Icarus

By: Deon Meyer

Narrated by: Saul Reichlin

When Captain Benny Griessel is called into investigate a multiple homicide, it pushes him close to breaking point - a former friend and detective colleague has shot his wife and two daughters, then killed himself. Benny wants out - out of his job, his home and his relationship with his singer girlfriend, Alexa. He moves into a hotel and starts drinking again.
But his help is required to investigate a high profile murder of a graphic designer and MD of a new tech startup, whose body was discovered buried in the sand dunes north of Cape Town. Can Benny pull together the strands of his life in time to catch the killer?

(P)2015 Hodder & Stoughton©2015 Deon Meyer

Critic reviews

Sharp and full of energy, his evocation of place and character second to none. The pace of the novel is breathless, yet Meyer never sacrifices authenticity or the quality of his writing. Crime, wine and a thrilling finale: a rare and unexpected treat. (Simon Lelic, author of Rupture)

Deon Meyer's South Africa is laid bare in ICARUS . . . it is as glittering and hard as the diamonds his country is famous for . . . Meyer utilises the crime fiction genre as an apparatus to create a multifaceted, unsparing picture of his country (Barry Forshaw)

Meyer heightens the suspense . . . The richness of the characters, especially the multifaceted Benny, elevates this above most contemporary police procedurals.

ICARUS places [Deon] firmly in the top international league. It's the fifth, and best, of the Benny Griessel series.

South African author Deon Meyer's Benny Griessel series is one of the high points of contemporary crime fiction, and the fifth title, ICARUS, is his best yet ... expertly engineered. (Laura Wilson)

Deon Meyer is not just South Africa's greatest crime writer, he's up there with the best in the world.

Every once in a while there comes along a writer, an already accomplished storyteller, who grows into the stature of a great writer through one wonderful story. That author is Deon Meyer; the story he has masterfully crafted is ICARUS.

Use the Enhanced Format to download this book

What made the experience of listening to Icarus the most enjoyable?

At first I downloaded this title as Format 4 - but that only contained half of the book (as mentioned by other reviewers) - however the Enhanced Format contains the full story in one file.

A fast-moving, gripping story - very well narrated by Saul Reichlin

Surprisingly good

I have listened to most of the Bennie Griesel books over the last three years & while the whole alcohol-thing can become a bit tedious, I imagine its a pretty spot on insight into what alcoholics have to struggle with. I liked the focus on & insight into the wine industry & I must say this one kept me quite ‘hooked’. Definitely worth the credit spent.

Brilliant

I absolutely loved every minute of this story. It is so well thought out and researched. Loved hearing real names for areas, streets,schools, newspapers.

An interesting series of books from Deon Meyer

The Benny Griessel series continues with the alcoholic detective struggling and blundering through personal and professional challenges in modern day South Africa. Deon Meyer is a great story teller and Saul Reichlin is as good as it gets when it comes to narrating. I'd be surprised if the next installment isn't already in my wish list. A top tier effort.

Saul Reichlin is THE best narrator for this series

What did you love best about Icarus?

Those South African accents and expressions, which are SO successfully performed by Saul Reichlin. He brings the characters to life, even larger than life. He brings the unique languages to life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I don't have a favourite, I find myself equally attached to all of them, I guess because deon Meyer fleshes them each out with unique characteristics that help you to understand and imagine them, and to connect with them too. Meyer is very good at this indeed.

Which character – as performed by Saul Reichlin – was your favorite?

I don't have a favourite, and Reichlin is very good at giving all the characters a unique sound, so you never get confused about who's talking.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not an extreme reaction, but a constant appreciation for how well it was written and narrated. I've listened to the entire series and they're all fantastic when Reichlin narrates.

Any additional comments?

It's clear that Meyer does a lot of research when he writes his books. I always learn something, and you never get the sense that he's just making up convenient details. It all feels legit. And he provides wonderfully rich details about a characters quirks and strengths and weaknesses and other detail about them without waffling on with unnecessary and boring information. It's always entertaining.