African Adventures!

While Nordic authors and settings seem to dominate my crime reads, the list is not exclusively Northern European I am glad to say. I have even endeavoured to go beyond wider Europe, taking in the US of A, the Middle East, south-east Asia, and even Africa. And it is to Africa that I travel in this post, with two authors to mention, South Africa's Deon Meyer (see below) and Southern Rhodesia's (aka Zimbabwe's) Alexander McCall Smith. McCall Smith a Rhodesian, you might ask? Well, while living in Scotland, he is correctly speaking a Rhodesian-born Scotsman who has also spent some considerable time in Botswana. A prodigious writer, he is probably best known as the author of the The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. The agency is located in Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. So far the series extends to thirteen titles, of which I have to date read two.

The first in the series, appropriately enough called 'The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency'  stars Mma Precious Ramotswe, the first lady detective in Botswana, and if I was to describe it in two words, I would call it a "delightful read". It is both light-hearted and humourous, with Mma Ramotswe quite ingenious at times in her investigative style. You get a real sense of the place and the people, in fact I would venture to say that Botswana as a subject matter is every bit as interesting as the various investigations Ramotswe involves herself in. How accurate the author's insight into the life of an African woman I can't comment on, but it definitely adds another dimension to the book. These books are easy reads, as much about the characters and location as they are about the mysteries to be solved, which is just as well, for the mysteries and ensuing investigations do not really hold enough interest on their own. Number two in the series, 'Tears of the Giraffe' , continues where the first left off in terms of entertainment, style, and light heartedness.  Important to say too that this series needs to be read in order. It might also interest you to know that the series has been made into a BBC TV series.

South Africa's Deon Meyer has written twelve thrillers, eight of which have been translated into English; in all, his books have been translated into some 20 languages. And I think his fame will continue to grow.

While I am currently reading his latest book '7 Days' (transl. 2012), my introduction to Meyer was his second last book, 'Trackers' (transl. 2011) , which I have reviewed here before. . 'Trackers' has a well worked if intricate plot; be prepared for the multi-threaded story line, maybe one too many for my liking. Indeed at times it felt like a series of separate short stories. Lots of characters to get used to as well, maybe again too many, but all told an entertaining enough read. Plus it is an interesting insight into modern South Africa. I felt though that the book went astray somewhat towards the end. The book features a housewife running from years of domestic abuse, a bodyguard hired to escort a smuggled rhinoceros, a group of Islamic terrorists based in a quiet residential street and a secret government agency threatened with amalgamation within a bigger department.

Second up was his debut novel 'Dead before Dying' (transl. 1999) .  A police procedural, I thought 'Dead Before Dying' just ok for a debut novel; not as good as 'Trackers', the ending was too much of a coincidence and somewhat unbelievable, and I didn't see much point to the bank robbery story. The characters and interactions were a positive though.

'Dead at Daybreak'  (transl. 2000)  has a good plot, good pace, and the sub-plots concerning the main character's previous career are interesting and not out of place. Van Heerden has baggage and is not an altogether sympathetic main character, but his attempt at redemption does garner some sympathy. South Africa is ever central and adds to the interest level. A good investigative thriller this.

'Heart of the Hunter' (transl. 2003)  is next in the series. Can a man ever really change who he is, or be allowed to? This is a really enjoyable suspense thriller involving a dash against the clock across South Africa (SA) by one man in order to save another, and he chased and hunted by government forces with the media close behind. But what if the hunted has himself been a hunter? It's got pace, suspense, plenty of action and well developed characters. Plus interesting insights into the SA security forces, race relations, and the region's geography. Another I can highly recommend.

Strictly speaking one should next read 'Devil's Peak' (transl. 2007), followed by 'Blood Safari' (transl. 2009); however I was unable to get my hands on these in time and jumped ahead to 'Thirteen Hours' (transl. 2010), no apologies for doing so. And you can get away with not reading them in strict order, even if that is preferable.

'Thirteen Hours' (transl. 2010)  is yet another good crime thriller from Meyer, the best of those I have read to date. This time it's a race against the clock to find the fleeing girl before the bad boys who have killed her friend do. This is slightly different to the norm insofar as the story is set in a 13-hour timeframe, like the title says! So the sense of tension is always building; how long can she evade her pursuers, what is it they are after, are the police to be trusted, can Detective Griessel get to her on time? Another murder investigation on the side lends interest, with the outcome a little surprising, or not! Can't say more! Like his other titles, the workings of the different arms of the South African security forces adds to the interest in this story. The various characters, police and others, are all interesting, particularly I thought the female Inspector. If you were to know Cape Town, you might benefit from the knowledge as you follow the pursuit. A good, pacy, action-packed thriller.

Will let you know in time how I got on with his most recent, '7 Days'. Enjoy!

Top Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/flowcomm/. Under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). Original Photo.