The constant gardener

This was a good book - it exceeded my expectations, and ended up a worthy 4 stars. My only criticism is that it felt a little dragged out in the last 150 pages, when most of the plot had already rolled out.

There are many reviews which outline (and probably spoil) the plot, so I don't consider it necessary here, but only to mention amoral ‘big pharma' and corporate greed, Kenya being used as a testing ground for new drugs and the murder of those pushing back, government corruption & political kickbacks.

Overall the plot doesn't have too many twists and turns - it has enough in it (until the last 150 pages, as noted above) to hold interest. The characters are interesting and deeply described, even the peripheral characters are given enough depth to fill them out. The settings came across as legitimate - Kenya particularly with its Foreign Office diplomats and the more remote aid hospitals nearer Kenyan villages.

Well worth a read if non-military espionage, the West taking advantage of Africa's need, and corporate corruption tickle your fancy.