Beyond Saru

Set in Africa, this mystery reflects the contradictions, surprises and wonder of that continent. World-famous conservationist Sasha de Neans has died in a helicopter crash, together with a notorious poacher. Alan Moffat, the brilliant designer who created the fatal aircraft's unique rotor, is called in to investigate the cause of the crash. The investigation uncovers a third body crushed on the ground under the helicopter and the fact that a massive amount of money from the national bank of Kenya is missing. Moffat, de Neans's assistant Camilla Bertel plus various Kenyan army officers and conservation officials are soon in the midst of a war between Kenya and Somalia--a war started over de Neans's discovery of an antelope rumored to have aphrodisiacal properties and previously believed extinct; a war that has Moffat and company playing hide-and-seek with enemy helicopters and ground troops in the African bush while trying to fathom the secrets de Neans took to the grave with her; a war that forces Moffat to confront his hidden self. Roberts ( Shy Moon ) has created a page-turner filled with well-developed characters and surprising twists of plot. (Dec.)