Book excerpt: A former assassin in post-apartheid South Africa is drawn back into his former profession in this “rip-roaring adventure” (The Washington Post). Six-foot five-inch Thobela “Tiny” Mpayipheli was once a feared freedom fighter, trained by the Stasi and KGB. Now, he’s a family man working in a garage in post-apartheid South Africa. But when the daughter of one of Tiny’s former associates comes to him with a desperate plea, he finds himself returning to his violent former life. With his old friend Johnny being held hostage, Tiny agrees to do whatever it takes to get him back safely. But as he races to the rendezvous point on a stolen BMW motorcycle, Tiny is trailed by several hostile forces, including South Africa’s Presidential Intelligence Unit. And when his old training kicks in, his pursuers will learn what kind of man they’re up against . . . With books published in twenty languages, Deon Meyer has established himself as one of the best crime writers in the world. In Heart of the Hunter, he has created a thriller “good enough to nip at the heels of Le Carré” (Kirkus Reviews). “This guy is really good. Deon Meyer hooked me with this one right from the start.” —Michael Connelly, New York Times–bestselling author of the Harry Bosch novels “A portrait of spy-world duplicity and a look at South Africa’s post-apartheid politics.” —The Washington Post “The dark, explosive side of Alexander McCall Smith’s Botswana books, as full of love for the vast beauty of the country but also riddled by the anger of South Africa’s recent racial and political struggles.” —Chicago Tribune “A brilliant American debut by Afrikaans writer Deon Meyer, uses political intrigue as the fuel for a fast-paced crime thriller.” —The Times-Picayune