Title:
Devil's Peak
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Author:
Deon Meyer
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(Author of Heart of the Hunter,
Dead at Daybreak,
and
Dead Before Dying. )
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Translated by K.L. Seegers.
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ADVANCE COPY.
Novel to be released as hardcover March, 2008,
in its first U.S. edition.
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Note:
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This novel was published in English
in 2007 by Hodder & Stoughton, a division of Hodder Headline,
and in Afrikaans by LAPA in 2004 under the title Infanta.
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Mr. Meyer is an internationally acclaimed crime writer
who resides in Cape Town, South Africa.
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ISBN number:
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ISBN-10: 0-316-01785-x
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-01785-5
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Published by:
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Little, Brown & Company
Hachette Book Group USA
237 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10169
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Price (as hardcover):
$24.99 USD
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.
...
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This is a well-written, well-thought-out novel, replete with rich symbolism and a deep knowledge of not merely the material, but also the country in which it is set. Mr. Meyer takes us into the heart of South Africa: its people. Their problems, post-Aparteid, their joys.
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We are, in Devil's Peak, offered insight in regards to the South African police system. We are also offered insight into things the rest of the world holds in common with a land that, to such as I, feels exotic and utterly alien in context. I'm talking about alcoholism, illegal drugs, "sex workers" (the oldest profession, and an occasionally highly lucrative one to all accounts), corruption in law, poverty, and the deeper mysteries of the human nature. . Degrees of darkness... set in a land where degrees of color can mean an entire world of difference in how things -- and people -- get treated. White, colored, black. Culture clash -- the roil of Apartheid still not faded completely away, as it may never be. The dazzle and wild swings of the damaged psyche. Love of children. Love, itself, and its counterpart of blasting hate. Joy, too, and hope. The things that make it all worthwhile to struggle against the evils of our species.
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The reader is drawn in tighter and tighter as the story comes together. This novel is a highly skilled interweaving of several strong threads of story, all tied off in a carefully intricate, artistic knot. It is a master work.
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Since Mr. Meyer is South African and I am an American, I had never seen his work before. I must say that I am not only delighted to find another good writer with something real to say, but that I am also impressed with the level of skill shown by this author. I certainly hope we see more of his work here in the U. S. in future. It's serious stuff.
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...
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Special thanks to Hachette Book Group for the chance to review Deon Meyer's fascinating, engrossing novel. For information on other books offered or about to be offered by HBGUSA, please visit their website.
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Comments? Questions?
-- The Fireside Reader
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