"delightful historical whodunit"
In 1920 with the war over and the need for female
ambulance drivers also over, Jade del Cameron completed a
death bed promise in British East Africa (see MARK OF THE
LION). Though her quest is done, Jade decides to stay for
now and even mentors a preadolescent lad, Jelani. Jade accompanied by her friends Lord Avery Dunbury and his
wife Beverly, and Jelani head towards the Mount Marasbit
elephant preserve, but are horrified by the corpses of
four elephants killed for their tusks as ivory sells big
in western markets. Nearby she also finds the remains of
a King's soldier obviously killed by the poachers who
butchered the elephants. Jade especially personalizes the
kills and vows to bring to justice to the poachers whether
they are natives, Abyssinian raiders, western safari
leaders like Harry Hascombe, or some other avaricious
souls. STAKING IVORY is a delightful historical whodunit starring
an independent courageous woman who wants to see justice
occur for the brutally slaughtered animals and the dead
soldier. Jade risks her life to do so though she finds an
ally in a pilot Sam Featherstone. Fans of Alexander
McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe No. 1 Ladies' Detective
Agency tales will join Jade on her amateur sleuthing
safari. Harriet Klausner
Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted November 2, 2007
SummaryOn a photography assignment in the northern territory of
Mount Marsabit, Jade and her friends Beverly and Avery
Dunbury hope to capture on film the area's colossal
elephants. Instead they discover the mutilated remains of
four elephants and one man. The authorities suspect
Abyssinian poachers and raiders in search of ivory and
slaves. But Jade has her own suspicions, which are only
heightened when she discovers a cache of German rifles
hidden in a nearby cave. And when Jelani, the Kikuyu boy
accompanying her, is captured by slave traders, Jade must
join forces with handsome American pilot Sam Featherstone to
rescue one of her own.
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