Murder Mystery in Kenya

 

Murder on Safari by Elspeth Huxley, Harper Brothers, 1939

              I found this book in a neighborhood little library. It is no longer available commercially, so if you want to read it, find a good library. It is a murder mystery set in Kenya in the 1930s written by prominent Kenyan author Elspeth Huxley.  Because she drew extensively on her knowledge of Africa, the setting is impeccable. The sights, smells and events of a bush safari are clearly evoked.

The story involves a luxury safari done with all the trappings and peopled by a number of odd characters.  People die. The tale jerks on occasionally buttressed by observations by the African staff on the eccentricities of the Europeans.   The plot is complicated and intriguing. It will keep you guessing, but the intrepid police inspector works it out in the end.

Aside from the plot, Huxley’s characters discuss the plight of rhinos, “poachers kill many rhinos so soon there will be none left alive.”  How prescient?  Note that this book and thus this sentiment was written in 1937.   The characters also debate the validity of big game hunting noting that a man with a high-powered rifle has a distinct advantage over a lion just resting after supper.  They wonder whether the undertaking is worthwhile, or even ethical.  Again, it is interesting to note that these types of discussions figured in Huxley’s Kenya ninety years ago.

I enjoyed the mystery and give it an A.