Deon Meyer’s LEO returns to the top of the South Africa charts with English-language edition

Fresh from his recent London visit for the publication of LEO, Deon Meyer has continued his domination of the South African bestseller lists, with the new English-language edition flying straight to the top in its first week on sale. Translated by K.L. Seegers, LEO was published on 10 October by Hodder and Stoughton, in partnership in South Africa with Jonathan Ball Publishers.

This latest chart-topper follows the success of the Afrikaans edition, published by Human & Rousseau in October last year. It celebrated ten weeks at the top of the charts, with longer runs still in the Afrikaans-language and South African Authors charts.

Grove Atlantic will publish in the US and Canada on 18 February 2025. LEO is already out in France (Editions Gallimard), the Netherlands (A W Bruna) and Germany (Aufbau), where Deon has just begun an extensive reading tour. Deon’s Afrikaans-speaking fans can also look forward to a brand-new audiobook of FENIKS (original title of DEAD BEFORE DYING) – available in the format for the first time, published by NB this November.

LEO picks up the story of Meyer’s heroes Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido – now stars of M-Net (South Africa) and Tubi (US) series DEVIL’S PEAK. Following the explosive events of THE DARK FLOOD, the detectives are now languishing in Stellenbosch. Run-of-the-mill police work in the leafy university town is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime and government corruption at the highest level. Then a student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered in what looks like a professional hit delivering a message – suffocated by fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat.

On the other side of the country, a beautiful wildlife guide is recruited by a group of special forces soldiers to act as a honeytrap, part of a dangerous multi-million-dollar heist that goes tragically wrong. A single link connects the murdered businessman to the special forces, making Benny and Vaughn’s case all the more mysterious. Another former soldier is soon killed, as is an agent of the country’s disgraced former president; and then the heist crew reorganizes with an even more audacious theft in mind.

Following leads as they fly at them, not sure exactly who to trust and struggling to connect the dots as the motives don’t seem to add up, Benny and Vaughn find their case increasingly points to the corruption polluting the country. They know the clock is ticking – and Benny also has to be at the altar on time for his very anxiously-anticipated wedding day.

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in 31 countries, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. His latest novel LEO, a new Benny Griessel thriller, enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for LEO

‘Meyer is not just the finest crime writer in South Africa but one of the best anywhere; he juggles labyrinthine plot strands with a mass of local detail and socio-political commentary.’ – Barry Forshaw, Financial Times

‘When a new Deon Meyer lands on the shelves, I feel like W.H. Auden: “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone / Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.” All 490 pages of such a book have to be devoured in one sitting. Keep it for the holidays, or for a weekend when you have nothing planned… You’ll be on the edge of your seat, chewing your nails… Meyer is the best, if you ask me... Buy LEO and take a day or two off work.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Vrye Weekblad

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

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Deon Meyer’s LEO awarded ATKV-Woordveertjies Prize for best Afrikaans Thriller

We are delighted to announce that Deon Meyer – author of the blockbuster Benny Griessel series – has been awarded the 2024 ATKV-Woordveertjies Prize, celebrating exceptional achievement in Afrikaans literature, in the thriller category for his latest novel LEO. Published by Human & Rousseau in October last year, the book took South Africa by storm, enjoying a ten-week run at the top of the bestseller list on its way to becoming South Africa’s bestselling fiction book of 2023.

English-speaking readers of Deon’s work do not have long to wait to discover LEO’s thrills either, with Hodder and Stoughton publishing K.L. Seegers’ translation in the UK, South Africa and the British Commonwealth on 10 October 2024.

Deon will be making a rare UK appearance tomorrow (Wednesday 9 October, 19:00) for a Wine and Crime Night at the French Institute in South Kensington, with tickets for the event still available. The event will be hosted by translator and editor Georges Lory, and all ticket include a complimentary glass of wine – a truly unmissable evening.

Grove Atlantic will publish in the US and Canada on 18 February 2025. The book is already out in Germany (Aufbau), France (Editions Gallimard) and the Netherlands (A W Bruna). Back in South Africa, Afrikaans fans of Deon can also look forward to a brand-new audiobook of FENIKS – available in the format for the first time – published by NB this November.

LEO picks up the story of Meyer’s heroes Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido – now stars of M-Net (South Africa) and Tubi (US) series DEVIL’S PEAK. Following the explosive events of THE DARK FLOOD, the detectives are now languishing in Stellenbosch. Run-of-the-mill police work in the leafy university town is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime and government corruption at the highest level. Then a student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered in what looks like a professional hit delivering a message – suffocated by fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat.

