News of the death of a research assistant, killed by a man-eating lion in Zimbabwe, reaches those closest to her.

Jed Banks, a Special Forces soldier serving in Afghanistan:

Professor Christine Wallis in South Africa; and Hassan bin Zayid, a hotel magnate in Zambia. The victim was respectively their daughter, protégée and lover.

Driven to find out exactly what happened, led, accompanied by Christine, travels to the banks of the Zambezi to investigate.

Not only does Jed learn some shocking truths about the daughter he thought he knew, he begins to suspect that Christine is withholding crucial information.

Meanwhile, Hassan's grief is dangerously volatile...