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Benny Griessel #5
Icarus
South Africa’s preeminent crime fiction writer, Deon Meyer is internationally acclaimed for his razor’s-edge thrillers, unforgettable characters, and nuanced portrayals of contemporary life in his native country. The fifth pulse-pounder starring Captain Benny Griessel, a lead detective in South Africa’s priority crimes unit, delves into the country’s burgeoning tech and wine industries.
A week before Christmas, a young photographer discovers a plastic-wrapped corpse amidst the sand dunes north of Cape Town. The only thing found on the corpse is a dead iPhone, but it doesn’t take long for the police to identify the body as that of Ernst Richter—the tech whiz behind MyAlibi, an internet service that provides unfaithful partners with sophisticated cover stories to hide an affair. Meanwhile, Benny Griessel is called to the scene of a multiple homicide involving a former colleague, and four years of sobriety are undone on the spot. He emerges from his drunken haze determined to quit the force, but the take-no-sass Major Mbali Kaleni, now his boss, wants Griessel on the Richter case. The high-profile murder has already been the subject of fierce media speculation, with questions swirling about the potential for motive: could the perpetrator be one of the countless jilted spouses? An aggrieved client?
Before the week is out, an unexpected connection to a storied family winery comes to light, and Griessel’s reputation is again on the line. Mounting towards a startling conclusion, Icarus is another exceptional novel from the “King of South African Crime.”
A week before Christmas, a young photographer discovers a plastic-wrapped corpse amidst the sand dunes north of Cape Town. The only thing found on the corpse is a dead iPhone, but it doesn’t take long for the police to identify the body as that of Ernst Richter—the tech whiz behind MyAlibi, an internet service that provides unfaithful partners with sophisticated cover stories to hide an affair. Meanwhile, Benny Griessel is called to the scene of a multiple homicide involving a former colleague, and four years of sobriety are undone on the spot. He emerges from his drunken haze determined to quit the force, but the take-no-sass Major Mbali Kaleni, now his boss, wants Griessel on the Richter case. The high-profile murder has already been the subject of fierce media speculation, with questions swirling about the potential for motive: could the perpetrator be one of the countless jilted spouses? An aggrieved client?
Before the week is out, an unexpected connection to a storied family winery comes to light, and Griessel’s reputation is again on the line. Mounting towards a startling conclusion, Icarus is another exceptional novel from the “King of South African Crime.”
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2015
About the author
Deon Meyer
67 books1,288 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 323 reviews
June 18, 2018
ICARO SENZA ALI(BI)
Blue Valley o Blaauwklippen Valley con i suoi magnifici vigneti.
Mi piacciono i personaggi di Deon Meyer, quelli che mette in scena qui per la quinta volta:
Bennie Grissel, il detective capitano della squadra d’eccellenza degli Hawks, bianco, che combatte la sua dura lotta con l’alcol e il senso di colpa; il capitano Vaughn Cupido, nero, che veste come un ragazzino, e sempre come un ragazzino s’innamora; il colonnello Mbali Kaleni, nera, che li comanda tutti, e segue una dieta a base di cavolfiore che le impregna la pelle e l’aria che la circonda.
Tutti gli altri detective di questo team di polizia, un’eccellenza nel campo delle indagini sui crimini violenti, con il collega specializzato in reati finanziari e quell’altro esperto di tecnologia e l’altro…
Stellenbosch, città universitaria a circa quaranta minuti d’auto da Cape Town: qui si svolge l’indagine di polizia.
Ma su tutto, il personaggio più bello, che ritorna sempre e rimane impresso più di tutti, il più emozionante, la vera protagonista è la città: Cape Town.
La città con le quattro stagioni nello stesso giorno.
La città che domina l’omonima penisola, che sfocia nella punta del Capo di Buona Speranza (erroneamente ritenuto il punto più a sud del continente africano, che è invece un po’ più a est Capo Agulhas.
La città che fronteggia Robben Island, letteralmente isola delle otarie, ma soprattutto nota per il carcere che ospitò tra gli altri Mandela (per diciotto dei suoi ventisette anni di reclusione).
La città che contiene una montagna, Table Mountain, montagna con la vetta piatta come una tavola.
La sede della centrale di polizia di Stellenbosch.
Una città, che come il paese che la contiene, del quale è la terza in ordine di grandezza con i suoi tre milioni e mezzo di abitanti, in quest’epoca post-apartheid è un unico grande meticciato con almeno undici lingue ufficiali, tutte contaminate nello e dallo slang (un piacere in più è il piccolo glossario a fine romanzo).
La sede di Alibi.co.za.
Meyer scrive nella sua lingua d’origine, l’afrikaans, subito tradotto in inglese. E dall’inglese arriva in italiano, oltre che in un’altra ventina di lingue.
Icaro morì perché volle volare troppo in alto, come troppo in alto ha cercato di arrivare la vittima di questo bel crime thriller, che inventa un’app per fornire alibi legali a mogli e mariti e fidanzati fedifraghi, ma non ha un alibi nel momento in cui viene ammazzata.
Jacaranda, albero originario del Sudamerica, elemento importante nella trama.
Blue Valley o Blaauwklippen Valley con i suoi magnifici vigneti.
Mi piacciono i personaggi di Deon Meyer, quelli che mette in scena qui per la quinta volta:
Bennie Grissel, il detective capitano della squadra d’eccellenza degli Hawks, bianco, che combatte la sua dura lotta con l’alcol e il senso di colpa; il capitano Vaughn Cupido, nero, che veste come un ragazzino, e sempre come un ragazzino s’innamora; il colonnello Mbali Kaleni, nera, che li comanda tutti, e segue una dieta a base di cavolfiore che le impregna la pelle e l’aria che la circonda.
Tutti gli altri detective di questo team di polizia, un’eccellenza nel campo delle indagini sui crimini violenti, con il collega specializzato in reati finanziari e quell’altro esperto di tecnologia e l’altro…
Stellenbosch, città universitaria a circa quaranta minuti d’auto da Cape Town: qui si svolge l’indagine di polizia.
Ma su tutto, il personaggio più bello, che ritorna sempre e rimane impresso più di tutti, il più emozionante, la vera protagonista è la città: Cape Town.
La città con le quattro stagioni nello stesso giorno.
La città che domina l’omonima penisola, che sfocia nella punta del Capo di Buona Speranza (erroneamente ritenuto il punto più a sud del continente africano, che è invece un po’ più a est Capo Agulhas.
La città che fronteggia Robben Island, letteralmente isola delle otarie, ma soprattutto nota per il carcere che ospitò tra gli altri Mandela (per diciotto dei suoi ventisette anni di reclusione).
La città che contiene una montagna, Table Mountain, montagna con la vetta piatta come una tavola.
La sede della centrale di polizia di Stellenbosch.
Una città, che come il paese che la contiene, del quale è la terza in ordine di grandezza con i suoi tre milioni e mezzo di abitanti, in quest’epoca post-apartheid è un unico grande meticciato con almeno undici lingue ufficiali, tutte contaminate nello e dallo slang (un piacere in più è il piccolo glossario a fine romanzo).
La sede di Alibi.co.za.
Meyer scrive nella sua lingua d’origine, l’afrikaans, subito tradotto in inglese. E dall’inglese arriva in italiano, oltre che in un’altra ventina di lingue.
Icaro morì perché volle volare troppo in alto, come troppo in alto ha cercato di arrivare la vittima di questo bel crime thriller, che inventa un’app per fornire alibi legali a mogli e mariti e fidanzati fedifraghi, ma non ha un alibi nel momento in cui viene ammazzata.
Jacaranda, albero originario del Sudamerica, elemento importante nella trama.
October 27, 2017
Just when I thought Benny had conquered his alcoholism along comes this book and turns it all upside down. Of course even drunk Benny is still a better detective than all the others sober.
So we end up with two stories. One is the personal tale of Benny's backsliding into drinking again and the support he gets from his friends as he struggles to get his life back. The other is the police case which was actually so complicated that I ended up not trying to understand and just letting it flow past me.
And flow it did because Deon Meyer is such a good writer. His characters are so good, not just Benny but also his work colleagues and their dialogue can be very funny. And of course there is always the South African atmosphere. Love it!
So we end up with two stories. One is the personal tale of Benny's backsliding into drinking again and the support he gets from his friends as he struggles to get his life back. The other is the police case which was actually so complicated that I ended up not trying to understand and just letting it flow past me.
And flow it did because Deon Meyer is such a good writer. His characters are so good, not just Benny but also his work colleagues and their dialogue can be very funny. And of course there is always the South African atmosphere. Love it!
