Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I've read by Peter Hain and I loved it as much as the first! The characters are so well written they come alive off the page. The political intrigue and real issues make it a stimulate and entertaining read.

The Elephant Conspiracy is Peter Hain's sequel to 'The Rhino Conspiracy'. This was a great read about poaching, illegal wildlife trading, greed & corruption plus so much more. This book will really open your eyes to these topics and you will understand the issues so much more after finishing it. This story is fiction but full of facts and is a book I feel everyone should read, you will learn so much about such an important issue.

Peter Hain's latest powerful thriller is the sequel to THE RHINO CONSPIRACY, which I had not read, but I already understood the subject matter. In case there is anyone left unaware, both rhinos and elephants are well on the road to extinction because rich people want their horns or tusks. THE ELEPHANT CONSPIRACY shows how the author believes this is occurring with wanton murder, not just of animals but of anyone who tries to interfere.

Thandi Matjeke, a strong young woman in South Africa, is offered a political position at the start of this story, but she turns it down. She wants to get work done, not be visible and bribed. Today’s nation, we learn, is a long way removed from the subjects of the author Peter Hain’s earlier books. He has written about growing up in South Africa, and biographies of the late Nelson Mandela, the freedom activist. Neither the apartheid state nor the heady start of freedom survives in this telling.

Ivory tusk sales are dependent upon poachers, and the illegal wildlife trade prospers through corruption. Isaac Mkhize is caring for the remaining elephants in southern Africa, escorting tourists as a game warden, who provides a great deal of information about the largest land mammal and many others he encounters. Opposed to the good works are people like Star, a district president, whose only desire is to enrich himself and his cronies. Ivory is just one method. The notorious South African “State Capture” means the district awards a contract and pays for building works, but they never happen, and the money vanishes, siphoned off through banks in the Middle Eastern nation Dubai. Accountants in London, New York, and Hong Kong assist in covering the traces. Nobody investigates, or if they do, they are fired or killed. Peter Hain doesn’t mince his words as he largely reprises factual books and journalism, laying the blame where he feels it belongs.

Some of the dirty money is used to hire a professional assassin from Northern Ireland. This shows how the money circulates to fund terrorism. I felt this character was discussed at too great length, seeming to be an effort to make the book more relevant to British readers, when the action occurs in South Africa and doesn’t require further complexity.

THE ELEPHANT CONSPIRACY is not easy to read, for anyone who loves wildlife or cares about social justice and equality. The South Africa depicted is fast going down the drain, with everything from houses to sewerage works left unfinished. Charities are shown stepping up where successive governments thieve and run up World Bank debt. Thandi Matjeke, a woman trying to survive, grumpily blames men for these ills. The style of the book – masculine, soaked in blood and blown dust – reminds me of the crime novels about a South African police officer by Paul Mendelson. THE ELEPHANT CONSPIRACY will reach an audience that prefers fiction and absorbs information from well-written thrillers, with sources cited for further reading in case some think it unbelievable. Just don’t get too attached to anyone.

This and The Rhino Conspiracy should be part of all schools’ libraries.

Thandi Matjeke, the wife of Isaac Mkhize, has been asked to join the government as a member of parliament. She refuses as she feels she can be of more use away from the confines of strict rules. Thandi has the guidance of people like the Sniper, and the Veteran. She could feed more information to people like Major Yasmin Essop, recently appointed by the president to hunt down those caught up in the shocking corruption facing South Africa on all levels.

There are some highly distressing moments concerning the destruction of elephant families. However, they were necessary so that we, the readers, fully understand what threats elephants face thanks to the ongoing war raged by poachers.

A gangster called “Star” featured prominently in the storyline; I didn’t want to complete my review until I’d researched the man. The search led me to webinars, articles, and so much damning evidence on the diabolical state of corruption in South Africa, not just in the province mentioned.

I admire Peter Hain’s ability to tell the situation in South Africa through fiction, based on facts and real people. This series is proving to be of such immense importance, not just as brilliant thrillers, but it also includes a lot of well- documented truth. Hopefully, people reading will understand that the country can no longer look at the ANC, founded by some of the bravest, most brilliant men and women, no longer portrays their values. I keep thinking of people like Mandela, Tambo, the Sisulu’s, Hani and others (too many to list) who would be shocked and angry to see the level of money laundering and theft, railways no longer run, and the worst, loadshedding electricity.

Thank you, Peter Hain. Once again, you’ve produced a thriller with more twists and turns than seems possible.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

A great read about greed, poachers, illegal wildlife trade, corruption, and I could keep on listing subjects here. Peter Hain knows what he is writing about, and I was happy to see that so many angles regarding what has happened, and what is happening to elephants in southern Africa are tackled in this book. I wish more people knew about this, more than just that it is happening (but there is nothing I can do about it).

