Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Second book of a series, and although you can read it as a stand-alone, I strongly recommend that you read the first one first, otherwise you will have a hard time figuring out who is who. (And also because Hard Rain was a 5-star!)
The story is told by Ranna, Sarah and Alex, but it was a bit unbalanced to me, and the strong female characters dominated. I didn't find the storyline as original as in the first book, still it was a fast-paced thriller nonetheless. And I will definitely read the next one in the series.

Man Down is the second title in Irma Venter’s action-thriller series Rogue, but it reads very well as a standalone. In fact, I think my lack of exposure to the key protagonists only served to heighten the predominantly character-driven cat-and-mouse slow-burn suspense and intrigue in this novel’s first half.

Venter’s contained ensemble cast (in number, not impact) and skilful use of alternating character first-person narratives (a construct I particularly enjoy) delivered compelling character development.

Her evocative depiction of the South African setting, a deeply scarred society with unrest simmering under every surface, amplified character tensions and reader suspicions. And, once inescapably engaged with the key protagonists’ plights, Man Down‘s pacing and action steadily build to its thrilling conclusion.

See full review -> https://www.bookloverbookreviews.com/2021/04/man-down-by-irma-venter-review.html

Thank you to the author, AmazonCrossing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This fast-paced thriller is the second in a a series, and although it can be read as a stand-alone, there are a lot of references to previous happenings that make things a bit murky if you're not current with the story. Told in alternating POVs (journalist Alex, his ex-lover Ranna and computer geek Sara - who is also fancies Alex), the story barrels along along with secrets slowly revealed, twists taken and allegiances tested. The author can definitely write, but the characters stayed very one-dimensional for me, and I found the ending stretched the boundaries of my credulity a bit too far.

What a great read. It started off very slowly and I wondered if the whole book was going to be about Alex and illegal mining, but when Sarah and Ranna entered the storyline things perked up.
Although this is the second book in the series I didn't feel as if I was missing out on too much detail from book 1 that was relevant to book 2, so I'd say this can be read as a stand alone.

What I loved about this book was:
(1) the awesome, strong female characters - they didn't need to show cleavage or bed someone to get what they want - they were allowed to use their brains and intelligence. Alex was almost like a minor player.
(2) the uniqueness of being set in South Africa - the place names; the whole atmosphere feels right, descriptions like Karoo lamb, Kudu, Namaqualand, Paternoster. Little things like knowing how long it takes to drive from Pretoria to Lamberts Bay, what the weather is like on the West Coast reflects the author being truly South African.
(3) the gripping storyline that keeps you wondering what's going to happen next. Near the end all the loose ends get tied together and the reader has that "wow" moment. Using events like cash-in-transit robberies makes it very realistic.

Which brings me to the one (and only) thing I didn't like in the book. (And I think this came in with the translation from Afrikaans to English and possibly to make the book more "international".) I felt the use of words like "barbeque"; "miles"; "gas station" and "fast-food" are not quite South African - we use "braai"; "kilometers"; "petrol station" and "take-aways". I felt that the colloquial South African words could rather have been used with a glossary at the end explaining the words to international readers. This however did not detract from my rating of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. This book starts out slow and drags in parts as it slowly reveals how secrets from an armed robbery have come back to haunt Ranna Abramson. Ranna is on the run from South African Police. She is wanted for killing Tom Masterson, which happened in book 1 of this series. Although this is book 2, I think that this book works as a stand alone. I have read book 1.
Ranna fled South Africa after she killed Tom in self defense. But now Sarah, Tom's friend and computer whiz, has tracked Ranna down and begs her to come back. Ranna is love with Alex Derksen, a journalist who has disappeared. Sarah tells Ranna that she needs Ranna to help her find Alex.
But Sarah has not been honest with Ranna, and the plot slowly uncovers how Ranna's past has come back to threaten her and Alex. The book is narrated from the POV of Alex, Sarah and Ranna.
One quote: description of room service food: "...curry, hot enough to burn the skin off a goat."
It took me 10 days to read this book--368 pages.
The translation was excellent. Thanks to AmazonCrossing for sending me this eARC through NetGalley. #ManDown #NetGalley

The book is a mystery thriller type about an accused serial killer who travels to South America to search for a kidnapped victim. Filled with action and secrets its an overall fast, engaging read. Although the second in a series, you don't have to read the first to be engaged in this chapter of the series. I enjoyed the quick pace and moving storyline but didn't associate or identify with any of the characters. Highly recommended novel, nonetheless and am interested to see what author Irma Venter comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Irma Venter for the ARC of this book.

Ranna is the suspect in several murders and is on the run, keeping her head down in Mumbai. When she’s tracked down by Sarah, there are not many things that could tempt her back to South Africa, but, the kidnapping of her past love, Alex, is one of the things that would.

This book tells the story of Sarah and Ranna’s journey to rescue Alex, with both learning a lot about themselves, and each other on the way.

