A detective story is a genre in literature and cinema, the main sign of which is some mysterious incident. As a rule, this is a crime that must be solved, and the culprit punished. In the course of the narrative, confusing circumstances become more and more clear, and in the finale, justice triumphs and lawlessness triumphs.
One of the most famous authors who have worked in this genre is Arthur Conan Doyle. His works about Sherlock Holmes are considered a classic detective.
Among modern writers there are also many talented detectives. One of them is Deon Meyer. He authored nine novels, seven of which are translated into Russian.
Education and work
Deon Meyer was born July 4, 1958 in South Africa in a city called Parle, which is located in the Western Cape of the country. However, the childhood of the future writer was not here, but in Klerksdorp in the North-West province of South Africa. At the age of 14, Deon Meyer became interested in literature and began to create his first works.
The writer has two degrees in higher education. The first was given to him at Potchefstroom Northwestern University, where Deon Meyer received a bachelor's degree in history and English. The second is at the Free State University at Bloemfontein.
After completing his studies, Meyer worked as a journalist, then as an internal communications manager and creative director at an advertising agency. Having gained extensive experience, he founded his own business to create and manage online communities.
Deon Meyer's first book, entitled “Death Before Death,” was published in 1999, after which he decided to devote himself completely to creativity, becoming a professional writer. A year later, the next novel, Death at Dawn, was published. Further works of the writer came out every 2-3 years.
"Death before death"
Meyer's debut novel was first translated into Russian in 2009.
Its main character is a detective from Cape Town named Matt Jaubert. Once his life was beautiful, but after the tragic death of his wife, everything began to cause disgust, even the once beloved work.
However, the detective has to return to his duties, as several terrible murders occurred in the city. There is no doubt that this whole thing is the work of one person who, among other things, scoffs at his victims. The task of Matt Jaubert is to investigate the matter, compare the facts, analyze the biographies of the victims and find out who is behind these crimes.
"Thirteen hours"
The novel "Thirteen Hours" Deon Meyer wrote in 2010. The action also takes place in Cape Town. This time, the main character is Detective Benny Grissel.
He will investigate the case of the mysterious disappearance of a foreign student. The name of the novel was not chosen by chance - the missing American and her kidnapper, the detective must be found in 13 hours, otherwise a conflict of international proportions may arise.
"The peak of the devil"
The book was written in 2009. Critics call her the most powerful work of the writer. In 2010, The Devil’s Peak by the Swedish Academy of Detective Writers was recognized as the best crime novel and was awarded a prize. 3 years after publication, it was announced that preparations for the filming of the same film based on this work were announced.
In the center of events are three main characters. This is detective Benny Grissel, killer Tobel Mpayipeli and prostitute Kristina. The fate of each of them is tragic in its own way: Grissel has serious problems with alcohol, because of which he can lose his family; Mpaiipeli lost his beloved woman; Christina is forced to sell her body to feed her little daughter. Their stories intersect and spin into an incredible plot created by Meyer.