KILLING GROUND

In Bowie’s (Deathsman, 2015, etc.) action-oriented thriller, an American pilot joins the fight against poachers in Africa.

Freshly unemployed corporate pilot Zeke Blades gets distressing news. Ben Stone, his flight instructor and friend, has gone missing while flying for nonprofit Global Health Resources, which is based in Africa. That’s where Zeke goes for answers, and he quickly learns that Ben had been aiding a vigilante group called the Mambas. Their goal is to take down bands of poachers who have murdered countless big animals as well as park rangers who tried to stop them. There’s a chance Ben is alive; a gang that shot down a chopper he was piloting has contacted the Mambas and demanded ransom and a halt to anti-poaching operations. Believing a jihadi named Abdul Ahad is Ben’s captor, the Mambas plot to kidnap Ahad’s brother, Muhammadu Raza, to exchange for Ben. This means capturing, not killing, Raza, who’s a poacher leader, most recently targeting elephants. Zeke, a Cherokee Indian, has a black belt in karate and willingly teams up with the Mambas. With a temporary gig at Global Health Resources giving him access to aircraft, Zeke, along with the other vigilantes, is ready to face off against armed and homicidal poachers. Bowie’s tale moves at a steady clip with sometimes-deadly confrontations. There’s suspense as well, as when it’s apparent that Raza is specifically after the “infidel pilot.” Characters such as mechanic/Mamba member DJ are easy to root for when fighting detestable villains who not only poach animals, but also help fund jihadis. Readers, however, should beware: While the story never graphically details the murder of elephants, it doesn’t shy away from the atrocities the poachers commit. Bowie’s pithy writing energizes the narrative, even when it’s simply Zeke in the cockpit: “When he had enough airspeed above a stall, he climbed into the gale, bucking and yawing wildly in the turbulence. It felt less like flying and more like bulling his way up a raging whitewater river.”

A fast-moving story with good guys who easily earn readers’ cheers.