Dead of Night by Michael Stanley – Blog Tour Review.

About the Book

When freelance journalist, Crystal Nguyen, heads to South Africa, she thinks she’ll be researching an article on rhino-horn smuggling for National Geographic, but within a week she’s been hunting poachers, hunted by their bosses, and then arrested in connection with a murder. And everyone is after a briefcase full of money that she doesn’t want, but can’t get rid of…

Fleeing South Africa, she goes undercover in Vietnam, trying to discover the truth before she’s exposed by the local mafia. Discovering the plot behind the money is only half the battle. Now she must convince the South African authorities to take action before it’s too late, both for the rhinos and for her. She has a powerful story to tell, if she survives long enough to tell it…

Fast-paced, relevant and chilling, Dead of Night is a stunning new thriller from Michael Stanley, author of the award-winning Detective Kubu series, introducing an intriguing new protagonist, while exposing one of the most vicious conflicts on the African continent…

My Review

With thanks to the publisher for the copy received. Having read and thoroughly enjoyed the Detective Kubu series by Michael Stanley I knew I would enjoy this new novel, even though it is not part of that series.
The character on this series is Crys, a Vietnamese freelance journalist and biathlete who has spent most of her life in America. She is passionate about wildlife, there is a very touching part in the novel where she gives the reasons, and when a close friend goes missing whilst investigating poaching she takes his place. She hopes to find him, alive, and highlight the rhino horn poaching problem.
And it is in Africa that the magic starts. We can all go to zoos and wildlife parks in the countries that we live in, but reading this novel shows that you will never experience anything unless you see it in its natural environment. Reading about Crys’s joy at seeing the wildlife and the attempts by the farmers to keep them safe was touching and I felt like I was experiencing it myself. But there is more than just the wildlife, there is also the danger that comes with those who want to use the wildlife, in this case rhino, to make a lot of money. There are the poachers, corrupt police and many others to be wary of. There are also those who make their decisions for reasons that are more personal than greed.
This is one of those novels that make you open your eyes to a big problem. That if certain practices are not stopped it will be catastrophic for the future. There are many creatures who are at threat due to greed, power and unproven medical uses.
I don’t know if this is a standalone novel or the first in a series. It works well either way.