Ann Patchett is best known for her award-winning novel Bel Canto and will no doubt attract further accolades for her stunning new novel set in the Amazon.

The story begins in Minnesota when Marina Singh, an employee of a large pharmaceutical company, is dispatched by her boss to the wilds of Brazilian Rio Negro. Her mission is essentially to discover the fate of her friend and colleague, Anders Eckman, who is now believed to be dead.

The company, however, is less interested in discovering the fate of Eckman than finding out how the elusive and mysterious Dr Swenson is progressing with a company funded research project. Far from adventurous, Marina also has history with Dr Swenson. Now, in her quest for the truth, she faces one challenge after another as she becomes deeply entangled in the Amazonian project.

Patchett is a brilliant and compelling story-teller, her characters are beautifully crafted and defined. She has a unique ability to put her character in situations where their actions are questionable then spin the justification on its contextual axis, making the reader think again.

Review by Amanda Hampson, author of The Olive Sisters and Two for the Road. www.thewriteworkshops.com