The Sun Is God

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What to expect

Colonial New Guinea, 1906. A small group of mostly German nudists live an extreme back-to-nature existence on the remote island of Kabakon. Eating only coconuts and bananas, they purport to worship the sun. One of their members, Max Lutzow, has recently died, allegedly from malaria. But an autopsy on his body in the nearby capital of Herbertshöhe raises suspicions about foul play.

Retired British military police officer Will Prior is recruited to investigate the circumstances of Lutzow's death. At first, the eccentric group seems friendly and willing to cooperate with the investigation. They all insist that Lutzow died of malaria. Despite lack of evidence for a murder, Prior is convinced the group is hiding something.

Things come to a head during a late-night feast supposedly given as a send-off for the visitors before they return to Herbertshöhe. Prior fears the intent of the "celebration" is not to fete the visitors—but to make them the latest murder victims.

Critics Review

u201cMcKintyu2019s gift for storytelling is evident as he creates a society that lives entirely on coconuts and bananas and rejects procreation even as their numbers are dwindling. Set in 1906 and based on a true story, his fascinating tale is rich in detail, and thereu2019s a most unexpected hero.u201d

RT Book Reviewsu00a0(4u00bd stars)

u201cThe characters and setting are phantasmagorical.nPrior is one of McKintyu2019s compelling, conflicted heroes: a sane man in anninsane world. Gerard Doyle, whose narration of McKintyu2019s magnificent Troubles trilogynset the standard for Irish audiobook mysteries, does a good job with thenGerman, Melanesian, and English people who populate McKintyu2019s departure fromnIreland. Doyleu2019s performance is always clear and well-pacedu2026A good ride in anmemorable location.u201d

AudioFile

u201cIn the early twentieth century, British lieutenantn Will Prior is so traumatized by an inadvertent massacre at a South nAfrican prison camp, an incident for which he is highly decorated, that nhe plots his way out of the army and travels to New Guinea. Here, his nmilitary police service behind him, he lives contentedly with his nservant girl. Then, in 1906, heu2019s asked to investigate a curious death non the nearby island of Kabakon, populated by the Cocoivores, a small ngroup of Western followers of August Engelhardt, who worships the sun byn going naked and eating only coconutsu2026That the story of nthe Cocoivores is true makes it all the more fascinating and an nintriguing frame for this entertaining and unusual historical mystery.u201d

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