To the Lions

London Post investigative journalist Casey Benedict, the heroine of Watt’s terrifying and timely debut, is at a high-end nightclub stalking a source when she overhears a conversation about a camp where the rich can kill without consequences. Research leads Casey and fellow reporter Miranda Darcey to suspect that someone is leading human safaris at the Salama refugee camp on the Libya-Algeria border. They can’t go to print without proof, though, and their only witness dies before they can question him. With the help of damaged former Royal Marine Ed Fitzgerald, the women conspire to go undercover and join the depraved hunting party, gathering evidence and getting out before anyone catches on; after sequestering themselves in the Sahara with men who paid for the privilege to murder, however, that proves easier said than done. Watt lulls readers with a slow, almost antiseptic start, then plunges them headlong into a white-knuckled, adrenaline-fueled thrill ride. Visceral storytelling enhances a harrowing plot that continually ratchets up tension while spotlighting the global refugee crisis, debating journalistic ethics, and contemplating the value of an individual life. Watt is off to a strong start. Agent: Andrew Gordon, David Higham (U.K.). (Sept.)