January 19, 2026
3.5 stars, rounded up
Icarus is the fifth in the Benny Griessel series and it’s a powerful addition because of the character development. Bennie is called to a murder scene where an ex-comrade has murdered his family and committed suicide. It causes Benny to fall off the wagon and think he can again handle drinking.
Meanwhile, Benny’s partner, Vaughn Cupido, has been made lead detective on another murder investigation. A body wrapped in plastic has been found hidden in the sand dunes near Cape Town. It turns out to be the founder of a new tech company called Alibi, which literally provides alibis to cheaters. Vaughn gets a bigger role in this book and I really enjoyed that. He is balancing being lead for the first time with trying to cover up for Benny.
In between these two plotlines, are interviews between a lawyer and a potential client, the owner of a local vineyard, in which he insists on telling the story of several generations of his family. It’s obvious this will eventually play into the story, but it did serve to slow down the pace of the main story.
Meyer totally gets the mindset of an alcoholic, both the struggle to stay sober and the feeling of being able to handle the drinking despite all evidence to the contrary.
This is a complicated plot. There are plenty of suspects. But in the end, it bothered me that the murderer came from out in left field.
I listened to this and Simon Vance does a great job as the narrator. His South African accent definitely lent a realism to the story even if I sometimes struggled to understand a word here or there.
Icarus is the fifth in the Benny Griessel series and it’s a powerful addition because of the character development. Bennie is called to a murder scene where an ex-comrade has murdered his family and committed suicide. It causes Benny to fall off the wagon and think he can again handle drinking.
Meanwhile, Benny’s partner, Vaughn Cupido, has been made lead detective on another murder investigation. A body wrapped in plastic has been found hidden in the sand dunes near Cape Town. It turns out to be the founder of a new tech company called Alibi, which literally provides alibis to cheaters. Vaughn gets a bigger role in this book and I really enjoyed that. He is balancing being lead for the first time with trying to cover up for Benny.
In between these two plotlines, are interviews between a lawyer and a potential client, the owner of a local vineyard, in which he insists on telling the story of several generations of his family. It’s obvious this will eventually play into the story, but it did serve to slow down the pace of the main story.
Meyer totally gets the mindset of an alcoholic, both the struggle to stay sober and the feeling of being able to handle the drinking despite all evidence to the contrary.
This is a complicated plot. There are plenty of suspects. But in the end, it bothered me that the murderer came from out in left field.
I listened to this and Simon Vance does a great job as the narrator. His South African accent definitely lent a realism to the story even if I sometimes struggled to understand a word here or there.
February 26, 2020
This is the 5th book in the powerful South African crime series centred in and around Cape Town. Deon Meyer writes a grim, compelling, and unfiltered portrayal of crime and the reconstructed police force following the end of apartheid. The books were originally written in Afrikaans but have been translated into twenty languages. Some Afrikaans and other native words and phrases are left untranslated which adds to the flavour, and there is an extensive glossary at the end which translates them into English. The locations are vividly described. The author has photos on his website depicting some locations described in this thrilling work of fiction.
The series features Captain Benny Griessel, a lead detective in the elite Hawks police division. Benny, after years of alcoholism, has remained sober for 602 days, but this has been a constant struggle for him. He has been called out to a crime scene where a colleague shot his wife and two daughters and then turned the gun on himself. A shattered Benny relapses, and for most of the book is either drinking himself into a stupor or craving his next drink. His boss, Major Mbali, a female Zulu Police officer assigns him to a new case. She makes his partner, Vaughn Cupido, head of the investigation. Cupido has never had so much responsibility but shows a new maturity and leadership skills. He also covers up for Benny’s drunkenness including a bar brawl which ended with him in jail.
Benny and Cupido have been assigned to a high-profile murder which is receiving much publicity and speculation in the press. The victim is Ernst Richter, a tech wiz who runs an internet site that enables people engaged in inter marital affairs to cheat on their spouses. For a fee, they can get alibis for their absences from home and forced documents, such as airline tickets, which look authentic. Ernst had been leading a luxurious lifestyle. The website was supposed to have the highest security for its clients, but some of its members were getting blackmailed and now some hacker is threatening to release publicly the names of its clients.
It turns out there are many suspects. Could the killer be amongst the many disgruntled clients, a cheated spouse, some workers in Alibi who disliked him, or someone else with an unknown motive? This is a very complicated case for Cupido, the rarely sober Benny, and their teammates.
The search for Ernst’s killer alternates with another storyline. A young winemaker is consulting with a defence advocate. He insists in recounting a long history of four generations of his troubled family, including that of a psychotic older brother, before explaining why he is interested in hiring her. His story is fascinating.
The characters are superbly developed and memorable. Unlike other books in the series, it doesn’t delve as deeply into the political or racial climate of the post-apartheid era. The newly integrated Cape Town police force seems to have put aside their differences and suspicions. This story deals primarily with crime, detailed police investigations, new technology and winemaking.
Can Benny overcome his dependency on liquor long enough to participate and play a major role in solving a complex crime with its many twists and surprises, or will he be forced to leave his position as police detective? 4.5 Stars
The series features Captain Benny Griessel, a lead detective in the elite Hawks police division. Benny, after years of alcoholism, has remained sober for 602 days, but this has been a constant struggle for him. He has been called out to a crime scene where a colleague shot his wife and two daughters and then turned the gun on himself. A shattered Benny relapses, and for most of the book is either drinking himself into a stupor or craving his next drink. His boss, Major Mbali, a female Zulu Police officer assigns him to a new case. She makes his partner, Vaughn Cupido, head of the investigation. Cupido has never had so much responsibility but shows a new maturity and leadership skills. He also covers up for Benny’s drunkenness including a bar brawl which ended with him in jail.
Benny and Cupido have been assigned to a high-profile murder which is receiving much publicity and speculation in the press. The victim is Ernst Richter, a tech wiz who runs an internet site that enables people engaged in inter marital affairs to cheat on their spouses. For a fee, they can get alibis for their absences from home and forced documents, such as airline tickets, which look authentic. Ernst had been leading a luxurious lifestyle. The website was supposed to have the highest security for its clients, but some of its members were getting blackmailed and now some hacker is threatening to release publicly the names of its clients.
It turns out there are many suspects. Could the killer be amongst the many disgruntled clients, a cheated spouse, some workers in Alibi who disliked him, or someone else with an unknown motive? This is a very complicated case for Cupido, the rarely sober Benny, and their teammates.
The search for Ernst’s killer alternates with another storyline. A young winemaker is consulting with a defence advocate. He insists in recounting a long history of four generations of his troubled family, including that of a psychotic older brother, before explaining why he is interested in hiring her. His story is fascinating.
The characters are superbly developed and memorable. Unlike other books in the series, it doesn’t delve as deeply into the political or racial climate of the post-apartheid era. The newly integrated Cape Town police force seems to have put aside their differences and suspicions. This story deals primarily with crime, detailed police investigations, new technology and winemaking.
Can Benny overcome his dependency on liquor long enough to participate and play a major role in solving a complex crime with its many twists and surprises, or will he be forced to leave his position as police detective? 4.5 Stars
March 27, 2019
****4.5 Stars!**** Excellent crime fiction probably best read rather than listened to as I did. I loved the narrator's South African (I'm assuming) accent. The story was complex and compelling. Still, without a book for reference, the various names were hard to comprehend and keep straight in my mind.
August 15, 2015
Deon Meyer is South Africa’s preeminent mystery/thriller writer and something of a wonder. His books have a richness and specificity that bring South Africa (and crimes committed there) vividly to life. This installment of the Benny Greissel series braids several strands of mystery into a single blood-red cord of baling twine from the wine country of Stellenbosch.
Meyer often posts on his website photos of the locales, restaurants, buildings he uses in his novels, and he did in the case of Icarus as well. The site of the action is South Africa’s western Cape near Cape Town.
A large storm in December reveals the body of an internet entrepreneur buried in the sand of Blouberg Strand. Ernst Richter ran Alibi.com, a South African-based website based on the success of AshleyMadison.com, a company promising discretion when arranging infidelities. The manner of his death ties him firmly to the wine country in Stellenbosch, but in the weeks leading to the Christmas holidays, we are turned in many directions, often away from the truth.
Meyer often has several threads working at once in his novels, and this book is no exception. Deliciously, Meyer shares the personalities of the police and how their prejudices, weaknesses, and particular skills influence an investigation. Benny Griessel struggles with alcohol addiction and falls off the wagon when a colleague dies tragically. The description of his ever-present desire and of his failure is agonizingly real.
