The Dark Flood (A Benny Griessel Novel) by Deon Meyer

 

The Dark Flood (A Benny Griessel Novel) by Deon Meyer.

Translated by K.L. Seegers.

Published 14th April 2022 by Hodder and Stoughton.

From the cover of 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.

***********

Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, veteran investigators in the elite Hawks unit, find themselves demoted and sent to patrol the streets of leafy Stellenbosch after being found guilty of insubordination. Things could be worse, as they feared being exiled to way out in the Karoo, but they are unsure if they will ever be able to return to their beloved Hawks, and recovering alcoholic Griessel is concerned that the change in their fortunes may lead him back to finding solace at the bottom of a bottle.

Beautiful Stellenbosch, wine capital of South Africa and home to millionaires and academics, is hardly a hot-bed of crime, but it's not quite the affluent neighbourhood it once was. The economy has been ruined by the dodgy dealings of one man, Jasper Boonstra, a disgraced businessman who hides behind the walls of his swanky estate while the government tries to bring a case of massive fraud against him. Everyone who lives here has been affected by the resulting recession, and the once buoyant property market has crashed.

The first case assigned to Griessel and Cupido is. at first sight, a simple missing persons report: student Callie du Bruin has disappeared from his campus hostel over the weekend, but there is no reason to believe he has come to harm, despite the concerns of his doting mother. However, something about this case is decidedly off, and Griessel and Cupido soon suspect that Callie has got himself involved with some very dangerous people.

Meanwhile, estate agent Sandy Steenberg gets a call from the notorious Jasper Boonstra himself. On the edge of financial ruin, she has no choice but to answer the call of this rumoured sexual predator and fraudster in order to save herself and her family from disaster - she desperately needs the commission he is offering from the underhand sale of his expensive properties, even if it means doing a deal with the devil.

Griessel, Cupido and Steenberg are about to put themselves in peril by becoming embroiled in circumstances rife with subterfuge and corruption, each of them having to step very carefully indeed in order to survive.

The Dark Flood starts with a delicious bang, as Deon Meyer treats you to a gripping multi-way shoot-out on the highway, which has unexpected significance for the twists and turns that follow for detectives Griessel and Cupido as they are sent to Stellenbosch with their tails between their legs - and is beautifully reminiscent of a good old cowboy gunfight, albeit with a modern twist.

The story then proceeds by moving between the stories of Griessel and Cupido as they follow the police procedural side of the tale, with an increasingly complex missing person case, and a softly-softly investigation into corruption at the very heart of the police force; and that of Steenberg as she navigates a dodgy property deal with the unpleasant Boonstra, ruing each progressively illegal move she is forced to make in order to save her family. At first it's hard to see how the Griessel-Cupido storyline, rich in the nitty-gritty of South African style crime solving can possibly touch that of Steenberg with her very personal and professional troubles, but their parallel threads inexorably draw together in a very cleverly contrived way that serves to give you some intriguing heart-in-the-mouth moments, and a shocker of a parting shot that I really hope Meyer will explore further in the next Griessel novel!

I love how Meyer manages to touch on so many interesting themes in the telling of this story, weaving in juicy threads around gritty criminal shenanigans; corporate and political greed; and the games of power and corruption that provide all the fodder you need for a high-octane thriller, but he also incorporates more subtle subjects that explore the psychological effects of toxic masculinity, class, race and money - especially in the way seemingly decent and law-abiding citizens can be motivated to cross the lines into dark deeds. There are some really touching moments that examine family dynamics, reconciliation, and the legacy of less than ideal parenting too. All of this combines with a diverse and vivid cast of characters to offer a glimpse of contemporary South Africa in an engaging and enlightening way, delightfully wrapped up in a gripping first-class thriller with plenty of action, emotional depth, and humour.

 

This is my first Deon Meyer, and my first Benny Griessel novel, but it will not be my last of either. I very much enjoyed being immersed in the South African Cape and absorbing some Afrikaans (a helpful glossary of words and phrases is provided as an appendix to help with the ones which are not obvious), and am impressed with the obvious skill translator K.L. Seegers shows in keeping the tempo, excitement and emotion of this story going throughout. I am very much looking forward to delving into Meyer's back catalogue and await the next Griessel adventure with high anticipation!

The Dark Flood is available to buy now in hardcover, ebook and audio formats.

Thank you to Hodder and Stoughton for sending me a proof and a finished copy of this book in return for an honest review, and to Ransom PR for inviting me to be part of this blog tour.

About the author:

Deon Meyer is a South African crime fiction author and screenwriter.

A former journalist, advertising copywriter, Internet manager and brand strategist, Deon has published thirteen novels and two short story collections. His books have been published in 28 languages in more than 40 countries world-wide.

He has also written several series for television, and four screenplays for feature films. Deon has also produced and directed movies in his native Afrikaans.

Accolades for his books include Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière (2003) and Le prix Mystère de la critique (2004) from France, the Deutsche Krimi Preis (2006, 2009), the Swedish Martin Beck Award (2010), the ATKV Prose Prize (2000, 2003, and 2004), the ATKV Suspense Fiction Prize (2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2019), the M-Net Award for Most Filmic Novel (2009, 2012), and the Barry Award for Best Thriller in the USA (2010).

Deon was born in Paarl in 1958 and matriculated in Klerksdorp in 1976. He studied at the Universities of Northwest, Free State and Stellenbosch, and holds a Masters’ Degree in Creative Writing.

He lives in Stellenbosch with his wife Marianne, and is passionate about South Africa, Mozart, mountain biking, cooking, photography, and Free State Cheetahs and Springbok rugby.