Part of Mrs. Pollifax, book 12
First published 1996
Kadi Hopkirk receives an urgent plea for help from Sammat, her childhood friend who is about to become king of the African nation Ubangiba. She flies there immediately to help him. Mrs. Pollifax worries about letting the young woman travel alone into what seems like serious trouble, so she follows Kadi to Africa uninvited. Once they arrive, both women learn that Sammat faces accusations of sorcery and murder. Someone has been killing people in ways that make it look like a lion attacked them, leaving claw marks on the victims. The murders terrify everyone because no lions live in Ubangiba. Local people whisper that the future king uses dark magic to command a supernatural lion to kill his enemies. Mrs. Pollifax refuses to believe these claims about Sammat. She begins investigating the real source of the killings while the violence continues to spread fear throughout the country. The murders threaten not only Sammat's claim to the throne but also the safety of Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax themselves.
Genres: adventure, mystery, thriller, africa
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Ubangiba
218 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Fawcett Books