Griessel’s colleague, Jamie Keyter, will do just about anything to be in the limelight of newspaper reporting, even if it means selling his team down the river. Another colleague, Vaughn Cupido, falls hard for someone he questions during the murder investigation.
While the murder investigation plays itself out, we are treated to a plausible explanation of the unreasonably high subscription numbers of Alibi.com (and by association the AshleyMadison.com), and a realistic scenario for the sites’ growth and financial requirements. Finally, we also get a fascinating short history of wine production in South Africa.
Meyer keeps readers off-balance throughout the novel with rapid and abrupt shifts between strands: the quiet droning of a man relating his family’s genealogy; the drunken stumbling of Benny Griessel on the edge of losing everything; the start-stop of an investigation where so many have things they wish to hide.
If you haven’t already enjoyed Deon Meyer’s oeuvre, feel free to start here. It is often years between novels, and to discover a new Meyer book is an event. Add Meyer to your list and get a whole different outlook. This book will be published October 6, 2015 by Grove Atlantic, but I am telling you about it now because it is being offered as a giveaway currently on Goodreads. I definitely recommend you sign up.
Meyer often posts on his website photos of the locales, restaurants, buildings he uses in his novels, and he did in the case of Icarus as well. The site of the action is South Africa’s western Cape near Cape Town.
A large storm in December reveals the body of an internet entrepreneur buried in the sand of Blouberg Strand. Ernst Richter ran Alibi.com, a South African-based website based on the success of AshleyMadison.com, a company promising discretion when arranging infidelities. The manner of his death ties him firmly to the wine country in Stellenbosch, but in the weeks leading to the Christmas holidays, we are turned in many directions, often away from the truth.
Meyer often has several threads working at once in his novels, and this book is no exception. Deliciously, Meyer shares the personalities of the police and how their prejudices, weaknesses, and particular skills influence an investigation. Benny Griessel struggles with alcohol addiction and falls off the wagon when a colleague dies tragically. The description of his ever-present desire and of his failure is agonizingly real.
Griessel’s colleague, Jamie Keyter, will do just about anything to be in the limelight of newspaper reporting, even if it means selling his team down the river. Another colleague, Vaughn Cupido, falls hard for someone he questions during the murder investigation.
While the murder investigation plays itself out, we are treated to a plausible explanation of the unreasonably high subscription numbers of Alibi.com (and by association the AshleyMadison.com), and a realistic scenario for the sites’ growth and financial requirements. Finally, we also get a fascinating short history of wine production in South Africa.
Meyer keeps readers off-balance throughout the novel with rapid and abrupt shifts between strands: the quiet droning of a man relating his family’s genealogy; the drunken stumbling of Benny Griessel on the edge of losing everything; the start-stop of an investigation where so many have things they wish to hide.
If you haven’t already enjoyed Deon Meyer’s oeuvre, feel free to start here. It is often years between novels, and to discover a new Meyer book is an event. Add Meyer to your list and get a whole different outlook. This book will be published October 6, 2015 by Grove Atlantic, but I am telling you about it now because it is being offered as a giveaway currently on Goodreads. I definitely recommend you sign up.
March 31, 2015
Ek en my man is altwee Deon Meyer fans, en ek tel elke jaar die maande af tot sy nuwe boek uitkom. Ek dink sy grootste talent is sy karakters, jy ontwikkel regtig 'n bond met elkeen - Bennie, Cupido, Mbali en die res van die span. Sy boeke speel af in die hier en nou van Suid-Afrika, the good, the bad and the ugly. En natuurlik kan ek nie sy boeke neersit as ek eers begin lees het nie, die suspense is net te hoog. My familie weet om my af te skryf vir die dag of twee wat ek in sy stories verdwyn. Ek het veral die wyn geskiedenis in Ikarus geniet, maar moet se ek het gedink die pace was bietjie stadiger as 13 uur en 7 dae. As jy Deon geniet, probeer gerus ook Karin Brynard.
November 1, 2015
It's hard to believe that a mystery author of this caliber is not better known in the U.S. Or that this new book of his does not come up on the first page when you search for the title on Goodreads. Deon Meyer has written another gem.
Benny Griessel and his police partner Vaughn Cupido are called to a murder scene, where a body buried in sand has been discovered after intense rain. The victim Ernst Richter is a playboy entrepreneur of an Internet company called alibi.com that creates bogus paperwork to cover cheating spouses. The company is losing money, and the suspects range from religious nuts to employees to aggrieved spouses. Meanwhile, after two years of sobriety, the slaughter of his own family and suicide of a colleague, sends him into a downward spiral, with his partner trying to cover for Benny. The other main storyline is told via a lengthy lawyer-client interview about a West Cape family in the wine business, with a pathological member. Besides the murder mystery, there is an excellent overview of the development of the fine wine industry in South Africa. The only problem is having to wait another couple of years for Meyer's next book. Highly recommended, doubly so for oenophiles.
Benny Griessel and his police partner Vaughn Cupido are called to a murder scene, where a body buried in sand has been discovered after intense rain. The victim Ernst Richter is a playboy entrepreneur of an Internet company called alibi.com that creates bogus paperwork to cover cheating spouses. The company is losing money, and the suspects range from religious nuts to employees to aggrieved spouses. Meanwhile, after two years of sobriety, the slaughter of his own family and suicide of a colleague, sends him into a downward spiral, with his partner trying to cover for Benny. The other main storyline is told via a lengthy lawyer-client interview about a West Cape family in the wine business, with a pathological member. Besides the murder mystery, there is an excellent overview of the development of the fine wine industry in South Africa. The only problem is having to wait another couple of years for Meyer's next book. Highly recommended, doubly so for oenophiles.
August 19, 2015
South African crime novelist Deon Meyer shows no signs of slowing down; he is still at the top of his game. His latest, ICARUS, is another in the Benny Griessel series, and it may be his best, most sophisticated ever of his page-turning murder thrillers. Meyer’s characters continue to evolve with complexity, versus typical series, where the returning characters tend to become stale and stilted. His plot is as smart and sizzling as ever, the structure nimble and bifurcated, and his pace impeccable. Not only is the storytelling first class, but the South African landscape also comes vividly alive. Moreover, there are cerebral but provocative dimensions that earn ICARUS a spot in the thinking person’s crime novel.
The dead body of Ernst Richter, a wealthy entrepreneur, is found in the Blouberg dunes on December 17th. Richter was Managing Director of a website called Alibi, that uses the latest in technology to create alibis for mate cheaters. If you need an alibi for a weekend getaway or night of passion, Alibi will provide cover, devising bills, receipts, airline tickets, texts, or whatever else is relevant. “All Pleasure. No Stress” is their motto. There’s also a parallel storyline involving viniculture and a deeply troubled family. As the chapters alternate between the search for the perpetrator, and the curious confession of a winemaker, the suspense ratchets up with a commanding and compelling deliverance. Prepare for an edge of your seat thriller that doesn’t let up until the very last page.
Veteran Meyer readers are familiar with the Hawks team, South Africa’s Priority Crimes Investigative unit, an elite team of the best detectives. In the opening, lead detective Benny Griessel’s two-year sobriety is undone by tragedy--when a colleague kills his family and then himself. Vaughn Cupido then takes the helm as lead investigator of Richter’s murder, while he tries to cover for Benny’s bad behavior. Benny has reached a new bottom, one that could potentially ruin him permanently. Add to that a POI that is truly a person of romantic interest for Vaughn, one that puts the cupid in Cupido.
The first line of the book crackles, stating how “heaven and earth conspired to expose Ernst Richter’s corpse, the universe seemingly intent on reaching out a helping hand for justice.” The next few passages describe the storm that moulded the dunes “like a blind sculptor” and eroded the sand away around the dead body’s feet. The passages have an almost mythical thrum to them, with the forces of flood and climate playing a role in revealing the body. Interestingly, the myth of Icarus refers to the son of Daedalus, who flew too close to the sun on wings of feathers and wax. When the sun melted his wings, Icarus plunged into the sea.
The drama is also balanced with levity, which the author has always handled with poised impudence. Major Mbali Kaleni is back, the food-obsessed and take-no-prisoners boss who is now on a cauliflower diet. The redolence that follows her throughout the novel is priceless. Her character is nuanced, sympathetic, strong, and quirky, leaving room for comic relief:
“…an argument with Mbali was like a Sumo wrestling match – you could never get a decent grip, and afterwards, it left you all sweaty and unsatisfied.”
