Tusk Justice:(A Kenya Kanga Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Publisher: Kanga Press (October 9, 2020)
Number of Pages App. 300

Synopsis

At a summit on poaching, the keynote is homicide. Can a veterinarian solve the case before she becomes an endangered species?

Kenya, 2016. Community vet and skilled sleuth ‘Mama’ Rose Hardie is passionate about saving elephants. As she runs her monthly clinic for the animals at the local resort, she plans to attend a conference on the issue with her ailing husband. But things turn sour when a world-renowned conservationist is found brutally stabbed to death.

With the authorities tied up in Nairobi, Rose sets out to bring the killer in herself. But with multiple suspects all hiding secrets and scandalous truths surrounding the victim, the culprit may be too slippery for the aged amateur detective to handle.

Can Rose trap the murderer before she ends up as the next target?

Tusk Justice is the second book in the thrilling Kenya Kanga Mysteries series. If you like quirky characters, lush African locales, and a love of animals, then you’ll adore Victoria Tait’s adventurous whodunit.

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Guest Post

Dawa – The African Cocktail

In Tusk Justice, book 2 in the Kenya Kanga Mystery series, the principal characters relax on the hotel lawn with pre-dinner drinks.  The heroine, Mama Rose and her husband Craig are given complimentary drinks: Dawas.  Rose found hers too strong, and she prefers white wine, and Craig asked for a Tusker beer instead.  However, Chloe enjoyed the Dawa.

The Dawa cocktail is a mixture of vodka, lime, sugar, honey, and ice.  It’s a refreshing drink for Kenya’s hot, and often dusty climate, but be aware, the acidic citrus juice and syrupy honey can mask the alcohol.

Samson Kivelenge, who has worked at The Carnivore restaurant in Nairobi since it opened in 1980, is credited with naming the cocktail which is based on a Brazilian drink.  It was developed for tourists and can be found on the bar menus of hotels and safari lodges from Diani Beach to Samburu National Reserve.

The best time to drink it? During sundowners, the African equivalent of happy hour.  The tradition of sundowners began under British colonial rule and continues today.  During an evening game drive, guests stop at a scenic spot to watch the striking African sunset.  Drinks and nibbles are provided.  I still prefer a gin and tonic as tonic has the added benefit of quinine, a common treatment for malaria… or is it a particularly generous measure of gin?  My husband prefers a Tusker Beer with an iconic label of an elephant’s head.

Dawa is a Kiswahili word meaning medicine.  Legend has it this African cocktail can heal anything: whether you’ve had a tough week at work, writer’s block, or even a cold.  It is best served chilled with nyama choma: grilled or BBQed meat.

Ingredients

• 1 lime cut into quarters
• 1 tbsp Brown/Granulated Sugar
• 2 shots of Vodka
• 1 tbsp Honey
• Crushed Ice

PREPARATION

Difficulty:  Easy

Time:  5 Minutes

• Place the lime quarters and sugar into a whisky tumbler or heavy-bottomed glass.
• Crush the limes, add crushed ice, and pour over the Vodka
• Add honey or a ‘Dawa’ stick
• Combine the ingredients and bring the limes up from the bottom of the glass. Add more ice until the glass is full, and garnish with a lime wheel.

A ‘Dawa’ stick is a plastic or wooden stick that is rolled in honey until it is thickly coated.  It is then stirred into the Dawa ingredients.

About the Author

Victoria Tait is an exciting new author launching her Kenya Kanga Mystery series.  She’s drawn on 8 years living in rural Kenya with her family to transport her readers to a world of curiosity, community and conspiracy.  The Kenya Kanga Mystery series brings to life the beauty of the Kenyan landscape, the magic of its wildlife, and the warmth of its people.

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