Dead on the Delta

Dead on the Delta is a fascinating book that will transport readers to the safaris of the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Alexa Williams is an attorney from Pennsylvania who loves her little cabin in the woods and her dog, Scout. Her boyfriend, Reese Michaels, gets called to do a job in Botswana doing research on the big cats. Alexa is hired by the Africa Trust as a temporary employee so that she can go with Reese to Botswana. During their excursions with various guides, Alexa and Reese delve into the beautiful wildlife of the country. Lions, elephants, hippos, jackals, and many other animals are resident in their beautiful surroundings.

The story picks up as the group finds out that there are poachers killing elephants and stealing their ivory tusks. The Botswana Defence Force, or BDF, desperately wants to find the poachers that are killing the wildlife. Meanwhile, Alexa meets “Mama,” a celebrity to the local people. Mama has done a lot of work with HIV/AIDS foundations and has a vested interest in the local laws concerning poaching. Among the cast of characters are Nick and Emma, who manage the Noka Camp, and guides Mo and Henry. There are times in the book where the characters are running for their lives from either animals or the “bad guys.”

Author Sherry Knowlton shows that she has done her research through the various details that are inserted into her writing in Dead on the Delta. This book is written with such care that I didn’t want to miss anything while I was reading. There are so many important parts to this book and all of the pieces come together in the end to create an “a-ha” moment.

My favorite part of the book was the descriptions of the animals and their behaviors. The way the author described the lions, for example, with their markings to identify them and how the groups kept track of the males, females, and babies and knew if one or more of them were missing from the pride is extremely interesting. And the fact that hippos account for most of the deaths in the area is astounding! As someone who loves nature shows, I absolutely loved every part where the characters were observing or encountering the various animals.

The plot of the story was well done and even had a bit of romance and a love triangle in it. This book was full of action, adventure, politics, and, of course, animals.