We recently had the joy of hosting Deon Meyer as he signed copies of Leo, this is the thrilling new novel from the author of major Netflix series Heart of a Hunter.
After signing our copies, we got the answers to some of our burning questions.
Crime fiction often deals with themes of justice and morality. How did you find those themes played out in your book, especially given the two murders at the heart of the story?
I love being a little ambivalent about justice and morality, obviously for Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido the two detetives in the book its shattered wide as black and white, there's right and wrong. But for a character for Chrissy in the book a young woman who has had a really tough life, she has to steal to make her dreams come true. For her, the reality, I hope is a lot more murky and would lie in the eye of the reader, and I think sometimes, you feel for her and sometimes you're not sure what to feel. That is the kind of thing I love reading and also love writing.
With Heart of the Hunter hitting Netflix in March 2024 and Leo soon to be hitting the shelves, as well as an amazing backlist of books behind you, do you find the process of novel writing and screenwriting very different? Do you have a favourite of the two?
If I had to choose between screen writing and novel writing, it is a very easy choice. I am a novelist, first and foremost. Although, I love screenwriting, I love the process of the adaptation to the screen, it is such a tough, wonderful challenge, because you want to make the best possible television series or film, but my first love will always be writing novels.
What are your top 3 crime book/tv recommendations?
If I had to make three recommendations, I would start with a classic, Ed McBain's Ten Plus One, to me will always be the best crime novel ever written. The new Ian Rankin, Midnight and Blue, wonderful book. Michael Connelly's new book, The Waiting, is simply brilliant.
We still have some signed, first edition copies of Leo available on our website.