On the other side of the country, a beautiful wildlife guide is recruited by a group of special forces soldiers to act as a honeytrap, part of a dangerous multi-million-dollar heist that goes tragically wrong. A single link connects the murdered businessman to the special forces, making Benny and Vaughn’s case all the more mysterious. Another former soldier is soon killed, as is an agent of the country’s disgraced former president; and then the heist crew reorganizes with an even more audacious theft in mind.

Following leads as they fly at them, not sure exactly who to trust and struggling to connect the dots as the motives don’t seem to add up, Benny and Vaughn find their case increasingly points to the corruption polluting the country. They know the clock is ticking – and Benny also has to be at the altar on time for his very anxiously-anticipated wedding day.

About Deon Meyer

Deon Meyer lives in Stellenbosch. His books are sold in 23 countries, and have been awarded many prizes around the world: the Deutsche Krimi Prize in Germany, the ATKV Prize in South Africa, the Martin Beck Award in Sweden and Le Grand Prix de Littérature Policière and Le Prix Mystère de la Critique in France. COBRA was shortlisted for the 2015 CWA International Dagger, THIRTEEN HOURS was shortlisted for the 2010 CWA International Dagger, and HEART OF THE HUNTER, was longlisted for the 2005 IMPAC Prize and selected as one of Chicago Tribune’s ‘10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004’. THE DARK FLOOD was longlisted for the 2023 CWA Dagger for Crime Fiction in Translation. His latest novel LEO, a new Benny Griessel thriller, enjoyed ten weeks at the top of the South African bestseller lists, Number One in all categories.

Adaptations of Deon’s novels have recently had great success on screen: in April 2024, HEART OF THE HUNTER topped the global Netflix film charts, becoming the first African film to do so, with over 11 million views in its first two days alone. DEVIL’S PEAK was also adapted for a miniseries by Lookout Point and Expanded Media Productions, premiering on M-Net in South Africa in 2023 before reaching audiences in the USA, New Zealand, Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg. In 2020, TRACKERS, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23, aired on Sky Atlantic in the UK and HBO in the USA, as well as Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for LEO

‘When a new Deon Meyer lands on the shelves, I feel like W.H. Auden: “Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone / Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.” All 490 pages of such a book have to be devoured in one sitting. Keep it for the holidays, or for a weekend when you have nothing planned… You’ll be on the edge of your seat, chewing your nails… Meyer is the best, if you ask me... Buy LEO and take a day or two off work.’ – Deborah Steinmair, Vrye Weekblad

Praise for Deon Meyer

‘He’s up there with the best in the world.’ – Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘I love Deon Meyer novels. It’s global storytelling at its best, with the undeniable hallmarks of gritty realism and deep character building.’ – Michael Connelly

‘Deon Meyer's name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.’ – Tess Gerritsen

‘Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.’ – El Mundo

‘One of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday

Visit Deon’s website

Follow Deon on Twitter

TIEPOLO BLUE by James Cahill selected by Her Majesty Queen Camilla for Series Sixteen of The Queen’s Reading Room

We are delighted to announce that Her Majesty Queen Camilla has selected James Cahill’s debut novel TIEPOLO BLUE as one of her books for Season Sixteen of The Queen’s Reading Room, a charity and online book club that works ‘to celebrate and promote the power and benefits of reading and is on a mission to help more people find and connect with books which enrich their lives.’

The Queen’s Reading Room will be sharing James’ insights into the book, exclusive content and Queen Camilla’s own personal words of recommendation for the book on their Instagram page and on their website from 22 November until the 5 of December. TIEPOLO BLUE follows recent selections including Robert Harris’ ARCHANGEL, THE HOUSE OF DOORS by Tan Twan Eng and the E.F. Benson classic MAPP AND LUCIA, as well as fellow Blake Friedmann author Peter James, featured for his GRACE series of novels in December 2021, and later described by Queen Camilla as the writer of her favourite fictional detective. Alongside TIEPOLO BLUE, Season 16 will also include YOU ARE HERE by David Nicholls, LES MISÉRABLES by Victor Hugo and THE HARE WITH AMBER EYES by Edmund de Waal.

