Ivory Ghosts by Caitlin OConnell
Review by Dawn Thomas
Rating: 5 stars

303 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group - Alibi
Release Date: April 7, 2015

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Animal Conservation, Africa

Catherine has relocated from South Africa after the death of her fiancé. She is a pilot and will assist with the elephant census. While driving her 1974 VW bug from South Africa to Namibia. She runs over a piece of metal and shreds a tire. With no other cars on the road, she decides to walk to the ranger station. She spies a Mercedes sedan off the road and approaches with caution. In the car, she finds four people dead, shot in the head and chest. Clearly, this was not an animal attack. She sees the trunk is slightly ajar and uses the barrel of her gun to push it open. There are small pieces of ivory and elephant teeth which is evidence of poaching.

While flying over a board, she sees hundreds of tusks collected by poachers; she contacts her supervisor, Craig, about her find. He tells her not to trust anyone. She enlists the help of a local woman in her investigation.

The author describes the local landscape and the poaching activity. She lived in the are which gives her writing authenticity. I recommend this book to anyone interested in animal conservation.