
This was my first Roger Smith read and now, I am a Roger Smith fan.
This story has brought about so many emotions. It's a story that includes sadness, weakness, strength, hate, lust, psychotic chaos, murder, revenge and the ultimate want and need for closure. ALL of the characters seemingly got what they deserved and I LOVED EVERY moment of it.
This was my first Roger Smith read and now, I am a Roger Smith fan.
May 20, 2018
Brutal
Horrible people doing horrible things to each other..... I couldn’t put this book down. The Lanes are wealthy sociopaths. The Solomons are by products of systemic racism and institutional poverty. No one deserves sympathy in this book, not even the THOT-ish pregnant girlfriend.
I need to read a cat or dog detective story after this.
Horrible people doing horrible things to each other..... I couldn’t put this book down. The Lanes are wealthy sociopaths. The Solomons are by products of systemic racism and institutional poverty. No one deserves sympathy in this book, not even the THOT-ish pregnant girlfriend.
I need to read a cat or dog detective story after this.
June 7, 2020
At first I thought I was going to like this book. Roger Smith does a really good job highlighting the massive class and racial divides in Cape Town, and the novel certainly had no shortage of unlikeable characters who you were looking forward to getting their just desserts, like Beverley or Christopher Lane. The book had some weird eccentricities (like constant descriptions of characters' genitals, or the need to tell us the intricate details every single time one of the POV characters went to the toilet...) but at first they seemed overlookable.
However, as the narrative wore on, things just got bleaker and bleaker to the point that I found nothing enjoyable about it at all. I hated the character arc of Louise, who started out as the most sympathetic character in the book before becoming a soulless sadist. It's like the author was trying to say that depression/grief makes you a violent criminal? And yes, describing genitals and toilet trips on every second page is mega-weird. This novel could almost have been called Shit People Go to the Bathroom. Just, yeah. Two stars because the first part had some merit, but after that it all went downhill.
However, as the narrative wore on, things just got bleaker and bleaker to the point that I found nothing enjoyable about it at all. I hated the character arc of Louise, who started out as the most sympathetic character in the book before becoming a soulless sadist. It's like the author was trying to say that depression/grief makes you a violent criminal? And yes, describing genitals and toilet trips on every second page is mega-weird. This novel could almost have been called Shit People Go to the Bathroom. Just, yeah. Two stars because the first part had some merit, but after that it all went downhill.
February 22, 2018
Christopher was always a bully. Tall and sinewy, he hovered over his peers like an ogre. That’s how his parents found him; hovering over a girl as he pelted her with a 10-pound weight. Beverly, his mother, immediately taking charge to cover for her precious son. She always has. His father, Michael, shaken and physically sick, cannot fathom what he sees. He cannot take this any longer. A punishment for his own crimes is what he feels his son is; guilt and shame for the horrors that occurred 20 years earlier.
Beverly is on the ready. Setting up a scrawny meth-head for her son’s crime. Louise, the boy’s sister, knows something isn’t right. She is determined to find out what it is. Michael Lane is in a battle with himself over all of this. Can he continue to cover up for his son?
Beverly is on the ready. Setting up a scrawny meth-head for her son’s crime. Louise, the boy’s sister, knows something isn’t right. She is determined to find out what it is. Michael Lane is in a battle with himself over all of this. Can he continue to cover up for his son?
September 25, 2020
Wow what an intense,thrilling,gritty,dramatic cultural book. In this book the characters really reaped what they've sewn. All karma came back in a 360 degree worldwind of chaos,despair,and revenge. The cultural references were a bit presumptuous,and kind of racist describing the lower Cape Flats poverty issues,and the people etc.etc. But as a black woman who grew up in poverty,lived in the ghettos,but had a good education etc. etc. I empathizes with Louise character.
January 21, 2018
Spell binding ,a mesmerizizing story you can not stop reading. It keeps you totally
Engrossed by what goes on in South Africa. The story itself and as the plot develops. I liked it very much.
Engrossed by what goes on in South Africa. The story itself and as the plot develops. I liked it very much.
January 23, 2018
Whew!
What a book! Back and forth! No one wins or do they? Don't know if I can take another of this authors. There's the upperclass and the underclass and each share their claws. Little redemption allowed.
What a book! Back and forth! No one wins or do they? Don't know if I can take another of this authors. There's the upperclass and the underclass and each share their claws. Little redemption allowed.
February 2, 2018
Wow
Different country, different way of life. Very descriptive extreme spectrums of foreign ways of living from the richest to the poorest. Fast paced plot kept me turning the pages.
