Devil Dealing

The Ryder Quartet #1

by Ian Patrick

A top police investigative unit in Durban, South Africa, breaks an illegal gambling operation in the context of rampant police corruption and drug-fuelled gangster violence in the city. Lead detective Jeremy Ryder is a physically powerful, quiet and meticulous investigator. His partner Navi Pillay is a small and exceptionally strong Tamil martial arts instructor, and she provides the speed and physical power to complement Ryder's incisive sleuthing abilities. Together with their other detective colleagues Ryder and Pillay crack open two interwoven criminal operations. There are two key villains. One is a corrupt murderous senior police officer at the heart of the illegal gambling operation and the other is a sinister and violent gangster dealing in drugs and murder. Each of them presides over lesser criminals and each of them controls separate domains of corruption until their paths cross in a spectacular climax.

Genres: Crime, Thriller

281 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2015

About the author

After working as an actor, director and teacher in theatre, film and television, followed by a long academic career, Ian is now a full-time writer. His years as an actor, director and scholar play a modest part in his writing, he says. 'My fiction is based to the best of my ability on research and field work. I have to believe every word my fictive characters say, every action they undertake,' he says. Which explains why he has accompanied detectives to the front line, interviewed forensics investigators, taken courses on forensics, crime scene management, and DNA analysis, and spent many hours scouring actual locations for his crime scenes: many of them based on actual events.

'I endeavour to make my fiction plausible and authentic. It takes me up to a year to write an eighty thousand word crime thriller. In my view, although it is clearly desirable to arrive at one's destination by bringing a work to publication, it is the journey that is the really exciting and enjoyable part of writing. I can only hope that readers will also enjoy the journey of discovering my characters and their foibles, their actions and their experiences. I hope, too, that they will inform me about and forgive me for any lapses in my work or any errors of detail.'

Reviews

[Rodney Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first in an intriguing-looking quartet. Not quite as good as James McClure’s The Steam Pig, perhaps, but Devil Dealing is a refreshingly realistic and fabulously exciting thriller set in the same country five decades later: a country where there are now between forty-five and fifty murders a day. That is a higher death rate than currently experienced in the war raging in Iraq and Syria - and South Africa is not a country at war. This thriller is carefully researched, draws on interviews with victims of crime and with active detectives (some of whom took the author into the front line of their work on drug-dealing and forensics). The book is fast-paced, with lots of action interspersed with humour and witty camaraderie between both cops and robbers. The all-action hero Jeremy Ryder is not unlike another favourite action hero of mine, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. He is tough, accurate with both fists and pistols, and an impressive sleuth. His partner is an equally tough woman - a Tamil martial arts expert. The supporting cast of characters comprise intriguing personalities. The race, language and gender balance is very thoughtfully created. There is a defect in all of this. The author finds it necessary to provide perhaps too much contextual and historical information in two or three of the scenes, perhaps not trusting his readers to look up for themselves anything about which they might need more information. The consequence is a bit of a lapse in energy in the middle. But this is soon rectified and is indeed balanced by climactic action and intriguing characterisation, as well as a brilliant plot-pivoting revelatory moment in the narrative that serves to drive us on to a satisfying conclusion. According to the preface and the website the second and third books in this series apparently follow some of the characters into the future, but each of the books stands alone as an independent thriller. The website suggests a fourth book soon, completing a quartet that - if this one is anything to go by - is page-turning action all the way, and a disturbing reflection of reality in the country in which it all takes place. This is real, gutsy drama rooted in authenticity: a case of life reflecting art and vice-versa. Did I say it was as good as McClure's The Steam Pig? Hmmmm. Not so sure after all. This one is a real stunner. One thing is for sure. Both books reveal a devastating gangster's murder weapon, one about which I was fairly ignorant. This book makes far scarier use of that weapon. That is a truly devastating scene. Oh boy. What a shock. What a thriller.

[Joy Wags · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love it! Fantastic. Gripping and believable. Very moving scene at one point (but I can’t spoil the plot). It made me cry. And cry some more. Tears, laughter, action all the way. Witty exchanges, brilliant use of multi-lingual expressions and slang, lovely relationships between characters, and really nice mood and atmosphere. Nice to read a thriller every bit as good as the top-of-the-chart thrillers, and one that is not set in Europe or the USA. What a nice change. Bit of real history, too, but it never gets in the way of the really page-turning action. So nice! I read it in one go: couldn’t put it down. But then, I’m also hard to please. I would like to see a little more unpacking of the political background. There’s so much corruption going on in that country, and it seems to me that this book only touches on the surface of the real corruption. Maybe the author intends to deal with that in the sequel, or in the one that follows the sequel. I see from the blurb on Amazon that the third book tells us that “the work of ‘plain dealing’ cops comes under scrutiny”, so maybe that’s where the real scrutiny will take place. Anyway, despite my expectations (and preconceptions, probably), I really loved this book and I look forward to reading the next ones in the series.

