| Author | Deon Meyer |
|---|---|
| Original title | Orion |
| Translator | Madeleine van Biljon |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Genre | Crime/Thriller fiction |
| Set in | South Africa |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
Publication date | 2000 |
| Publication place | South Africa |
| Pages | 400 |
| ISBN | 9781848947849 |
| Preceded by | Dead before Dying |
| Followed by | Heart of the Hunter |
Dead at daybreak[1] is the second crime novel written by South African thriller novelist, Deon Meyer. Its Afrikaans title is Orion, and it has been translated into English by Madeleine van Biljon.
In this thriller, the author brings together history and politics, that of South Africa in Angola.
Plot summary
editZatopek 'Zet' van Heerden is a private detective. He is appointed by the lawyer Hope Beneke to find in less than 7 days a testament bequeathing to the widow Wilna van As the fortune of her husband, Johannes Jacobus Smit. This rich antiquarian was tortured at their home and murdered after the opening of his safe-deposit box.
The plot alternates between the chapters written in the third person and describing the step-by-step investigations, and those written in the first person and detailing the history of the personal life of Zet van Heerden.
Quotation
editIn a dialogue with Hope (Beneke), a sentence summarizes how between Zet (van Heerden), the main character, oscillates between positive and negative feelings.
'My mother is an artist. That's her work.' He pointed to the wall. 'She creates beautiful paintings. She looks at the world and she makes it more beautiful on canvas. I think it's her way of distancing herself from the evil that is in all of us.' (Day 4 — Sunday, 9 July).
Main characters
edit- Zatopek 'Zet' van Heerden — the private detective.
- Hope Beneke — the lawyer.
- Thobela 'Tiny' Mpayipheli. His first name means 'respectful, well-mannered', while his last name means 'the one who never stops fighting'. And the nickname 'Tiny' is a joke after the giant "springbok lock" Tiny Naude. This character appears in another Deon Meyer's novel, The Devil's Peak.
Reference list
edit- ^ Meyer, Deon (2000). Dead at daybreak. London, UK: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-73943-3.