DEON MEYER’S NEW NOVEL DONKERDRIF TOPS SOUTH AFRICAN CHARTS AS TRACKERS FEATURES ON SKY ATLANTIC

International bestseller Deon Meyer is enjoying both chart and screen success with the Afrikaans launch of his new novel DONKERDRIF propelling him straight to another South African Number One, while in the UK the TV series TRACKERS, inspired by Meyer’s novel of the same title, has premiered on Sky Atlantic. As the Guardian wrote, this ‘full-speed South African thriller ratchets up the tension’, calling it ‘gripping’ and  ‘a solid drama set against an action-packed backdrop of espionage, terrorism and political intrigue’ which ‘should raise heart rates.’

Human & Rousseau have sold more than 600,000 copies of Deon Meyer’s novels in Afrikaans and DONKERDRIF is the latest in the bestselling series featuring his much-loved detective characters, Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido. Deon’s novels are published in the UK by Hodder & Stoughton and in the US by Grove Atlantic, who brought out the most recent title THE LAST HUNT (Afrikaans title PROOI). Deon Meyer is also an international prize-winner and bestseller, published by Gallimard in France, Bruna in Holland, Aufbau’s Rütten & Loening in Germany and more than 20 other languages.

You can see more about Deon’s books and the various editions on his website here. DONKERDRIF will be out in English (again superbly translated by K.L. Seegers) and other languages in 2021.

TRACKERS is also published in the UK by Hodder and in the US by Grove Atlantic. The TV series, starring James Gracie, Sisanda Henna, Rolanda Marais and Ed Stoppard, is a co-production between Cinemax, South Africa’s M-Net and Germany’s ZDF, produced by Three River Fiction and Scene 23. The TRACKERS series was created by Deon Meyer, scripted by Robert Thorogood and others, and directed by Jyri Kähönen, with Ivan Strasburg director of photography.  Full credits here.

The adaptation of TRACKERS interweaves three story strands into a sophisticated action-packed thriller that covers the length and breadth of South Africa, explosively colliding in Cape Town in a violent conspiracy involving organized crime, smuggled diamonds, state security, Black Rhinos, the CIA and an international terrorist plot.

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Gracie plays Lemmer, a man who is seeking revenge while rebuilding his life in a small town after his career was destroyed in an earlier intelligence operation. Marais is Milla Strachan, a Cape Town housewife who has finally gathered the courage to walk out of her emotionally abusive home. She finds herself a new apartment and a job as a low-level data analyst for the Presidential Bureau of Intelligence and becomes an unlikely heroine as her new life and love puts her at the centre of a dangerous plot. Stoppard is Lukas Becker, an international man of mystery and alleged CIA operative who enters the PBI’s radar when Milla finds a major lead in her research. Sisanda Henna also won acclaim for his portrayal of Inkunzi Shabangu.

As Len Amato, President, HBO Films, Miniseries, and Cinemax said in a Deadline report: ‘Cinemax is delighted to partner with M-Net and ZDF in bringing Deon Meyer’s unforgettable characters and storytelling—all so richly rooted in the people and spectacular geography of South Africa—to screens around the world.’

TRACKERS has also been broadcast in the US, Australia and New Zealand, and across the Nordic countries and Europe.

Praise for Deon Meyer:

‘Deon Meyer should be on everyone's reading list.’ – Michael Connelly

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

‘Deon Meyer is not just South Africa’s greatest crime writer, he’s up there with the best in the world.’ —Marcel Berlins, The Times

‘Deon Meyer is one of the best crime writers on the planet.’ – Mail on Sunday


Praise for TRACKERS

'TRACKERS is a cut way above the rest... a top-class thriller...' – The Bookseller

‘Critics were struggling to come up with new adjectives to praise Deon Meyer's TRACKERS, a menacing tale of smuggling and disappearances on a sprawling canvas of post-apartheid South Africa.’  – Barry Forshaw, Best Crime & Thrillers 2011, The Independent

'An ambitious, multi-threaded tale...comprehensively pulling the reader into the melee of modern South Africa... this is a book that tells a cracking story and captures the criminal kaleidoscope of a nation.' – TLS

Praise for THE LAST HUNT

‘In word, deed, and spirit, Mr. Meyer’s humane and engaging characters are indeed among “the best of the best.”’—Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

‘Superb’ – Publishers Weekly Starred Review

‘A relentless political thriller, as complex as it is dynamic.’ – Le Figaro Magazine

‘If he is wary of power and its excesses, Deon Meyer always trusts humanity. Even wounded and damaged by life, his heroes are magnificent.’ – Le Temps

 

Follow Deon Meyer on Twitter and on Instagram.

 

Deon Meyer’s TRACKERS enters the Dutch bestseller lists in first week

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Deon Meyer is on tour in Holland and Belgium for the Dutch publication by Bruna of TRACKERS (SPOOR in Dutch). In the first week of publication TRACKERS has entered the Bestseller 60 list and is in the Top Ten crime and thriller bestsellers. 

He appeared on Thursday 31 October at Polare in Utrecht, see more here.