[Ronald Gumede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hey, man! This is so brilliant. My own police experience is like this, and this is just so accurate! I love it. The characters are just like the guys I know and hang with. It’s also funny and entertaining. Except for the bit in the office. The police hanging around the urn is real: that's where we waste a lot of time talking rubbish. And that's where the action flagged a little in this book. But it was still quite funny when they talked about rugby. About two thirds of the way through I just couldn’t put it down so I just read straight through the night. I love the short, sharp sentences : exciting and realistic and fast-moving. And the characters, too: the accents and language are so, like, spot on: I KNOW guys like this, man! Got to read it again. And again. I love the fact that there is no stereotyping. We got black villains and white villains, men and women, African and English and Afrikaner and Indian and the rest. Rainbow police force taking on the rainbow nation. Must read the next one in the series.

[Robert Storey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see that Devil Dealing is the first in a series. Normally I prefer single thrillers, but I’m pleased I tried this one, anyway. For one thing, it IS a single thriller. The author makes that clear in his preface, and this one definitely stands on its own feet. A model crime thriller, in many ways. A team of sharp and witty detectives on the hunt for villains as evil as Satan. What’s not to like? Exciting and page-turning. I read this very quickly and couldn’t put it down. These characters grow on you. I can’t wait to see them develop even further. One complaint: I would have liked there to be an “internal” glossary rather than having to “go to” the glossary at the end of the book to check on the meaning of some of the slang. I can see that the slang and different colloquial expressions add colour to the work - sometimes hilariously so - but it would have been nice to have footnotes rather than have them all translated at the end. That’s a small flaw. I reckon this is worth five stars, really, but there’s always room for improvement. UPDATE: Just heard the audiobook (January 10-11). Wow. Brilliant. Even better than the book.

[Kobus Koopmans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stunning. Couldn’t put it down. And I long for the next books in his series, even though this volume stands on its own two feet. The characters are really interesting, detailed, and witty. I happen to have been to many of the locations where the action is set, and it is exactly as I remember it. This is almost not even classifiable as fiction. The characters and action and events are happening every day in South Africa (as well as elsewhere in the world, doubtless). This is a crime thriller that is different from so many others. It’s really a literary novel that just happens to be in the crime thriller genre. Beautiful writing, breathless action. Perhaps a little too much historical background, and there are passing mentions of the political context rather than a serious intervention about it. But maybe that's not necessary...

[Suzie Whyte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is totally absorbing. What a page-turner, right from the beginning. I know the Durban scene very well, and like many am fascinated by its crime and policing. This writing captures everything amazingly well. It’s really exciting, and the characters are thoroughly engaging. There was just one part where I felt there was probably a bit too much telling of the historical background, but then I realised, in the next section immediately following, the real need for that. And then came the brilliant closure in the final scene, bringing us full circle back to the beginning and closing it off so well, with such beautiful mood and atmosphere. I found it exciting and also very moving. I love these characters.

[Matthew Seagreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blockbuster action and totally believable characters, with the relationships both amusing and endearing. I couldn’t put it down. The action is very cleverly woven through two lines of plot, and there’s a major surprise two thirds of the way through, which is brilliantly foreshadowed and prepared for: I went back on the text to see what I might have missed, but all the clues were there. So I enjoyed it even more on the second reading. Very exciting, very moving, very original. Intelligent as well as thrilling. Characters are not just ciphers in an action thriller, but very real characters in an important contemporary setting, revealing current conditions on the ground. Can’t wait to read the sequel. Just one criticism, which persuades me to give four stars rather than five. I’d like to see more of the political context for the police work. There is a bit of it in there, but it seems to me that it’s begging to come out. Maybe it’ll be there in a sequel? What’s happening politically behind the scenes in police work these days seems to me to be very important. Anyway, whatever the case, these characters are so well observed, with the language and accents all accurate, as far as I can see. Even now I’m still thinking about so many of them. I also dipped into the audiobook, which gives me even more of the atmosphere, and made me re-read the book.

