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

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.
| Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
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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.
The Serpentine Road features in the following genres: Thriller and Suspense, Crime and Mystery, eBooks of the Month, Fiction, Recommendations
Paperback, Hardback. £9.89, down from the £10.99 cover price. Temporarily Out Of Stock.
The Serpentine Road was written by Paul Mendelson and published by Constable an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group
The Serpentine Road has 343 pages
Yes it is part of Col Vaughn De Vries series
£9.89, reduced from £10.99. Temporarily Out Of Stock.