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Apostle Lodge
From the author of the acclaimed The First Rule of Survival, praised by Lee Child as 'excellent and uncompromising', comes Paul Mendelson's explosive latest thriller.Apostle Lodge looks out over the ocean, an award-winning mansion built by a renowned architect. Stark and minimal, its black opaque windows hide a terrible secret. As Colonel Vaughn de Vries investigates the depraved crime committed within its walls, he believes there may be more than one killer on the loose, all with connections to a charismatic man who, as a child, drowned his sister and shattered his family.And his work is not over yet.'A jaw-droppingly brilliant crime thriller. Imagine The Killing moved to Cape Town and into the landscape of the hot and dusty African veld' Philip Glenister'Mendelson plots so smoothly and writes so powerfully' The Guardian
- GenresThriller
384 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 5, 2017
12 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Paul Mendelson
44 books46 followersPaul Mendelson wrote stories at school when he should have been doing other things, but went on to become the, then, youngest ever playwright performed at the National Theatre, with his play, "You're Quite Safe With Me". This was followed by further work for theatre and, briefly, for television.
For twenty years, Paul has written on mind sports, such as bridge, poker and casino games, becoming the UK's best-selling author within his genre. He has contributed to magazines and newspapers worldwide, has a weekly bridge column in the Financial Times, and also writes interviews and features.
His debut crime novel, "The First Rule of Survival" was published in 2014, making the short-list of the CWA Golden Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year.
His second novel, "The Serpentine Road" was short-listed for several awards, including the CWA Gold Dagger again - an almost unheard of achievement - and received great acclaim in South Africa where it's political elements chimed with many that were in the news at the time.
Book 3, "The History of Blood" was published in July 2016, receiving accolades from reviewers in the national press in the UK, Eire and South Africa. It has been chosen as a Recommended Summer Read, Thriller of the Week and Thriller of the Month.
"Apostle Lodge" is his fourth novel set in Southern Africa, released for export on November 2017 and in the UK in February 2018, and it has received plaudits from around the world, hitting the top-ten Bestseller List in South Africa throughout the Christmas period.
Mendelson's fifth novel is set in England with a new detective.
Paul's novels now appear as audio books, Large Print books, and have been translated into French and German, with more languages to come, including Afrikaans (for the huge crime reading market in South Africa)
Each of the novels in the Vaughn de Vries series are set in Southern Africa, the novels allowing Paul's creative writing once again to come to the fore, and providing the perfect excuse to return to his beloved Cape Town to gain inspiration and time to write.
Paul lives in London (and, sometimes, Cape Town) with his two and four-legged family.
For twenty years, Paul has written on mind sports, such as bridge, poker and casino games, becoming the UK's best-selling author within his genre. He has contributed to magazines and newspapers worldwide, has a weekly bridge column in the Financial Times, and also writes interviews and features.
His debut crime novel, "The First Rule of Survival" was published in 2014, making the short-list of the CWA Golden Dagger for Crime Novel of the Year.
His second novel, "The Serpentine Road" was short-listed for several awards, including the CWA Gold Dagger again - an almost unheard of achievement - and received great acclaim in South Africa where it's political elements chimed with many that were in the news at the time.
Book 3, "The History of Blood" was published in July 2016, receiving accolades from reviewers in the national press in the UK, Eire and South Africa. It has been chosen as a Recommended Summer Read, Thriller of the Week and Thriller of the Month.
"Apostle Lodge" is his fourth novel set in Southern Africa, released for export on November 2017 and in the UK in February 2018, and it has received plaudits from around the world, hitting the top-ten Bestseller List in South Africa throughout the Christmas period.
Mendelson's fifth novel is set in England with a new detective.
Paul's novels now appear as audio books, Large Print books, and have been translated into French and German, with more languages to come, including Afrikaans (for the huge crime reading market in South Africa)
Each of the novels in the Vaughn de Vries series are set in Southern Africa, the novels allowing Paul's creative writing once again to come to the fore, and providing the perfect excuse to return to his beloved Cape Town to gain inspiration and time to write.
