Terry Thorp

The Lion in the Morning Terry Thorp

It is 1930, Kenya. Aged 19 and 20 years old respectively, childhood friends Harry and Una are embarking on their adult lives. But their paths lead in very different directions. Brought up on farms not too far from Nairobi, Harry remains tied to a hard, physical outdoor lifestyle where farming, hunting and sport dominate. Una, on the other hand, is attracted to a city lifestyle of fashionable clothing and partying. She gets in with a high-living group of people and makes friends with a wealthy American woman, Rachel and a rich business man, Eric. Harry is in love with Una --- that is, until he meets an older woman, Cheryl, who teaches him to fly. Meanwhile, Harry's boyhood companion, a Maasai called Segge, takes part in the traditional circumcision ceremony that marks the transition from childhood to manhood and warrior status. But things go horribly wrong during the ceremony. Una and Rachel accept an invitation to a weekend with Lord and Lady Crofton, members of the Happy Valley Set, known for their drinking, drug-taking and sex. Things there also go horribly wrong for Una. Only Harry can rescue her. But before that he must deal with a colleague wanted for murder in South Africa