[Carolien · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book falls squarely within the genre now called Sunshine Noir, an excellent police procedural set in sub-tropical Durban where the harbour allows the local South African crime scene to intersect easily with international crime. Very well written with a good pace, well-developed characters and solid plot. There are a few spots where the narrative is a bit detailed in dealing with the history of the South African police system, but one assumes it is for the benefit of international readers who are not familiar with some of the intricacies of the local system.

My only quibble would be that speed and distance are provided in kilometres, but height and weight in imperial measures.

[William Lindstadt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey! This is great. I loved this. New, fresh, original. I liked the witticisms, the companionship among the cops, the fun juxtaposed against the most brutal crimes. Really bad criminals. Really good cops. But nobody is caricatured. They are all deftly created characters. LOvely martial-arts action. I liked the specific detailed descriptions of some of the action. I took a little while to get on top of the accen ts - strange grammar - but ended up really liking it. Good stuff, this!

[Victoria Jefferson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just re-read this original review of mine from five years ago: "Oh yes! I grooved on this. I used to live near where a lot of this action takes place. How absorbing! I loved the characters and the dialogue and the accents. What a clever moment there was at the end of the one chapter (Thursday, I think, at the end of the police ball). What an evil villain, too. How funny was one thing, though - the strange accent of the forensics woman. I know people who speak just like that! They live in the shadow of Table Mountain! This was a fast-paced thriller and I could imagine someone like Matt Damon playing the lead detective. He's a real hero, and a nice guy to boot. I'm not sure that it was a good thing to kill off one of the good guys. I was just getting to like him.... but I better not say too much, I suppose. I've just been scanning the website and I see there are three sequels! Great. Should keep my off the streets during the summer. Good Christmas reading."

I subsequently read the whole collection. Now I've just listened to the audio of this one. It really comes alive for me, and what is most astounding is that the crime in the country since five years ago makes this even more authentic. Very enjoyable and quite thrilling.

[Roxanne Grenville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very punchy, exciting and fast-moving, and scary in parts. Especially in the deep, dark and menacing voices of the criminals. I would have given five stars except for the fact that there's a bit of descriptive detail in one part that fills us in about the background of police matters in the country and that's a bit boring. I can see that that is probably necessary for any reader who might not know about the situation, but it slowed the action down a bit at that point. Maybe I'm carping. The really nice thing is that the characters and the dialogue and the action are really entertaining and gripping. I read this right through in one reading the first time. Then I updated this review after hearing the audio version!

[Tshepo Mkhize · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this so, so much! Four very big stars. I would have given five except for the slow bit, giving us some historical background. But this was necessary, I suppose. The scenes are exactly like my home town of Empangeni. The characters are so entertaining, and I still know people who speak exactly like this. I read this very quickly, it was so exciting. I can’t wait to get the next one in the series. The bad guy is so, so evil: I hope he comes back! Jeremy is my hero. And Navi, too. She’s brilliant. Please don’t kill her off! I read this again, and liked it even more the second time. So relevant to the real crime going on...

[Patricia Cuffley · Rating 4 out of 5]

All right! OK! Now I get it! I have just finished reading this, after listening to the audio version of the second book in the series only last week. Wrong way around, because this is the first book in the series. Should have started in the right place, I suppose. In retrospect, I think now that I might have been a bit harsh in my review of the second book. Now I get the point, I think. This is really good. I loved it. Now I see where the characters all come from and how they fit together. It helped me, too, to read the reviews on this site and understand a little more from some readers who appear to be police officers with experience who know the scene far better than I do. The real point is this: these characters are all so interesting and the dialogue is really rich and varied. The gender relations, race relations, language relations, cultural differences, etc. all seem to be beautifully handled, but, thank goodness, with no sentimentality. There's fun and there's serious commentary. There's also stirring action and emotional depth. Actually, I think that this volume IS better than the second one anyway. I love the banter between the cops. The British cop is a bit of a sexist macho type and I was ready to protest, quite vociferously, at his macho attitudes. But then I realised that this was done deliberately, to balance his attitudes and demeanour against the very mature attitudes on race and gender coming from the other characters, especially the main hero Jerry Ryder. In fact, now I appreciate even more the scene in the second book where the patriarchal white men are taught a lovely, gentle lesson in gender awareness. That was so funny.

This is really good stuff. And then there's the action. The toughest (and fastest) woman cop you will encounter anywhere: in this book it's not the all-conquering Jack Reacher type of white male hero that saves all the women. This time the diminutive Asian woman Navi saves the tough male hero! What a nice turn of events! This was thoroughly enjoyable.

