Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Debauchery and Murder in Kenya in the 1930s


Darcy promised Georgina a special honeymoon, but she had no idea it might be in Kenya. At first she’s thrilled with the exotic beauty of the place, but as she meets the residents of Happy Valley, she suspects Darcy has been sent on assignment. He tells Georgina that jewel robberies have taken place in London and the authorities suspect someone has escaped to Kenya. She accepts the explanation, but wonders if it’s true.

The newly weds, at least Georgina, are shocked by the debauchery in the Happy Valley. Drugs and sex are the main occupations with considerable imbibing of alcohol. One of the ring leaders is Lord Cheriton. He makes a pass a Georgina who puts a stop to that quickly. Then he’s found dead. It’s a lonely stretch of road, and it appears that Lord Cheriton was attacked by an animal. The more Darcy and Georgina learn, the less realistic this seems.

This novel is based on a true unsolved crime in Kenya. The historical scene including the debauchery is quite realistic. I enjoyed the background and learning more about Kenya under the British. However, it wasn’t a pleasant story. Aside from Georgina and Darcy, the characters were uniformly unpleasant.

The murder plot was interesting, but I felt not enough was done to build up the minor characters so the ending while a surprise seemed rushed. I enjoy this series, but aside from seeing Darcy and Georgina finally married, it was one of my least favorites.

I received this book from Net Galley for this review.

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