Paul lives in London (and, sometimes, Cape Town) with his two and four-legged family.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 6, 2018
This is the fourth in the Colonel Vaughn De Vries series set in the record breaking oppressive heat of Cape Town in South Africa, but it is my first book and I think it can be read as a standalone. There are two storylines, firstly, in a long empty home, Apostle Lodge, designed by an award winning German architect, children discover the starved and gruesomely murdered body of a woman with her eyes removed and placed on a chair. The specially formed Serious Crimes Unit of the South African Police Service headed by Henrik de Toit investigates the case, led by De Vries. In Long Street, a van explodes killing a number of people and injuring many others. Lieutenant Mike Solarin, of the Major Crimes Unit, works with the terrorism section to find the perpetrators of the bombing.
It turns out to be a difficult and complex case, the victim is identified as Bethany Miles, a mother abducted from her vehicle. Before long, details of another case with a similar MO are uncovered, and it seems de Vries has a serial killer on his hands. The police team look into the residents around the lodge and the estate agency charged with selling the house. It soon emerges that the Apostle Lodge murder may not have been the first murder to take place in the house and that there may be more than one killer at large. A recently set up newspaper are remarkably well informed of the case, and a journalist, Ali Selani, is reticent about her sources for her articles. The return of profiler, Grace Bellingham, does not result in the return of their close relationship for De Vries, a source of deep disappointment for him. Grace is a damaged woman who expresses the desire to never return to her professional role and help the police, but the intense pressure on De Vries eventually has her helping him to identify the killer. Mike Solarin finds himself on a bewildering investigation where the evidence is not being followed up and he is being warned to toe the line and accept a contentious conclusion that is far from the truth. He is not a man to let this go and he takes his concerns to de Vries.
I am thrilled to have discovered this atmospheric series with De Vries, set in a South Africa with all its turbulent history on apartheid, and the problematic rise in crime that worries the authorities and its consequent impact on the tourist industry. Mendelson gives us a detailed study and descriptions of Cape Town and the issues that arise within it, such as the limited resources available for policing, and the politics and intrigue. What I liked was the character driven nature of the story, and the in depth development of the stubborn and determined De Vries, who has reached that stage in his life where he is just not susceptible to being forced to follow the corrupt orders of those in power. A wonderfully engaging, entertaining and tense novel set in a contemporary South Africa that I am fascinated by. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
It turns out to be a difficult and complex case, the victim is identified as Bethany Miles, a mother abducted from her vehicle. Before long, details of another case with a similar MO are uncovered, and it seems de Vries has a serial killer on his hands. The police team look into the residents around the lodge and the estate agency charged with selling the house. It soon emerges that the Apostle Lodge murder may not have been the first murder to take place in the house and that there may be more than one killer at large. A recently set up newspaper are remarkably well informed of the case, and a journalist, Ali Selani, is reticent about her sources for her articles. The return of profiler, Grace Bellingham, does not result in the return of their close relationship for De Vries, a source of deep disappointment for him. Grace is a damaged woman who expresses the desire to never return to her professional role and help the police, but the intense pressure on De Vries eventually has her helping him to identify the killer. Mike Solarin finds himself on a bewildering investigation where the evidence is not being followed up and he is being warned to toe the line and accept a contentious conclusion that is far from the truth. He is not a man to let this go and he takes his concerns to de Vries.
I am thrilled to have discovered this atmospheric series with De Vries, set in a South Africa with all its turbulent history on apartheid, and the problematic rise in crime that worries the authorities and its consequent impact on the tourist industry. Mendelson gives us a detailed study and descriptions of Cape Town and the issues that arise within it, such as the limited resources available for policing, and the politics and intrigue. What I liked was the character driven nature of the story, and the in depth development of the stubborn and determined De Vries, who has reached that stage in his life where he is just not susceptible to being forced to follow the corrupt orders of those in power. A wonderfully engaging, entertaining and tense novel set in a contemporary South Africa that I am fascinated by. Many thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
December 22, 2017
3.5 stars
I loved Mendelson's earlier books in this series for their sophisticated and complicated portrait of post-apartheid Cape Town, focalised largely via Colonel Vaughan de Vries of the South African police. Sadly, this book feels like a throwback to the 1990s psychopathic serial killer genre, where the victims are raped and tortured women - if I'd known that, I wouldn't have chosen to read it.
