Thirteen Hours (Benny Griessel Book 2)

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A terrible confession is made to a priest by a young woman. An honorable man then takes his revenge for a horrifying tragedy. Building from the beginning, Deon Meyer creates a story of suspense and astonishing complexity, as an Inspector Benny Griessel comes against a very dangerous vigilante that has literally everything on his own side, including the public sympathy. A frightening abuse case hits the newsstands, and detective has decided to take it upon himself so as to support Cape Town children.

A string of gory murders begins when the accused guy is found stabbed all through the heart with a spear. This creates a very dangerous dilemma for the detective benny Griessel. Griessel meets the avenger when a young sex worker lures both of them into a very dangerous plan and the two only find themselves with the heart-stopping problems that no other system of justice can ever make right. This is a very exciting read from one cover to another cover.

It will keep you awake and alert later than usual. Not only has Meyer written an excellent thriller, but he has also has succeeded to depict modern South Africa as well as its several problems ingeniously. Normally, there must be a few connections between the separate tales. Within the course of this novel, there are back stories that are teased apart and revealed as their lives begin to intersect. The whole story revolves at a relatively steady pace, as Meyer moves carefully the inter-connecting pieces to the right place to build page-turning finale.

The clock begins to tick from the word go. A case an American teenage tourist who is brutally murdered needs to be solved within thirteen hours. This makes you to be ultra aware of the passing of minute and indeed seconds!! The storyline is fascinating and full of tension, as the police system is seemingly not in order, undermanned with insufficiently trained and inexperienced officers; who come up against a system full of, racial, corruption and sexual prejudices; they strive to bring two different, seemingly unrelated murders, to satisfactory conclusions while maintaining some level of integrity and professionalism.

The book moves between plots frequently as the action hots up and Benny Griessel fights to help keep control of the situation in both the two investigations, in his role as a mentor to the new recruits who have been assigned as investigating officers. The pace of the plot has natural peaks and troughs as you take short breaks from the action, which goes on in the background, when new clues are introduced, thus relating a fast paced action novel with the more methodical aspects of a police procedural, a format which will work well for you and will captivate your interest throughout the novel.

The characters are totally real and believable; from their barely concealed racial views; acceptance as the norm of the corruption within the force by colleagues, on whom their life may ultimately depend; animosity towards DI Benny Griessel, who they see as a drunken has-been and certainly not fit to be their case mentor, especially when they get to know of his promotion to Captain, meted out as a way of testing securing his loyalty and integrity. A gripping, insightful read that will keep you on the edge of my seat until the very last page.

Brilliantly executed by Deon Meyer. If you see one missing just send me an e-mail below. Scott Bolton is an indie author who after 14 years away, returned to his H. Scott Bolton has a lot of plans for new books this year and the first book in the H. What is the symbolic role that the flowers play in Benny Griessel's life in "Thirteen hours"? See all 5 questions about Thirteen Hours….

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Lists with This Book. La chiesa luterana St. Martin in cima a Long Street in downtown Cape Town. Ci racconta anche un paese affascinante e poco conosciuto, il suo paese natale: Lo stesso Meyer scrive in afrikaans e poi viene regolarmente tradotto in inglese e altre 26 o 27 lingue. Dietro la coppia seduta al tavolo si intravede il telefono pubblico dal quale Rachel telefona a casa.

Rachel scappa di qua. La casa di Brownlow Street che ha ispirato quella del personaggio Xandra Barnard, la celebre cantante che nel romanzo si sveglia e trova il cadavere del marito sul pavimento accanto al letto. Meyer scrive con capitoli brevi, e talvolta il successivo riprende esattamente dove si era interrotto il precedente: Lo stesso Meyer ha esperienza diretta di cinema e televisione: Mi ha detto che lo affascina la differenza tra il lavoro essenzialmente solitario della scrittura e quello invece collettivo della regia.

Gli ho risposto che secondo me sia lo scrittore che il regista alla fine sono soli con la loro opera, unici responsabili del suo successo o fallimento. Long Street dove si svolgono la maggior parte dei fatti del romanzo. Thirteen Hours Review — Redux I attended a Deon Meyer book signing this weekend and it played a big part in my decision to expand this review.

South Africa is a country with eleven official languages, which should give you some idea of the cultural diversity. Why is this important? Meyer takes great snapshots of Thirteen Hours Review — Redux I attended a Deon Meyer book signing this weekend and it played a big part in my decision to expand this review. Meyer takes great snapshots of the inner workings of SA culture in his writing. He also happens to be quite a nice guy.

Original Review — Verbatim Afrikaans. It has been a very long time since I read any Afrikaans fiction. It has been an even longer time since I read any Afrikaans fiction that I enjoyed. I read this in Afrikaans: Thirteen Hours As an Afrikaans novel, this is certainly an accomplishment. Yes, there is swearing, but the people in this book talk exactly like the most people in Cape Town talk.

