It’s been a lot of fun, not to mention rewarding, to see a project come to a successful conclusion. I’m of course referring to the rework of The Prussian Lieutenant. Although it took considerably longer than expected, I feel the effort was worth it.

And now, work begins on the sequel, The Marabout’s Secret. Like its predecessor, it proved to be too lengthy and cumbersome. My aim is to bring May’s style and flavour to an English speaking audience, just as May intended.

Here is a snippet of what is in store for the reader.

In a remote part of Algiers, high up in the Aures Mountains, the devout marabout Hajji Omanah is dying.

Omanah – a devout follower of Islam and hermit whose legend spans the vast deserts of Africa – has long been harbouring a deep, dark secret, a secret that has haunted him for years. With his life ebbing away, he plans to reveal it to his son – on his deathbed.

What the marabout’s son doesn’t realize is that he is about to be caught in the middle of a vicious feud between two powerful European families – a feud that dates back over a generation.

Meanwhile, forced to leave France in disgrace, the embittered Albin Richemonte is consumed by the desire to avenge himself on Hugo von Löwenklau and his entire household. In a desperate attempt to escape his desert prison, Richemonte conceives a diabolical scheme designed to cheat the marabout’s son of his rightful inheritance – and by doing that robbing the Löwenklau’s of theirs, as well.

In the meantime, rumours of war between Germany and France escalate, prompting the Prussian High Command to send Hugo’s grandson, Richard von Löwenklau, on a perilous mission into the heart of enemy territory. Unbeknownst to the young Löwenklau, he is about to come face to face with his grandfather’s greatest nemesis. But before he does so, the disguised officer becomes entangled with an arrogant French Colonel, Count Rallion, and witnesses his shameless courting of the beautiful Marion de Sainte-Marie.

Will Richard show the same resourcefulness as his grandfather showed in dealing with Richemonte, or will he come to a nasty end when he becomes entangled in the snare of deceit and destruction set for him by the malevolent Frenchman?

With as many – if not more – twists and turns than The Prussian Lieutenant,  The Marabout’s Secret will not only keep you on the edge of your seat, but glued to your favourite reading chair.

Filled with romance, tense battles of wits and a series of plotlines that intertwine to create high levels of intrigue and suspense, The Marabout’s Secret is about good battling evil through the treacherous deserts of Africa – and much, much more.