When I saw this book in the library I was incredibly excited to read it. The title sounded like something I'd love and the description spoke to something far too close to reality. Unfortunately, I was bored. I decided to power through because it did get better with time, but I don't think it ever fully recovered from the start. Don't get me wrong. There is definitely an audience for this book. It just wasn't me.

The author writes mainly non-fiction and it shows. The text reads like a dry political non-fiction, especially at the start. If this is your kind of thing and you are interested in poaching or conservation, I can definitely recommend you take a look at this book. It is a very believable set of circumstances as powerful people are far too often central to poaching. I also wasn't a big fan of the descriptor names (e.g. The Veteran - essentially the main character, or the iPhone Man). I think this might have added something to the somewhat impersonal nature of the book? (Not that names foster a connection of course). The author apparently wrote a sequel about elephants, but I don't think it is for me. ( )

A thriller set in South Africa about wildlife trafficking, The Rhino Conspiracy by Peter Hain was an immediate pick for me and I am thankful to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me the ARC to read and review.

A wildlife park in South Africa is, like several others, the target of ruthless poachers and its owner needs to device a plan to take the fight to them. But the poaching industry is as powerful as it is lethal, having connections to the topmost offices of the government. The entire nation is careening towards certain doom – morally, economically, and otherwise – under the corrupt leadership of the president and his cronies, a striking example of ‘state capture’. Appalled by the state of affairs, a veteran of the anti-apartheid struggle – a retired minister who has served under Mandela – decides to embark on another struggle, this time against a majority black government that has forgotten all the values it is supposed to uphold. The fight against the corrupt government involves a fight against poaching too, and what follows is the tale of a few good men and women taking on the might of the government and the international wildlife trafficking mafia.

The plot is engaging, with insightful details about wildlife, the poaching industry, and the history of the anti-apartheid struggle. The action is fast, with the excitement building up as the story progresses. The characters are realistic and finely turned out – especially the good ones – and the reader is compelled to care about them. The author’s concern about all things ailing the rainbow nation shows through in his passionate narrative.

On the downside, I found the novel somewhat lacking in sharpness in spite of the compelling theme, which is due to the profusion of details about the evils plaguing the nation, placed at inopportune points in the narration. These details, though well-meaning, impede the story’s flow and make the reader’s attention wander.

Having no idea at all about the politics of South Africa, I searched the internet and found some real-life figures on whom the author has modelled some of his characters. Readers from the country, with knowledge of the said people and their exploits, will be able to relate more to the novel.

With a current and weighty issue at its core, thrilling action and a few remarkable characters, The Rhino Conspiracy is an engrossing read, except for some tedious but factual social commentary that could have been trimmed out. ( )