But I have to agree with some of the comments that there's a little bit too much talk about the historical background at one point. Apart from that, this was such a good read. And a page-turning quick one, at that!

[Deborah Nielsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! Glad I got this. Having just read a slow-moving old-style detective investigation I was in need of an all-action hero. Preferably one who was not an old-style sexist. Jeremy Rider is my new hero. Like Jack Reacher. Tough, no-nonsense, but clearly different from his sexist partner detectives (is the author making a point about how REAL men should behave: not like the other detectives in the office?) Here we have the tough white male being rescued by a tough Asian woman. How very nice. Witty dialogue, a villain to die for (or from), and a conquering hero who is intelligent and sensitive. What more could a gal want? I liked the earthy realism of this very much indeed. There's a great scene near the end where we see the Asian woman detective in full flight, as it were. Hope she comes back in the sequel.

[Katherine Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. I had just read a stunner for Christmas and thought nothing could come near it - Smiley's People - but I have to admit that this was, though not as good as John le Carré, still a really gripping tale and very up-to-date with what is happening in the world. I loved the character and the action and the witty comments, and it was great to see a range of different people populating the book, with different accents, idiosyncrasies, street lingo, etc. I downloaded this not because I had heard anything about it, but because it was on a free promotion and I liked the cover a lot. So now I liked the book so much that I've gone and bought the other three books in the series. Lots to keep me going for the next month.

[LuluBelle Runjes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I voted four stars. There was a part where I thought it got a little bit too descriptive about police detail and politics. But then I understood why - it’s a completely necessary part of the background to the action. And the action then became incredibly exciting and realistic. It’s also really funny and moving in parts. The accents and dialogue are so accurate: I hear them just like that around me all the time in real life. I like this book so much. What writers like Mike Nicol, Margie Orford and Deon Meyer are doing for the Cape Town crime thriller, this man is doing for the KwaZulu-Natal thriller. Can’t wait for the next one.

[Conrad Listner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this book back in October, when I was driving a car around New York for a week and needed something to keep me occupied. I rated it on Audible, as I recall, but I had another dip into it recently and thought it was even better than i had thought back then. Lovely quick-paced action and thrills, superb characters, evil guys and good cops. And really good studio production, too. Speaking of thrills: that one murder, with the devastating weapon, is to die for (if you'll pardon the expression). One of the best thrillers I've read for a few months.

[Sharon Loyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this a while ago and did a review on the Audible site. I have since had a look at the book too, then went back to the audio for another listen just last week. It really is excellent. Apart form the really good quality of voice and diction, the story is compelling and very different. I was so drawn in by it. I listened to it during a long road trip originally, but more recently I've been listening to it in bed. Scary stuff. Very tense and menacing, and lovely characters. I still think it's a little slow at one part, but that doesn't last long and then it's crazy action all the way. I like this book very much.

[Pat Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A South African Detective Story

Well done to Ian Patrick for his exciting police story on crime in Kwa Zulu Natal! His use of mixed colloquial expressions drawn from Afrikaans, Zulu and Phanegelo was a breath of fresh air in the international arena.
A fascinating post-apartheid mix of characters based on their integrity or lack of scruples, with their ruthless actions based on their warped perspectives of life wove a story which kept me reading despite a workload demanding attention. Strongly recommended.

[Paula van der Riet · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT a fabulous book. I hesitated a bit at first, not knowing if it was going to be too violent for me to enjoy, but then Jeremy Ryder arrived, to save the day! The book turned out to be a first class thriller. There was just the right amount of action and intrigue, to keep me reading late into the nights. And I grew up in the area in which the novel is set, so it was extra special for me ... reading about places I know well.

[Frank Swart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good compact thriller with very convincing characters. The detectives are genuine - I know a few detectives and these are just the same, nicely detailed and very sharp but witty and hard-bitten by the crime they have to deal with. Very enjoyable reading. I went straight out and got the next one in the series.

[Tertius Delport · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this again on New Year's day, after having listened to the audio version in November. I liked it very much back then, but since then I have read the others in the trilogy. I really loved the two books that followed this one in the series, but thinking about this one now in relation to the second and third ones, I now have one or two problems with this one. Maybe it's because it was the first book and the author was still finding his feet. Firstly, there's no doubt that this is in the same bag as the later books: a completely plausible, well-researched police thriller. The language (especially the Afrikaans) is excellent and the dialogue is rich and entertaining. No problems there. The problem I have, now, in retrospect, is when the characters start having too many discussions about the past and about the procedure that used to exist in the office, and things like that. It seems to slow the action down a lot. The two main villains are completely believable, and the action scenes are really good. The forensic and ballistic stuff is obviously carefully researched and the bad things that happen could have come straight out of the newspapers in Durban. I still liked it a lot, this time, and can see the development from book one through book two to book three. Maybe by the time he has written seven or eight books he will be in the same bag as Lee Child. But in the meantime he is definitely on the way there, because this is still a enjoyable thriller.