I am a recent Capetonian and really enjoyed this novel. It does an excellent job of introducing some of the cultural diversity to be found here. And then there is the plot Deon Meyer weaves a web of intrigue, deception and thrills. The characters are flesh and blood. The scares are real. If you enjoy this kind of thing, but haven't read Meyer yet, I suggest you give it a try. I'm not sure how some of this can be translated into English without losing a lot of the specific meaning or humour, but readers of the English translation seems to have nothing but praise for it.

So, check it out. View all 8 comments.

Publication Order of Benny Griessel Books

Sep 22, Phrynne rated it it was amazing. Another great book by this South African writer. Set in Cape Town, post Apartheid, there is a lot of political and social fact in the book as well as a great fictional story. Benny, the main character is yet another alcoholic cop, but I like him.

He is actually dealing with his problems and he has many and he is making progress with his life and maybe even with his career. There are two main threads to this book, each following a different murder.

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I was slightly more interested in one than the Another great book by this South African writer. I was slightly more interested in one than the other, but the constant swapping of story lines kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. I read this while on a plane. I intended that it would last me several days and read it in one. I am very happy that there is a sequel still waiting for me. View all 6 comments. Sep 27, jo rated it it was amazing Shelves: View all 11 comments. May 06, Indrani Sen rated it it was amazing Shelves: A gem of a mystery.

Read it after a number of "serious" reads and enjoyed very much. A very fast-paced and well-crafted mystery. Bonus was the virtual tour of CapeTown. I am going to read more of this writer. Highly recommend to all. The book gives a good insight in south african society and racial problems. There are quite a few plot twists and the book is suspenseful till the end. May 28, Ian rated it really liked it Shelves: I hadn't actually heard of this author, who writes in Afrikaans, until I heard him being interviewed on a BBC Radio Programme some months ago.

I was intrigued by what he said and by the setting of his novels in Cape Town, one of the relatively few places in the world I have personally visited.

An initial synopsis of this novel makes it sound like "crime writing by the numbers". The lead character, Inspector Benny Griessel, is a middle-aged detective with a drink problem and marital troubles, and I hadn't actually heard of this author, who writes in Afrikaans, until I heard him being interviewed on a BBC Radio Programme some months ago.

The lead character, Inspector Benny Griessel, is a middle-aged detective with a drink problem and marital troubles, and the main part of the plot involves the "young woman in danger" scenario. However, don't be put off, Inspector Griessel is a most engaging lead character, the potential victim is resourceful, and the storyline in every way justifies the tag of "thriller". The story takes place over the "Thirteen Hours" of the title, starting early in the morning, and Inspector Griessel has the sort of day that would have had me cracking under the strain by about half-past eight.

As an experienced detective he is assigned to "mentor" younger members of his Department, and has to constantly keep switching between two high profile cases that arise on the same morning. One involves the murder of a big player in the local Afrikaans music scene, the other a search for an American backpacker who is being hunted by local criminals who have already murdered her companion. Her frantic flight through the city, and Griessel's search for her, really is edge of the seat stuff. I particularly liked the characters created by the author for the junior detectives, each of whom has their own strengths and weaknesses, and Meyer also draws a convincing picture of the racial and gender politics of South Africa, where everyone is conscious of their group identity and where any ambiguous remark can be interpreted as a deliberate racial slight.

A really excellent thriller. I'll certainly read more of this author's work in the future. Feb 22, switterbug Betsey rated it it was amazing. Afrikaner Deon Meyer's latest pulse-pounding thriller hits the ground running--literally. In Cape Town, South Africa, at six in the morning, an American teenage tourist is running for her life. Her best friend's throat was slit in front of her and she is bolting from the perpetrators' clutches.

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The story hits its stride early and swiftly as events unfold over thirteen-hours. Vicious outlaws and the snarl of conspiracy; Afrikaner, Xhosa, and Zulu crime-fighters; and crooners and corporate fleecer Afrikaner Deon Meyer's latest pulse-pounding thriller hits the ground running--literally. Vicious outlaws and the snarl of conspiracy; Afrikaner, Xhosa, and Zulu crime-fighters; and crooners and corporate fleecers storm the pages of the book.

Besides Rachel Anderson, the pursued and wily tourist, there's music industry giant, Adam Barnard, found shot and dead near his hard-drinking, faded-diva wife. This is my third Meyer book this is his seventh , after reading Dead at Daybreak and Blood Safari, all set in the author's home country. The narrative is bracing and the characters resonant and ripe. Meyer delivers with sizzle in this dual-crime novel; his terse prose lances the pages, and the pitch-perfect pace purrs and thrums.

The reader feels like a detective as fragments eventually pull together from the grime of corruption. You suspect, you speculate, and you quiver. The knot of Barnard's death is teased out concurrently with Rachel's web of intrigue. Meyer is brilliant at interlocking disparate characters, events, and scenes, and at solving parallel puzzles.

The crisp story is supported by trenchant characters. Benny Griessel, the Slavic-eyed, bushy-haired Inspector with a sinking marriage and six months sobriety, has a sharp radar and a fox's energy, as well as a tarnished reputation. He pursues the perps with thirsty zeal while trying to keep his inner demons at bay. Can he save his marriage? Can he rescue the girl? Will the lure of drink undo him? Benny struggles to keep it together while people's lives are falling apart.

