Trackers

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

Narrado por: Simon Vance

A "Muslim" attack in Cape Town? Too far-fetched. It can't be true. So why is the Presidential Intelligence Agency so desperate to intercept a shipment? Why is the CIA bringing in its big guns? And why, if it's only a rumor, is it having such violent consequences - on the life of Milla Strachan, a former housewife who just wanted to live a little dangerously; Lemmer, a freelance bodyguard turned reluctant smuggler; and former cop Mat Joubert, who's working on his first case as a private eye? Before long, the trail of death stretches from the Chizarira to the Cape Waterfront.

In his eagerly awaited seventh novel, Meyer moves deftly among a brilliantly rendered cast of characters - farmers, outlaws, gangsters, intelligence agents - and delves deeply into the people, problems, and landscapes of South Africa.

©2010 Original material by Deon Meyer. Translation © 2011 K.L. Seegers. Recorded by arrangement with Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove/Atlantic, Inc. (P)2011 HighBridge Company

Pay Attention

Deon Meyer is a genius. Simon Vance becomes each character for whom he speaks. The two together create a compelling listening experience.

Meyer has brought some characters from his previous books and entangled them in an intricate, fascinating plot consisting of several tales in one. You have to hang on to them all until the very end when they come together and you say "AHHHH", in satisfaction.

Besides all that, Meyer somehow makes you care about each character, each plot within "the plot". I don't see how Meyer can top this one, but I believe I thought that before about him. Obviously he has what it takes.

Complex

This is the 7th book of the series (which, since Audible doesn't give the list, in order, are Dead Before Dying, Dead at Daybreak, Heart of the Hunter, Devil's Peak, Blood Safari, Thirteen Hours, Trackers, Seven Days, Cobra, and in October Audible will hopefully have the English release of Icarus). I think it best to listen to them in order, since so many wonderful characters weave in and out of the series (I only hate Tiger Mazibuko), though I personally almost had to take notes to get my head around all the African names. Trackers is, IMHO, the most complicated of the series so far. It feels like about four separate books until close to the end when the threads come together and the mystery starts to be solved (I do love a mystery), and you really have to pay attention. And Simon Vance is, as always, a genius. I follow quite a few mystery authors, many much better known, at least in the US, than Deon Meyer, but this is the one that I find most absorbing and exciting. Thrilling, in fact, thanks in no small measure to Simon Vance. I hope they never break up that team.

Another world.

What did you love best about Trackers?

The character of P.I. Mat Joubert ... who is not as dull as he thinks he is. The appearance of protagonists from Meyer's previous novels in supporting roles.

What did you like best about this story?

The intricacy and complexity of the plot line(s).

What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?

His beautiful voice. His expertise with accents.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"The truth will surprise you."

Any additional comments?

"Trackers" has a puzzling title. It has the feel of three novellas skillfully stitched together. I agree with the previous reviewer: You need to pay attention, keeping in mind all the events and characters from each novella, until they come together in the last few minutes of this audiobook. If you are looking for a mindless thriller, you should probably skip this one. I am going to listen to it again, now knowing its final resolution. "Trackers," like all of Deon Meyer's novels, takes place in South Africa, which -- to someone like me, living on the other side of the planet -- resembles another world. Everything that I know about South Africa I learned from the wonderful movie "Invictus" -- about Nelson Mandela -- and the equally wonderful book, "Playing the Enemy," from which the movie was drawn. In the movie and in the book, Mandela brings the angry, squabbling races together into the "Rainbow Nation," healing the country from its apartheid era, via -- wait for it -- rugby. (Well, O.K., a few other elements went into the Mandela miracle.) While listening to Deon Meyer's audiobooks, I keep expecting him to mention Mandela, or the Rainbow Nation, or, at the very least, rugby. However, it seems that the movie and the book left me with a somewhat rosy view of post-Mandela South Africa. Judging from Meyer's novels, South Africa has lapsed again into racial/cultural turmoil ... or, maybe, she never actually fully emerged from it. In "Trackers," Meyer describes how the transition from apartheid to democracy provided organized crime an opportunity to galvanize and consolidate into powerful gangs. (Apparently, the dictatorial methods of the white boer minority had previously kept the gangs in check.) These gangs play a major part in the story, uniting the three novellas. At the end of "Trackers," I got the -- perhaps mistaken -- impression that this novel illuminates a true news item: how a former housewife, Milla Strachan, thwarted the smuggling of Osama bin Laden into South Africa for medical treatment. O.K., that's a plot device, and I gullibly believed it. Only, you have to admit: Meyer gets you to willingly suspend disbelief. I love Simon Vance's voice, and praise his acting skills. He does the difficult Afrikaans accent beautifully ... and he even does an almost credible American accent!

Bounces Around

This story was tough to follow at times. Some reviewers say that it all gets tied together at the end, but I guess I found the bow to be ragged.

The story bounces around a lot. At times I found myself thinking "what the heck are they talking about now." The end was anti-climatic. Parts of the story were never tied up at all...they just dropped off the radar of the writer.

This isn't a total waste of a credit as it had entertainment value, but I won't be seeking other works by this author.

good listen

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

this is a long book but if you have a long commute or are going on a trip it is time well spent.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

predicable

Which character – as performed by Simon Vance – was your favorite?

all of them

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

it would be nice to see what happens to the new detctive agency