Meyer certainly has his finger on the pulse of high tech wizardry, but he blends it in so well that even a technophobe wouldn’t get bored. The information on hacking and the back doors of software buzzes with intrigue and espionage, as the threat of a leak of high profile celebrity and government names using Alibi is imminent. The floundering, remaining personnel of Alibi must cooperate with the Hawks in order for the crime to be solved and collateral damage kept to a minimum. And, the winemaker’s story builds momentously with the Richter investigation, so that I was unable to tear myself away as the denouement drew closer.
Kudos to Meyer’s map of pertinent landmarks on the inside covers, and I always enjoy the inclusion of Afrikaans lexicon. For example, fyndraai is a special visit, lekker is luscious, and fokkit is, well…
And round of applause to K.L. Seegers for a pace-perfect, dynamite translation.
“The heart of the matter is, I can’t be Vaughn the Terrible, if you aren’t Benny the Sober. It’s like that line in the movies – you complete me.” Benny snorts, “And now you’re going to kiss me.”
The dead body of Ernst Richter, a wealthy entrepreneur, is found in the Blouberg dunes on December 17th. Richter was Managing Director of a website called Alibi, that uses the latest in technology to create alibis for mate cheaters. If you need an alibi for a weekend getaway or night of passion, Alibi will provide cover, devising bills, receipts, airline tickets, texts, or whatever else is relevant. “All Pleasure. No Stress” is their motto. There’s also a parallel storyline involving viniculture and a deeply troubled family. As the chapters alternate between the search for the perpetrator, and the curious confession of a winemaker, the suspense ratchets up with a commanding and compelling deliverance. Prepare for an edge of your seat thriller that doesn’t let up until the very last page.
Veteran Meyer readers are familiar with the Hawks team, South Africa’s Priority Crimes Investigative unit, an elite team of the best detectives. In the opening, lead detective Benny Griessel’s two-year sobriety is undone by tragedy--when a colleague kills his family and then himself. Vaughn Cupido then takes the helm as lead investigator of Richter’s murder, while he tries to cover for Benny’s bad behavior. Benny has reached a new bottom, one that could potentially ruin him permanently. Add to that a POI that is truly a person of romantic interest for Vaughn, one that puts the cupid in Cupido.
The first line of the book crackles, stating how “heaven and earth conspired to expose Ernst Richter’s corpse, the universe seemingly intent on reaching out a helping hand for justice.” The next few passages describe the storm that moulded the dunes “like a blind sculptor” and eroded the sand away around the dead body’s feet. The passages have an almost mythical thrum to them, with the forces of flood and climate playing a role in revealing the body. Interestingly, the myth of Icarus refers to the son of Daedalus, who flew too close to the sun on wings of feathers and wax. When the sun melted his wings, Icarus plunged into the sea.
The drama is also balanced with levity, which the author has always handled with poised impudence. Major Mbali Kaleni is back, the food-obsessed and take-no-prisoners boss who is now on a cauliflower diet. The redolence that follows her throughout the novel is priceless. Her character is nuanced, sympathetic, strong, and quirky, leaving room for comic relief:
“…an argument with Mbali was like a Sumo wrestling match – you could never get a decent grip, and afterwards, it left you all sweaty and unsatisfied.”
Meyer certainly has his finger on the pulse of high tech wizardry, but he blends it in so well that even a technophobe wouldn’t get bored. The information on hacking and the back doors of software buzzes with intrigue and espionage, as the threat of a leak of high profile celebrity and government names using Alibi is imminent. The floundering, remaining personnel of Alibi must cooperate with the Hawks in order for the crime to be solved and collateral damage kept to a minimum. And, the winemaker’s story builds momentously with the Richter investigation, so that I was unable to tear myself away as the denouement drew closer.
Kudos to Meyer’s map of pertinent landmarks on the inside covers, and I always enjoy the inclusion of Afrikaans lexicon. For example, fyndraai is a special visit, lekker is luscious, and fokkit is, well…
And round of applause to K.L. Seegers for a pace-perfect, dynamite translation.
“The heart of the matter is, I can’t be Vaughn the Terrible, if you aren’t Benny the Sober. It’s like that line in the movies – you complete me.” Benny snorts, “And now you’re going to kiss me.”
April 10, 2016
Dis n skande – ek het net 4 Afrikaanse boeke hierdie jaar gelees (waarvan 2 Deon Meyer was).
Soos altyd stel hierdie reeks nie terleur nie en ek het spesifiek die wyn bedryf en die KWV kwota stelsel in die 1970’s baie interessant gevind.
Die karakters is kleurvol, die dialog is realisties en snaaks, die storielyn is grypend en die taalgebruik is uitstekend.
En van boek 3 af het ek baie van Cupido begin hou maar nou is ek ‘n absolute fan!
Ek probeer altyd hierdie boeke gedurende vakansie tyd lees anders is die temptasie te groot om siek te speel by die werk.
As jy soos ek, maar skepties is om ‘n boek te lees wat gebaseer is op polisie ondersoeke in Suid Afrika, gee hierdie reeks ‘n kans. Jy mag dalk net lekker verras wees.
Soos altyd stel hierdie reeks nie terleur nie en ek het spesifiek die wyn bedryf en die KWV kwota stelsel in die 1970’s baie interessant gevind.
Die karakters is kleurvol, die dialog is realisties en snaaks, die storielyn is grypend en die taalgebruik is uitstekend.
En van boek 3 af het ek baie van Cupido begin hou maar nou is ek ‘n absolute fan!
Ek probeer altyd hierdie boeke gedurende vakansie tyd lees anders is die temptasie te groot om siek te speel by die werk.
As jy soos ek, maar skepties is om ‘n boek te lees wat gebaseer is op polisie ondersoeke in Suid Afrika, gee hierdie reeks ‘n kans. Jy mag dalk net lekker verras wees.
November 10, 2017
“Icarus” by South African author Deon Meyer, has a complex storyline cleverly interweaving three threads. On 17 December a storm moving in from the Atlantic uncovers a body buried in soft sand at Blouberg, north of Cape Town, bound by plastic sheeting and twine. The victim is identified as entrepreneur Ernst Richter, reported missing in November, the founder of “Alibi” - an internet company based in Stellenbosch, which provides credible cover stories for people conducting extra-marital affairs.
Initially SAPS detective Jamie Keyter from the Table View station takes charge of handling the crime scene, before it is taken over by the Provincial Crime Scene Investigation unit. With many staff taking annual leave the Violent Crimes Squad is headed by Major Mbali Kaleni, who hands the case to Captains whitie Bennie Griessel and partner coloured Vaughn Cupido, giving Cupido JOC (Joint Operational Command). Griessel is struggling; an alcoholic who has been “dry” for 600 days, an incident pushes him over the edge, with Cupido covering for him as he spirals out of control …
Throughout the investigation, the narrative switches to the taped transcripts of a young winemaker Francois du Toit, recorded before Advocate Susan Peires in Cape Town on 24 December. He is vexed as he knows the victim and slowly discloses details of the family’s winemaking business over three generations …
The main theme here is “guilt”. Guilt by association as the victim is revealed to be a man lacking in principles, his company facing deep financial troubles. Guilt of Griessel, who finally admits to his problem and sees a psychiatrist.
’Survivor guilt is one of four conditions or subscales that we associate with the fear of harm to others. The other three are separation guilt, omnipotent responsibility guilt and self-hate. Policeman and soldiers are just about the only ones who are exposed to all four.’
Such is the strength of the writing and characterisations that the ending caught me by surprise. Like his other novels there is a map detailing the locations in the book and a glossary of words in Afrikaans and other South African languages, which lends it its authenticity. It has taken only two novels to establish Deon Meyer as one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading his earlier works.
Initially SAPS detective Jamie Keyter from the Table View station takes charge of handling the crime scene, before it is taken over by the Provincial Crime Scene Investigation unit. With many staff taking annual leave the Violent Crimes Squad is headed by Major Mbali Kaleni, who hands the case to Captains whitie Bennie Griessel and partner coloured Vaughn Cupido, giving Cupido JOC (Joint Operational Command). Griessel is struggling; an alcoholic who has been “dry” for 600 days, an incident pushes him over the edge, with Cupido covering for him as he spirals out of control …
Throughout the investigation, the narrative switches to the taped transcripts of a young winemaker Francois du Toit, recorded before Advocate Susan Peires in Cape Town on 24 December. He is vexed as he knows the victim and slowly discloses details of the family’s winemaking business over three generations …
The main theme here is “guilt”. Guilt by association as the victim is revealed to be a man lacking in principles, his company facing deep financial troubles. Guilt of Griessel, who finally admits to his problem and sees a psychiatrist.
