by Wilbur Smith
First published 2009
Lieutenant Leon Courtney has left the British army to become a big game hunter in British East Africa. The year is 1913, and he leads wealthy Europeans and Americans on safari through Masai territory. His most important client is German Count Otto von Meerbach, a wealthy industrialist who supplies aircraft and vehicles to the Kaiser's army. But Leon carries a secret mission. His uncle Penrod Ballantyne, commander of British forces in East Africa, has recruited him as a Crown spy. Leon must extract information from the count that could prove valuable in the coming great conflict. A conspiracy soon emerges against the British in South Africa, involving disgruntled Boer War survivors. Leon can help neutralize this threat decisively. However, an unexpected complication endangers his mission and possibly his life. He develops an uncontrollable passion for Eva, the count's beautiful and enigmatic mistress.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, africa
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, spy
Setting: British East Africa, Masai Territory, South Africa
Period: 1913
480 pages · Hardcover · Thomas Dunne Books