Icarus
A Novel
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4.0 • 22 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
This series featuring South African detective Benny Griessel "is one of the high points of contemporary crime fiction" and "Icarus is his best yet" (The Guardian).
When a plastic-wrapped corpse is found amidst the sand dunes north of Cape Town, it doesn't take long for the police to identify the body as Ernst Richter—the tech whiz behind MyAlibi, an Internet service that provides unfaithful partners with sophisticated cover stories to hide their affairs.
The murder quickly becomes the subject of fierce media speculation, with questions swirling about potential motives and perpetrators. Maybe it was one of MyAlibi's countless jilted spouses, or perhaps an aggrieved client. With a spotlight shining on the investigation, detective Benny Griessel's boss wants him on the case—and he won't take no for an answer.
Before the week is out, a connection to a storied family winery comes to light and adds another layer of tension. But Griessel will have to make sure his suspicions are beyond the shadow of a doubt—or it might be his head on the chopping block.
"Meyer . . . has long been hailed as South Africa's greatest crime writer. Icarus places him firmly in the top international league." —The Times (London)
"Meyer has perfected structure and pace, reveals and red herrings, chapter beats, plot and subplot but he enriches the story with fascinating detail." —The Sunday Times
"A meticulously crafted portrait of modern-day South Africa, Icarus is a spellbinding tour de force." —New York Journal of Books
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In South African author Meyer's excellent fifth novel featuring Benny Griessel of Cape Town's Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (after 2014's Cobra), Benny has been sober for more than 20 months, but he soon falls off the wagon after hearing tragic news about a colleague. Vollie Fish, who had caught two serial killers in four years, fatally shot his wife and two daughters and then himself, an apparent victim of his own demons. Meanwhile, someone has strangled Ernst Richter, called the Alibi Man for his website, which provides alibis, complete with phony documentation, for a price. Richter's death alone would be enough to unsettle those who use his services, but in addition someone has created a Twitter account that threatens to list all his clients in 18 hours. Meyer heightens the suspense with scenes of a defense attorney's conversations with an enigmatic client. The richness of the characters, especially the multifaceted Benny, elevates this above most contemporary police procedurals.