’Survivor guilt is one of four conditions or subscales that we associate with the fear of harm to others. The other three are separation guilt, omnipotent responsibility guilt and self-hate. Policeman and soldiers are just about the only ones who are exposed to all four.’
Such is the strength of the writing and characterisations that the ending caught me by surprise. Like his other novels there is a map detailing the locations in the book and a glossary of words in Afrikaans and other South African languages, which lends it its authenticity. It has taken only two novels to establish Deon Meyer as one of my favourite authors and I look forward to reading his earlier works.
March 27, 2023
4,5 stars
My second favourite book in the series after the first book.
An interesting story and a great mystery.
It could have been for me even the best book in the series but I didn't like a lot of Afrikaans in conversations. I don't know why the translator chose to do it this way: the original book is written in Afrikaans, so why to keep many Afrikaans phrases and remarks in English translation? Who decides what should be translate and what to keep in original? I hated when I didn't know what EXACTLY they were talking about, even if the meaning I could more or less to understand (thanks to my German), but I don't think it made the story more authentical or made it sound more "South African".
My second favourite book in the series after the first book.
An interesting story and a great mystery.
It could have been for me even the best book in the series but I didn't like a lot of Afrikaans in conversations. I don't know why the translator chose to do it this way: the original book is written in Afrikaans, so why to keep many Afrikaans phrases and remarks in English translation? Who decides what should be translate and what to keep in original? I hated when I didn't know what EXACTLY they were talking about, even if the meaning I could more or less to understand (thanks to my German), but I don't think it made the story more authentical or made it sound more "South African".
December 4, 2023
Een rechercheur krijgt indringend met afschuwelijke situaties te maken, verwonding en dood, trauma’s van de ergste soort. De misdaadbestrijder kan daardoor op den duur makkelijk mentale verwondingen oplopen. Benny Griessel heeft een uitstekende reputatie opgebouwd bij een elite-eenheid van de politie van Kaapstad. Maar in het verleden heeft hij overmatig gedronken, met als gevolg een tweede reputatie: die van alcoholist. Aan het begin van deze politieroman heeft hij, de stille strijd met zichzelf voerend, al ruim tweeënhalf jaar geen alcohol meer gedronken. Maar pal daarop staat hij bij een plaats delict, waar de aard van de gepleegde moorden hem zó naar de keel grijpt, dat hij zich verliest aan de fles. En dan moet hij als belangrijk onderdeel van een opsporingsteam de moord oplossen op iemand die nogal in de publieke belangstelling heeft gestaan. Beide elementen krijgen een moeizaam verloop: hoe het met Griessel persoonlijk gaat en hoe de beroepsmatige onderzoekingen vorderen.
Meer dan in andere thrillers in deze reeks besteedt de auteur Deon Meyer uitgebreid aandacht aan de geschetste menselijke kant van de genoemde hoofdpersoon. Hoe Griessel moeite doet om zijn professionele scherpzinnigheid aan te spreken te midden van de effecten van de terugval in zijn verslaving, het komt allemaal serieus en geëngageerd voor het voetlicht. Het verleent deze roman een extra getinte sociale context. Ook maakt Meyer duidelijk dat in de periode waarin deze geschiedenis zich afspeelt, post-Apartheid, de maatschappelijke en economische problemen bepaald nog niet zijn opgelost – beperkende regelgeving, een zweem van corruptie komt langs. Het zijn vooral de verschillen in sociale status al naar gelang de huidskleur van politiemensen, zowel op zichzelf als in relatie tot de perceptie bij burgers, die gedurig aandacht krijgt.
Dit zijn elementen die voor mij een meerwaarde geven aan dit boek.
Ik laat verder onbesproken, onuitgewerkt dat zich twee parallelle verhaallijnen ontplooien, waarvan allengs kenbaar wordt wat die met elkaar te maken hebben. En dat vlagen van bliksemacties toch ook hier, zoals in het echt, afgewisseld worden door perioden van windstilte, ‘doldrums’ genoemd, waarin administratieve taken moeten worden verricht.
In drie woorden: goed boek dus. JM
Meer dan in andere thrillers in deze reeks besteedt de auteur Deon Meyer uitgebreid aandacht aan de geschetste menselijke kant van de genoemde hoofdpersoon. Hoe Griessel moeite doet om zijn professionele scherpzinnigheid aan te spreken te midden van de effecten van de terugval in zijn verslaving, het komt allemaal serieus en geëngageerd voor het voetlicht. Het verleent deze roman een extra getinte sociale context. Ook maakt Meyer duidelijk dat in de periode waarin deze geschiedenis zich afspeelt, post-Apartheid, de maatschappelijke en economische problemen bepaald nog niet zijn opgelost – beperkende regelgeving, een zweem van corruptie komt langs. Het zijn vooral de verschillen in sociale status al naar gelang de huidskleur van politiemensen, zowel op zichzelf als in relatie tot de perceptie bij burgers, die gedurig aandacht krijgt.
Dit zijn elementen die voor mij een meerwaarde geven aan dit boek.
Ik laat verder onbesproken, onuitgewerkt dat zich twee parallelle verhaallijnen ontplooien, waarvan allengs kenbaar wordt wat die met elkaar te maken hebben. En dat vlagen van bliksemacties toch ook hier, zoals in het echt, afgewisseld worden door perioden van windstilte, ‘doldrums’ genoemd, waarin administratieve taken moeten worden verricht.
In drie woorden: goed boek dus. JM
March 25, 2015
'n Deon Meyer stel net nooit teleur nie. In Ikarus hou hy twee balle gelyktydig in die lug; die storie van Ernst Richter en die storie van Francois du Toit. En Deon Meyer doen dit meesterlik. Dit raak nooit verwarrend nie, dit laat die leser net al hoe vinniger lees om uit te vind waar gaan die twee stories se pad kruis. Maar dis 'n catch 22, want jy wil weet wat het en gaan gebeur, maar jy wil nie hê dit moet eindig nie, want hoe lank dan voor Bennie en Vaughn en Mbali en al die ander Valke weer by jou kuier? Meyer maak die SAPS vir die leser MENS. Jou hart breek oor Benna wat al weer drink, jy wil hom byloop en skud en sê "Magtig man, bliksem, ruk jou reg!" Want SA het speurders soos jy nodig. En dan is jy trots op Vaughn. Vaughn, wat net Vaughn the Terrible kan wees as Griessel Benna the Sober is. Maar Vaughn wat skielik grootgeword het, en jy wil Mbali soen omdat sy Vaughn se potensiaal raakgesien het. Wat die lees van Ikarus so lekker maak, is oor die hiér en die nou waarin die storie afspeel. Daar word verwys na Oscar Pistorius, Dewani, die KWV en moderne tegnologie wat amok maak in verhoudings. Meyer se mensekennis en insig in die menslike psige is fyn en deeglik. Soos die drie "whitey" girls se hartseer houding oor Ernst se dood... "Not quite convincing, maar dis omdat hulle nie herltemal emotionally invested was in die victim nie." En dan sy insig in die mens... "Want die mens is bowenal 'n dier wat tot elke prys aan die kudde wil behoort. Soveel tyd, soveel geld, soveel energie om die kudde te skep, te onderhou en daarby in te pas, masr dan móét die kudde ordelik wees, sodat die investering nie verniet was nie." Maar moord versteur hierdie ordelikheid. En dan is daar die empatie en simpatie wat Meyer in die leser skep met sy karakterisering van ons polisiemanne. Daar waar hulle saam sit buite Richter se huis, honger en dors na 'n lang dag se ondersoeke, besig om Engen-vulstasie toebroodjies en Coke te eet en drink. Die band tussen hulle gesmee deur die mens se donkerste kant, demone wat hulle saam huis toe en bed toe vat. "Lede van die Diens, die dun lyn, die delikate skans tussen die duiwel en die diep blou see, 'n afgesonderde - deesdae verstote - groep. Hulle het eintlik net vir mekaar." En dan verstaan mens hoekom party drink en party dit net soms verloor. Maar jy bly steeds hoop dat Bennie sal ophou, want soos Vaughn tereg vra; "Just think about it, Benna. Wa' gaan die drank jou vat?" En as leser hoop jy dat alles uiteindelik gaan reg uitwerk, ook vir Francois du Toit, want Meyer skryf hulle in jou hart in. Maar lkarus is soos die lewe, die storie loop sy eie pad en die einde is soos 'n krieketbal, totaal "out of left field". Ek neem swaar afskeid en hoop Bennie en Vaughn is gou weer terug.
