Title: Bitter Pill

Author: Peter Church

Publisher: Burnet Media

Pages: 379

Where I got it from: The author had a book launch at Fogarty’s which I attended.

Rating: 5

Goodreads Blurb:

Inside the heaving party hub that is Cape Town’s student playground, someone is preying on the young and unwary. As allegations of drink spiking and illicit sex hit the local papers, university authorities move quickly to limit the damage…

A world away in Seattle, Carlos De Palma, the shadowy operator behind Dark Video, is plotting his survival strategy in the ever-changing Internet landscape. With his precious clients clamouring for heightened thrills, Carlos begins tapping into a new service that blurs the boundaries between the real and virtual worlds…

Enter Robbie Cullen, nice guy and average student, dumped by his girlfriend and struggling with grades. But when it comes to the crunch, Robbie doesn’t know the meaning of stepping back. Once he encounters the beautiful and mysterious Fallon, his small-town bravado is set to make him some powerful enemies…

A gripping thriller that sweeps through the intoxicating haunts of Cape Town’s nightlife and lingers on the sugary sand of Plettenberg Bay – before exploding on the streets of the Mother City’s exclusive southern suburbs.

My thoughts: Bitter Pill is a fantastic follow-up to Dark Video. I love when writers take us so deeply into the minds of the disturbed. Crime fiction at it’s best. And the best part? It’s set in South Africa!