Treasonous

A South African Political Thriller

By: David Hickson

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

A journalist dies asking the wrong questions. A new president hides a blood-soaked secret. And one disgraced soldier won't let it go.

Ben Gabriel's life is unraveling. Dishonorably discharged from British Special Forces. Fired from South African military intelligence. His girlfriend vanished without explanation. He's drinking too much, sleeping too little, and running out of reasons to care.

Then a journalist is murdered in Cape Town harbor—a man who'd been investigating the president-elect's dark past.
Gabriel knows what the authorities won't admit: this wasn't random violence. Someone powerful wanted that journalist silenced. And when official channels close ranks, Gabriel does what he does best—he steps outside the law to find the truth.

His investigation leads him deep into South Africa's brutal apartheid history, to a decades-old fire that killed five revolutionaries, and to a secret so explosive it could destroy the country's fragile democracy.

But discovering the truth requires more than investigation. It demands a heist.

With a team of damaged ex-soldiers and criminals, Gabriel plans to steal something more valuable than money: evidence. The kind that powerful men kill to protect.

Sometimes the only path to justice runs through crime.

Treasonous is an intelligent political thriller for readers who want moral complexity with their action. If you love Mick Herron's flawed spies, Mark Dawson's conflicted assassins, or Deon Meyer's uniquely South African crime fiction, Gabriel's crooked path to the truth will grip you from the first page.

Praise for the Gabriel series

There’s so much to enjoy here. The rich landscape of South Africa is presented in such a way as to make you want to pack your bags and dash to the airport. The characters are beautifully drawn; embittered old warriors and statesmen, cradling secrets and yearning for one more day in the sun. The quality of the writing shines through on every page. A book to savour.

The author has a way of using words to evoke emotion, suspense, and paint a picture that makes the book come to life in a vivid way. I ‘fell for’ Gabriel, the flawed hero, who's drawn into a tangled web of intrigue and governmental cover ups in an African nation. An all-around satisfying read!

Captivating from the very beginning! It was great to see it set in a different venue than other thrillers, South Africa. I found the story fast paced, enjoyable, and found myself reading late into the night. Highly recommend.

One of the best books I have read for a long time. David Hickson has a unique way with words that brings out vivid pictures of the world around us.

Ben Gabriel’s action-packed journey to expose South Africa’s corrupt president-elect and grapple with the mysterious disappearance of the woman he loved had me hooked in the first few pages.

A phenomenal and exciting debut from David Hickson. Deon Meyer and Lee Child are two of my favourite writers, David Hickson has just joined that duo … Great characters, great story, great setting.

Loved the depth of characters and the pace of the book! A must read for thriller fans!! This is up there with Robert Dugoni and Daniel Silva.

Thriller readers the world over know London, Berlin, Paris, and Washington DC, but few are aware of the complicated web of political and financial intrigue that exists at the bottom of Africa. Hickson provides wonderful characters with hazy backgrounds involved in all the mystery that is the country of South Africa.

I do love Gabriel. He’s a little dark and devious, but overall his heart is in the right place. Or maybe not entirely.