November 20, 2015
In Vino Veritas
Seit fast zwei Jahren ist Bennie Griessel ein trockener Alkoholiker, doch kurz vor Weihnachten wird er zu einer Ermittlung gerufen, die ihn aufs Äußerste erschüttert. Ein Kollege hat sich erschossen und seine Familie mit in den Tod gerissen. Griessel befürchtet nun, er wandele auf genau dem gleichen Pfad und nur der Alkohol könne ihm helfen. Dann wird auch noch sein Kollege und Freund Vaughn Cupido zum Leiter der Mordermittlung ernannt. Durch Zufall wird der Firmeninhaber Ernst Richter tot aufgefunden. Seine Leiche wurde während eines Sturms an einem Strand freigelegt. Weshalb sollte der erfolgreiche Unternehmer, den anscheinend alle mochten, umgebracht werden.
Bennie Griessel kämpft zunächst einmal nicht gegen die Sucht, dennoch bleibt er einer der besten Ermittler der Valke. Sein Freund und Partner Cupido deckt seine Entgleisung, macht ihm jedoch klar, was er von seinem Rückfall hält. Griessel scheint dabei zu sein, endgültig abzustürzen. Doch wie erwähnt, er ist einer der besten Ermittler. Cupido, der sich scheinbar immer hinter Bennie her entwickelt, wird nun erwachsen. Das Vertrauen, das die neue Chefin in ihn setzt, beflügelt ihn und er stürzt sich mit Eifer in die Ermittlung. Die Fassade um Richters Leben bricht schnell auseinander.
Auch wenn man als Leser vielleicht nicht so begeistert ist von Bennie Griessels Beschäftigung mit dem Alkohol, vor dem man ihn sicher wünschte, hat man es hier mit einer Geschichte zu tun, mit der der Autor zu begeistern vermag. Geschickt eingestreut in die Ermittlungen der Valke sind die Gespräche des Winzers du Troit mit seiner Anwältin. Die Frage, was das wohl mit der Handlung zu tun haben könnte, macht das Lesen zu einem packenden hin und her. Die akribischen Ermittlungen, die immer neue Entdeckungen über den ach so feinen Richter zu Tage fördern, regen dazu an, mitzuraten. Eine Rätselaufgabe, an der der Leser mit großem Vergnügen scheitert, da der Autor mehrere Geschichten verknüpft und mit der speziellen Situation Südafrikas verbindet. Am Ende wurde der Leser bestens unterhalten und hat auch noch etwas gelernt.
4,5 Sterne
Seit fast zwei Jahren ist Bennie Griessel ein trockener Alkoholiker, doch kurz vor Weihnachten wird er zu einer Ermittlung gerufen, die ihn aufs Äußerste erschüttert. Ein Kollege hat sich erschossen und seine Familie mit in den Tod gerissen. Griessel befürchtet nun, er wandele auf genau dem gleichen Pfad und nur der Alkohol könne ihm helfen. Dann wird auch noch sein Kollege und Freund Vaughn Cupido zum Leiter der Mordermittlung ernannt. Durch Zufall wird der Firmeninhaber Ernst Richter tot aufgefunden. Seine Leiche wurde während eines Sturms an einem Strand freigelegt. Weshalb sollte der erfolgreiche Unternehmer, den anscheinend alle mochten, umgebracht werden.
Bennie Griessel kämpft zunächst einmal nicht gegen die Sucht, dennoch bleibt er einer der besten Ermittler der Valke. Sein Freund und Partner Cupido deckt seine Entgleisung, macht ihm jedoch klar, was er von seinem Rückfall hält. Griessel scheint dabei zu sein, endgültig abzustürzen. Doch wie erwähnt, er ist einer der besten Ermittler. Cupido, der sich scheinbar immer hinter Bennie her entwickelt, wird nun erwachsen. Das Vertrauen, das die neue Chefin in ihn setzt, beflügelt ihn und er stürzt sich mit Eifer in die Ermittlung. Die Fassade um Richters Leben bricht schnell auseinander.
Auch wenn man als Leser vielleicht nicht so begeistert ist von Bennie Griessels Beschäftigung mit dem Alkohol, vor dem man ihn sicher wünschte, hat man es hier mit einer Geschichte zu tun, mit der der Autor zu begeistern vermag. Geschickt eingestreut in die Ermittlungen der Valke sind die Gespräche des Winzers du Troit mit seiner Anwältin. Die Frage, was das wohl mit der Handlung zu tun haben könnte, macht das Lesen zu einem packenden hin und her. Die akribischen Ermittlungen, die immer neue Entdeckungen über den ach so feinen Richter zu Tage fördern, regen dazu an, mitzuraten. Eine Rätselaufgabe, an der der Leser mit großem Vergnügen scheitert, da der Autor mehrere Geschichten verknüpft und mit der speziellen Situation Südafrikas verbindet. Am Ende wurde der Leser bestens unterhalten und hat auch noch etwas gelernt.
4,5 Sterne
September 5, 2016
Bietjie teleurgesteld in die einde, het meer van 'n twist verwag. Dis my eerste Deon Meyer, en ek dink dit was baie goed, ek het dit baie geniet. Koors is volgende!
January 9, 2026
Back to a vibrant modern day Capetown with Benny Griessal who had a rough ride in the prior book!
Where will he be at? He’s been struggling to stay on the wagon for a coupla books now……
Oh NO, Benny… you’d gone 602 days! ☹
We start with all sorts… A body discovered amongst the sand dunes…. A former detective part of a murder/suicide scene……. A (very) rocky Benny…….. regime change(s) amongst the Hawks (elite Police unit that Benny is part of)….. a consultation between an advocaat & her client, a vineyard owner and their backstory starts from a coupla generations back (which is revealed slowly throughout the story piece by piece, its relevance?? 😉 )….. a missing person….. Benny’s family & friends…… all contained within very short chapters so you need to keep your wits about you! :O
Somehow they’ll all tie in together….. you know it… I knows it…. Tis a given folks!
Have to say Benny is a lousy drunk, not at all like Harry Hole who is a functioning alcoholic & at his best with a roaring hangover! And on that note, the other observation I’ll share is that I enjoyed how the usual minor characters came more to the fore in this episode & stepped up & took the lead (in Benny’s absence).
The book is also completed by it’s use of Afrikaans & cape slang which I’m lekker at now! Hardly using the glossary at the back although they do on occasion throw in a new one! 😉
A grand series, hooked from book 1 & still loving it, 5 stars, it’s a new year & I feel generous, in truth though it’s well deserved!
Where will he be at? He’s been struggling to stay on the wagon for a coupla books now……
Oh NO, Benny… you’d gone 602 days! ☹
We start with all sorts… A body discovered amongst the sand dunes…. A former detective part of a murder/suicide scene……. A (very) rocky Benny…….. regime change(s) amongst the Hawks (elite Police unit that Benny is part of)….. a consultation between an advocaat & her client, a vineyard owner and their backstory starts from a coupla generations back (which is revealed slowly throughout the story piece by piece, its relevance?? 😉 )….. a missing person….. Benny’s family & friends…… all contained within very short chapters so you need to keep your wits about you! :O
Somehow they’ll all tie in together….. you know it… I knows it…. Tis a given folks!
Have to say Benny is a lousy drunk, not at all like Harry Hole who is a functioning alcoholic & at his best with a roaring hangover! And on that note, the other observation I’ll share is that I enjoyed how the usual minor characters came more to the fore in this episode & stepped up & took the lead (in Benny’s absence).
The book is also completed by it’s use of Afrikaans & cape slang which I’m lekker at now! Hardly using the glossary at the back although they do on occasion throw in a new one! 😉
A grand series, hooked from book 1 & still loving it, 5 stars, it’s a new year & I feel generous, in truth though it’s well deserved!
Read
October 3, 2018Tried this South African author but could not invest in deciphering Benny Griessel and his antagonistic co-workers. Perhaps too late in the series to pick up on the many tensions that seemed to outweigh the murders.
August 15, 2025
Ich habe bis jetzt alle Bücher die ich je gelesen habe immer zu Ende gelesen. Also habe ich diese Angewohnheit nicht aufgrund eines so langweiligen Buches ablegen können. - Sonst hätte ich nach Seite 3 aufgehört!😒Der 2. Stern ist ein Mitleidsstern, weil die Story nicht ganz reingeschissn ist.
