Kenya, 1961. As a small plane carrying Nathalie Nelson lands at a remote airstrip in the Serengeti, Nathalie knows she's run just about as far as she can from home. Trained as an archaeologist, she has fought hard to be included in a team excavating ruins in Kenya, her first opportunity to escape England and the painful memories of her past.

But before she can find her bearings, the dig is surrounded by controversy - and murder. In a country on the brink of crisis, nowhere and no one is safe. As a growing attraction to Jack Deacon, famed explorer, becomes a passionate, reckless affair, Nathalie is faced with a decision that will shape her life for ever . . .