Dead Before Dying
by Deon Meyer
Published by Little, Brown and Company
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Reviewed by Andrea Sisco
Captain Mat Joubert of Murder and Robbery in Cape Town, South Africa is a tormented man. Two years ago his wife Lara, also with the police department, died--and since that time, Joubert has lost his will to live and his job is hanging by a thin thread.
Now, people in Cape Town, without any known connection, are being murdered with a century-old Mauser handgun and a gentleman robber is hitting branches of the Premier Bank.
Joubert and his colleagues have a new boss who is set on changing the department and those who work there. He is demanding that they not only solve cases quickly but they must also get healthy. That means lose weight, eat healthy, stop drinking and smoking and if, like Joubert, there are emotional distresses in their lives, see a psychologist.
Joubert is compelled to sort out his life, face his past and solve his cases in a last-ditch effort to save his career--and maybe even his life.
Deon Meyers is a master storyteller. Dead Before Dying is filled with action, excitement and intense tension. The characters are multi-dimensional and their work and personal lives share the stage in a manner that brings them and the story to life.
Armchair Interviews says: Since the setting is in Cape Town, there are cultural differences that Americans are not familiar with but don't let that prevent you from a good read.