February 7, 2016
Having waited in anticipation for each book by Deon Meyer, I admit I was somewhat disappointed by Icarus. I suspect it was because I simply do not have a lot of interest in the emphasis on newer technology such as SMS (text messaging) and cell phones and databases and bizarre web sites such as Alibi. This novel did not "grab" me and hold my attention. When I wander off and do other things rather than read, such as changing the oil in our ATVs, then I know I am loosing interest. My antipathy to the new technology is ironic because I spent over 30 years implementing computer technology in schools as a manager and consultant. Having read every translated novel by Deon Meyer, I still plan on reading any future book, but for me it took some effort to finish his latest.
April 20, 2017
3.5 I was a little disappointed I must admit. It had a complex and interesting plot, the characters are fascinating as ever, but I just felt that Meyer hadn´t put as much passion into this novel. I never really got engaged in the characters and happenings. It was good and I liked it, but not as amazing as his previous novels. Will read his next though. Love traveling through Cape Town and Stellenbosch. I google map the streets he mentions and see the houses and the vineyards and beaches. Feels very real.
December 18, 2016
agge nee, hierdie boek was nie lekker vir my gewees nie. die spanningslyn was nie so hoog soos die vorige paar boeke nie. 13 uur sal maar die beste ooit bly. ek het nie gevoel ek kan nie die boek neersit nie, so bietjie van 'n teleurstelling vir my.
October 28, 2018
Griessel en Cupido: een gouden duo
Dit boek, Icarus van Deon Meyer, heb ik gesigneerd gewonnen 2 jaar geleden via een prijsvraag van A.W. Bruna Uitgevers. Voor De Week van het Vergeten Boek van Hebban heb ik het eindelijk uit de kast gepakt.
Icarus is alweer het vijfde deel in de serie met rechercheur Bennie Griessel in de hoofdrol.
De vertaling uit het Afrikaans is van de hand van Martine Vosmaer en Karina van Santen. Zij ontmoetten elkaar op de opleiding aan het Instituut voor Vertaalkunde in Amsterdam. Inmiddels vertalen zij als ruim 30 jaar samen boeken uit het Engels en Frans, en sinds 2011 ook uit het Afrikaans. Zij vertaalden al eerder boeken van Deon Meyer.
Het ontwerp van de prachtige omslag is weer van Studio Jan de Boer, een grafisch ontwerpbureau voor het boekenvak. 4 ontwerpers maken alles voor boeken van omslagen tot websites. Ze bestaan inmiddels ruim 30 jaar. Ze maakten o.a. ook de boekomslag voor Koudvuur van Cilla en Rolf Börjlind, Enter van Willem Asman, Tik Tak van Chris McGeorge en ook andere boeken van deze schrijver.
Je kunt dit boek lezen zonder de eerdere delen te kennen, maar je mist dan wel achtergrondinformatie over de personages en hun onderlinge relatie.
Er wordt een lijk gevonden in de zandduinen bij Parklands. Het is Ernst Richter, internetondernemer en oprichter van Alibi.co.za, een controversiële website waar mensen alibi's kunnen regelen als ze iets willen verbergen. Vaak gaat het om affaires.
De zaak wordt toegewezen aan de Valken, de speciale eenheid binnen de politie, omdat geen enkele afdeling zijn handen wil branden aan zo'n high profile zaak.
Tussen de hoofdstukken door lezen we over de familiegeschiedenis van Francois du Toit. En langzaam wordt duidelijk wat zijn rol is in dit verhaal.
Deon Meyer geeft ons een prachtige inkijk in de levens en gedachten van verschillende leden van het politieapparaat in Kaapstad.
Kapitein Bennie Griessel, de briljante rechercheur met een alcoholprobleem.
Zijn partner Cupido Vaughn, die voor hem door het vuur gaat. Rechercheur-adjudant Jamie Keyter, die zich graag wil bewijzen. Persvoorlichter John Cloete. Mooiwillem 'George Clooney' Liebenberg, die bijna iedereen kan laten praten door zijn bedside manners. Reginald 'Flif' Davids, het technologische genie. Frank Fillander, die zeer geliefd is vanwege zijn geduld en mensenkennis en Vusumuzi 'Vusi' Ndabeni, die een onverstoorbaar humeur heeft en het grootste deel van zijn salaris altijd aan zijn moeder stuurt.
Door plaatsen en straten op te zoeken via Streetview waan je jezelf deel van het boek. Je ziet voor je waar ze zijn en hoe alles er uitziet. Dit geeft het lezen een diepere laag. Het landschap van Kaapstad is een extra personage in het geheel.
Via korte hoofdstukken wisselt het perspectief snel en dat houdt de vaart erin. De auteur zet ons met wat kleine twists op het verkeerde been, waarna een spannende ontknoping volgt.
Deon Meyer heeft het idee voor dit verhaal gekregen nadat hij de documentaire Red Obsession (2013) - waarin chateau Bordeaux worstelt om aan de monsterlijk gerezen vraag uit China te voldoen - heeft gezien. Als tweede noemt hij een artikel uit Fortune (17-04-2014) met de titel With technology, an easier path to infidelity in France. Hierin wordt een bedrijf beschreven dat alibi's regelt voor mensen die overspel plegen.
Icarus is vooral een verhaal over vriendschap, collegialiteit, jalouzie, onmacht en prachtige driedimensionale personages tegen de achtergrond van een moord en het mooie Zuid-Afrika.
Dit boek, Icarus van Deon Meyer, heb ik gesigneerd gewonnen 2 jaar geleden via een prijsvraag van A.W. Bruna Uitgevers. Voor De Week van het Vergeten Boek van Hebban heb ik het eindelijk uit de kast gepakt.
Icarus is alweer het vijfde deel in de serie met rechercheur Bennie Griessel in de hoofdrol.
De vertaling uit het Afrikaans is van de hand van Martine Vosmaer en Karina van Santen. Zij ontmoetten elkaar op de opleiding aan het Instituut voor Vertaalkunde in Amsterdam. Inmiddels vertalen zij als ruim 30 jaar samen boeken uit het Engels en Frans, en sinds 2011 ook uit het Afrikaans. Zij vertaalden al eerder boeken van Deon Meyer.
Het ontwerp van de prachtige omslag is weer van Studio Jan de Boer, een grafisch ontwerpbureau voor het boekenvak. 4 ontwerpers maken alles voor boeken van omslagen tot websites. Ze bestaan inmiddels ruim 30 jaar. Ze maakten o.a. ook de boekomslag voor Koudvuur van Cilla en Rolf Börjlind, Enter van Willem Asman, Tik Tak van Chris McGeorge en ook andere boeken van deze schrijver.
Je kunt dit boek lezen zonder de eerdere delen te kennen, maar je mist dan wel achtergrondinformatie over de personages en hun onderlinge relatie.
Er wordt een lijk gevonden in de zandduinen bij Parklands. Het is Ernst Richter, internetondernemer en oprichter van Alibi.co.za, een controversiële website waar mensen alibi's kunnen regelen als ze iets willen verbergen. Vaak gaat het om affaires.
De zaak wordt toegewezen aan de Valken, de speciale eenheid binnen de politie, omdat geen enkele afdeling zijn handen wil branden aan zo'n high profile zaak.
Tussen de hoofdstukken door lezen we over de familiegeschiedenis van Francois du Toit. En langzaam wordt duidelijk wat zijn rol is in dit verhaal.
Deon Meyer geeft ons een prachtige inkijk in de levens en gedachten van verschillende leden van het politieapparaat in Kaapstad.
Kapitein Bennie Griessel, de briljante rechercheur met een alcoholprobleem.
Zijn partner Cupido Vaughn, die voor hem door het vuur gaat. Rechercheur-adjudant Jamie Keyter, die zich graag wil bewijzen. Persvoorlichter John Cloete. Mooiwillem 'George Clooney' Liebenberg, die bijna iedereen kan laten praten door zijn bedside manners. Reginald 'Flif' Davids, het technologische genie. Frank Fillander, die zeer geliefd is vanwege zijn geduld en mensenkennis en Vusumuzi 'Vusi' Ndabeni, die een onverstoorbaar humeur heeft en het grootste deel van zijn salaris altijd aan zijn moeder stuurt.
Door plaatsen en straten op te zoeken via Streetview waan je jezelf deel van het boek. Je ziet voor je waar ze zijn en hoe alles er uitziet. Dit geeft het lezen een diepere laag. Het landschap van Kaapstad is een extra personage in het geheel.
Via korte hoofdstukken wisselt het perspectief snel en dat houdt de vaart erin. De auteur zet ons met wat kleine twists op het verkeerde been, waarna een spannende ontknoping volgt.
