When this book opens, he's now living in America and working as an agent of the Dirk & Steele agency. He and two other agents are sent to Africa to protect a doctor who specializes in epidemics; she's tough and damaged and can take care of herself, but not when mysterious evil people are trying to kidnap and/or kill her.
There are tantalizing glimpses of detail about contemporary Africa, at least a country in the midst of political upheaval, before the exigencies of the plot--escaping into the forest--take over. I love the worldwide feel of Liu's novels. The plot is complex, and the characters often ambiguous; Amiri and Rikki (the doctor) have to make some hard decisions.
Also, the love story is hot. I thought Amiri was hot the first time he showed up--teaches kids! Can turn into cheetah and eat you!--and he is still hot in that mannerly, intellectual way, only more so because now we get inside his head. Both he and Rikki have Issues that obstruct their relationship, but I didn't care as much about those as about the external suspense plot, because people on the run? Having to take care of each other? Is hot.
The world of Dirk & Steele grows ever more complex; there are a lot of plots going on underneath the romances, so I don't think the series will ever lack in that department. This one reminded me most of Shadow Touch, because of revelations about the opponents of Dirk & Steele and their ultimate plans.
