South Africas preeminent crime fiction writer, Deon Meyer is internationally acclaimed for his razors-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 Africas priority crimes unit, delves into the countrys 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 doesnt take long for the police to identify the body as that of Ernst Richterthe 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 indomitable 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 Griessels reputation is again on the line. Mounting towards a startling conclusion, Icarus is another exceptional novel from the King of South African Crime.
