Deon Meyer is probably the best little-known-in-America author I've found so far. I've enjoyed every book I've read by Mr. Meyer. His characters are interesting, flawed, and realist. Leo followed two story lines, which eventually intersect--the group planning a heist, and the police trying to solve first one and then two murder cases. From past novels by the author, I knew to just follow along and I would eventually see the big picture. I found myself sympathetic to the people planning the crime, and anxious for Benny, as his wedding date approached. I'm very grateful to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for the advance reading copy.

This book has a very intricate and interesting plot, and even though there's a lot of jumping around in the story, it's no problem following. With the great setting and the fantastic and colorful characters, this book is excellent entertainment.

The wonderful Deon Meyer's latest is once again gives us a hard hitting state of the nation addition, providing social and political commentary on contemporary South Africa, the major political characters are barely disguised and easily identifiable to anyone who has even a basic knowledge of contemporary events that have taken place there. This covers the astonishing level of corruption that infected the government, reaching the highest levels, the kleptocracy, and 'state capture' including the incompetence and involvement of some members the police, making it particularly difficult for those with a reputation for being unfailingly honest. Former Hawks, cops Benny Griessel, extremely stressed as his wedding to Alex approaches, and his partner, Vince Cupido, are still serving in the university town of Stellenbosch.

The body of a female student cyclist is discovered on a mountain trail, a strange death that is the beginning of a complex investigation that takes them to the home of their leading suspect, lawyer Basie Small, and his menacing rottweilers. They return when Small is found murdered, having been tasered and suffocated after having filler foam poured down his throat, what on earth is going on and how truthful is the information being provided by his sister, Emilia? It becomes clear this is a well organised professional hit by 6 ex-soldiers, and is followed by further deaths, what connects them? Christina Jaegar, is part of a crew carrying out a heist that goes wrong, she leaves for Italy, only to return for a more hugely audacious heist that includes a new, more volatile member, wild Tao, joining them.

Meyer paints a richly descriptive and detailed picture of the country, the 'load shedding' power blackouts, the police facing the disdain, cynicism, and bile coming their way from the public, the media and social media, given what has occurred in the circles of the powerful political establishment. The danger, pace, and tension pick up considerably as Benny finds himself caught up in events that may threaten his ability to get back home and marry Alexa. This is a superb series, informative about South Africa, and with a great flawed protagonist in Benny, an alcoholic, constantly having to fight his inner urge for a drink, the strains and horrors of what he sees and experiences in his challenging job fuelling this desire. Simply brilliant! Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

It has been a long wait, but the new book by Deon Meyer is finally here (in the UK at least)!

Leo is the ninth book by Meyer to feature South African detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, and opens with the pair still exiled to the quiet, beautiful area of Stellenbosch for past misdemeanors. The run-of-the-mill police work in a leafy university town famed for its vineyards is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime at the highest level as part of the elite Hawks squad. Cupido is restless, but the former alcoholic Benny has more pressing things to worry about, it’s the countdown to his forthcoming wedding day.

Their relative peace is shattered, however, when a female student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered soon afterwards. He is killed in a particularly gruesome manner with fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat. It seems like a professional hit to Griessel and Cupido, but their superiors are keen to dismiss it as a robbery. Regardless the detectives push on, with Benny knowing that he needs to stay calm and focused, and sober, to solve the crime and make it to his wedding day.

Meanwhile a gang of professional thieves, including the beautiful Christina Jaeger who we last saw in The Trackers, are planning a dangerous high stakes heist that brings them to the attention of corrupt officials.

Leo is structurally similar to Meyer’s excellent The Last Hunt, with Griessel and Cupido pushing on with their investigation, while two different sub-plots run in parallel until the tense and unexpected conclusion. Two heists at the beginning and end of the book give the plot much of its excitement and suspense, while a mission of revenge by a former member of the South African Special Forces Brigade, Tau Berger, also adds spikes of action and violence. Meyer skillfully switches the action between Griessel and Cupido’s methodical investigation, the tension of the heists, and Berger’s bloody campaign, giving the book a good pace for most of its length. There are some slow patches, and too much focus on the wedding, but the final third, or so, of the book more than makes up for it. I could not stop reading the final chapters, and, as with most of Meyer’s books, I had no idea how it was going to end and who was going to survive.

As usual the characterisations are rich and convincing. Benny is the typical hard-worn detective trying to overcome a drinking problem and get his life back into order, but the depth of Meyer’s characterisation lifts him above the rest of the pack. Benny is no super detective, but a hard-working, experienced cop who can make connections and is always determined to see a case through to the end. While Cupido is Benny’s slightly flashier and very loyal partner. There is also genuine poignancy in Benny’s attempts to reconnect with his adult children. The other characters also ring true, and none of them are saints. They have good and bad sides to them, and Meyer does not endow his thieves with pure motives. They are professionals doing a job.

