The Rwandan Hostage

Set over a period of 10 days in July 2010, the second volume in British author Lowery’s African Diamonds trilogy (after 2015’s The Angolan Clan) will work best for thriller fans who don’t mind extremely convoluted plots. Mystery author Emma Stewart has taken her 15-year-old son, Leo, from the U.K. to Johannesburg for the World Cup final as a special treat. When Leo disappears, Emma finds the authorities’ handling of the case suspicious. Emma’s worst fears come true when she learns that Leo has, in fact, been abducted, and she turns to her sister back in England, Jenny Bishop, who has the financial assets to help with any ransom demand. Fortunately, Leo manages to stay alive while Emma and her allies try to determine the motive behind the crime, which has its roots in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, though this background is underdeveloped. Readers should be prepared for some improbable actions (e.g., the kidnappers wait days before warning Emma not to contact the authorities). (Nov.)