The Witchdoctor's Bones — Lisa De Nikolits

A group of tourists gather in Namibia. Some have come to holiday, others to murder. Canadian Kate ditches her two-timing boyfriend and heads to Africa on a whim, hoping for adventure, encountering the unexpected and proving an intrepid adversary to mayhem. The tour is led by Jono, a Zimbabwean historian and philosopher, and the travellers follow him from Cape Town into the Namib desert, learning ancient secrets of the Bushmen, the power of witchcraft and superstition, and even the origins of Nazi evil. A ragged bunch, each member of the group faces their own challenges as third-world Africa pits against first-world greed, murderous intent and thwarted desire. The battle between goaded vanity and frustrated appetite culminates in a surprising conclusion with shocking twists. Unpredictable, flawed, fun-loving, courageous, bizarre, weak, kind-hearted and loathsome, the individuals in this novel exist beyond the page and into real life.