To be fair, M's writing and characterization is slick and professional but the qualities that made the earlier books stand out for me - not least the uneasy relationship between de Vries and young, black, educated officers like Don February - is gone.
90% of the book is the serial killer plot, with an odd 10% given to a political side-plot that had the potential to be far more interesting if given space to breath.
It's a shame as M's writing and politicised vision are better than this: 3.5 stars for a seen-it-before-plot in a book that could have been so much better.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.
I loved Mendelson's earlier books in this series for their sophisticated and complicated portrait of post-apartheid Cape Town, focalised largely via Colonel Vaughan de Vries of the South African police. Sadly, this book feels like a throwback to the 1990s psychopathic serial killer genre, where the victims are raped and tortured women - if I'd known that, I wouldn't have chosen to read it.
To be fair, M's writing and characterization is slick and professional but the qualities that made the earlier books stand out for me - not least the uneasy relationship between de Vries and young, black, educated officers like Don February - is gone.
90% of the book is the serial killer plot, with an odd 10% given to a political side-plot that had the potential to be far more interesting if given space to breath.
It's a shame as M's writing and politicised vision are better than this: 3.5 stars for a seen-it-before-plot in a book that could have been so much better.
Thanks to the publisher for an ARC via NetGalley.
January 22, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a review copy of Apostle Lodge, the fourth novel to feature Colonel Vaughn de Vries of the Cape Town Police.
De Vries is happily trying to rekindle his relationship with forensic psychologist Dr Grace Bellingham when he gets called to attend a murder scene. What he sees there sickens him and makes him think serial killer although he has no evidence of that.His hunt is made harder by a lack of resources as most police officers are investigating a serious bombing in the tourist area.
I thoroughly enjoyed Apostle Lodge which is an absorbing read in an exotic (to me) location. The plot has plenty of twists and turns and a likeable, if grumpy, protagonist. Mr Mendelson is not breaking new ground with his serial killer hunt but he handles it well. I love the way he manages to incorporate the politics of policing in modern South Africa and relationships with the press into it. It makes for interesting reading.
The big draw, however, for me in this series is not the plot but the picture of South Africa and the atmosphere created which I think are a tour de force. The atmosphere is the easiest to describe. Cape Town is sweltering in unprecedented temperatures and I felt the heat oozing off the pages and the desperate hunt for air conditioning. It is uncomfortable and reflects de Vries's mental state. De Vries is basically a dinosaur, a white man with a senior position in the police. Many people would like to see him fail or fall so he is often walking a tightrope, frequently only saved by his boss, Du Toit. It is a hard working life for a man who doesn't care for politics and only wants to do his job. I think the racial politics in the novel adds spice and an extra dimension to the read. It's something I know nothing about or have experienced so I find it absolutely fascinating. Obviously I cannot judge how realistically it is painted but it seems authentic.
I also like that Dr Grace Bellingham is burned out and does her best to refuse to help. It is a novel twist in fiction to see an unwilling and damaged profiler, mostly they are portrayed as very eager. Again it makes for interesting reading.
It should be noted that not all plot lines in the novel are fully resolved. They are not cliffhangers as such, more teasers of possible future developments as the plots are explained.
Apostle Lodge is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
De Vries is happily trying to rekindle his relationship with forensic psychologist Dr Grace Bellingham when he gets called to attend a murder scene. What he sees there sickens him and makes him think serial killer although he has no evidence of that.His hunt is made harder by a lack of resources as most police officers are investigating a serious bombing in the tourist area.
I thoroughly enjoyed Apostle Lodge which is an absorbing read in an exotic (to me) location. The plot has plenty of twists and turns and a likeable, if grumpy, protagonist. Mr Mendelson is not breaking new ground with his serial killer hunt but he handles it well. I love the way he manages to incorporate the politics of policing in modern South Africa and relationships with the press into it. It makes for interesting reading.
The big draw, however, for me in this series is not the plot but the picture of South Africa and the atmosphere created which I think are a tour de force. The atmosphere is the easiest to describe. Cape Town is sweltering in unprecedented temperatures and I felt the heat oozing off the pages and the desperate hunt for air conditioning. It is uncomfortable and reflects de Vries's mental state. De Vries is basically a dinosaur, a white man with a senior position in the police. Many people would like to see him fail or fall so he is often walking a tightrope, frequently only saved by his boss, Du Toit. It is a hard working life for a man who doesn't care for politics and only wants to do his job. I think the racial politics in the novel adds spice and an extra dimension to the read. It's something I know nothing about or have experienced so I find it absolutely fascinating. Obviously I cannot judge how realistically it is painted but it seems authentic.
I also like that Dr Grace Bellingham is burned out and does her best to refuse to help. It is a novel twist in fiction to see an unwilling and damaged profiler, mostly they are portrayed as very eager. Again it makes for interesting reading.
It should be noted that not all plot lines in the novel are fully resolved. They are not cliffhangers as such, more teasers of possible future developments as the plots are explained.
Apostle Lodge is a great read which I have no hesitation in recommending.
February 20, 2020
Paul Mendelson lives in England, but he’s passionate about South Africa and he’s been visiting Cape Town for thirty years. So when he decided to write a crime fiction novel, he chose Cape Town as the setting. He says, “The cultural and political background of the country is fascinating for an author and, despite my characters seemingly facing increasing problems, I remain optimistic for South Africa…”
The fourth in the Vaughn de Vries series, Apostle Lodge, came out a couple of years ago. A group of boys discover the body of a woman who seems to have been abused and then starved to death in an empty house, Apostle Lodge. Because of the circumstances, Vaughn de Vries immediately suspects that it’s not a single crime but part of a series. He finds it hard to attract the focus the crime deserves because a terrorist bomb blast has recently shaken Cape Town and the police are hunting for the perpetrators. As the cases progress, de Vries finds himself sucked personally into both of them.
Vaughn de Vries motivation is justice for the victim. That doesn’t make him an unusual detective, but the fact that it’s his only focus does—he’s not even concerned with the pain of the victim’s family, only in what they can tell him to help him solve the case.
The bomb blast in central Cape Town is dismissed as the work of rogue Islamist terrorists when no one claims responsibility, but many aspects of the crime don’t support that. Mike Solarin, a black policeman fast tracked in the new SAPS, is part of the investigating team. He has the same commitment to the truth that drives de Vries and it seems inevitable that they should join up for the climax and go it alone.
If you find serial killer novels formulaic, try this one. It’s a very different and ultimately believable take on the sub-genre. If you care for African crime fiction at all, this one is not to be missed.
The fourth in the Vaughn de Vries series, Apostle Lodge, came out a couple of years ago. A group of boys discover the body of a woman who seems to have been abused and then starved to death in an empty house, Apostle Lodge. Because of the circumstances, Vaughn de Vries immediately suspects that it’s not a single crime but part of a series. He finds it hard to attract the focus the crime deserves because a terrorist bomb blast has recently shaken Cape Town and the police are hunting for the perpetrators. As the cases progress, de Vries finds himself sucked personally into both of them.
Vaughn de Vries motivation is justice for the victim. That doesn’t make him an unusual detective, but the fact that it’s his only focus does—he’s not even concerned with the pain of the victim’s family, only in what they can tell him to help him solve the case.
The bomb blast in central Cape Town is dismissed as the work of rogue Islamist terrorists when no one claims responsibility, but many aspects of the crime don’t support that. Mike Solarin, a black policeman fast tracked in the new SAPS, is part of the investigating team. He has the same commitment to the truth that drives de Vries and it seems inevitable that they should join up for the climax and go it alone.
If you find serial killer novels formulaic, try this one. It’s a very different and ultimately believable take on the sub-genre. If you care for African crime fiction at all, this one is not to be missed.
February 18, 2018
Crime thriller set in CAPE TOWN
Apostle Lodge is the fourth book in Paul Mendelson’s Colonel Vaughn de Vries South African crime thriller series. It is a well written and well constructed story. There are two parallel plots. The first (and, possibly, lesser one…) concerns the investigation into a car bomb exploded in a busy Cape Town street. The teams carrying out the investigation are kept in silos, with only the most senior officers knowing the extent of the discoveries. There are suspicions that all might not be as it seems… We are told that the explosion was carried out by Islamic extremists, but is that the case? Who might be trying to cover up what?
The second (and, most likely, principle) plot concerns a series of sadistic attacks and murders on women. The first victim to be discovered is found in the Apostle Lodge of the title – a stark and mysterious house, designed by a German architect, perched high above very smart Camps Bay on the outskirts of Cape Town. She has her eyes gauged out and placed on a chair looking at her body. Her mouth is post mortem fixed to look as though she was screaming… She had died a painful death over several days. As de Vries looks into the case, he finds previous cases – not necessarily where someone was killed – that appear to follow the same pattern. Why is the attacker picking on the victims he is picking on? The women have no obvious connection, and they are from quite a wide geographical area. He involves Dr Grace Bellingham, a criminal profiler, with whom in the past he has had a romantic attachment. The pepetrator is eventually tracked down, and another life is saved. It is an exciting and fast moving story.
What is absolutely great about Apostle Lodge (and the whole series) is the way in which Paul’s love of, and understanding of, Cape Town comes through so clearly. The book is the absolute essence of TripFiction – a brilliant story firmly set in a fabulous location.
Apostle Lodge is the fourth book in Paul Mendelson’s Colonel Vaughn de Vries South African crime thriller series. It is a well written and well constructed story. There are two parallel plots. The first (and, possibly, lesser one…) concerns the investigation into a car bomb exploded in a busy Cape Town street. The teams carrying out the investigation are kept in silos, with only the most senior officers knowing the extent of the discoveries. There are suspicions that all might not be as it seems… We are told that the explosion was carried out by Islamic extremists, but is that the case? Who might be trying to cover up what?
The second (and, most likely, principle) plot concerns a series of sadistic attacks and murders on women. The first victim to be discovered is found in the Apostle Lodge of the title – a stark and mysterious house, designed by a German architect, perched high above very smart Camps Bay on the outskirts of Cape Town. She has her eyes gauged out and placed on a chair looking at her body. Her mouth is post mortem fixed to look as though she was screaming… She had died a painful death over several days. As de Vries looks into the case, he finds previous cases – not necessarily where someone was killed – that appear to follow the same pattern. Why is the attacker picking on the victims he is picking on? The women have no obvious connection, and they are from quite a wide geographical area. He involves Dr Grace Bellingham, a criminal profiler, with whom in the past he has had a romantic attachment. The pepetrator is eventually tracked down, and another life is saved. It is an exciting and fast moving story.
What is absolutely great about Apostle Lodge (and the whole series) is the way in which Paul’s love of, and understanding of, Cape Town comes through so clearly. The book is the absolute essence of TripFiction – a brilliant story firmly set in a fabulous location.
August 5, 2019
A really solid police procedural, and with the strongly rendered sense of setting in South Africa, this was a very decent read. The main plot intricate and compelling, women being abducted and left tied up to die - I did however find the secondary plot about a bomb attack and ordinary police officers being called off from investigation of the crime a little distracting and unnecessary.
De Vries on the one hand is a memorable and unusual character with whom the reader can really get on board. On the other hand as this did at times descend in to soap opera and well-worn cliche (grizzled maverick cop doesn’t play by the rules, warned by his bosses, personal problems, will he won’t he with sassy female psychologist romantic interest) which felt anything but new. Though a slight step below the first in the series in impact, this was nevertheless a very well-written crime thriller.
De Vries on the one hand is a memorable and unusual character with whom the reader can really get on board. On the other hand as this did at times descend in to soap opera and well-worn cliche (grizzled maverick cop doesn’t play by the rules, warned by his bosses, personal problems, will he won’t he with sassy female psychologist romantic interest) which felt anything but new. Though a slight step below the first in the series in impact, this was nevertheless a very well-written crime thriller.
April 30, 2018
Finally done with it! It felt like the never ending story, really. I liked the other books in this series very much, but here it was rather tedious to read. I had problems getting into the story and then nothing really happened for the longest time and when it felt as if the story was finally done - still more than 15% to read! And in the end, after all these pages filled with boring stuff I was sitting there like, and this was it??? This is the end? 'big question mark in my head'
Sorry, but 2 stars are just about right.
Sorry, but 2 stars are just about right.
May 2, 2019
Liked leading character which kept me reading. However the first half was very slow with the second half increasing pace and the last quarter went at such a speed, it was a bit breathtaking. First half and I knew the answers - reading too many of these kind of books! Just read the rest in order to wait for the policeman to catch up. The side story however was very good and the conclusion not so easy to know. Too many loose ends which were not explained left me frustrated.
I think if the pace was a bit more evened out throughout the book and loose ends tied up I might have give this 4 stars.
I think if the pace was a bit more evened out throughout the book and loose ends tied up I might have give this 4 stars.
July 2, 2018
Yes, for me this was the best ... just as I suspect/fear it might be the last in the series. A strong, double-stranded plot, high tension and told with heat and clarity. de Vries' personality and personal problems impacting ever more. And the writing never less than superb.
April 18, 2018
Under the beauty of Table Mountain lurks murder most foul.
Colonel Vaughn de Vries is part of the Special Crimes Unit in Cape Town. He’s just met up with Dr Grace Bellingham, a psychologist he has worked with professionally and is still hopeful that their friendship can lead to something deeper when his phone rings. The body of a woman has been found at a vacant house in Camps Bay. His team, Warrant Officer Don February, Sergeant Sally Frazer, the collator, and Constable Ben Thwala, has been involved in some shocking crimes but this case, where a serial killer seems to only target mothers – leaving them tied up, waiting for death by dehydration, will stretch them as they try to find the serial killer as it will also take them into the darkest of human depravity.
Making Vaughn de Vries team even more stretched for extra resources is the bomb blast that had taken place in Central Cape Town ten days earlier. The police have brought in a special task force from Pretoria. This is the first time Lieutenant Mlungisi (otherwise known as Mike) Solarin, has been sent outside Gauteng and he needs to prove that his years of studying at university and taking all his promotion exams in the police force, warrant him being on this team of experts.
Paul Mendelson has written a murder with twists and plots that kept me turning the pages trying to work out whether De Vries and his team would manage to find the perpetrator of the vicious murders. However, I’m still not sure whether they’ve succeeded. There are loose ends and these keep popping into my thoughts on the how and why of these two cases. Yes, two cases that don’t seem to have a connection – the bomb in Cape Town and the serial murders and yet, they do, because of De Vries and Solarin’s involvement.
I’m sure that both Mike Solarin and Vaughn de Vries are also still scratching their heads wondering whether they managed to pick up all the perpetrators. Only time will tell!
As an ex-Kaapenaar, it would be remiss of me not to mention that Paul Mendelson has totally captured the detail of not only Cape Town but, in fact, the Western Cape with the heat and drought of summer. His description of the road that winds up from the City Bowl into the Mountain, only to drop down on the other side as it weaves its way along the Twelve Apostles made me as carsick reading it as driving it. I got even more homesick when De Vries and Solarin decide to travel the R62 looking for clues about the truck involved in the bomb blast. This is the road that runs through the Little Karroo and passes through some of the most spectacular landscape. Paul Mendelson, you have made me homesick for that stifling heat, where the temperatures at night (in summer) rarely drop below 30C degrees and there’s never enough rain, but somehow, waking up to the mountains every day makes it all worthwhile.
Imbali
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
Colonel Vaughn de Vries is part of the Special Crimes Unit in Cape Town. He’s just met up with Dr Grace Bellingham, a psychologist he has worked with professionally and is still hopeful that their friendship can lead to something deeper when his phone rings. The body of a woman has been found at a vacant house in Camps Bay. His team, Warrant Officer Don February, Sergeant Sally Frazer, the collator, and Constable Ben Thwala, has been involved in some shocking crimes but this case, where a serial killer seems to only target mothers – leaving them tied up, waiting for death by dehydration, will stretch them as they try to find the serial killer as it will also take them into the darkest of human depravity.
Making Vaughn de Vries team even more stretched for extra resources is the bomb blast that had taken place in Central Cape Town ten days earlier. The police have brought in a special task force from Pretoria. This is the first time Lieutenant Mlungisi (otherwise known as Mike) Solarin, has been sent outside Gauteng and he needs to prove that his years of studying at university and taking all his promotion exams in the police force, warrant him being on this team of experts.
Paul Mendelson has written a murder with twists and plots that kept me turning the pages trying to work out whether De Vries and his team would manage to find the perpetrator of the vicious murders. However, I’m still not sure whether they’ve succeeded. There are loose ends and these keep popping into my thoughts on the how and why of these two cases. Yes, two cases that don’t seem to have a connection – the bomb in Cape Town and the serial murders and yet, they do, because of De Vries and Solarin’s involvement.
I’m sure that both Mike Solarin and Vaughn de Vries are also still scratching their heads wondering whether they managed to pick up all the perpetrators. Only time will tell!
As an ex-Kaapenaar, it would be remiss of me not to mention that Paul Mendelson has totally captured the detail of not only Cape Town but, in fact, the Western Cape with the heat and drought of summer. His description of the road that winds up from the City Bowl into the Mountain, only to drop down on the other side as it weaves its way along the Twelve Apostles made me as carsick reading it as driving it. I got even more homesick when De Vries and Solarin decide to travel the R62 looking for clues about the truck involved in the bomb blast. This is the road that runs through the Little Karroo and passes through some of the most spectacular landscape. Paul Mendelson, you have made me homesick for that stifling heat, where the temperatures at night (in summer) rarely drop below 30C degrees and there’s never enough rain, but somehow, waking up to the mountains every day makes it all worthwhile.
Imbali
Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.
January 15, 2022
This was good but a story I found more complex than perhaps I should have! There are two stories running throughout. A serial killer appears to be at large, one who commits horrific acts on the victims & this is the main thread, with the second following the investigation into a car bomb which exploded in slow moving traffic.
Colonel de Vries is heading the murder investigation but with no useful forensic evidence seems to have little to go on save a possible connection to a reclusive but charismatic man who himself committed murder as a child.
It's a good story but at times I found it hard work! While I was impressed with the way the atmosphere of Cape Town was projected - especially the oppressive heat - I found the prose & dialogue often a bit stilted & had to re-read somethings a couple of times. I struggled with the political side plot & at times it was an unwelcome interruption to the murders & not an appealing storyline in itself.
The conclusion left me with one or two questions about the murders but as regards the bomb...well, I'm not sure I really got the gist of what had happened there! However, despite being a bit bemused by the end I found it a good read (the murder parts anyway!) & I guess I'd read more by this author.
Colonel de Vries is heading the murder investigation but with no useful forensic evidence seems to have little to go on save a possible connection to a reclusive but charismatic man who himself committed murder as a child.
It's a good story but at times I found it hard work! While I was impressed with the way the atmosphere of Cape Town was projected - especially the oppressive heat - I found the prose & dialogue often a bit stilted & had to re-read somethings a couple of times. I struggled with the political side plot & at times it was an unwelcome interruption to the murders & not an appealing storyline in itself.
The conclusion left me with one or two questions about the murders but as regards the bomb...well, I'm not sure I really got the gist of what had happened there! However, despite being a bit bemused by the end I found it a good read (the murder parts anyway!) & I guess I'd read more by this author.
October 30, 2018
Enjoyed the journey in this book, which is 4th in the series, and I believe the end of the series (but may be wrong!). If I have to admit, book 4 was not as enjoyable as the previous 3, which gripped me from page 1 to the end. I found this one lagged a bit, even though there was a definite connecting of the dots in the story line, but felt it just did not 'grab' me like the others. However, saying that, well written by Paul Mendelson, who is still one of my favourite South African authors, who sets the scene so precisely of location, today's headlines, current affairs, and past history of South Africa.
One would need to read from book 1 to get more information on the main characters and the history behind their day to day lives.
One would need to read from book 1 to get more information on the main characters and the history behind their day to day lives.
January 3, 2021
Another decent instalment in the Colonel Vaugh de Vries series.
The main storyline was fantastic. While the murders were particularly gruesome and disturbing, the solution had me gripped. I absolutely loved it.
The second storyline read as an annoyance that was detracting (occasionally) from the story I wanted to read. This has room to be a huge character developing plot point for future books, or it could be the way Mendelson chooses to end the series. I'm hoping for the first scenario.
PS: Wonderful as always to read a crime story set in South Africa. Mendelson captures Cape Town brilliantly!
[Review is horribly abridged and insufficient. I am writing catch up reviews for 28ish books so that I can begin the new year with a clean slate.]
The main storyline was fantastic. While the murders were particularly gruesome and disturbing, the solution had me gripped. I absolutely loved it.
The second storyline read as an annoyance that was detracting (occasionally) from the story I wanted to read. This has room to be a huge character developing plot point for future books, or it could be the way Mendelson chooses to end the series. I'm hoping for the first scenario.
PS: Wonderful as always to read a crime story set in South Africa. Mendelson captures Cape Town brilliantly!
[Review is horribly abridged and insufficient. I am writing catch up reviews for 28ish books so that I can begin the new year with a clean slate.]
March 8, 2023
I have given this fourth book in the series five stars. My country South Africa is so mired in corruption, ineptitude and mediocrity that I found the hero Col. Vaughn de Vries a little less than credible even for the Western Cape. This novel is fast paced with two interwoven plots and reflects political realities together with wonderful descriptions of the magnificent Cape and its surrounds. The author has an assured command of both plots and an easy style, such that I could not put it down and read it over the course of two nights. If we see the wonderful de Vries again in a fifth book, I might have some hope of redemption for my poor battered country.
March 3, 2019
Possibly the best book in the series.
The book is actually two stories. One a terrorist attack in Cape Town, one about a very disturbing serial killer. Both stories interwoven through the book and slowly delivered in the expert hands of this author.
This has been a fantastic series that gives the reader an insiders perspective of life in South Africa and the country as a whole after apartheid.
Book Depository has the whole series available
Some may be available on Kindle
The book is actually two stories. One a terrorist attack in Cape Town, one about a very disturbing serial killer. Both stories interwoven through the book and slowly delivered in the expert hands of this author.
This has been a fantastic series that gives the reader an insiders perspective of life in South Africa and the country as a whole after apartheid.
Book Depository has the whole series available
Some may be available on Kindle
December 17, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s set in Cape Town which was great for me. The characters are well-developed and engaging. I cannot fathom why he introduced a secondary plot, which I found a bit distracting and unnecessary. It’s quite a pacy crime novel for which he clearly intends to write a sequel. Recommended.
September 27, 2019
Excellent 3rd book in a series set in Cape Town, South Africa, featuring a South African policeman and his team this time trying to catch a psychopath who is torturing and murdering women. Brilliant and fast paced I couldn’t put it down!
October 25, 2019
I picked this up in the sale at a discount bookshop so you can tell how little I paid for it but wow! this is a seriously good book. I’d say it rivalled Michael Connellys Harry Bosch series. I’ve already ordered the other three in the series.
February 4, 2020
Honestly just can't get into this book. I personally like chapters in a book but this is lacking them also can't really pronouce the characters names which always throws me off. Like a book which I can't put down but this I can so easily. Just my personal preference
June 13, 2018
Loved it. This author knows how to spin a yarn.
December 2, 2018
A well written story with two interesting plot lines. Interesting to read about and recognize places in my home town. A follow-up in the wings?
September 16, 2019
Fast paced and well written, but I didn’t quite get what the two seperate cases are doing in one story.
June 25, 2021
Not sure the two storylines worked. If you know Cape Town you will enjoy this more
August 14, 2022
I liked it pretty well. Captivating plot. A bit gory on the descriptions at times for my liking.
June 8, 2024
This one was not a good as the other 3 in the series. Let a bit hanging at the end.
November 9, 2024
This thrller, set in South Africa, is satisfying in parts, but frustrating in other parts. I did enjoy it for the most part, but felt somewhat disappointed at its ending.
April 25, 2023
A masterpiece - again!!
The ending - unfortunately - leaves some questions.... but then, it also provides room for the reader to use his (or her) imagination. I sincerely hope we’ll see another Vaughn de Vries from Paul Mendelson.
The ending - unfortunately - leaves some questions.... but then, it also provides room for the reader to use his (or her) imagination. I sincerely hope we’ll see another Vaughn de Vries from Paul Mendelson.
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