James Cahill’s debut novel TIEPOLO BLUE was published by Sceptre in Summer 2022 and shortlisted for the Authors’ Club Best First Novel Award. It was later named one of the Best Books of 2022 by the BBC, and was widely acclaimed by readers and critics alike. The Evening Standard wrote: ‘This divine debut from art critic and academic James Cahill is the smart, sexy read you need in 2022… Not only an addictive page-turner, Cahill’s book taps into the tensions and suspicions between generations that feels incredibly relevant for our testy times.’

James Cahill’s second novel, THE VIOLET HOUR, will be published by Sceptre in February 2025.

Set in Cambridge, 1994, TIEPOLO BLUE follows Professor Don Lamb, a revered art historian at the height of his powers, consumed by the book he is writing about the skies of the Venetian master Tiepolo. However, Don’s academic brilliance belies a deep inexperience of life and love.

When an explosive piece of contemporary art is installed on the lawn of his college, it sets in motion Don’s abrupt departure from Cambridge to take up a role at a south London museum. There he befriends Ben, a young artist who draws him into the anarchic 1990s British art scene and the nightlife of Soho.

Over the course of one long, hot summer, Don glimpses a liberating new existence. But his epiphany is also a moment of self-reckoning, as his oldest friendship – and his own unexamined past – are revealed to him in a devastating new light. As Don’s life unravels, he suffers a fall from grace that that shatters his world into pieces.

Image: Darren Wheeler

About James Cahill

James Cahill was born in London. Over the past decade, he has worked in the art world and academia, combining writing and research with a role at a leading contemporary art gallery. He is currently a Research Fellow in Classics at King’s College London. His writing on art has appeared in publications including The Burlington Magazine, The Times Literary Supplement, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and The London Review of Books. He was the lead author and consulting editor of FLYING TOO CLOSE TO THE SUN (Phaidon, 2018), a survey of classical myth in art from antiquity to the present day. He was the co-curator of ‘The Classical Now’, an exhibition at King’s College London (March-April 2018), examining the relationships between ancient, modern and contemporary art.

Praise for TIEPOLO BLUE

‘Beautifully captures disorientation, tenderness and heat without tipping into excess…an electric new novel written by an author skilled in the evocation of vertiginous, heightened emotion.’ – Michael Donkor, The Guardian, ‘Book of the Day’

‘[An] arresting debut novel… [the prose] has a masterly attention to (especially visual) detail and in an irresistibly propulsive, almost swaggering style.’ – Literary Review

‘Simply magnificent…TIEPOLO BLUE really has blown me away: the gorgeous phrase-making; the sure-footed pacing; the (re-)immersion in a world I know, or knew, in a way that is both hard-edged with historical detail and almost hallucinatory.’ – Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, author and former Man Booker judge

‘The spirit of E.M. Forster is alive and well in James Cahill.’ – Edmund White

‘This is the best novel I have read for ages. It is so beautifully written, not a false note in any sentence. [Cahill’s] presentation of the agonising clash of aesthetics, of culture, of generations… it’s just masterly… It all grips you like a thriller. My heart was constantly in my throat as I read… [There is] so much to enjoy, to contemplate, to wonder at, and to be lost in.’ – Stephen Fry

Follow James on X (previously Twitter).

Julian Stockwin bids farewell to the million-copy selling KYDD series with 27th entry ADMIRAL

Author Picture: Allan House

Julian Stockwin, author of the Golden Age of Sail-set KYDD novels, which have charted the rise of Thomas Kydd from conscripted sailor to decorated Admiral in Nelson’s navy, has announced that the series will come to an end after more than twenty years with the latest novel ADMIRAL. This 27th and final novel in the series will be published in the UK by Hodder and Stoughton on 10 October 2024, with an American edition following on 7 January 2025.

“Since I was a young boy I read the great sea novelists – Forester, O’Brian and many others and the sea fever set in. At 15 I enlisted in the Royal Navy. I rose through the ranks and served in the Royal Australian Navy in the Far East, Antarctic waters and the South Seas. I was active in rescuing survivors at the collision of HMAS Melbourne and HMAS Voyager, Australia's largest peacetime naval disaster. Eventually on return to Britain I became a Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve. Much later, my wife Kathy suggested I try turning my experiences at sea into novel form.

