The Unseen Leopard | Crime & Thriller

Bridget Pitt

Shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize 2011: Africa Region.

Sam Campbell is barely surviving, focusing all her energy on raising her sister Melissa’s son, Khaya. Melissa died in a car accident near their family farm, Cedar Hills, in the Baviaanskloof area. Sam hasn’t forgiven Khaya’s father, Dylan, for leaving her to cope with Khaya to follow up his vague claims about searching for Melissa’s murderer. But now the future of Cedar Hills and the farms in the area are in question after a successful land claim by the family of Sam’s one time childhood friend, and a bid by the Department of environment to buy the land for a biosphere reserve. Whether she wants to or not, Sam will have to face her past.

At the same time James McIntyre is writing his confession about his role in Melissa’s death. They met when, as an American biochemical researcher carrying out a study of powdered milk formula for babies for a company called NuGrowth, he visits the clinic where Melissa is working. When James sees Melissa, he knows that he must win her heart at all costs – and to do this, he must do all he can to conceal from her the true nature of his research.