Chrys Chime, a postgraduate student at Southampton, writes a book: The Wacky World of Dark Dictators. Many publishers are not impressed. Pete Alott, an upstart publisher and son of a British publishing mogul, decides to gamble on it. The book stirs up the Rastamuffins, an obscure group of fundamentalist Rastafarians that considers it heretical and a collective insult that Haile Selassie should be maligned as a dictator. The media take up the story, and cowboy publishing triumphs. Chrys's girlfriend, Amanda, is shot in Lagos, Nigeria. Chrys is abducted in London. The arrows point to the controversial book, but investigations also reveal a shocking web of intrigues, cultism, lies, and scams. The web leaves none of the players in this theatre innocent. With family sins and secrets shamelessly divulged in an arena that offers betrayals, envy, lust, and greed, it becomes difficult to differentiate the prey from the predator. _____ M. O. Ene holds a PhD in engine exhaust emissions from the University of Southampton, England. He has taught various courses at three universities in three continents. A widely travelled man who is fluent in three modern languages, Dr. Ene has a regular column, 'MOE's Memo' on www.kwenu.com. His other books include the novel, Jaundiced Justice. He currently lives in New Jersey, USA."