Author Description

Carlotta Grace Snodgrass is a bright, vivacious, pretty young Ornithology student studying for her PhD at Port University under the tutelage of Professor Jonathan Flowerdew. She is the daughter of the late Hubert "H" Snodgrass a prominent wildlife and conservation photographer in his day, and Maria da Graca Melo Almeida Snodgrass an internationally famous fashion model whose professional name is 'Maria Melo'. Professor Flowerdew is the World's leading authority in the study of birds of the Trogonidae family and has written many scholarly papers on the subject as well as having given lectures to bodies of eminent conservationists and bird experts. He receives information from a very reliable source that a member of the Trogonidae family, previously recorded as extinct, has been seen in a remote part of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Najiva. Along with the information comes a formal request from the Najivan Government for his help in firstly confirming the alleged sighting and secondly, if true, assisting them in the conservation and repopulation of their forest lands with this extremely important bird. Accordingly the Professor, together with Carlotta Snodgrass and her fellow PhD student, Zander Harry, organises an expedition to Najiva. Unfortunately, Najiva is in the throes of a period of unrest led by a rebel called 'Garwe' (the crocodile!). This troublemaker has set up his headquarters in the Thurani Forest, the very place where the rare bird was reported to have been seen. He gets wind of their presence in the country and hatches a plan to make use of the visitors in a game of political chess. Thus the expedition is in great danger. However, supernatural and magickal forces are on their side and, without them being aware, they are guarded and guided by unseen friends, but their intervention is no guatantee that all will turn out well. Amidst political twists and turns, comic and dangerous situations, danger from wild animals (and humans) and unexpected romanc