LoveReading Says
LoveReading Says
Mendelson's debut thriller The First Rule of Survival, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger, was a robust tale initially set in the turmoil of South Africa's post-Mandela release era, which introduced Colonel Vaughn de Vries, a local cop with old-fashioned, unorthodox methods, still smarting from earlier failures. His tale continues in another strongly atmospheric and unsparing investigation of extremist groups, race and hate crimes and the torrid melting pot of contemporary Cape Town and, later, down South on a trail of dead bodies, which brings de Vries closer to the resolution of a traumatic case 25 years-old which still scars him. The politics past and present of a renascent South Africa form a perfect background for gritty crime and compelling, breathless action, if you don't mind the dust, the dour relentness sun and the heavy cloak of guilt that still shadows this troubled nation. ~ Maxim Jakubowski
Maxim Jakubowski
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The Serpentine Road Synopsis
Even after the release of Nelson Mandela and the promise of free elections, extremist groups terrorized South Africa, bombing churches, opening fire in bars and restaurants. Nearly twenty-five years ago, as a young Captain, Vaughn de Vries finds himself in pursuit of the suspects of a fatal bombing in his precinct, under the command of one of the most feared white police officers of the time: Major Kobus Nel. Out of radio communication and without clear evidence, the SAPS barge into a township and set off a chain of events which will resonate for a quarter of a century. In Cape Town in 2015, the heiress of an Apartheid-era industrialist is found murdered, her body posed to suggest a racial hate crime. But, as Colonel Vaughn De Vries investigates, possible motives for her death abound: a highly controversial art exhibition, her sexual preferences, her relationship - as yet unknown by the press - with the son of one of the heroes of The Struggle. And, moving South down through the country, North to South, five men are murdered, each with a connection to a point in history De Vries would sooner forget. When the link is made, De Vries must re-live the traumatic event to uncover the perpetrator. Old wounds, hidden in history, are exposed, and a mysterious killer approaches, whom no one seems able to stop.
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9781472111388 |
Publication date: |
3rd March 2016 |
Author: |
Paul Mendelson |
Publisher: |
Constable an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group |
Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
343 pages |
Series: |
Col Vaughn De Vries |
Primary Genre |
Thriller and Suspense
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Paul Mendelson Press Reviews
Praise for The First Rule of Survival:
'An excellent, uncompromising crime thriller made even better by its setting ...the story is two journeys in one, and I'm glad I took both.' Lee Child
'A jaw-droppingly brilliant crime thriller. Imagine The Killing moved to Cape Town and into the landscape of the hot and dusty African veld.' Philip Glenister
'The First Rule of Survival is an incredibly atmospheric, complex and dazzling debut from a thrilling and authentic new voice in crime fiction.' Brian McGilloway
'An impressive debut' The Times
Author
About Paul Mendelson
Paul Mendelson is a leading author on poker, w hose previous books include Texas Hold 'Em Poker: Begin and Win. His expertise comes from a long association with gaming in the UK, South Africa and in Las Vegas. He runs poker classes and also writes as gambling correspondent for the Financial Times. His debut novel, The First Rule of Survival, was nominated for the CWA Gold Dagger in 2014.
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