My sincere thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for the latest exhilarating and informative crime thriller by Deon Meyer in return for an honest review. I only became aware of the author's superb and complex police procedurals in 2020 and raced through most of his books. Meyer bravely writes about crimes and corruption in present-day South Africa. I regard his detective series as not only the best from South Africa but among the best in the world. His books were initially written in Afrikaans and then translated.

Deon Meyer presents a bold and searing portrait of the present turbulent political scene. In his previous novel,' The Last Hunt,' I learned a new phrase, 'state capture.' This phrase referred to a scandal-plagued president, bribery for government contracts, corrupt government officials, the minister of police, and the director of public prosecutions, all involved in 'state capture.' Kleptocracy, bribes, and greed were infecting every political institution from the top down. Anyone of honour who struggled with the desire for a fair and equitable society and challenged the country's dire state could face false charges, smear campaigns, loss of employment, and the danger of being labeled a traitor.

Detectives Bennie Griessel and his loyal partner, Vaughan Cupido, have been demoted from their elite Hawks unit based in Capetown for insubordination. They are ordered to report to the police force in another town. They are assigned to a routine case at a lower level than to what they had been accustomed. A 20-year-old male student, Callie, has gone missing. Before Griessel and Cupido were transferred from the Hawks, a young detective had been murdered. He left behind clues hinting of corruption in the police department. Griessel and Cupido have been interrupted in that investigation. They must concentrate their efforts on finding out the motive for Callie's disappearance.

Their new location was a pleasant one, but the town is declining due to a collapse of the real estate market. This resulted from extensive multi-million rand cooperative fraud by a greedy, scheming, extremely wealthy Jasper Boonstra. Real estate agent Sandra Steenberg is under challenging negotiations with Jasper to sell one of his splendid properties. She badly needs the commission because she has fallen deeply into debt. Their home, car, and the children's private education are in jeopardy, and also her marriage to her academic husband as she has hidden their possible financial ruin from him.

The structure of this book was unique for me. Short paragraphs alternate within chapters dealing with Griessel and Cupido trying to locate the missing student and their fear he may be murdered shortly, and Sandra's dealings with the evil, sexual predator, Jasper, who keeps changing the terms of the sales contract. This alternating, back and forth approach to storytelling should not work but does superbly. Tension and suspense were heightened, exploding with action, excitement, and dread. All the cases eventually come together. Will Griessel and Cupido find the motive for the abduction of the missing student, and is he dead or alive? What about the murder of the young detective back in Capetown? What will be Sandra's fate in the real estate dealings with the wicked Jasper?
A highly recommended series with glimpses of truth amidst a gripping, fictional crime story. This was a well-plotted and complicated tale, with flawed but memorable characters. I have ordered a copy of this book.