BYLEVELD Dossier of a Serial Sleuth

Byleveld: dossier of a serial sleuth by Hanlie Retief is a runaway publishing success. The first print run of 27,000 copies was released at the beginning of September, and the publisher’s stock was sold out within two weeks. The English edition topped the Exclusive Books Bestseller list last week, with the Afrikaans edition in third position. This indicates that the books are also flying off the bookstore shelves. 

In the meantime 5,000 more English and 3,000 more Afrikaans books were ordered. 

The book lifts the veil on the cases solved by the remarkable gentleman detective Piet Byleveld who had been, until his retirement in 2010 in the rank of brigadier, attached for decades to the well-known Brixton Murder and Robbery Unit. He developed a knack for cracking serial-murder cases, and his 100% success rate with those made him famous in South Africa and earned him accolades overseas. He was consulted by agencies such as Scotland Yard and the FBI. His solving the infamous case of Leigh Matthews made him a household name. 

The book also traces the personal life of the celebrated public figure, from humble rural beginnings, making it in the tough world of Joburg police work, seeing an unhappy marriage dissolve acrimoniously, to finding happiness at last. 

Hanlie Retief is an award-winning journalist at Rapport. A collection of her weekly interview essays was published earlier in 2011 entitled Hanlie Retief praat met. 

The author and Byleveld are currently on an extensive promotional tour. 

The book is also available in Afrikaans entitled: Byleveld: dossier van ’n baasspeurder.