Howard Beamish, a somewhat short-sighted paleontologist, and Lucy Faulkner, a driven, rather arch journalist, make separate plans for a trip to Nairobi. En route, their plane runs into engine trouble, forcing them to land in Callimbia, a country in the throes of revolution and in the clutches of a megalomanical despot with a passion for board games, as well as games of state. What happens next is rendered with suspense and intelligence, a guaranteed page-turner.
