Deon Meyer Books

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Deon Meyer is a famous South African author that writes crime fiction. His books have been translated into dozens of languages. Born in 1958 in Paarl, Western Cape, the author attended the Schoonspruit High School, Klerksdorp, and Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, where he studied English and History.

Later on, he enrolled at the University of the Free State. Meyer’s resume includes stints at Die Volksblad (Journalist) and Sanlam (Advertising copywriter). He left Sanlam to start a business that creates and manages online communities.

These days, the author is a full-time writer. Meyer started writing fiction early, publishing a short story in an Afrikaans magazine called Huisgenoot. He remembers writing a book at 14 and forcing his brothers to read it.

Unfortunately, they hated it. His first Afrikaans novel was equally lacking in quality. Even though he published the volume in 1994, it has never received an English translation because the author did not think it was good enough to perform favorably in international markets.

Nonetheless, the book served a purpose. It provided a learning experience that Meyer continued to build upon with each subsequent novel. People continuously question the author’s decision to write in Afrikaans even though he’s so proficient in English.

But Meyer doesn’t understand the confusion. He uses the language because Afrikaans is his mother tongue. And even then, he occasionally struggles to find the correct words to express himself.

Writing in a second language would introduce complications he’d rather avoid. Although, he scrutinizes the English versions of his books carefully to confirm that each translation accurately represents his stories.

The author has rebuffed interviewers who think his stories originate from real-life experiences. First of all, Meyer writes the books he would love to read, stories in which things are always happening.

Secondly, he stays away from true crime because it kills the fun of inventing a brand-new story from scratch. Meyer knows that organized crime has a presence in South Africa. However, the South Africa he describes in his books is an exaggeration.

Meyer likes his home country. Despite all the daily challenges, the South Africa he knows is dynamic and wonderful. From what he’s seen, Scandinavian authors are no different. They tell hauntingly violent stories set in grim locations even though they live in stable nations.

Additionally, Meyer doesn’t make a deliberate effort to represent the various aspects of his home country. The author’s objective is to entertain readers with his stories. He doesn’t set out to explore South Africa’s culture and traditions, its failings, and struggles.

Some critics call him a hyper-realist, a classification he rejects. Although he does ample research to make his stories, settings, and characters as grounded and relatable as possible.

Deon Meyer Awards

Meyer has won the ATKV Prize, Prix Mystere de la critique, Le Grand Prix de Litterature Policiere, M-Net Literary Award, Barry Award, and the Martin Beck Award.

Deon Meyer Books Into Movies

Annette Reeker, a German TV producer, turned ‘Dead Before Dying’ into a TV series in 2015. ‘Trackers’ became a South African TV series of the same name in 2019. ‘Dead at Daybreak’ received a television adaptation.

Best Deon Meyer Books

The author does not set out to deliberately write thrillers. He thinks in terms of stories, not genres. Meyer’s best books include:

Thirteen Hours: Rachel Anderson was on the run, hoping to lose her pursuers in the streets of Cape Town. They had already murdered her best friend, so she knew what to expect if they got their hands on her.

But her father, back in America, wouldn’t have it, and he started putting pressure on the politicians, forcing them to take action. In truth, they did not care about the missing tourist. However, her death would tarnish South Africa’s reputation. Now, Detective Benny Griessel has thirteen hours to find her.

Fever: The world was dead, devastated by a virus. Nico Storm was determined to protect his father. While little more than a boy, his cool head and marksmanship were vital tools in a desolate landscape rife with biker brigands.

But Willem Storm was more valuable than some people thought. With his skills as a leader and thinker and Nico’s martial prowess, they will build a new community.

When Does The Next Deon Meyer book come out?

Deon Meyer doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is Leo and was released on October, 10th 2024. It is the newest book in the Benny Griessel Series.

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