Trackers

Narrator Simon Vance expertly uses emphasis and pacing to capture the suspense of seemingly disparate story lines. In this South African thriller he creates memorable portrayals of the three protagonists: Milla Strachan, a housewife who escapes an abusive husband and lands a clandestine reporting job; Lemmer, a bodyguard involved in smuggling; and Mat Joubert, an ex-cop turned private investigator. These three lives are woven together across a backdrop of the beauty, corruption, racial tension, and violence that are contemporary South Africa. Vance adds to the authenticity of the experience by supplying South African accents with appropriate touches of British and Afrikaans dialects. K.C.R. (c) AudioFile 2012, Portland, Maine

Starred review from July 18, 2011
Meyer's ambition matches his execution in this brilliantly complex stand-alone thriller set in his native South Africa. In 2009, Janina Mentz, director of the Presidential Intelligence Agency, is disturbed by rumors that her agency, a creation of a prior administration, will be folded into a new, consolidated national intelligence bureaucracy. Desperate to guard her turf, Mentz banks on information about an Islamic terror plot to preserve the PIA and her job. Her plan to thwart the terrorists and bulletproof her agency by showcasing its utility involves using Milla Strachan, an unemployed woman who's just left her husband, as a researcher. Meanwhile, the efforts of bodyguard Lemmer, who played a key role in Blood Safari, to smuggle endangered black rhinos out of Zimbabwe lead to unexpected trouble. Few readers will anticipate exactly how the separate plot strands will be resolved. This powerhouse read, which captures the many facets of modern South Africa, should be the American breakthrough book this talented author deserves.