Thirteen Hours

By: Deon Meyer, K. L. Seegers - translator

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Some would call Detective Benny Griessel a legend. Others would call him a drunk.

Either way, he has trodden on too many toes over the years ever to reach the top of the promotion ladder, and now he concentrates on staying sober and mentoring the new generation of crime fighters: mixed race, Xhosa, and Zulu. But when an American backpacker disappears in Capetown, panicked politicians know who to call: Benny has just 13 hours to save the girl, save his career - and crack open a conspiracy which threatens the whole country.

©2008 Original material © 2008 Deon Meyer. Translation © 2009 K. L. Seegers. Recorded by arrangement with Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2010 (p) 2010 HighBridge Company

Critic reviews

“Best-selling South African novelist Meyer delivers another exciting if brutally violent crime novel.... Meyer also steeps his novel in the day-to-day life of a country still reeling in the wake of radical transition.” ( Booklist)

“With... cliff-hanging suspense, and shocking plot twists, Meyer again has produced a winner. Highly recommended.” ( Library Journal)

“Deon Meyer is one of the unsung masters. Thirteen Hours proves he should be on everyone’s reading list. This book is great!” (Michael Connelly)

Liked the story- interesting South Africa take

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

I liked the story and would recommend it...... but, and this may have been only on my recording, the last few minutes didn't download and the story ended playing before it was finished.

Have you listened to any of Simon Vance’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I hadn't heard Simon Vance narrate before. It took me a while to get used to his voice and accent, but found him enjoyable to listen to.

Do you think Thirteen Hours needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Yes, there are a few lose ends that could be followed.

Outstanding audiobook

I've never listened to an audiobook twice, but I listened to this one twice in 6 months. The plot moves quickly, but it's the characters and their stories that drive the book. The author is a superb storyteller, and I found myself engrossed in the histories of the individual characters and impatient to find out what happens to each. In addition, the politics and culture of the "new" South Africa are complex and fascinating. The narrator does a great job with the voices and accents, which makes the book come alive. Altogether my favorite recent audiobook.

Outstanding in Every Way

For some reason, this one has sat in my library and I even started it once and never finished it. Until this week. WOW! Outstanding. Interesting, compelling, intriguing, and informative. I've already bought another of Deon Meyer's works on Audible and have it queued up for tomorrow.

Really worth it

Any additional comments?

My first book by Deon Meyer. Listening...is a little difficult at first to follow the characters because of their strange sounding names, but you catch on quick enough. The performance is really outstanding and well done...Vance really makes you feel you are there. The story, as the title implies, takes place over 13 hours. Tension and drama from the get go. The police work is top notch and realistic. Excellent characters and character development. I'm often critical of this type novel because they don't deliver...this one does.

Great

My first Deon Meyer mystery; it won’t be my last. There are some aspects of South African society that were a little disconcerting at first (for example, the odd structure of the police force). But the suspense is great and the characters are compassionately drawn. A very convincing portrait of the struggles of an ex-drinker.