It had to be Nelson’s Navy I’d write about. I was particularly inspired by the stories of those couple of hundred common seamen who became officers and thereby turned themselves into gentlemen. Some became captains of their own ships; even more remarkably, some became admirals. How could it be so? Just what kind of men were they? So, the story of Kydd, a conscripted man who rose to admiral, was born…

Kydd has taken Kathy and me around the world on location research – Australia, United States, Canada, Europe and more... We have lived with a parallel universe of Kydd, Renzi, Persephone, Cecilia, Stirk and all the other characters for over 20 years! They had become very real to us and we would discuss them as we would real friends. When I pushed the ‘send’ button to deliver the manuscript of ADMIRAL to Hodder I think both Kathy and I held back a tear, not of regret, but sadness at the passing of something that had become so much a part of our being. But life moves on and one of the lessons I have learned is that you cannot force something beyond a natural conclusion.” – Julian Stockwin

Since the first book in the series, KYDD, appeared in 2001, the series has sold over 1.25 million copies in all formats, including translated editions in six languages, with Hodder and Stoughton leading the way as the UK publisher of the series for all 23 years of its existence. In addition, the series regularly appears in the top 3% of all library borrowings, with a quarter of a million in the last five years according to Public Lending Right statistics.

Oliver Johnson, Julian’s editor, comments: ‘Julian’s novels have stood out for their unmatched authenticity, drama, action, nuanced characterisation, an inimitable capture of naval jargon and historical detail. Having been the series editor, and a serial fan, the news that Kydd’s story was ending came as a profound jolt. But what a book to end with. A triumph!’

‘Julian Stockwin’s brilliant storytelling has brought Thomas Kydd and his comrades and adversaries to such vivid life in this classic series, now spanning more than two decades,’ added Isobel Dixon, Julian’s agent at Blake Friedmann. ‘I remember so clearly when the late great Carole Blake (Julian’s first agent) was so captivated by the young hero Kydd, and I have been so honoured to be part of the continuing adventure since. ADMIRAL is indeed a very fine and fitting conclusion – and though it’s with a bit of a pang and a lump in the throat, I take great pleasure in thinking of the treat that Kydd followers have ahead of them, and all that new readers have yet to discover.’

ADMIRAL is the twenty seventh and last of the adventures of Captain Sir Thomas Kydd, whose story began in the year 1793 and tells for the first time in fiction how a pressed man through his bravery and ingenuity progresses to the quarterdeck of his own ship, and here, in the final book of the series, the command of a fleet with an admiral's pennant.

April 1814: Napoleon is deposed and exiled after defeat by a resurgent allied collation. Saddled with huge war debts, the British government has no choice but to place many of its naval ships in reserve. Captain Sir Thomas Kydd is one of the lucky officers not to be put on half pay. Instead, in the realisation of his life's ambition, he is offered an admiral's flag, but the station is West Africa and with it comes anti-slavery operations set in fever-ridden swamps. Despite the obvious dangers and hardships, Kydd readies for sea with his beloved Thunderer as his flagship.

But before he can set sail comes the electrifying news – the tyrant has escaped from Elba and is marching on Paris, the citizens flocking to join him. Napoleon's invasion fleet is still in being and if the French navy declares for him they can sail from the ports now free of blockade and make the invasion of England a reality. What's more, the entire Channel Fleet has been stood down, its ships in various stages of repair.

There's one man in active service who happens to be on the spot – Admiral Sir Thomas Kydd. With frantic haste he's appointed temporary commander-in-chief to sail with all the men-o'-war that can be scraped together to stand athwart the French. Waterloo is coming but before then Kydd must use all his legendary subterfuge and daring to save England from her peril.

About Julian Stockwin

Julian Stockwin is the greatest living author of historical naval fiction, creator of the Thomas Kydd novels, a series of 27 volumes in which Kydd rises through the decks and his adventures take him around the world.  Atmospheric, page-turning narrative, rich with action and great characterisation, this is the first series to highlight the common seaman in the greatest age of fighting sail.

At 14 Stockwin joined a tough sea-training school, followed by the Royal Navy, transferring to the Royal Australian Navy when his family emigrated.  He saw active service in the Far East, the Antarctic, the South Seas and Vietnam, and was on board the Melbourne at the time of its disastrous peace time collision with the Voyager.  Later he worked for NATO on the strategic deployment of merchant shipping.

Stockwin is also author of two novels in the Moments of History series, depicting important turning points in history. The first, THE SILK TREE, tells the dramatic story of how the secret of silk was brought from China to the West. This was followed by POWDER OF DEATH, which shows how the nature of warfare was changed forever by the discovery of gunpowder.  

