Fever Pitch

Deon Meyer took a big gamble with his new novel – but it’s paying off.

- Almari Wessels 

WHO’D ever expect Deon Meyer to crank out a post - apocalyptic suspense thriller? The South African author is known for his gritty crime novels that are firmly rooted in reality – so this change of genre is bound to come as a surprise to fans.

You won’t find his beloved detective Benny Griessel anywhere within the 544 pages of his hefty new tome, Fever, which recently hit the shelves in English. It’s the story of a son searching for his father’s murderer in a world where a deadly virus has wiped out billions of people.

Although Deon (58) has already released 10 novels in English – many of them bestsellers – he reckons this is his best ever.

“I’ve never written anything and then thought it was my best book, but this feels different and it’s like something special happened,” Deon says as he chats to us at a guesthouse in Stellenbosch where he and his girlfriend, Marianne Vorster, have set up home.