Murder Most Foul

When people think of East Africa, certain pictures come to mind: serene snow-capped Kilimanjaro, crafty lions hunting on a tawny savannah, peaceful Kikuyu tribesmen standing outside native huts, very polite Englishmen having tea on coffee plantations.  But Kenya's history has a dark side, and in my book Green City In the Sun, which chronicles the founding and development of British colonial Kenya, I include a sensational murder.  Many readers have asked me if I based the murder on a true incident, and the answer is, very loosely, yes.

My main reference for the incident was a non-fiction book called White Mischief, by James Fox (Penguin Books, UK) - one of the many references I used while doing research for Green City - and if you love a good mystery and true-crime drama, complete with fascinating characters, scandal and a glimpse into the seamier side of African colonial life during a glamorous, bygone era, I strongly recommend this book.

The murder took place in an area of the Kenya Highlands known as "Happy Valley," so-called because of the rampant adultery, wife-swapping, alcohol and drug use that went on there.  The victim was a handsome cad who indulged in all number of vices, and who was gunned down one night and left on the side of a deserted road.  The accused murderer was Sir John Henry Delves Broughton, member of a privileged upper class that had created a world apart and away from England's prying eyes and rules.  White Mischief is an exposé of the free and easy lifestyle that led to the earl's murder, as well as a recapitulation of the trial, and a fascinating examination of the evidence.  Mr. Fox's investigation, carried out over decades, includes interviews with people connected with the case, focusing on the loathsome Diana Caldwell, Lady Broughton, wife of the accused murderer and mistress of the victim, and who was strongly suspected to be the mastermind of the whole affair. (I will not spoil the ending for you, just let me assure you that this book is full of lurid charm and surprises, and anyone enjoying a read about decadent young aristocrats will find it hard to put down.)

I offer an excerpt: "This is the extraordinary story of the British aristocracy in Kenya, subjected to a tropical climate and high altitude, suspended between English traditions and African customs, answerable, more or less, only to themselves."

Here is sleuthing and exposé at its best, and among one of the liveliest and most gripping crime investigations I have ever read.  If you enjoyed Green City In the Sun and would like to read more about the wealthy and privileged Brits who settled in Kenya, I highly recommend James Fox's book.