Reading this book ought to open up new ways of understanding the problem. It is easier to get a grasp of this through fiction, all though this book is sadly filled with facts. Usually authors have to come up with tons of ideas, one crazier than another. International thrillers are filled with action, the possibilities and money are endless, and in the end the good win. In this case no one has to come up with crazy sounding schemes, because these things are really happening at the moment.

I hope many readers are taking the time to read this book, because they would not only get an interesting read, but they would also learn a lot, I think. Thank you for writing this book!

Even better than the Rhino Conspiracy, a great story to sink your teeth into. With the death of the elephants being only part of the story, this is a story of corruption at the highest levels and the quest of a small group of patriots to bring the offenders to their knees. So much research and personal interest flows from this book, while the ending leaves the door wide open for more. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance reader copy of this book.

Before I start my review of The Elephant Conspiracy by Peter Hain, I wish to express my sincere appreciation for the author’s passion and his contribution towards the wellbeing of South Africa. His deep distress about the corruption the country has plunged into, far away from the ideals of Nelson Mandela, can be felt in each paragraph he has written.

The Elephant Conspiracy deals with, among other things, the devastation humans are wreaking on the population of African Elephants—the world’s largest land animals—encroaching on their habitats and killing them mercilessly for ivory. The astronomical amounts of money generated by the illegal ivory trade are being used to fund all sorts of criminal enterprises, including terrorism and state capture. Shockingly, the biggest perpetrator of poaching and many other forms of corruption ranging from misappropriation of government funds to international money-laundering is the premier of a province himself! Nicknamed Star, the leader of Free State aspires, with an eye on the topmost office in the country, for unlimited power and wealth and employs ruthless means, from intimidation to outright murder, to acquire both. Aiding him in his campaign of corruption are criminals and killers of various classes, one of them an Irish assassin from the ranks of the IRA.

The country’s new president, renowned for his contribution in the anti-apartheid struggle, is fighting hard to get things on track after years of corruption and cronyism by his predecessor, who was deposed following the explosive occurrences that formed the previous novel, The Rhino Conspiracy. But he seems to be powerless against the likes of Star, who occupy most of the influential positions in the government and are determined to keep enriching themselves at the cost of the nation's progress. Fortunately for the country, there are people—both at home and abroad—who have the will and the means to fight the bad ones, led by the Veteran—an anti-apartheid hero who, despite being hobbled by old-age and the injuries he sustained in his previous adventure, is on the forefront. Yasmin Essop—the minister of security, Thandi Matjeke—the Veteran's young protégé, Isaac Mkhize—Thandi's husband and a fearless ranger, and a few other fine people put their careers and lives on the line to stop Star's deadly machinations.

A novel with the subject I’ve summarised above should be relentlessly gripping, more so because most of the people and events it covers are real and relevant. But The Elephant Conspiracy is far from gripping, and the main reason for this is the profuse descriptions of everything that plagues the rainbow nation. Hain stuffs so many facts about the anti-apartheid struggle and what has gone on in the country in the decades of democracy that the actual story is left without much space to develop. Unconnected to the South African issues, Hain also provides an overdose of the history of the Northern Ireland conflict, also known as The Troubles. Despite having all the ingredients of a solid thriller—conspiracies, killings, kidnappings, assaults, and breathless chases, The Elephant Conspiracy feels heavy and tedious. While I wholeheartedly appreciate Hain’s earnestness in detailing the evils that assail South Africa, I look for certain basic things from a novel, that too a thriller, such as a riveting plot and engaging action, which are sadly absent from The Elephant Conspiracy. Hain's way of presenting factual history—as reminiscences of his characters irrespective of their situations and circumstances—breaks the narrative flow and makes the reading tedious.

The Elephant Conspiracy, though having its heart in the right place, fails to hold the reader’s attention for more than a few pages at a time, which is unfortunate because the story is important and needs to reach a wider audience. My rating for this well-intended but poorly executed novel would be 3 out of 5, averaging 5 and 1 for intent and execution respectively.

I would like to thank Muswell Press for the advance copy of The Elephant Conspiracy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I would struggle to be able to review this book due to issues with the file/download. The issues stopped the flow of the book. The issues are:
- Missing words in the middle of sentences
- Stop/start sentences on different lines
- No clear definition of chapters.

Not sure if it was a file/download issue but there were lots of gaps and stops/starts which really ruined the flow. I would love the chance to read a better version as the description of the book appeals to me.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no gaps between sentences, and a cover. It is very document-like instead of a book therefore a star is lost for this.

I really enjoyed this book by Peter Hain, it has a great mystery novel and did what I was hoping for. It had a great story and I was invested in what was going on in this mystery. The characters were interesting and felt like they belonged in the story. I look forward to reading more from the author.

"I remember when the family I worked for moved house from central Pretoria out to a spot on the side of a kopje – all built over now, but not then. The Special Branch were caught by surprise, and for some weeks the family was free of the cars parked outside watching them. In the new house their telephone hadn’t been connected, so the Branch couldn’t trace them that way either."