More events:

Saturday 2 November 10:30 – 11:15 Boekhandel Los in Bussum

Saturday 2 November 12:00 – 12:45 Boekhandel Veenendaal in Amersfoort

Saturday 2 November 15:00 – 15:45 Boekhandel Broekhuis Hengelo

Sunday 3 November he will be at the Flemish Book Fair. 

Deon Meyer’s latest Benny Griessel novel COBRA has just been published in Afrikaans (as KOBRA) in South Africa. SEVEN DAYS is just out in paperback in the US, the UK and Canada.

See more on Deon’s website.

Praise for Deon Meyer:

Meyer is a writer to take seriously - the best crime writer out of South Africa." -- Crime Time

'With Deon Meyer you can't go wrong. He's a writer whose work I admire, wait for and then devour.' -- Michael Connelly

 

King of South African Crime Writing, Deon Meyer, has again been shortlisted for the CWA International Dagger, for TRACKERS

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The shortlist for the 2012 CWA International Dagger was announced this week at Crimefest and Deon Meyer has again been shortlisted with his novel TRACKERS, translated by KL Seegers.  The 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. The other five books in contention for the Dagger this year are: The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri, translated by Stephen Sartarelli, I will have Vengeance by Maurizio de Giovanni, translated by Anne Milano Appel, Until Thy Wrath Be Past by Åsa Larsson, translated by Laurie Thompson, Phantom by Jo Nesbø, translated by Don Bartlett, The Dark Valley by Valerio Varesi, translated by Joseph Farrell.

The judging panel consists of: Janet Laurence, non-voting chair, who has written two series of crime novels and the first of a new series: Deadly Inheritance, has just been published by The Mystery Press. She is also the author of Writing Crime Fiction - Making Crime Pay and chaired the CWA in 1998-99; Karen Meek is a library assistant and founder of the Euro Crime website: www.eurocrime.co.uk; Ruth Morse teaches English Literature at the University of Paris. She is a frequent contributor to the Times Literary Supplement; John Murray-Browne is a bookseller.

The judges described TRACKERS as 'Meyer at his best'.

The CWA Daggers have been synonymous with quality crime writing for over fifty years. The winners of six CWA Daggers - the International, Ellis Peters, Non-Fiction, Short Story, Library and Debut Daggers - are announced at an awards ceremony held in July at a prestigious London venue.

The translator, K.L. Seegers lives in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, where she and her husband breed endurance horses and Nguni cattle. She has translated several novels from Afrikaans, and has been Deon Meyer's translator for several years.

Praise for TRACKERS:
One of The Sunday Times' Best Crime Novels of 2011
Best Crime & Thrillers 2011, The Independent
Named one of the best thrillers of 2011 by Kirkus.

'A cut way above the rest... a top-class thriller...' -- The Bookseller

'Meyer is the leading chronicler of South Africa, and his latest novel shows off his technical skill.' -- Joan Smith, The Sunday Times

'Splendid… Astutely drawn… Trackers is a sprawling, invigorating and socially committed crime novel.' -- Barry Forshaw, The Independent (UK)

'In his seventh novel, the king of South African crime fiction outdoes himself, packing in enough plot to power three separate novels. … Aside from masterfully juggling intricate plot details and ripping off some bloodcurdling action scenes, Meyer lays bare more ruthlessly than ever before the chaos that lurks beneath South Africa's new identity as a playground for terrorists. And he throws into the bargain a chilling assessment of the average citizen's hopelessly myopic worldview. Meyer has few equals when it comes to combining biting social critique and riveting action scenes.' -- Joanne Wilkinson, Booklist (starred review)

'South African mystery maven Meyer returns with a complex tale of intrigue and mayhem most satisfying. …Meyer's carefully plotted narrative is multilayered and rich in detail, and it's to his credit that he is able to pull these separate, seemingly unrelated threads into an a-ha conclusion. In the end, it's about smuggling, killing, and other crimes, but also about the quotidian sins of racism, fear, aloofness, self-interest and mistreatment of others-in short, the ordinary human failings as well as their spectacular transgressions. A first-rate thriller.' -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Praise for Deon Meyer:
'Deon Meyer is one of the best crime writers on the planet.' -- Mail on Sunday

'Deon Meyer's novels...are absolutely worthy of Hammett and Chandler, the great North American Masters of the Thirties and the Forties' -- Carmen Méndez, Expansión

'Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.' -- Emma Rodriguez, El Mundo

'Without a doubt, Deon Meyer is one of the greatest contemporary crime novelists.' -- Alexandre Fillion, Livres Hebdo

'In his native South Africa…Meyer is a bigger hitter than his namesake TWILIGHT author…His books regularly slay the vampire romances in the charts, with their gritty realisations of the seamier side of South African life.' -- Catherine Neilan, The Bookseller Blog

'Deon Meyer is the best of the best.' -- The Mail & Guardian

'Deon Meyer is becoming a national treasure.' -- Chris van der Merwe, Rapport

'I've been reading a new book by Deon Meyer, a South African, writer of crime fiction, set in his homeland. I love crime fiction and I'm always on the lookout for a new talent and Mr Meyer certainly fits the bill.'    -- Michael Parkinson

Deon Meyer’s TRACKERS (French title: A LA TRACE) reaches No. 2 spot on L’Express best-seller list!

