An interesting and compelling read set in Africa, featuring Knowlton’s popular character Alexa Williams, and delving into the issues of dwindling wildlife population and poaching. Well researched and authentic, the reader feels the heat as well as the danger lurking around each sunny, sandy corner.

Dead on the Delta takes you on safari! The author, Sherry Knowlton, does a masterful job of describing the amazing sights, sounds, smells, dangers, and inter-relationships and dependencies of the Okavango Delta. She then cleverly juxtaposes the tempos and tensions of that age-old existence onto her heroine’s adventures, as that timeless struggle for survival becomes very real and personal for the central figure, Alexa Williams.
Ms. Knowlton also addresses vital social and cultural issues, e.g., conservation of the Delta and anti-poaching measures, in a way that works seamlessly with the story. Such a pleasure to read a book that’s fun, engrossing, informative and thought-provoking all in one!

I have read all of Sherry’s books! I read this one twice! I could not put it down! I felt as though I was in Africa with Alexa. The description of the settings is so vivid! The characters are described so well, they become your friends too! This book has everything! Travel, suspense, trouble and love! Plan to have time to read it straight through. You won’t want to put it down!

An avid traveler and animal lover, I was enticed by the setting of this novel. I'd also enjoyed the first book in the series so was familiar with the protagonist.
The author spent time in Africa and has done considerable research on the flora and fauna of the region, as well as the infrastructure and political environment. She did an excellent job capturing the atmosphere of being on safari and viewing magnificent wildlife in its natural habitat.
Unlike the first book, this wasn't a whodunnit. Early in the story, Alexa and her boyfriend Reese, who are in Botswana to research lions, come across a large herd of elephants brutally slaughtered by poachers. Alexa and Reese are not actively involved in the hunt for the poachers, but they have several more encounters with them. Alexa discovers the identity of the poachers--surprising, but not totally unexpected, for the reader.
Mixed in with leisurely scenes are some tense moments: an elephant stampede that tramples a colleague, a terrorist invasion and hostage situation, an encounter with an enraged hippo, a kidnapping.
In addition to helping Reese with his lion research, Alexa, a lawyer by trade, is involved with political committees helping to write anti-sex-trafficking legislation. Through her connections with various government officials and activist groups, she learns that balancing conservation efforts with economic issues is not cut and dried.
Overall, I found this book to be an entertaining and educational read.

I loved Sherry's first four books because, 1. she tells a excellent story with some interesting twists and turns, 2. her stories deal with current social issues, i.e., human trafficking, unscrupulous fracking practices, etc., and 3. the way she describes the area where her stories take place - they were all set in Sherry's (and my) home town area. I was concerned that she would not write a fifth book because she had used all the seasons in Southcentral PA, but she deftly changed from a season theme to a geographical theme. Her descriptions of the life on the Okavango Delta could only be told as clearly by someone who has been there. It helped tremendously that she and her husband, Mike, (both accomplished photographers) have spent significant time in Africa shooting pictures of the animals and the terrain. Upon finishing the book, I felt as if I had actually been in Botswana myself.

As for the story itself, it did not disappoint. The illicit ivory trade is a real and ongoing problem in Africa. Again Alexa manages to get herself and her friends into dangerous life-threatening situations which would overwhelm most people. I really enjoy reading about Alexa's adventures, but I would be damned if I would want to travel with her.