Monday, May 06, 2019

The Woman in the Blue Cloak by Deon Meyer


First Line: He was hungry and thirsty, frightened, and weary to the marrow.

The local investigation into the discovery of the bleached body of a woman found by a busy highway stalls, so the two stars of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations-- Captain Benny Griessel and his partner Vaughn Cupido-- are called in from Cape Town, South Africa. The two learn that the woman was an expert in old Dutch Masters paintings and the item she was looking for. What will surprise them is how and why the woman died and by whose hands.

This novella is a little gem that's slow to take off but once the woman's identity is established, it's hard to stop turning the pages. It was just as good to see Benny on the wagon and not craving alcohol as it was to see him working together with Cupido. There's a nice little twist for the whodunit, although it may not be totally unexpected for the more seasoned readers of crime.


The Woman in the Blue Cloak by Deon Meyer
Translated from the Afrikaans by K.L. Seegers.
eISBN: 9780802147240
Atlantic Monthly Press © 2019
eBook, 160 pages

Novella, Part of the Benny Griessel police procedural series
Rating: B+
Source: NetGalley


6 comments:

  1. Sounds like it could make the TBR pile. Oh, no. I'm reading four books now, jumping between Italy, a cruise ship, a sister serial killer and Lorraine Hansberry's life. And the library has a pile of books for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At least this one weighs in at a mere 160 pages.

      Delete
  2. I have to admit, I'm biased, Cathy. I do like Deon Meyer's work - a lot. He's so good at building thriller-like tension, isn't he? And I like the way he weaves in the characters, too - no 'cookie cutter people.'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right, Margot. Wonderful tension where it's called for and definitely no cookie-cutter characters!

      Delete
  3. This isn't helping my TBR list.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. *whispers* Then stop reading all your favorite blogs, Kathy... *wink*

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!