title: Dead Before Dying: A Novel
author:  Deon Meyer 
description: South African journalist Meyer's first novel, his third to be released in the U.S. (after 2005's <i>Dead at Daybreak</i>), is a gritty existential tale with enough muscle for thriller fans and noir aficionados alike. Mat Joubert, a 34-year-old Cape Town detective, has slipped into a downward spiral two years after his wife, a fellow cop, is killed in the line of duty. Complicating matters is his newly appointed boss, Bart de Wit, a bureaucrat determined to make a name for himself in the "new" South Africa, who sends Joubert to a shrink for counseling. Joubert's opportunity at redemption comes as he investigates a bizarre series of murders committed with a century-old Mauser pistol used by the Afrikaners in the Boer war. The killer even uses vintage cartridges. Trouble is, the murders appear to be completely random and unrelated. As Joubert closes in on the killer, the plot takes an unexpected turn that will shock readers. While not up to the standard of his later <i>Dead at Daybreak</i>, this remains a bold, character-driven page-turner. <i>(May)</i> <br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  # DEAD BEFORE YOU DIE
  
  
  ### A DCI HARRY MCNEIL NOVEL
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## JOHN CARSON
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2019 John Carson
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Edited by [Melanie Underwood](http://www.melanieunderwood.co.uk/)
  
  
  Cover by [Damonza](http://www.damonza.com)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  John Carson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents
  Act 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and
  incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used
  fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or
  dead, is coincidental.
  
  
  
  
  
  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
  publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval
  system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
  photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permiss