Fransman Dekker, an apt, avid cop with a strident temper, is furious about the racial hiring practice in the department. He's close to losing his cool over the results of affirmative action--not black enough, not white enough, feeling the statistical stab of "eight percent coloured. She looks like an "overstuffed piegeon," with a "big bulge in front and a big bulge behind in her tight black trouser suit.

Meyer has a knack for fiery characters that vault from the pages while they crackle and burn. The story is taut and the climax is gripping. Although more cinematic and conventional than his previous work, Meyer's brio is seductive, his pointed narrative is spicy. Some parts are predictable, yet without feeling tired and shopworn. He tells the story with a candid depth that is wholly humane and authentic.

A primal essence buzzes and hums as he juxtaposes scenes, cutting from one jolting moment to the next. And although I am typically put off by cell phone bits in a novel, Meyer's snappy insertions actually increase the story's tensile strength. The chapters revolve around the clock and the minutes fly with the pages. He controls the fluid narrative with an acid restraint and never goes overboard. It vibrates with soul, but it's not for the faint of heart.

Jun 15, Calzean rated it really liked it Shelves: A cracking crime novel set in Cape Town over a Thirteen Hour period. The book conveys the fast pace of murders committed and which are solved in the first day; the police run around, run into dead ends, new tasks are assigned, communication confusion.

It also conveys the fragility of South African infrastructure, ongoing tensions between whites and blacks, tribal and language differences and shows the commitment needed to get things done. In the end it also shows if you something done give it to A cracking crime novel set in Cape Town over a Thirteen Hour period.

In the end it also shows if you something done give it to a busy man, especially if his name is Benny Griessel. Jan 29, Polly rated it it was amazing. Benny Griessel, aging alcoholic Cape Town detective, has been tasked with mentoring less experienced detectives. This puts him in the position of running two different murder cases. Swear words, fists, interracial conflicts, plot lines and bullets fly as Benny, Vusi, Dekker and Mbali follow seemingly unconnected crimes and corruption in the city. The pace of Thirteen Hours ramps up to a thundering end.

Sep 05, Yigal Zur rated it really liked it. Jan 13, Leanne Hunt rated it it was amazing Shelves: My first Deon Meyer book, "Thirteen Hours" was a huge discovery for me. This author is well-loved among crime fiction readers but I was under the impression his stories were all action and no character exploration.

The characters in this novel are sensitively portrayed in vivid detail, making it easy for the reader to relate to and sympathise with them. I loved the fact that the story was set in Cape Town and used familiar locations such as streets, hospitals, police stations and nat My first Deon Meyer book, "Thirteen Hours" was a huge discovery for me. I loved the fact that the story was set in Cape Town and used familiar locations such as streets, hospitals, police stations and natural landmarks.

It made me, as a South African, find a new perspective on my country — the perspective of an outsider looking in, learning about how South Africans get along with each other in the new democratic dispensation and how similar we are to the rest of the world in terms of sensation and drama.

Thirteen Hours (Benny Griessel 2)

To me, Deon Meyer throws into high relief the positives and negatives of our society — things like the vibrancy of the local music industry and the accompanying greed of certain industry players — so that what is there becomes "more there" and what was a mere stereotype becomes a better understood system with interesting nuances and potentialities. Above all, I really enjoyed the humanity of Bennie Griesel, the inspector overseeing the cases in this book.

His flawed nature, his tragic circumstances, his love for his children and his general goodness in spite of the environment he works in shines through. Not only does the book have a very satisfying ending, but it leaves you feeling warm, as if you have been in the company of someone very experienced and trustworthy. Ek het 3 van sy boeke vir die afgelope 6 maande heen en weer karwy na en van my boek club met die beste voorwensels om ten minste een te lees. So toe ek uiteindelik een lees kon myself skop omdat ek so lank gevat het om dit te doen. Alhoewel hierdie boek die 2de in die reeks is dink ek nie ek het vreeslik baie gemis deur dit uit volgorde te lees nie.

Ek dink die polisie en lands politiek is ongelooflik goed uitgebeeld en die storie het my van die eerste bladsy gegryp tot ek klaar was. Hoogs aanbeveel — moet nie so lank wag soos ek nie. View all 5 comments. Jan 27, Florian rated it really liked it. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, click here. I usually avoid detective novels. I made an exception here, because I was intrigued by the idea to read a book from South Africa, and I don't regret it at all. The portrayal of the different investigators Vusi Ndabeni, Fransman Dekker and also Mbali Kaleni was very good, and the main character Benny Griessel is very likeable. The plot is generally very suspenseful; this book contains almost as many cliffhangers as pages. But there's much more to it.

Many smaller, and sometimes inconsequential, I usually avoid detective novels. Many smaller, and sometimes inconsequential, scenes are done with a great amount of care and insight. Sadly, there were a few things near the end of the book that didn't sit well with me. Why would Benny not answer his phone when getting this extremely important call from Vusi?

It could even have been Rachel calling him! And then the bullet hitting the Leatherman, those things just weren't necessary and suddenly made the whole thing feel like some bad movie.

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