Meyer has a good ear for dialogue, and he seems to accurately capture the tone and rhythm of the conversations between the various characters. The descriptions of life in South Africa are vivid, but do not overwhelm the book. Some basic knowledge about the recent past in South Africa, especially the corruption and ‘state capture’, would help with the understanding of the story, but most of it can be easily gleaned from the book. The social decay and poverty are smoothly woven into the story and there is a subtlety in how Meyer deals with racial issues, with small references giving some sense of how it is now.

There is lots of darkness in Leo, but also flashes of humour, especially in an opening scene when Griessel and Cupido are interviewing a young woman who wants them to arrest another woman for stealing the IP off her Instagram story:

Overall, Leo is another stunning book by Meyer. The pace is a little slower at times, but the bloody conclusion more than makes up for it. One of my favourite books of the year!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of the book for review.

See full review at: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/s...

Thanks to NetGalley and Grove Atlantic for this compelling and exciting crime story set mainly in Cape Town, South Africa. Leo is the eighth thriller in the Benny Griessel/Vaughn Cupido series by Deon Mayer. I have read and enjoyed the entire series and some of his other novels. Meyer has become one of my favourite mystery writers anywhere.

His books are translated from Afrikaans to English. There is a glossary of words in the original S.A. languages, but many can be guessed from context. It is more important to understand the concept of 'state capture', often referred to in the series. I recommend reading a few earlier books (#6 and 7) to better understand the term and the two detectives' involvement. A Google search will also inform you of state capture and the barely disguised real-life characters on which the stories are based. People in S.A. would readily understand the sorry state of affairs and identify recent history's vile, greedy characters and associations. Glimpses of the corruption in the country are powerfully displayed in this complex, fictional crime story.

State Capture refers to a scandal-plagued former President, bribery for government contracts, corrupt political officials, police, and businesses (primarily three Indian brothers). When apartheid ended, honourable people hoped for a fair, equitable, diverse society. If they strived for this, they were subjected to smear campaigns, false charges, and loss of employment. Another term is 'load shedding,' temporary blackouts when much crime occurs.

I enjoyed Griessel and Cupido's interaction, especially when they shared speculations about the puzzles confronting them. However, too much narration applied to Griessel's upcoming wedding, and that stress might cause him to lapse back into alcoholism. They are not only award-winning detectives but also friends who support each other. They had been regarded as leading detectives in the elite Hawks squad, investigating crime and corruption at the highest level. I was not as engaged in this book as in earlier ones, but it was a gripping, well-written thriller, more suspenseful than many by other writers. It was necessary to keep alert because characters were often mentioned by only their first or last names, which was confusing. The story had several threads, and the transitions could have been smoother. The title, Leo, has little significance.

The two detectives have been banished from the Hawks and are assigned to routine, low-level police work in the small town of Stellenbosch. This is a turbulent political time after the end of apartheid, but there is little crime to investigate in this quiet place. Cupido is optimistic about returning to the Hawks in Capetown, but Griessel has his doubts.

A female university student is found dead on a mountain trail. The detectives believe the suspect, a local man walking his dogs, was implicated in her death. He is found dead after being tortured and suffocated by foam filler sprayed down his throat. They learn he was once a member of Recce, a South African Special Force that operated outside the country. It looks like a warning to keep silent. Next, another former soldier is murdered, and then a man known as a political fixer is killed. As the two detectives puzzle about any connections, they feel it has something to do with the corruption of state capture. They learn that they cannot return to the Hawks but can work quietly on the case because of their expertise. Another man, Tau Berger, had been a member of Recce, so he is in danger from the hit squad, but he has ideas of his own.
In a separate story, a beautiful wildlife guide, Christina Jaeger, is recruited to participate in a multi-million dollar heist which ends in tragedy. She immediately begins planning to help organize another big heist in an attempt to obtain a fortune in gold. How does that attempt end? This takes the reader's attention away from Griessel's case. It looks like he may not get home in time for his wedding. The conclusion is tense and exhilarating.
Recommended! Leo is due to be published on February 18, 2025.

I enjoyed LEO, but probably not as much as I would have if I knew anything at all about South Africa. This is a solid crime novel in a classic vein. Unfortunately, the geography and recent history of South Africa play such a big part in the narrative that parts of it were difficult for me to appreciate.

I might also say that this was absolutely the first crime novel I've ever read that included footnotes referring the reader to earlier books in the series to understand specific plot references. If I'd read the entire series, I might very well like that. But I haven't, and so I admit I found it downright annoying.

I love Deon Meyer, and the latest is no exception. Taut, entertaining and exciting you have another hit n your hands! I will talk it up as I always do….

The interplay between Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido comprises the largest amount of pages in this long novel, but much of that includes undertakings involved in the planning of Griessel’s upcoming wedding. Relatively little space is devoted to following up their main case—the torture and murder of a former soldier. In comparison, a huge amount of narrative space is devoted to the planning and execution of two heists carried out by a crew that includes Christina Jaeger, a crew that was not involved in the torture/murder of the former soldier. Three independent novellas appear to have been interwoven into a single story: Benny’s investigation of the torture/murder of the soldier, Christina’s heist capers with her team, and another torture/murder, this time involving an influential political fixer.

