Review of #The Tanzania Conspiracy

When I read the topic on which this novel was going to focus, African albinism, I was both intrigued and excited to read.  Unfortunately the addition of a seemingly odd twist with elements of a con man who was not African took the pleasure away for me. The story bounces back and forth from North America to Tanzania and other African countries.  The connection is he had lost his wife and in his investigation he found a black market in human body parts—those of the  albino Africans.  This body market is mainly used by witch doctors and others to use body parts for cures and incantations, although this is a practice not totally limited to witch doctors.  The value of an African “white” body can be upwards of $75 thousand!  As the con man, Max, gets deeply involved in this story while learning about this beastly practice comes out in the novel.  Learning about this abhorrent practice in a novel format might be thought to lessen the impact, but it does not.  It is just plain disgusting—not the novel but the practice.  Because the practice plays such a key aspect in the story, a reader must have a high tolerance for pure evil and nastiness. I found the story somewhat disjointed because of the bouncing back and forth among the several locations.  From the standpoint of the social implications of African albinos and their tribulations, I’d say this book is a worthwhile read to learn more but the actual storyline is not so good and for me not enjoyable.