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Translated from the Afrikaans by K. L. Seegers
Hodder and Stoughton, Mar 2008
Reviewed by Sunnie Gill
What makes a book special for you? For me it’s when the characters and the
story stays with you after you’ve closed the book. All too often once the
book is finished, the details begin to fade almost immediately. Not so
with DEVIL’S PEAK by Deon Meyer.
DEVIL’S PEAK begins with a prostitute telling her story to a clergyman. On
her lap is a shoe box. What’s in the box?
Inspector Benny Giessel has just been thrown out of the house by his wife.
She has given him an ultimatum. Choose either the booze or his family. He
has six months to get sober and stay that way or he won’t see his kids
again. Benny is a veteran of the South African police. He is one of the
very few left from the days of apartheid. In a force where the majority
are young and inexperienced, a wise Superintendant realises the the value
of a talented and experienced detective. With the support of his boss,
Benny begins the slow, painful process of getting sober and staying that
way.
Someone is killing people with an Assegai (tribal spear). Many on the
police force aren’t that bothered because the victims are child killers.
Benny is assigned to lead the investigation. Realising this may well be
his last chance to save his career as well as his marriage, Benny puts
everything into finding out the identity of the killer.
The alcoholic detective is something of a staple in crime fiction, to the
extent that it frequently becomes a cliché. Not so Benny. Meyer writes
about Benny’s struggle, self-recrimination and the realisation of the full
impact of his drinking on his life, his family and his colleagues with a
great deal of sensitivity. We feel Benny’s pain, guilt and despair as he
struggles through “one day at a time.”
DEVIL’S PEAK was written in Afrikaans and translated by K.L. Seegers. Not
only is the translation spot on, but Seegers has retained enough of the
Afrikaans slang and dialect for the reader to easily imagine an Afrikaans
accent.
The sense of place and culture are also very strong. There is no way this
book could be set anywhere but South Africa. DEVIL’S PEAK is not only well
written with a nicely honed plot, but the author has also seamlessly
incorporated a history lesson, a clear idea of diverse cultures and
characters you won’t forget in a hurry. These all combine to make DEVIL’S
PEAK a memorable read on many levels.
The second week of 2009 isn’t over yet and already I feel I’ve read one of
my top books for 2009.
Jan 2008
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