Book review: Deon Meyer's Leo

Leo

Deon Meyer

Hodder & Stoughton

Review: Karen Watkins

Thriller novelist Deon Meyer skilfully interweaves two separate storylines in his latest novel.

One involves a suspicious death, another follows a daring attempt to rob a warehouse filled with stolen state-capture funds.

Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido, still stationed in Stellenbosch, are eager to return to the elite Hawks unit.

Instead they investigate the death of a university student and cyclist with bite marks on her legs.

The case turns darker when their prime suspect is found murdered - filler foam stuffed into his mouth - a chilling message to keep silent.

Meanwhile, a group of criminal’s plots to recover millions in looted government money.

The slow build-up in the middle of the novel, especially around the motives behind the murder of Basie Small and the unfolding robbery scheme, causes the plot to lose momentum.

Persevering, this paid off in a gripping final third of the book with its short chapters helping drive the pace forward, although the frequent shifts between characters occasionally disrupts the momentum. The conclusion is clear and clever, though it lacks emotion.

One of the book’s strengths lies in the warm and humorous partnership between Griessel and Cupido. Their friendship provides an emotional anchor, especially with Benny’s upcoming wedding to Alexa serving as a looming deadline that adds pressure to their case.

Cupido’s battles with internal politics and Griessel’s personal anxieties bring human depth to the procedural plot.

The idea of setting the scene against the background of the country’s state capture and corruption with clear references to the roleplayers is bold and daring.

While Leo is not Meyer’s most tightly woven thriller, the novel remains a rewarding read for fans of crime fiction, especially with its strong sense of place and characters.

This eighth instalment in Meyer’s Benny Griessel series can easily be enjoyed as a stand-alone.

Meyer was born in the Winelands of Paarl in 1958 and grew up in Klerksdorp in the gold mining region of the North West Province.