"The Devil in the Bush"

For our podcast this week, I've gone somewhat off the beaten path (again) to an author who was new to me before I read the book.

I am indebted to the publishers at Felony & Mayhem who were kind enough to suggest that I might enjoy reading books by Matthew Head. They were right. "The Devil in the Bush" was Head's first novel featuring his detective, a missionary named Dr. Mary Finney. It's set in Africa during World War II.

The novel follows a young American dpilomat, on assignment to Africa, who becomes involved with a fascinating set of people - most of them Belgian. This is colonial Africa, and there is a good deal of racial interplay between the white Europeans and the black Africans. There is also passion and humor, culminating in a couple of murders - with everything sorted out ultimately by Dr. Finney.

For the most part, it's a puzzle mystery, and the reader is given clues during the course of the book. It's also a fascinating look at this chapter in African history. Give it a try - I think you will enjoy it. You can hear the complete review here.