Deon Meyer heeft het idee voor dit verhaal gekregen nadat hij de documentaire Red Obsession (2013) - waarin chateau Bordeaux worstelt om aan de monsterlijk gerezen vraag uit China te voldoen - heeft gezien. Als tweede noemt hij een artikel uit Fortune (17-04-2014) met de titel With technology, an easier path to infidelity in France. Hierin wordt een bedrijf beschreven dat alibi's regelt voor mensen die overspel plegen.
Icarus is vooral een verhaal over vriendschap, collegialiteit, jalouzie, onmacht en prachtige driedimensionale personages tegen de achtergrond van een moord en het mooie Zuid-Afrika.
October 5, 2015
I am not a regular reader of the police procedural so my comments have to be understood in that context.
I chose this title in part for fun, and in part because of the setting and the translation from Afrikaans. I read a lot of South African lit and visited the country for the first time this year. The incorporation of many Afrikaans words and expressions into the text retains the local flavour whereas so many translations into English are cleansed of these elements. Apart from the timely topic (the release of a book about the murder of the founder of a site that assists those who wish to be unfaithful to their spouses could not have been been better placed as the Ashley Madison scandal broke), Icarus also touches on the topics not always understood by many outside the country, for example the impact of affirmative action on black, white and coloured members of the police force. Intelligent, enjoyable and recommended for a change of pace, or for an escape to the Cape Town and Stellenbosch region.
Thank you to Grove/Atlantic and Netgalley for the review copy.
I chose this title in part for fun, and in part because of the setting and the translation from Afrikaans. I read a lot of South African lit and visited the country for the first time this year. The incorporation of many Afrikaans words and expressions into the text retains the local flavour whereas so many translations into English are cleansed of these elements. Apart from the timely topic (the release of a book about the murder of the founder of a site that assists those who wish to be unfaithful to their spouses could not have been been better placed as the Ashley Madison scandal broke), Icarus also touches on the topics not always understood by many outside the country, for example the impact of affirmative action on black, white and coloured members of the police force. Intelligent, enjoyable and recommended for a change of pace, or for an escape to the Cape Town and Stellenbosch region.
Thank you to Grove/Atlantic and Netgalley for the review copy.
October 11, 2016
Great read and gripping story. I would have finished much faster, but Bennie's relapse with alcohol was just too hard to read and too depressing for me. He did so well in previous books and it was really sad to see how all his hard work ended in one drink after another one. And it was drawn out for quite some time. Don't get me wrong - the writing was phenomenal! How he started again and told himself, see, I can do it, I can drink without any problem and then we, the readers, followed along and saw quite clearly that it didn't work at all. That all was written so realistic that I could only read on for a few pages at a time.
And the whole crime took a back seat, at least for me. But today there was the scene, when it changed to the positive and suddenly the solving of the crime gained pace and I couldn't stop reading.
So, great writing, captivating story and I can't wait for the next book in the series!
And the whole crime took a back seat, at least for me. But today there was the scene, when it changed to the positive and suddenly the solving of the crime gained pace and I couldn't stop reading.
So, great writing, captivating story and I can't wait for the next book in the series!
June 30, 2017
Echt een voorbeeld van spanning als ontspanning. Goed geschreven. Een bijzondere setting (Zuid-Afrika), boeiende thema's, zoals de wereld van de wijnboeren. Geloofwaardige personages. Met name Bennie en Cupido, vrienden & collega's.
Goed opgebouwd, tot aan het verrassende einde aan toe.
Het lezen van dit boek: heerlijk escapisme dat helemaal niet leeg voelt.
Aanrader!
Goed opgebouwd, tot aan het verrassende einde aan toe.
Het lezen van dit boek: heerlijk escapisme dat helemaal niet leeg voelt.
Aanrader!
September 25, 2020
This fifth entry in the Benny Griessel series starts with police called to a murder/suicide. The perpetrator is one of their own and a colleague of Benny's. Grief stricken, Benny's sobriety ends as he backslides into destructive behaviour putting his job and relationship at risk. Benny's troubles open the door for Vaughn Cupido to exhibit his leadership capabilities.
The Hawks find themselves immersed in a high profile case involving the murder of the CEO of Alibi, a technology company that supports infidelity. You can have a custom alibi in case of emergency or one of the more routine "working late" texts to cover your shadiness. As the investigation progresses, financial irregularities begin to appear giving the police several lines of inquiries to pursue. Alternating chapters provide insight into one family's history with the South African wine industry.
The plot line is convoluted and this book won't be a favourite in the series; however, the strong sense of place that Meyer displays throughout the narrative along with excellent character development make this a must read series for procedural fans.
The Hawks find themselves immersed in a high profile case involving the murder of the CEO of Alibi, a technology company that supports infidelity. You can have a custom alibi in case of emergency or one of the more routine "working late" texts to cover your shadiness. As the investigation progresses, financial irregularities begin to appear giving the police several lines of inquiries to pursue. Alternating chapters provide insight into one family's history with the South African wine industry.
The plot line is convoluted and this book won't be a favourite in the series; however, the strong sense of place that Meyer displays throughout the narrative along with excellent character development make this a must read series for procedural fans.
June 2, 2019
Je lis deux ou trois polars annuellement mais jamais des œuvres des auteurs du monde anglo-saxon. Pour moi le polar est véhicule pour faire du tourisme. "En Vrille" mais beaucoup plu parce qu'il m'a offert un regard intéressant sur l'Afrique du Sud d'après l'apartheid. L'intrigue est assez bien menée mais son protagoniste, I 'Inspecteur Benny Griessel m'a profondément ennuyé.
September 9, 2020
And now I've also finished this book from the series. What a pity! I enjoyed it very much.
I realized that it is one of the few thrillers in which the protagonist evokes so much sympathy, that I felt for him when he reached for the bottle again after many sober days. It touched me. Very extraordinary, because normally I don't like people who use means to relieve their grief or worries.
Furthermore: this is an interesting book. It got me thinking: what if such an alibi service really exists? How much damage can it do to the legal system?
Everything is solved with money, or is it? Apparently not when the Falcons are on the case :-)
A good book. Too bad my stock of Bennie Griessel books has run out!
I realized that it is one of the few thrillers in which the protagonist evokes so much sympathy, that I felt for him when he reached for the bottle again after many sober days. It touched me. Very extraordinary, because normally I don't like people who use means to relieve their grief or worries.
Furthermore: this is an interesting book. It got me thinking: what if such an alibi service really exists? How much damage can it do to the legal system?
Everything is solved with money, or is it? Apparently not when the Falcons are on the case :-)
A good book. Too bad my stock of Bennie Griessel books has run out!
April 13, 2019
I’ve read other books by author Deon Meyer about the South African police and enjoyed them very much. The protagonist of those and this particular novel is a detective called Benny Griessel. Benny is a sympathetic character in most of the books, but in Icarus, I found him to be rather tedious as a recovering alcoholic and much of the time spent with him involves self-loathing and his fall off the wagon.
The plot follows two separate but intertwined tracks, and is well done. One, concerns an ongoing interview between what appears to be the potential murder suspect and a high powered attorney whose services he has solicited. The other appears to follow the police as they attempt to round up plausible suspect and evidence in order to pursue their case. It is during this process that we are subjected to Benny’s continued self-destructive path as he wrestles with his addiction, even as he jeopardizes every meaningful relationship he has.
Ultimately, Benny pulls himself together, the plot tightens, the pacing picks up nicely, and the book rushes to a satisfying conclusion. It’s 3 1/2 stars from me, only because the book tends to be repetitive in the middle section, and I grew weary of watching a good character self-destruct.
These mysteries, set in South Africa, are well written and, by and large, fairly consistent in quality. Icarus is well done; I just failed to connect to the same degree as I’ve done with the author’s other work. Interested readers looking to enter these waters would be well served to begin with another of his books in the series.
The plot follows two separate but intertwined tracks, and is well done. One, concerns an ongoing interview between what appears to be the potential murder suspect and a high powered attorney whose services he has solicited. The other appears to follow the police as they attempt to round up plausible suspect and evidence in order to pursue their case. It is during this process that we are subjected to Benny’s continued self-destructive path as he wrestles with his addiction, even as he jeopardizes every meaningful relationship he has.
Ultimately, Benny pulls himself together, the plot tightens, the pacing picks up nicely, and the book rushes to a satisfying conclusion. It’s 3 1/2 stars from me, only because the book tends to be repetitive in the middle section, and I grew weary of watching a good character self-destruct.
These mysteries, set in South Africa, are well written and, by and large, fairly consistent in quality. Icarus is well done; I just failed to connect to the same degree as I’ve done with the author’s other work. Interested readers looking to enter these waters would be well served to begin with another of his books in the series.
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