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Deon Meyer's TRACKERS (A LA TRACE), published by Le Seuil in France, has reached the No. 2 spot on the best-seller list in the weekly newsmagazine L'Express - the key French bestseller list.

In the 1 March issue TRACKERS will feature at No. 2, with French author Daniel Pennac at No. 1, which puts TRACKERS as the best translated novel sold in France for the week of 13 to 19 February.

This comes hot on the heels of last week's news of TRACKERS reaching No. 12 on Livres Hebdo's best seller list and the range of fantastic reviews and interviews from several French publications. Read the interview with Deon in the 'Journal du Dimanche' here. TRACKERS also topped the South African charts for many weeks, once again confirming Deon's crown as the King of South African Crime Fiction.

Published by Hodder in the UK, Random House in Canada, and Grove Atlantic in the US, TRACKERS was also named one of The Sunday Times Best Crime Novels of 2011, and on the Best Crime & Thrillers list for 2011 in The Independent. Across the Atlantic it was picked as one of the best thrillers of 2011 by Kirkus and the German edition published by Aufbau also won acclaim. Deon Meyer's prize-winning novels are published in 24 countries around the world and many titles are optioned for film.


Praise for TRACKERS:

'How fulfilling the rewards are for those seeking crime fiction with real texture and intelligence...TRACKERS is a sprawling, invigorating and socially committed crime novel.'-- Barry Forshaw, The Independent

'I am steeling myself for this month's inevitable hysteria as publishers and booksellers trumpet that "South Africa is the new Scandinavia" when it comes to crime writing and that Deon Meyer is "South Africa's Answer to Stieg Larsson". He's not; he's far better...With TRACKERS I would suggest he has moved into the John le Carré class…mainly because this is a book which is a great thriller and a fine novel of characterisation.' -- Mike Ripley, Shots Magazine

Deon Meyer takes the bestseller lists by storm!

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Deon Meyer's new Benny Griessel crime thriller 7 DAE (published in Afrikaans by Human & Rousseau, English title 7 DAYS) tops South African charts and TRACKERS, which managed to fend off the likes of Paolo Coelho, James Patterson, and many others, to maintain the Number One spot for eight weeks, is not far behind. TRACKERS was launched in the UK, USA, South Africa and Germany in September and the Sunday Times has tipped it as Meyer's 'best work yet'.  The German edition, published by Aufbau as ROTE SPUR, has reached Number One on the KrimiZEIT Bestseller lists too.

Three other titles (13 HOURS English and Afrikaans (13 UUR) and the Afrikaans edition of TRACKERS (SPOOR) also feature in the SA Top 100. Kirkus in the US and the Independent and the Sunday Times in the UK have just named TRACKERS one of the best thrillers of 2011.

In addition to storming the charts, The South African Boeke Prize Fanatics Choice Award for 2011 was the latest in the list of accolades for 13 HOURS, just two weeks after the novel won for Best Thriller in the Barry Awards at Bouchercon in St Louis on September 15. 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.

It's no wonder Deon (and fellow Blake Friedmann client Margie Orford), have been dubbed 'King and Queen of South African Crime Fiction'!

Le Seuil publish TRACKERS in France in February 2012 and Deon Meyer will be visiting France, Holland and Scandinavia for publicity tours in February and March 2012.


Praise for TRACKERS:
'How fulfilling the rewards are for those seeking crime fiction with real texture and intelligence...Trackers is a sprawling, invigorating and socially committed crime novel.'-- Barry Forshaw, The Independent

'I am steeling myself for this month's inevitable hysteria as publishers and booksellers trumpet that "South Africa is the new Scandinavia" when it comes to crime writing and that Deon Meyer is "South Africa's Answer to Stieg Larsson". He's not; he's far better...With TRACKERS I would suggest he has moved into the John le Carré class…mainly because this is a book which is a great thriller and a fine novel of characterisation.' -- Mike Ripley, Shots Magazine


Praise for 13 HOURS:
'Deon Meyer is one of the unsung masters. THIRTEEN HOURS proves he should be on everyone's reading list. This book is great!' -- Michael Connelly

'Pulse-pounding…this crime novel...further enhance[s] Meyer's reputation as a deft storyteller.' -- Publishers Weekly

'Superbly accomplished chase thriller by a South African writer now gaining deserved international recognition…Watch out for TRACKERS, his new book due out in September.' -- Financial Times


Praise for Deon Meyer:

'Deon Meyer is one of the best crime writers on the planet.' -- Mail on Sunday

'Deon Meyer's novels...are absolutely worthy of Hammett and Chandler, the great North American Masters of the Thirties and the Forties' -- Carmen Méndez, Expansión

'Deon Meyer is one of the giants of crime fiction.' -- Emma Rodriguez, El Mundo

'Without a doubt, Deon Meyer is one of the greatest contemporary crime novelists.' -- Alexandre Fillion, Livres Hebdo