Share
Imprint
- Hodder Paperbacks
- Hodder & Stoughton
Fiction, Crime & mystery, Thriller / suspense, Fiction in translation
AWARD-WINNING CRIME FICTION WITH SOUTH AFRICAN SOUL
ONE COP. ONE KILLER. TWO CAPTIVES OF THE PAST.
Mat Joubert, once a rising star of the South African police force, had it all. Then his wife was murdered, and his hopes died with her. Alcoholic, depressed and overweight, he is a shadow of his former self.
Then a new killer appears on the streets of Cape Town, murdering at random. Mat throws himself into the case, viewing it as his last chance for redemption.
But, as their shared desire for revenge threatens to destroy both him and the mysterious killer he is hunting, Mat soon learns that he is not the only one with ghosts to lay to rest . . .
Praise for Dead Before Dying
-
I really enjoyed DEAD BEFORE DYING. I liked the complexity of the main character, the interactions between the detectives, and their dogged determination to find both the robber and the serial murderer . . . A sad, tense denouement ends the book, with an unexpected twist. I'd highly recommend this book. I've enjoyed all the Deon Meyer books I've read so far, and this one is no exception. - Eurocrime
-
An impressively tangled web and taut narrative keeps the reader guessing until the last couple of pages. - Heat
-
The atmosphere of a hot, turbulent country is very vividly evoked, and the characterisation is dynamic . . . A striking debut novel. - Crime Time
-
A plot-driven page-turner . . . Joubert is a haunted yet sympathetic protagonist. - Bookpage
-
Meyer subtly juxtaposes the heartbreak of the victims' families with the heartbroken detective assigned to their cases. Using humour and pathos in equal measure, Meyer builds a deeply moving portrait of a man in search of his own dignity. - Booklist
Deon Meyer
Born in South Africa in 1958, Deon Meyer was a journalist, advertising copywriter, Internet manager and brand strategist before he became a novelist. Meyer has published fifteen novels and two short story collections. His books have been translated into 28 languages in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Meyer has written several series for television, six screenplays for feature films, and produced and directed movies. Dead Before Dying and Trackers have both been made into TV series in South Africa, and in 2023 the Benny Griessel series premiered under the name Devil's Peak on M-Net. Heart of the Hunter was released worldwide as a Netflix Original in March 2024 and was Netflix's number one streamed film for two consecutive weeks, with 25 million views globally in the first three weeks.
Meyer was knighted by France in 2021 as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. He lives with his family in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Find a book you’ll love, get our Word Up newsletter
.png?auto=compress&w=150&h=60&fit=crop&fm=jpg)
.png?auto=compress&w=150&h=60&fit=crop&fm=jpg)
Hachette Australia acknowledges and pays our respects to the past and present Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation.
