Synopsis

In a remote part of Algiers, high up in the Aures Mountains, the devout marabout Hajji Omanah is dying. Omanah – a devout follower of Islam and hermit whose legend spans the vast deserts of Africa – has long been harbouring a deep, dark secret, a secret that has haunted him for years. With his life ebbing away, he plans to reveal it to his son – on his deathbed. What the marabout’s son doesn’t realize is that he is about to be caught in the middle of a vicious feud between two powerful European families – a feud that dates back over a generation. Meanwhile, forced to leave France in disgrace, the embittered Albin Richemonte is consumed by the desire to avenge himself on Hugo von Löwenklau and his entire household. In a desperate attempt to escape his desert prison, Richemonte conceives a diabolical scheme designed to cheat the marabout’s son of his rightful inheritance – and by doing that robbing the Löwenklau’s of theirs, as well. In the meantime, rumours of war between Germany escalate, prompting the Prussian High Command to send Hugo’s grandson, Richard, on a perilous mission into the heart of enemy territory. Unbeknownst to young Richard, he is about to come face to face with his grandfather’s greatest nemesis. Will Richard show the same resourcefulness as his grandfather showed in dealing with Richemonte, or will he come to a nasty end when he becomes entangled in the snare of deceit and destruction set for him by the malevolent Frenchman? However, before he does so, Richard – disguised to conceal his true identity – becomes entangled with an arrogant French colonel, Count Rallion. In the process of dealing with the Count, he also witnesses Rallion’s shameless courting of the beautiful Marion de Sainte-Marie. With as many – if not more – twists and turns than The Prussian Lieutenant, Robert Stermscheg’s translation of Karl May’s The Marabout’s Secret will not only keep you on the edge of your seat, but glued to your favourite chair. Filled with romance, tense battles of wits and a series of plot lines that intertwine to create high levels of intrigue and suspense, The Marabout’s Secret is about good battling evil through the treacherous deserts of Africa – and much, much more.