Wake Up Dead is a fast paced crime thriller set in Cape Town, South Africa. It has become one my favorite books and one that I use as a benchmark for the genre. What I appreciate about it is that it doesn't sacrifice character for plot. The story tends to dominate in thrillers but Smith populates the book with well developed, interesting characters that range between low level street thugs and an former model from the U.S. The main character, Billy Afrika is a little better than the forces he is up against but he has a depth that makes him intriguing. I hope the author brings back in future novels. There is one main plot and several secondary ones that wind around and intersect each other before coming to a satisfying climax. The location of the story is very important. The vivid descriptions of Cape Flats area of Cape Town brought me forcefully into the story. The Flats were apartheid's dumping grounds, where the government forced non-whites to live. It is also home to gangs and drug trade. Think of the Baltimore of the HBO show, The Wire, only tougher. Wake Up Dead does have scenes of brutal physical violence but the violence is a reflection of the environment and not there for its own sake.

In the interests of disclosure, this review is based on an ARC of Wake Up dead but my review is solely my opinion and without outside influence. It is so good that I am purchasing a published copy for my personal library.