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Since divorcing his wife, Jack has found comfort and purpose in the world of serious birdwatching. On a birding tour during an African safari, this novel brings together about a half-dozen characters, all with over-the-top and often conflicting personalities. They join two highly experienced bird-tour guides as they explore the African continent in an amazing opportunity to learn about the abundance of avian life, including many rare and endangered species.
There is one tiny problem toward the end of their trip, which puts a slight damper on things. Jimmy Russo, who rubbed just about everybody the wrong way with his rough attitude, crude remarks, and tendency towards fistfights, apparently has fallen off a cliff and is dead. The evidence suggests the probability of murder, not simply an accident. Anyone in the small tour group could be suspect. In addition to the unexpected death, love is born on the expedition, as Iris Fogelman and Jack strike up a passionate romance, eventually making plans to marry once back in the States. The only problem is that Jane (Russo's wife), who Jack had romanced on a previous birding tour in Argentina, is continuously making aggressive advances toward him, despite his resistance and stated interest in Iris.
Peake has written an enjoyable novel that excels at character development in this adventure on the dark continent. To be sure, readers who are into birding (or to a lesser degree, wildlife in general—especially the species-rich variety found throughout Africa) will absolutely enjoy this book. An enormous diversity of birdlife, often painted in exquisite detail, constitutes a large portion of the substance of this tale. The often over-the-top behavior of the humans, both humorous and at times unsettling, is simply icing on the cake.