Kidnapped in the Kafue

Wallace Boys #6

by Duncan Watt

...A shot rang out and the distant figure jerked. A sudden, deathly hush blanked the central African bushveld... For a moment nothing moved. Even the veil of blue smoke from the muzzle of the rifle seemed to hang in the hot, still air of the late afternoon.... What is supposed to be a relaxing holiday in Kafue National Park turns out to be an exciting adventure for the Wallace brothers and their friend, Mayunda. They tackle poachers and the sinister Zipra-AG with the help of Lazarus, the revamped Land Rover, and Jesse, the cantankerous elephant.

Genres: Fiction, Adventure

223 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1991

About the author

Born near Victoria Falls in what was then Northern Rhodesia, now Zambia, Watt, the only child of British parents, traveled to more than 80 countries around the world. Finally settling in Singapore in 1976.

He worked as a teacher and administrator at the British Council until he retired in 1992.

For 16 years, he read the prime time news on Channel 5 for the then Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. He also hosted an afternoon program on Symphony 92.4, playing light classics, until 2004.

His 20-book Wallace Boys series was set in far-flung places such as Kariba, Zimbabwe, the Skeleton Coast and the Scottish Highlands. He researched the locations for his books as thoroughly as possible, making it a point not to write anything he himself had not experienced.

Watt was diagnosed with liver cancer in June 2016. He died on 7 September 2017 at the age of 74.

Reviews

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muyunda has planned for months to take Bruce and Nigel to visit his uncle Kamwi and young cousin Mwala at Kafue National Park but, when they arrive, his uncle doesn't seem to remember that he invited them and tells them they can't stay. Muyunda's uncle is obviously drinking too much. Muyunda thought Kamwi was getting over his wife's death but maybe he is angry and depressed about the poachers who threaten the wildlife in the park. The boys spend the night and then are allowed to stay longer. Left on their own, Bruce fixes up an old vehicle and the boys go adventuring. Some of the things they find out about the poachers in the park are gruesome and some are totally unexpected. Bruce is usually the one who is impulsive and gets himself into trouble but this time it is Nigel and Muyunda who get in a tight spot, leaving Bruce with the problem of how to rescue them. The mystery surrounding Kamwi's depression and drinking is left until very late in the book.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is set in the place the author grew up in, so the description of place, people and fauna felt quite authentic. The adventures that the characters go through may seem rather incredulous at times, from fixing a broken 4WD with no professional help, to going on a multiple day drive in said vehicle and thwarting a guerilla army camp in the process. But it can be forgiven, being after all juvenile fiction. It would make for a good short TV episode or mini-movie I imagine.