Cobra by Deon Meyer

Cobra by Deon Meyer

Celebrated as the “King of South African crime,” Deon Meyer is a world-class writer whose page-turning thrillers probe the social and racial complexities of his native country. In his latest novel, the bodies of three people are found at an exclusive guest house in the beautiful Franschhoek wine valley. Two of them were professional bodyguards, but the British citizen they were meant to be protecting is nowhere to be found; left behind are his brand new passport, new suitcase, and new clothes. And the spent shell cases bear a chilling engraving: the flaring head of a spitting cobra.

Meanwhile, in Cape Town, a skilled pickpocket is using his considerable talents to put his younger sister through school. But one day he is caught in the act. Security guards begin to question him, only to be killed with consummate ease by a stranger who leaves behind the distinctive shell cases.

With the help of his colleagues, Detective Benny Griessel rushes to untangle a case that only grows more complex. The British man’s passport turns out to be a fake, but the British consulate is decidedly unhelpful. And then the pickpocket’s sister is abducted. From Cape Town’s famous waterfront to a deadly showdown on a suburban train,Cobra hurtles towards a shocking finale—and someone may not make it out alive.

When foreigners get killed or kidnapped in South Africa, it's particularly sticky for the police. The eyes of the world follow every move they make. In this case several men are shot dead at a supposedly secure location, and the British citizen they were guarding has been abducted.Benny Grissel heads the investigating team. We know from previous novels that Benny's demon is alcohol. In this book he's still in AA, and still struggling to keep sober. He's also living with the love of his life, which adds to his stress. Alexa has expectations Benny can’t deal with.What I love most about these books is the multiracial, multilingual, multicultural team. The Hawks are an elite law enforcement group. They speak a mixture of tribal languages, Afrikaans and English, but they are totally united in their determination to catch criminals. My favorite team member is Mbali, a short fat black woman detective with a high IQ who scolds her fellow officers whenever they swear.The Hawks are up against a professional hit man who's been responsible for at least sixteen international murders. "Cobra" signs every crime by leaving cartridges engraved with a Mozambique spitting cobra. The secret services of both Britain and South Africa also have an interest in the case, which complicates matters.The Hawk's pursuit of Cobra gets entangled with the activities of a charming pickpocket, who inadvertently steals something of value to Cobra. This young man’s adventures add another whole level of human interest (and action) to the plot, which is rich in gunplay, bloodshed, government shenanigans, and personal heroics.The Afrikaans phrases scattered here and there add atmosphere. Meaning can usually be intuited from context, and when that fails, the glossary works fine.Deon Meyer is an excellent writer, and his characters and subject matter are irresistible. I've enjoyed all of his thrillers immensely, and Cobra is right up there.