Africa – One for the Weekend

Central Kalahari Game Reserve. In the 1970s a young couple headed to Botswana with little more than a change of clothes. They stayed for 7 years, living in a remote part of the reserve with no roads, people or water source, studying the desert lions, brown hyenas and many other animals. Here they record what they learned about the animals and their behaviour and how they survive such difficult conditions. It's also a fascinating account of the challenges of living in such a remote area with little to no communication with the outside world, the threats of adverse weather, the animals themselves, and the sometimes devastating impact of human activity.

Cosy crime. A proud and determined woman establishes the finest (and only) ladies detective agency in Botswana. She relies upon her common sense, understanding of human behaviour and the local culture to investigate and deal with a series of every day cases including missing husbands, uncovering lies, and checking suspicious identities.

Psychological thriller. Four friends reunite in a luxury private lodge for an all-expense paid celebration. Arriving at the safari lodge they are filled with a growing sense of unease as they realise there are no other guests, no transport, no sign of the planned party and no phone signal. They are on their own, in the middle of the Botswanan plains with no means of leaving.

Egypt/USA. A death doula, who spends her time helping people make peace with themselves before they die, finds her own life flashing before her eyes when she is involved in an aviation incident. But it's not her husband and daughter that flash before her eyes - it's the life, career and man she left behind in Egypt 15 years previously. Facing her future she contemplates how her life might have been different, what a well-lived life looks like, and what we leave behind of ourselves when we die.

Historical fiction. 1922 and Lady Evelyn Herbert's dreams are realised when she is the first to set foot in Tutankhamun's tomb for over 3,000 years. But the months after the unforgettable discovery are marred by tragedy when her father dies suddenly and her family is torn in two. Desperate to put the past behind her, Evelyn retreats into a private life with her new husband. London 1972, Evelyn is recovering from a stroke, struggling with fragmented and fragile memories. She has been sheltering a dark secret about what really happened in Egypt for years, and when a young, persistent Egyptian woman visits and questions, her the life and happiness she has found comes under threat.

Classic whodunnit. A cruise down the Nile on a river steamer seems like the perfect way to get away from it all - a luxurious retreat, miles from civilisation. But the warm and tranquil evening is thick with hot passions and cold malice. When everyone on board has a motive, Hercule Poirot must abandon the mysteries of ancient Egypt and focus on altogether deadlier matters...

Tangier. A young woman arrives in Tangier with her husband, struggling to adjust to the heat, the noise and the bustle of the medinas and afraid to leave her apartment. It's completely unexpected when she runs into a friend to whom she hasn't spoken for more than a year, after an awful accident. Nonetheless, valuing a familiar face in a strange city, she allows her friend to help her leave the apartment and explore. It's not long before she starts to feel controlled - and then her husband goes missing.

Contemporary fiction. David and Jo are on their way to a party deep in the Moroccan desert. But, as a groggy David navigates the dark desert roads, they are surprised by two young men by the roadside, swerving and colliding with one of them. Meanwhile, festivities are in full flow at the party. Under the watchful eyes of their Moroccan staff, the extravagant hosts attend to the whims of their decadent guests, as the party carries on into a new day. Arriving at the house, David and Jo must confront what they have done and come to terms with its shattering consequences.

Morocco/Algeria. When Isabelle's estranged father dies, he leaves her a mysterious box containing three items: an archaeological report about an ancient Saharan queen, a faded piece of paper written in what might be Arabic, and a curious silver amulet. In another place and time, Mariata belongs to a desert tribe that can trace its roots back to the legendary Saharan queen, Tin Hinan. When her father takes a new wife, he abandons the nomadic life and settles in town in southern Morocco, taking Mariata with him. Though her heart belongs to Amastan, her stepmother has plans to marry her off to another man. Finding that option unbearable Mariata embarks on an epic, solo journey into the desert determined to take her fate into her own hands. Separated by different times and cultures, the lives of Isabelle and Mariana are about to become fatally intertwined.

Morocco, 1941. With France having fallen to Nazi occupation, twelve-year-old Josie has fled with her family to Casablanca, where they await safe passage to America. Life here is as intense as the sun, every sight, smell and sound overwhelming to the senses in a city filled with extraordinary characters. It’s a world away from the trouble back home. Seventy years later, another new arrival in the intoxicating port city, Zoe, is struggling—with her marriage, her baby daughter and her new life as an expat in an unfamiliar place. But when she discovers a small wooden box and a diary from the 1940s beneath the floorboards of her daughter’s bedroom, Zoe enters the inner world of young Josie, who once looked out on the same view of the Atlantic Ocean, but who knew a very different Casablanca. It’s not long before Zoe begins to see her adopted city through Josie’s eyes. But can a new perspective help her turn tragedy into hope, and find the comfort she needs to heal her broken heart?

A year ago Patrick was in Namibia as part of his military service. Now he returns, during the first free elections, to the country he defended, the country where he fell in love for the first time and the country which left him traumatised. Against the backdrop of a country on the brink of enormous change, he is forced to face his own painful memories of war, love and loss and to discover the courage to forge his own path forwards.

In a rural village, a young woman defies tradition refusing to weep and sing the praises of her husband when he dies suddenly. She will not mourn a husband who bullied and mistreated her.  As a result she is accused of witchcraft and of causing his death. A story of friendships amongst women, traditional beliefs and customs.  

A Parks Canada warden goes on secondment to Namibia to join a project tackling the illegal hunting of rhinos. The situation takes a dramatic turn when they uncover a poaching operation backed by international buyers, ruthless in their approach to dealing with obstacles. With financial rewards high for the traders, the stakes are high for everyone.

Any book set in this location.