The Garden of Burning Sand

On a dark night in Lusaka, Zambia, an adolescent girl—in shock and unable to speak— is found wandering alone after being brutally assaulted. Who is she and where did she come from? Was the attack random street violence or a premeditated act?

The girl's case is taken up by Zoe Fleming, an American human rights lawyer working in Africa. A betrayal in Zoe's past lends the girl's plight a special resonance for the young lawyer, who is determined to see that justice is served.

Investigating on behalf of the Zambian police is Joseph Kabuta, who reluctantly teams up with Zoe. Their progress is thwarted at every turn, and it soon becomes clear that the individuals they seek are powerful and utterly corrupt—and determined to prevent the truth from coming out at any cost.