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
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