The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots - (Belgian Congo Mystery) by Tamar Myers (Paperback)

About the Book

The author of the acclaimed "The Witchdoctor's Wife" and "The Headhunter's Daughter" returns with this compelling and atmospheric tale set in the Belgian Congo of the 1950s--a tale of superstitions and secrets, rituals and religion, mystery and murder.

Book Synopsis

Like Alexander McCall Smith's ever-popular No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels, The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots immerses readers in a breathtaking African landscape they simply will not wish to leave. For the third time, author Tamar Myers carries readers a world away from Charleston, South Carolina, and her Den of Antiquity cozy mysteries--circling the globe to the Belgian Congo in equatorial Africa in the 1950s. The Boy Who Stole the Leopard's Spots is a wonderfully engrossing, breathtakingly evocative return to the lush locale of her previous acclaimed African-set mysteries, The Witchdoctor's Wife ("[A] mesmerizing novel....Authentic. Powerful. Triumphant" --Carolyn Hart) and The Headhunter's Daughter--as a monsignor of the Catholic church, shamed by a secret event in his past and accused of a terrible crime, must join forces with an American missionary, a police chief, and a witchdoctor and his wise-woman wife to clear his name.

From the Back Cover

A decades-old murder, a strange superstition, an enormous snake, and one giant secret are about to rock the beautiful Belle Vue to its core.

It is a time of great upheaval for the Belgian Congo and Belle Vue is not safe from the changes. But there are more pressing problems as an unsolved disappearance brings up issues for some of the denizens of the village. Add to that a sudden influx of strangers and a horrible storm that literally divides the village in half, and suddenly danger seems to be everywhere.

The lovely young American missionary Amanda, the police chief Captain Pierre Jardin, and the local witch doctor and his wise-woman wife, Cripple, all become embroiled in the mystery as evil omens and strange happenings at every turn suggest that more lives will be lost before the true killer is unmasked.

Review Quotes

"Tamar Myers' mesmerizing novel of mid-twentieth century Congo plumbs passion, despair, and courage. The Witch Doctor's Wife will long linger in the hearts and minds of readers. Authentic. Powerful. Triumphant." - Carolyn Hart, author of Dare to Die
"Myers draws on her own experiences as the daughters of white missionaries living in the Belgian Congo for this dazzling novel full of authentic African lore....This marks a major breakthrough for Myers as she displays storytelling skills..." - Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Witch Doctor's Wife
"Only an author with an intimate knowledge of the Congo--its people, landscape, and culture--could write a novel with such confidence and authority. This is a lush novel, rich with tension and intricately woven, believable characters. Myers clearly loves the Congo--and you will love this book. I did!" - Mary Alice Monroe, bestselling author of Last Light over Carolina