Praise for Julian Stockwin and the KYDD series

‘Very readable and enjoyable. I recommend that you go out, beg, borrow or buy, and enjoy.’ – Bernard Cornwell

‘For me, there is nothing like the British nautical battles of Horatio Nelson in the early 19th century. He led them to enormous sea victories like the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen and most famously, Trafalgar. Stockwin really knows early British navy lore, with masts, spars, rigging, sails, cannons, frigates, and ships of the line. In Thomas Kydd, the author has a created a wonderful daring-do British commander. Kydd knows his job as captain standing proudly on the deck of his ship of the line. He’s never out-thought or outmaneuvered. Exciting stuff!’ – Mel Brooks, The New York Times

‘The preeminent living historical naval fiction writer on either side of the Atlantic.’ – Quarterdeck

‘In his hands the sea story will continue to entrance readers across the world.’ – The Guardian

‘Vivid descriptions of life on board ship, getting those ships up limited navigable channels to avoid the many bars and mud flats of the River Plate, and the politics of the various factions of those on land all keep the reader glued to the pages. A book to be enjoyed.’ – Historical Novel Society, Editor’s Choice

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Hodder falls under the spell of Kate Hodges’ Macbeth-inspired historical fiction debut

Commissioning editor Lily Cooper from Hodder and Stoughton has pre-empted world all-language rights for Kate Hodges’ debut historical novel, THE WAYWARD SISTERS, from agent Juliet Pickering.

For fans of THE FAMILIARS, THE BINDING and PANDORA, THE WAYWARD SISTERS is a historical intrigue set in 18th century Scotland, which offers a modern, feminist perspective on Macbeth’s Three Witches. The story begins in 1769, the year of Venus’s second transit, when frustrated astronomer Nancy Lockaby is still reeling from the ridicule that her theories on the transit have earned her from her colleagues at the Greenwich Observatory. A mysterious invitation from Shakespearean scholar Caleb Malles to join him as a research fellow in Inverness, gives her a chance of escape. But while Nancy initially finds herself drawn in by Caleb’s eccentric, brilliant mind, when she crosses paths with three crones who warn her that the scholar is hiding dark intentions, Nancy finds herself wondering who she can trust. Especially when the women claim that they have their own relationship with one of the Bard’s greatest works…

Kate Hodges says: ‘I am thrilled to bring the stories of Nancy and the three witches of Macbeth to the world, and to have had the opportunity to explore that period in history when the lines between science and magic were blurred and porous. It’s been magical writing THE WAYWARD SISTERS, and I’m grateful to the team at Hodder for publishing my debut at the perfect time: Halloween!’

Lily Cooper says: ‘THE WAYWARD SISTERS serves up everything I love in a novel – wonderfully chilling atmosphere, a page-turning plot, and characters who speak to our times – with a delicious side-helping of Shakespeare. In her story, Kate interrogates the narrative of Macbeth’s Witches as a representation of evil and chaos, and offers us a fresh, imaginative take on one of literature’s most famous trios through a rollicking adventure that will leave readers under its spell. We’re very excited to be introducing her story to the world this Halloween.’

Juliet Pickering says: ‘I can think of no one better to explore the three women of Macbeth and who they really may have been behind the ‘‘double toil and trouble’’, than Kate and her imagination. THE WAYWARD SISTERS brings them into the spotlight and holds up a mirror to womanhood and power, deftly explored alongside by Nancy Lockaby and her intelligent curiosity. I can’t wait for readers to enjoy this rich, beguiling novel.’

THE WAYWARD SISTERS will be published in hardback, audiobook and eBook on 26th October 2023.

 

Photo: Jeff Pitcher

About Kate Hodges

Kate Hodges graduated from the University of Westminster with a BA in Print Journalism. She has over 20 years writing experience on magazines, having been a staffer on publications including The Face, Bizarre, Just Seventeen, Smash Hits and Sky, and written for many more, including The Guardian, Kerrang! and NME. She has also worked for Rapido TV, makers of cult show Eurotrash, and P For Production films. Since June 2012, she’s edited, researched and written the weekly Hopscotch newsletter, a guide for families to the best cheap, fun things happening in London.

She is the author of three books on London, LITTLE LONDON, LONDON IN HOUR, RURAL LONDON, as well as I KNOW A WOMAN, WARRIORS, WITCHES, WOMEN, ON A STARRY NIGHT and ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS. Her latest book, WILD WORDS (Portico, October 2021), is a collection of words from around the world which are evocative of the wild.

She has twins, Arthur and Dusty, and lives in Hastings. In her spare time, she plays in bands including The Nuns and The Hare and Hoofe.

 

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