Crime and Terror in the Jungle

Go in single file, ' Digby whispered. Only the fireflies with their glowing lights buzzing around lit the way. A gunshot rang out and a cacophony of squawking birds flew out of trees, whilst the team raced towards the sound of the shot.

There lay a magnificent elk with its horns in velvet writhing in agony, and then the poachers jumped on Digby's men. The poachers were dressed in dark clothes, five in total, and were bare footed, easier to distinguish from the others in boots...

This was just one of many skirmishes that Digby endured, all in an intense desire to avenge poachers for stealing his baby elephant when he was a child. He struggles both with his desire for revenge, and a desire to find his true self. This dichotomy lies at the heart of his story. And this struggle proved too much for him. He returned to Australia a broken man, both physically and mentally.

It was left to his family, friends and his beloved Zelma to pick up the pieces. But at what cost?

Crime and Terror in the Jungle is ultimately a tale of redemption set in the jungle of Sri Lanka and the wilds of Gippsland, Victoria. Virginia de Vos's vivid descriptions of the jungles and the animals within it are superb, transporting the reader to an exotic land and culture. But the strength of the writing is even more compelling given the author's ability to portray the human condition in all its guises, culminating in an authentic and impressive read.