State of Wonder

It starts off like some modern day corporate thriller that sees our pharmacologist protagonist Marian Singh sent to the Amazon at the behest of her corporate masters. Vogel Pharmaceutical needs someone to rein in and report back about rogue scientist Annik Swenson and ferret out the mystery of their first emissary's death. From there it's all Heart of Darkness. Sycophants, anaconda wrestling, cannibals, psychedelic fungi, addictive tree bark, fertile octogenarians, a mute native boy and lots of lost luggage - worst road trip ever. It's a far meatier story than I would have expected.