Dead at Daybreak - Softcover

Deon Meyer

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0340739436 ISBN 13: 9780340739433

Publisher: Coronet Books, 2000

Synopsis

An antiques dealer is burned with a blow torch, then killed, execution-style - a single shot to the back of the head with an M16. The contents of the safe are missing and the only clues are a scrap of blank paper and the unusual weapon used, the choice of mercenaries, not burglars. Now ex-cop Zatopek 'Zed' van Heerden has fourteen days in which to fill in the blanks in this dead man's past - a past which only seems to begin in 1983...

Set against the backdrop of a society on the verge of breakdown, DEAD AT DAYBREAK spins the reader from the lush suburbs of Capetown, to a gripping climax in the searing heat of the Veldt.

About this title

About the Author

Deon Meyer lives and works in Capetown, South Africa, where he both writes and works in the design of internet web-sites. He has recently re-married and now has whole or part-ownership in four children.

Review

'Deon Meyer recreates the beauty, wildness, and danger of modern Africa with an immediacy and force no other writer has achieved ... his work is undeniably "a cause for celebration"' -- Sunday Telegraph 'If DEAD AT DAYBREAK is anything to go by, we are seeing the rise of a major new, international writing talent. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.' -- The Big Issue 'A highly entertaining, page-turning transposition of the American private eye genre to an exotic and vibrant setting...a terrific new talent' -- Irish Independent 'Deon Meyer provides us with a gripping mystery solved by dogged legwork and occasional flashes of insight, and with a telling psychological portrait of a man and a nation haunted by a past that combines brilliance with much to be ashamed of' -- Amazon.co.uk 'Deon Meyer's second foray into the crime thriller genre offers a slick plot, strong characters and a subtle insight into a changing country' -- Southern Cross 'Meyer weaves an impressively tangled web and taut narrative keeps the reader guessing until the last couple of pages' -- Heat*** on DEAD BEFORE DYING 'A brilliant book. Deon Meyer does an excellent job of developing a whole range of characters who are affected by the changes in South Africa in different ways. And Thobela, a giant of a man in search of redemption, is a wonderful hero.' -- Michael Ridpath, author of THE PREDATOR, on HEART OF THE HUNTER 'A plot-driven page-turner, but clear attention has been paid to character development, motivations and dialogue as well. Joubert is a haunted yet sympathetic protagonist; his character fairly begs for a sequel.' -- Bookpage on DEAD BEFORE DYING 'Hooked me right from the start...a thriller with some weight attached and that is a rare find.' -- Michael Connelly on HEART OF THE HUNTER 'Out of post-apartheid South Africa comes a thriller good enough to nip at the heels of le Carre ... Wonderful setting; rich, colourful cast, headed by a valiant/vulnerable protagonist.' -- Kirkus Reviews*, on HEART OF THE HUNTER 'Like post-war Germany, post-apartheid South Africa offers fertile ground for reflective fiction ... Senior editor at Little, Brown, Judy Clain, a fellow South African, says, "Meyer has an extraordinary landscape - a changed world where the ghosts of the past play a huge role." ' -- Publishers Weekly, on HEART OF THE HUNTER 20041122 'With simmering racial tensions, a bounty of natural resources, and a government whose members worked both sides of the cold-war fence, South Africa should prove fertile ground for many fine spy thrillers to come. Don't be surprised if quite a few of them are written by Meyer.' -- Booklist*, on HEART OF THE HUNTER 20041122 '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, reclaiming his life one pool lap at a time.' -- Booklist (Starred Review) on DEAD BEFORE DYING 20041122 'DEAD AT DAYBREAK is a gripping read with a flawed but human protagonist who invites our compassion. This is the second novel by Deon Meyer, a fresh voice and a compelling storyteller' -- Manchester Evening News 20041122

About this edition

• Publisher: Coronet Books
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0340739436
• ISBN 13: 9780340739433
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 400