<b>Short Prognosis</b>

The novel begins with Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, but after one chapter, it switches to a narrative about Christina Jaeger, and her recruitment into a heist crew. We follow the preparations and execution of the heist, involving millions of U.S. dollars, until the caper ends. Griessel and Cupido do not appear again until Chapter 20 and that is in response to the unexplained death of a university student on a mountain trail. They quickly solve the mystery of how the student met her death, but cannot prove their theory without definitive forensic evidence.

Then the narrative switches back to Christina (chapters 26-33), now living in Europe. When we return to Benny and Vaughn, there is a lot of joking around about Benny’s upcoming wedding before their case develops a sudden urgency; the man whose actions probably caused the student’s death, Basie Small, has been found tortured and murdered. Only now, at close to the 30% point, does the novel become interesting, closer in tone to Deon Meyer’s better-known works.

Basie Small was a former Recce—the South African Special Forces Brigade—and soon the focus switches to another former Recce, Tau Berger. The action switches back and forth amongst Griessel and Cupido (who are following up on the Small murder), Christina Jaeger (who has rejoined the heist crew), and Tau Berger (who has his own agenda).

<b>Culture and Politics</b>

The author, Deon Meyer, is a South African who writes in Afrikaans and his novels are then translated into English (and other languages). Sprinkled throughout LEO are numerous commonly used Afrikaans words. Many are exclamations and most are easily comprehensible within the context wherein they are uttered. Meyer includes a glossary of these Afrikaans words in LEO. South Africa has 11 official languages, so words in this glossary originate from several sources, not only Afrikaans.

To understand comments made by the fictional characters, as well as important aspects of the plot, a reader needs some knowledge of South Africa’s current and past economic/political situation—not an academic knowledge but general knowledge gained by following international newspaper articles. For example, “load shedding” is mentioned frequently and plays a part in the action; it refers to the country’s energy crisis, which results in frequent energy blackout periods.

I cannot imagine reading this novel without a basic knowledge of the rampant political corruption that occurred during the reign of the ex-president (replaced in 1918). A detailed knowledge is not necessary, but Meyer wrote it for his fellow countrymen, and a reader would be expected to be familiar with the political upheaval that occurred during that president’s tenure. I notice that the names of real people have been slightly altered for this fictional tale, I suppose for legal purposes, but even someone who only reads the newspaper should be able to identify how closely the fictional fraudulent behaviour mirrors the real malfeasance that took place during the ex-president’s tenure.

<b>My Perspective</b>

LEO starts slowly. Not only were Griessel and Cupido missing from the action, but I found Christina Jaeger, the primary character in the beginning section, to be uninspiring. The account of the heist failed to gain my interest, and the characterizations of crew members other than Christina not well developed; Themba Jola, in particular, was an unclear figure, identified only as a member of the Xhosa tribe, with no distinguishing features. This section is narrated from the POV of Christina. She and two other crew members initially appeared in the novel “Trackers”. I read it years ago. I still own the copy purchased from the now-defunct Book Depository, but I cannot remember any details about the characters or plot. Unlike some of Meyer’s early novels, such as “Heart of the Hunter”, “Trackers” was not “unforgettable”.

The worst part of this early section was a long monologue by Christina describing her background (chapter 29 and most of chapter 30). While I plodded through it, I thought to myself: “This is not Deon Meyer’s style; he is so good at subtly conveying characterization using actions, speech, and thought patterns. Why was this soliloquy dumped on us?” The information Christina conveyed had nothing to do with the rest of the novel. It merely slowed down the action and made Christina less likeable.

Thankfully, soon after this dreadful monologue, Griessel and Cupido take precedence in the narrative, and the story becomes more interesting. Soon too, we encounter Tau Berger, and Basie Small’s sister, both antiheroes, but interesting antiheroes. During the final 70% of the novel, the are a few low spots (too much time spent describing the wedding preparations) and lots of high spots. The reader knows all the facts but Benny knows only a few. It is not a whodunnit, a whydunnit, or a howdunnit. It is more like a jigsaw puzzle, where the reader has all the pieces but Benny doesn’t, and whether he will be able to join clues together, and make his wedding on time, is a race.

To me, the first 3o% of the book was average, worth only three stars, the next 35% definitely merited four stars, and the final 35%, which had me turning pages as fast as I could, was undeniably a five-star narrative. After pondering, I decided to give it a four-star overall rating—because I couldn’t award it 4.5 stars. It is better than most thrillers being published, but not as good as Meyer’s last two novels, “The Last Hunt” and “The Dark Flood”.

But still highly recommended.

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My reviews for some other books in this series:
<a href = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3351948739 > The Last Hunt (Benny Griessel #6) </a>
<a href = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4323762141 > The Dark Flood (Benny Griessel #7) </a>

and also see:
<a href = https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3438641490 > Heart of the Hunter </a>
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LEO will be released in North America on February 18, 2025.
Thanks to Grove Atlantic for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.

Deon Meyer could write a grocery shopping list and it would still be more interesting and better written than 95% of the titles being released these days.

Two decorated detectives must put their careers on the line to find the link between three seemingly-unrelated homicides!! Good book! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, a great who done it and a few twists and turns. The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!