What's new?
'The urgent and angry 7 Days ...'
‘Finally, a master on vintage form: Deon Meyer, with the urgent and angry 7 DAYS… which reminds us that he is a defining novelist of modern South Africa’
- The Independent“I’ll shoot one policeman every day, until you arrest the murderer of Hanneke Sloet,” says the e-mail to the South African Police Services. And then the threat becomes reality.
Bennie Griessel has to reopen the Sloet dossier. The case is 40 days old, the trail has gone cold. No motive, no leads, just a set of nude photographs, a very complicated business transaction, and immense pressure from the brass, the media, and the relentless, unfathomable sniper.
And through it all, Griessel has to keep his love interest, the alcoholic, former singing sensation Alexa Barnard, sober for her comeback concert, cope with his daughter’s Neanderthal boyfriend, his son’s shenanigans, and his new partner’s idiosyncrasies – and try to tame his own all-consuming lust for the soothing powers of the bottle.
Seven days of hell.
The Observer interview: 'South Africa just isn't as sexy as Scandinavia'.
More breaking news
Order signed copies of the books:
Off the Shelf, the popular bookshop in Durbanville, now offers a complete on-line ordering service of signed copies of Deon's books.
You can buy either the English or Afrikaans - at the usual South African retail price, plus postage, of course. (You are most welcome to drop by and pick up your order as well ...)
It is an international service, and French and German editions are coming soon.
'Trackers' shortlisted for CWA International Dagger:
The shortlist for the 2012 CWA International Dagger was announced on 25 May, and Trackers was included. (This Dagger is a competition for crime, thriller, suspense or spy fiction novels which have been translated into English from their original language, for UK publication.) Details at the CWA website.
'Trackers' on Best of 2011 lists ...
'One of the best thrillers of 2011,' says Kirkus reviews,
it reached no.2 on the French bestsellerlist and no. 3 on the German Krimi Bestenliste. Trackers' was the No.1 bestselling novel in South Africa for eight weeks running. The reviewers say 'he has moved into the John le Carré class', and 'mesmerising ... The author's best work yet.'
And it has just been published in the UK, USA, and Canada in hardcover, trade and e-book formats, with audio to follow soon.
Featuring Lemmer, the bodyguard from 'Blood Safari', and veteran cop Mat Joubert from 'Dead Before Dying', "it is a book you can only put down with the greatest of difficulty" (- Die Burger).
- Listen to the 'Trackers' interview with Jenny Crwys-Williams on Radio 702 ...
'Thirteen Hours' wins Boeke Prize and Barry Award
The South African Boeke Prize Fanatics Choice Award for 2011 was the latest accolade for 'Thirteen Hours', just two weeks after the novel won for Best Thriller in the Barry Awards at Bouchercon in St Louis on September 15.
"It is such a huge honour," Deon said, "to recieve this recognition both at home and abroad."
The novel was also shortlisted for the 2011 Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel, and the CWA International Dagger award in the UK, and the South African Sunday Times Literary Prize.
Interview with the London Times
"The crime writer explains why South Africa is perfectly safe for tourists, and why he wouldn't write anywhere else. Deon Meyer, far and away South Africa's best crime writer, likes to distance himself from the country he portrays in his novels."
Please support the 'I Am Living Trust'
In the very real small Karoo town where Lemmer (the protagnist in 'Blood Safari') lives, a project is under way to improve the lives of children - and your contribution can make a huge difference.
Deon supports the 'I Am Living Trust' initiative, and is asking you to do the same.
Please visit the Trust's website for details.
Devil's Peak wins Martin Beck and Readers' Award
Devil’s Peak has won ‘The Golden Crowbar’, the coveted Martin Beck Award for Best Crime Novel translated into Swedish, for 2010. Deon’s novels are published in Sweden by Svante Weyler.
He will attend the Gothenburg Book Fair in September 2011 to collect the award, for which he has been shortlisted several times before.
Le pic du diable, the French translation of Devil’s Peak also won the Readers’ Award
from CritiquesLibres.com in the category Crime Novel or Thriller in October 2010.
"The objective of this symbolic reward is to celebrate a great work of fiction and draw the attention of the 9,000 members of the website and the general readership to it.
The winner is elected by a popular vote," says the organisers.
Devil's Peak (Afrikaans Title: Infanta) also won the ATKV Prose Prize in 2004.