I listened to this via audiobook. The reader was very good, with (as far as I know) various South African accents and intonation that gave the story a human, authentic touch.

I found the novel interesting in background and in Lemmer's unique perspective, but the plot was meandering and quite confusing in places. I couldn't get a clear sense of what was happening for stretches at a time, the names blurred together (but the unique accents the reader gave them helped somewhat), and there was several iteration of endings.

I also hated the clichéd ending. Of course he would run toward the car in his driveway, pfft, like the final 5 minutes of a sentimental romantic movie.

This book is translated from Afrikaans and is the first in a series featuring Lemmer the bodyguard.

I do admit I felt a little weird about reading it in English once I realised it had been translated, because I can read Afrikaans and I almost felt I should be reading it as the author wrote it. The English translation has been done well.

This is a good, solid action/mystery set in South Africa. Although Lemmer is based in the Western Cape, most of the action happens in Mpumulanga. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how it would end (the best part, for me, about a mystery/thriller) and second-guessing myself and my assumptions. I really enjoyed the first two thirds, but found the ending a little dry in a way.

This is a decent holiday read and I'll definitely try another Deon Meyer if I can find it. Perhaps in Afrikaans this time? :P

I've been to South Africa a couple of times, and of all the places I've visited it's felt more real than any place else. Likewise, I've read a lot of series, and run into a lot of characters ... but Lemmer is more real than any of them. And it's not just another hardboiled action story (though it's one of the best in this genre that being said) ... it acutely sensitizes you to the issues that face activists that genuinely care about this poor planet of ours, while at the same time having you read obsessively till the last word is done. This was my first Deon Meyer and I loved the world he created so much, I got started on the second despite having been up all night reading this one ... and the second one Trackers is even better ... so now I'm getting all his previous books as well. Trust me, thrillers don't get any better than this ... Love the way Lemmer's laws, his acute psychological reading of his clients, the complete lack of faking or posturing about who he is and his uncompromising brutality when it comes to a fight ... I'm not doing a good job about why I like him so much, it's much much more than the sum of all these disparate elements to his persona. But in the end the storytelling is first class, and Deon easily the best I've seen in this genre yet.

Found this book through a reading challenge. It is a great thriller. Learned a little South African history, enjoyed the story and the writing. You can tell the author has strong opinions about his country and its problems but he doesn't get too preachy. Altogether great book, should not be so obscure here in the US

audio wasn't bad.

there was a section at the end where the story was alternating between Lemmer and another character which was a bit difficult to listen to at times because there was no way of distinguishing which part of the story we were hearing at the time.