Blood Safari is a taut, exciting novel with an exotic location that transports it out of the realm of more predictable North American thrillers. Lemmer is a South African bodyguard working for Body Armor, a protection company providing two types of bodyguards — the huge, impressive “gorillas” favoured by celebrities and the status conscious, and the “invisibles,” fading into the background unless their services are required. After a stint in prison for manslaughter following his military service, Lemmer finds a niche at Body Armor as the perfect invisible. His nondescript appearance allows him to accompany clients anywhere without being noticed.

When the beautiful Emma le Roux is threatened in her Cape Town home following a phone call from a brother believed long-dead, she hires protection in the form of Lemmer and the two set out on a journey to discover the truth about her brother’s whereabouts.

What sets Blood Safari from other suspense thrillers is the setting — the landscape of South Africa and the characters who are determined to protect its wildlife at any cost. Deon Meyer is a South African writer with an impressive resumé — his books have been translated from Afrikaans into languages as diverse as Swedish and Slovakian. His description of the South African landscape is both beautiful and harsh. He writes about the challenges faced by conservationists as they face poachers and corrupt government officials in a desperate race to preserve the beauty of the South African wilderness. Meyer also captures the disparity among South Africans — from bitter descendents of the Boers facing a changing South Africa, and traditional tribes people determined to hold onto their customs and land in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Blood Safari is filled with fascinating characters such as Lemmer’s frightening female boss; the plot is tight and engaging.

As Lemmer and Emma race from one exotic location to another in their search for answers, they learn more about themselves and each other and rediscover their love of the country. As the narrator, Lemmer is a fascinating enigma — a man escaping violent events of his past, stumbling on his emotions as he becomes more and more fascinated by the vulnerable Emma. When her life is threatened, Lemmer strikes back with deadly force, precipitating a violent chain of events reaching to the highest levels of corporate South Africa and exposing a plot complicated and dark enough for the most devoted thriller fan.