I was completely gripped throughout and constantly trying to work out what was coming next! The characters of Ranna and Sarah were so likeable despite their hard outer shells. I loved it and can’t wait to read Irma Venter’s next masterpiece!

I really enjoyed this book! My only regret is not having read the first book in the series. It would have been helpful to know the back story of the characters. However, it was a great fast paced mystery with strong female characters.

A follow up to Hard Rain, the first in the series. Suspenseful. I like the tough main female character and the character development as well as the romance between the heroine and her lover.

This has been out since 2013 and lots of reviews and twice as many (high) ratings. I'm not sure I can add anything new except another good rating for this thriller!

Thanks very much for the review copy!!

Alex Derksen is an intrepid reporter who finds himself bang in the middle of the crosshairs of an ugly duel between the South African cops, and hoodlums of the illegal Zama-Zamas illegal mining syndicate. Breathless running and dodging, bruises and scratches, a dead constable, and a bullet lodged in his Kevlar vest later, Alex is unbelievably lucky to find himself alive, let alone in one untampered piece. However, curiosity gets the better of him and bests his good luck, when he gets a midnight call, while convalescing in a motel. The caller identifying himself only and imaginatively as “Gadhafi” lures Alex to a shady pub, promising a wealth of information on the Zama-Zamas cartel. A hastily drunk beer is not the only disappointment greeting the report as within the blink of an eye Alex finds himself abducted.

The only individuals capable of rescuing Alex from his predicament are two women, both having a bit of history with Alex. Ranna Abramson, a fighting fit, tall lanky photographer and Alex’s lover, with a gruesome past of her own, has for some unfathomable reason disappeared like the night from Alex’s life. Sarah, a geek of the highest degree and a wizard with anything remotely resembling an automobile, had a brief dalliance with Alex when he was torn apart by the disappearance of Ranna. When Sarah succeeds in tracking down Ranna in a small cubby hole bang in the middle of a claustrophobic environ in the teeming metropolis that is Mumbai, both women know that there has arrived a point of no return. Poles apart in both their attitude and outlook, the only factor that unites the duo is a raging purpose and relentless intent to save Alex from the clutches of his kidnapper.

Ghosts that were thought to have been exorcised in the past come with renewed fury to haunt Ranna and Sarah as they go about the most dangerous task they have ever attempted until now in their lives. Their enemy is not just unseen, but also seemingly unpredictable and invincible. Will the courageous duo succeed in their mission? Or has Alex tempted his fate one time more than what was acceptable? Irma Venter in “Man Down”, which is the second book in her “Rogue” series, once again puts her main protagonists, the romantic duo that is Alex and Ranna into a bind. However, the book is more of a Sarah-Ranna combo than Alex. Alex’s angels perhaps!

Unlike a gripping tome by Tom Clancy where the cast of characters exceed the stars in any Galaxy, Irma Venter’s book is an exercise in thrilling simplicity. There are protagonists and there are antagonists. They combat each other both savagely as well as subtly. “Man Down” is more “Die Hard” than an “Inception” or “Minority Report.” There is absolutely no tedium whatsoever as the plot races through in a crisp and tight fashion. There is a judicious blend of wit and vitriol. The action sequences are taut, yet never overboard. There is not a moment that is neither dull nor vapid in the book.

“Man Down” – a feast for thriller afficionados!

Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the eARC.
The fact the book features Mumbai and South Africa drew me to this book (both places I've visited), but unfortunately I couldn't connect with the characters. There's a lot of action, which should please most readers, but there was no soul to the read for me, it felt flat and a bit formulaic and I ended up skipping through the whole story.

A great page-turning amateur detective thriller.

I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of vengeance, greed, betrayal and corruption.

When Alex, a journalist, is kidnapped, his ex girlfriend recruits his old flame, Ranna, exiled in Bangkok, to help in his rescue. However, betrayed and fearful, they are forced to try to solve an old mystery in order to keep him alive.

After a steady start, the story heats up, and the tension is maintained superbly throughout and the book is recommended for tense thriller lovers.

I'm new to this author but I can say with certainty that I will be back for more of her books.

Even though this is a follow up to her earlier novel Hard Rain, it is possible to pick up this book without reading the earlier ones.

Ranna Abramson is trapped into returning to her hometown, South Africa, to save the love of her life, Alex Derksen. Two things are certain for Ranna if she chooses to return home, either the inside of a prison cell or the bottom of her own grave.

The characters are easy to relate to and very interesting, a page-turner that keeps you coming back for more.

Summary: We journey with Ranna as she travels from Mumbai back to her hometown. The excitement and mystery are contagious, drawing you in and making you hunger to know what happens next. If you don't mind skipping your bedtime, this is definitely the book to pick up.

The book is a thriller and is thrilling. It contains a collection of interesting characters living outside of the law, a family mystery, an accused serial murderer called back to South Africa to find the love of her life who has been kidnapped, a missing fortune, an old con seeking revenge and two women who love the same man. There's plenty of action, various secrets revealed and there are unexpected baddies. It's Book 2 in the series but is easily a stand alone escapism novel.