‘The latest crime novel by South African screenwriter and multiple award winning no 1 bestselling crime writer, Deon Meyer‘
– The Dark Flood
[ About the Book ]
One last chance. Almost fired for insubordination, detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido find themselves demoted, exiled from the elite Hawks unit and dispatched to the leafy streets of Stellenbosch. Working a missing persons report on student Callie de Bruin is not the level of work they are used to, but it’s all they get. And soon, it takes a dangerous, deeply disturbing turn.
One last chance. Stellenbosch is beautiful, but its economy has been ruined by one man. Jasper Boonstra and his gigantic corporate fraud have crashed the local property market, just when estate agent Sandra Steenberg desperately needs a big sale. Bringing up twins and supporting her academic husband, she is facing disaster. Then she gets a call. From Jasper Boonstra, fraudster, sexual predator and owner of a superb property worth millions, even now.
For Sandra, the stakes are high and about to get way higher.
For Benny Griessel, clinging to sobriety and the relationship that saved his life, the truth about Callie can only lead to more trouble.
[ My Review ]
The Dark Flood by Deon Meyer was just published April 14th with Hodder & Stoughton and is described as a novel that ‘is taut with intrigue, murder and suspense, exploding with action and excitement…a masterpiece.’
I am delighted to be involved with the blog tour, organised by the wonderful Sophie Ransom of Ransom PR, and I will be sharing my thoughts with you all here today. Initially, I was a little reticent in picking up The Dark Flood as it is book 7 in the Benny Griessel Mysteries, with Devil’s Peak, the first book in the series, published in 2008. I can now say quite honestly that not having read the previous six books made no difference to my reading experience. Where there is a mention in the book that is a reference to a previous investigation, there is an asterisk directing the reader to the appropriate one in the series.
Deon Meyer provides sufficient information scattered throughout that easily enable the reader to get a feel for Benny Griessel and the type of individual that he is. A man with an alcohol addiction who very nearly lost everything, Griessel is hanging on as member of the elite Hawks division of the South African police force. Now, off the drink for seven months, he appreciates his relationship with his fiancée, Alexa, but he struggles as a father. Griessel has his work cut out for him to prove he can return to the man he once was before the addiction came close to destroying him completely.
A investigation into a previous case is where The Dark Flood more or less begins and Griessel, along with his partner Vaughn Cupido, are in front of a disciplinary hearing facing the possibility of being removed from office. The future for neither looks good but they get a better deal than expected. They are temporarily suspended as Hawks and are transferred to a unit in Stellenbosch, within an hour from their respective homes. All in all not the best result but it could have been much worse. Stellenbosch is a renowned university town in South Africa’s Western Cape province, known for its vast and lush vineyards and, also home to Deon Meyer. His knowledge of the area shines with some beautiful descriptions of locations but it was his own search for a home many years back that initially inspired The Dark Flood.
Sandra Steenberg is a Stellenbosch estate agent. Her husband, Josef, is an academic on a sabbatical to write a book, so Sandra is the sole breadwinner for the family, but she is struggling. The bottom has fallen out of the real-estate market, following the recent fraudulent activities of local business man Jasper Boonstra. Boonstra was a man with enormous power and his tentacles reached far and wide but, when his empire began to collapse, he took the local economy with it. Stellenbosch is a community with a lot of wealth. With this wealth comes big cars, big mortgages and very expensive lifestyles. Following the downward spiral, mortgages were defaulting and nobody was buying, leaving Sandra in a very precarious position. Sandra Steenberg had a very tough upbringing and is forever trying to prove to both herself and others that she has risen above her past but that feeling of not belonging is always in the shadow. When Sandra receives a call from Jasper Boonstra she is understandably nervous. He wants her to come to his estate to discuss business. With a reputation as a womaniser, a man used to getting his way, Sandra knows that she must prepare herself for possibly the most challenging meeting of her life. Her future and that of her family depend on her.
Griessel and Cupido are summoned to investigate a missing persons case when they arrive to Stellenbosch. This is very much below the paygrade of a member of the Hawks but, for now, stripped of their ranks, choice is something that they don’t have. A young college student is reported missing by his mother. A highly intelligent young man on a scholarship, Callie de Bruin had a very bright future ahead of him. On campus he kept to himself with a determination to complete his education and turn life around for his mother and himself. Of course, all initial opinions point toward a young lad out socialising, sleeping it off on a sofa somewhere but his mother is adamant that her son would never do that to her. Theirs was a very close relationship.
When Griessel and Cupido both receive anonymous letters pointing to something insidious in their midst, a nest of vipers is unleashed and their so-called secondment to Stellenbosch turns into race against time as they attempt to decipher the truth.
The Dark Flood is a police procedural but it also provides the reader with a brief insight into South African politics, with references to institutional fraud and corruption. Deon Meyer was inspired by the Steinhoff scandal of 2017 which was reported to be one of South Africa’s biggest corporate frauds in recent times.
Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido are a great team, always bouncing off each other with witty banter while also having each other’s backs. As the situation starts to implode in Stellenbosch the duo are faced with some challenging decisions that could have very serious consequences. With Sandra Steenberg’s story running in parallel, Deon Meyer has packed quite a lot into this novel. The stories do intertwine as the plot unravels, eventually leaving us with a satisfactory conclusion (perhaps!)
The Dark Flood is littered with Afrikaans which really adds to the authenticity of the novel and, of course, reminds the reader that our ability to read it at all is only made possible by the translation by K.L. Seegers. The Dark Flood is a fast-paced thriller incorporating many relevant themes of regret, corporate greed, state corruption, addiction, relationships, gang-warfare and so much more. It was a fascinating read for me in many ways as I have never read a translated South African novel before, so I was flipping back and forth to the glossary at the back practising my pronunciation of Afrikaans, which I might add is really REALLY bad!
I’m not going to lie I did shout at this book at times hoping a certain character would hear me but, alas, they refused to, so I raced through the pages to see how their story, and those of others, would develop, and so will you. The Dark Flood is packed full with a terrific mix of characters from the despicable to the hopeful, the innocent and the truth-finders. A highly enjoyable experience, The Dark Flood is the perfect read for all who like fact-action, high-octane thrillers. With some exciting explosive moments it is an absorbing and insightful tale.
Deon Meyer no 1 bestselling author & screenwriter will interviewed by Lee Child international best selling author of Jack Reacher novels April 21st 7pm
REGISTER HERE
[ Bio ]
Award winning author and screenwriter, Deon Meyer, has written 14 novels, is published in 27 countries and is a multiple no 1 bestseller. He has won several awards including the CWA International Dagger Award twice, the Barry Award in the US, the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa (four times), and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. He was longlisted for the IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ’10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004′. Deon has written five screenplays for film and two TV series.
His books have been turned into two international TV Series – Dead before Dying as the series Cape Town, and Trackers. All his other books are currently under option for films or TV series, with several in development. He directed one feature film. Deon is passionate about Mozart, mountain biking, motorcycles, cooking, Formula One racing, private aircraft and rugby.
Deon lives in Stellenbosch with his wife Marianne. They have six children, three each from previous marriages. He is also a proud grandfather.
Twitter ~ @MeyerDeon