[Stephen Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a review of another book in this series that said this author was as good as Grisham or Patterson. Big claim: I thought I'd check it out. Guess what? I think that reviewer was right. This is good. Really good.

The opening prologue was enough to grab my attention, but then the next four or five scenes go even further. I couldn't put it down. Slick action, detailed description without becoming tiresome. One gets the feeling that this is a writer in touch with his weapons, his criminals, and his cops. I thoroughly enjoyed it. There's a big plus, too. The women are up to anything the men can provide, and more. There are a couple of likeable old Afrikaner plodder-detectives: they are adorable characters. The team is led by a sharp no-nonsense black officer, and he prevails over a solid team of detectives. The criminals are as bad as you can get anywhere. And towering over all of this is a Jack-Reacher kind of guy, but with oodles of sensitivity and a wife and fellow woman detective who both look after him.

Must get number two in the series. Intriguing and different, this is.

[Susan Vookes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing a Giveaway competition. First in a series of four. I liked it very much indeed. It was different. The location was great and the sense of a real world out there struggling to find itself was really nice. I also like the fact that it is short - I suppose about 80,000 words - and it packs a lot in. The action is exciting and the musings about morality are sensible. Very good indeed. Will read more. Am listening to the audiobook of another one in the series, too.

[Hayden Brookshield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and different, this was. A believable thriller where the characters are down to earth and doing the job. No over the top clever twisty plots. This is like everyday police work and it is superbly observed. The interactions among the police and the criminals makes for a very believable experience. I shall read more of this author.

[Janet Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was great. ""Devil Dealing tells the story of a team of detectives in Natal, South Africa, where they chase a really bad few hombres for different crimes. The main guy is a killer who used to be a cop and stole some weapons before he scarpered. Now those weapons have turned up in some murders and the cops - his former colleagues - are out to get him.

This guy is prime evil. He's one of the most evil guys you've encountered in crime thrillers. He has a weapon that he uses to kill his enemies. I'\m not gonna spoil it for anyone, but believe me this is bad, bad stuff that he does. But the cops are on his tail and on his trail.

Meanwhile the cops are also on the trail of another bad dude. This one is - well, no, I'm not gonna spoil this one for readers because that would be a giveaway. Save to say that he is also a pretty bad guy. Anyway, it all comes to a head at the end and there are some great scenes. Martial arts? Huh. Think martial arts mixed in with some dynamite. Powerful scenes, which make you want to read more.

This is the first encounter I've had with this writer. It sure is not going to be the last.

[Charles Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read another book by this writer two years ago. 'The Mashego Files' was outstanding. I thought this one was equally good. Well, maybe not quite as outstanding. Nevertheless, this had lovely characters and some superb action sequences. The detectives are all multi-dimensional characters with lots of humour and affectionate moments, and then comes the action. Superb. Very well plotted and always holding the attention.

Jeremy Ryder is a great detective. And the South African setting is very well researched. This is the kind of crime that occurs every day and is reported in the media. It's as if this book is just another page of those newspapers. Brutal crime and instant response from detectives. It is a war out there and Ryder and his colleagues are on the front line.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well done Ian Patrick! This Audible book with Mr. Patrick's narration is a must! The action. The corruption. The violence. The good cops. The bad cops. The woman cop. The humor. The realism. The attention to detail. I felt like I was listening to a movie. All so very entertaining!
Ian Patrick is an excellent narrator. All the feelings are well expressed and felt. I was right there. Really enjoyed this book.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from Story Origin.

[Dennis Trelaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was truly gripping. Different from what I was used to, it was subtle and brutal and packed with amazing characters. It's fast and furious, and the audio version is particularly good.

The different accents are helpful and the wit and humour are very good (especially the banter about rugby: I see the author got the exact facts spot on: I checked them on google and he was right on the button).

Looks like a good series.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

Although I found this story hard to get into, it was worth reading. I found it difficult to understand the language used and only found the glossary when I finished the story. The essence of the story highlights the corruption that the police force deals with in South Africa. It is an interesting story.