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I’d long wanted to write a suspenseful thriller and introduce the reader to a seldom visited African locale.  I chose Zambia, one of several countries where I’d worked in Africa, drew on my  experiences there and showcased its people and their culture.  Defining the story took only a month.  Turning it into a book took two and a half years.

(Click image to link to the Amazon Kindle edition)

Zambia, in south-central African, is home to the inspiring Zambezi River, Victoria Falls and exciting wildlife.   The first person you’ll meet is Kelvin,  son of a mining engineer and school teacher in the Copperbelt’s  Bemba tribe, who was recently named Zambia’s Deputy Minister of Tribal Affairs.

Kelvin’s wife Thandi left her tribal home to live with Kelvin in the capital city of Lusaka, but abandoned their marriage because without the friendship and security of her tribal community, she couldn’t live a satisfying life or enjoy the support needed to raise a child.

Over time, Kelvin sees many tribal people migrate to the city slums and into impoverished, degraded lives.  When migration to spikes, disease takes thousands of lives.  When it further accelerates, Kelvin develops a program to finance solar panels and electricity in rural villages to ease their hardships and keep them home.  Politicians initially approve it, but they kill it when they see no benefit for themselves.

Desperate to save lives, Kelvin plots an extreme and dangerous course…

More characters:

Samuel – An apprentice mask carver in Lusaka’s tourist market until an opportunity opens the door to schooling.  He becomes the Army Chief of Staff, wants to pay his good fortune forward, and is prepared to partner with Kelvin in his quest.  But Samuel has taken advantage of another opportunity, and it haunts him…

Simon – The Minister of Tribal Chiefs and Traditional Affairs mentored Kelvin as a youth, is now his boss, and self-soothes with American bourbon since losing his children to AIDS.

The General – A giant of a man, rapidly promoted after guiding government decentralization a generation earlier, is critical to the government’s stability.

Tom – An American meeting facilitator who worked with Kelvin, Simon and the General more than a decade earlier.

Emma – The biologist joined her husband Tom because she was en route to Tanzania to teach at a girls’ school and wanted to stop in Zambia to meet Kayla.

Kayla – Head of the Jacaranda Girls’ School and a regional leader in girls’ education.

Trina – Kayla’s sister and a diplomat in the Foreign Office.  Her husband Charles’ fate is mysterious.  

Damien – An enthusiastic science teacher with the skills to build dirty bombs.

Salma – A newspaper reporter whose upbringing in difficult times taught her to make sure everyone knows what’s expected of them and hold them to it.

Edgar – A  tough from Lusaka’s streets who enjoys the power of a Captain in Zambia’s army.

Daniel – Lusaka’s Police Chief.

Palo, Francis, and Kennedy – Three hotel employees with humble origins who take initiative and act with honor at critical moments.

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