Different country, different way of life. Very descriptive extreme spectrums of foreign ways of living from the richest to the poorest. Fast paced plot kept me turning the pages.
April 16, 2018
Disturbing Psychological Thriller
A well written and disturbing tale filled with love, hate, and every emotion in between. Colorful descriptions paint this tale and bring the characters to life and death.
A well written and disturbing tale filled with love, hate, and every emotion in between. Colorful descriptions paint this tale and bring the characters to life and death.
April 11, 2019
Sacrifices
Very interesting storyline depicting a wealthy white family in Africa and a black family whose mom works for them. Murder is abundant in the culture and the problems this family is dealing with drags them deeper into this. Enjoyed it very much.
Very interesting storyline depicting a wealthy white family in Africa and a black family whose mom works for them. Murder is abundant in the culture and the problems this family is dealing with drags them deeper into this. Enjoyed it very much.
April 27, 2019
This book is awesome!!
Being able to google and learn able all the areas in Cape town, including the ‘TIK’ use, was really a good sociological and geographical lesson with wonderful fiction woven thru it!
Being able to google and learn able all the areas in Cape town, including the ‘TIK’ use, was really a good sociological and geographical lesson with wonderful fiction woven thru it!
July 3, 2019
Interesting...
This is a spoiler alert: this book is about human condition that is very very sad. Was not a fun read, but kept my interest... Was not a mystery like the usual book, and had an unusual ending.
This is a spoiler alert: this book is about human condition that is very very sad. Was not a fun read, but kept my interest... Was not a mystery like the usual book, and had an unusual ending.
December 12, 2019
Could Not Put It Down
Lots of twists. Stuff I didn’t see coming. I even liked the ending. I imagined the story going on in my head and I rarely do that when I finish. I really enjoyed this book.
Lots of twists. Stuff I didn’t see coming. I even liked the ending. I imagined the story going on in my head and I rarely do that when I finish. I really enjoyed this book.
December 24, 2019
Almost accidentally bought this book twice - then realized I had already read it.
I don't read much fiction, but this was pretty good.
Gripping from start to finish and the fact that it is set in Cape Town made it more fun.
I don't read much fiction, but this was pretty good.
Gripping from start to finish and the fact that it is set in Cape Town made it more fun.
April 3, 2020
I enjoyed the pacing of the story. The short length of the chapters made it manageable to read when you have a short gap in your day. The fact that the book is set in Cape Town-where I live- made it so much better to read as it was so easy to visualize the story.
January 22, 2021
I have family in South Africa and your book just verifies life there. Probably slightly exaggerated. All these characters are people I wouldn’t want to associate with! A very sad book there wasn’t a n happiness. But I did enjoy it go figure!
January 24, 2018
Good read
Not as action filled as I'm used to reading. But held my attention. And I found myself wondering what's happening next.
Not as action filled as I'm used to reading. But held my attention. And I found myself wondering what's happening next.
February 1, 2018
Great twists..
Great twists throughout. Just when i thought something was going to happen it was something different. Held my attention. I would recommend it.
Great twists throughout. Just when i thought something was going to happen it was something different. Held my attention. I would recommend it.
February 7, 2018
Character Driven Plot
The folks in this novel are very much the product of their character. Placed in South Africa the events clearly show how the different parts of that society .
The folks in this novel are very much the product of their character. Placed in South Africa the events clearly show how the different parts of that society .
February 8, 2018
Lies
Great story
Poor rich advention. Keeping you reading until end. Will recommended to others.n. strong characters. Great story.reading takes you away.
Great story
Poor rich advention. Keeping you reading until end. Will recommended to others.n. strong characters. Great story.reading takes you away.
February 16, 2018
Murder
I finished the book but found it to be a rather disappointing read. Just wasn't believable. And the ending was very irritating.
I finished the book but found it to be a rather disappointing read. Just wasn't believable. And the ending was very irritating.
May 21, 2018
Rose
So much action, you have to keep reading in order to find out what is going to occur next. This book was hard to put down.
So much action, you have to keep reading in order to find out what is going to occur next. This book was hard to put down.
June 21, 2019
Very good, first few pages I thought it was going to be a far fetched ridiculous story, but glad I read it more turned out very good story I enjoyed it very much.
June 23, 2019
Wow
A real good thriller. Totally entertaining. First book I've read by this author. Certainly will find out what else he's written.
A real good thriller. Totally entertaining. First book I've read by this author. Certainly will find out what else he's written.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews