Devil's Peak (Benny Griessel)

by Deon Meyer

[ibeforem]

I wasn't sure about this book at first. Meyer is a South African writer, and this novel is mostly set in Cape Town and the surrounding area. I wasn't sure if there would be cultural aspects I just didn't get, but Meyer does a good job of giving you context around what's going on.

The story revolves around 3 characters: Benny Griessel, a long-time police detective whose alcoholism has caught up with him and whose wife has thrown him out of the house; Christine, a sex-worker who is telling a priest the story of her life; and Thobela, a Xhosa man on a mission of retribution. The first half or so of the novel switches between the point of view of each character. I thought this part was a little slow, but I'm glad I stuck with it. Once you get to the second half of the novel and the pieces start to fit together, you find the wait was well worth it.

I thought this was a strong crime novel, once all was said and done. And I felt like I learned a little about South Africa and its social politics along the way.