'A vibrant and pacey legal thriller with a big-hearted heroine you'll be rooting for from the very first page' - PAULA HAWKINS 'An evocative, touching and - in multiple senses - moving portrait of Zambian life and politics at a moment of great transformation' - NAMWALI SERPELL 'A beautiful read - short, gripping and full of intriguing characters. It blends legal procedural and activism . Mwanza gives us characters who show us why the stakes are way too high for us to sit on the sidelines' - Brittle Paper 'A riveting legal thriller set in the corrupt and homophobic political world of Zambia in the early 1990s . Mwanza brings her experience as both a former lawyer and a native of Zambia to this provocative page-turner' - TIME '[A] stellar debut mystery' - Washington Post 'An angry and heartrending novel, told with verve and a deep understanding of systemic cruelty . Compelling' - Foreign Policy 'A refreshing, spirited debut [that] would appeal to anyone interested in modern African history, the collision of religion and tradition, progressive movements and the entanglement of power and corruption' - Booklist 'A smash of a debut . Iris Mwanza has taken it all on, from the original reverberating assault of British colonialism to what happened next, to a sideswipe at contemporary Zambia, and she's done it with literal grace' - ALEXANDRA FULLER 'A brave tale, written with compassion and a keen eye for detail . Memorable, insightful and compelling' - FEMI KAYODE 'Iris Mwanza's first novel is an evocative journey into the sinister side of Zambia, a country which tries to tell you who to love, a journey into forced marriage and homophobia' - PETER GODWIN 'The Lions' Den is a brave and necessary book . An impressive debut' - GABRIEL BYRNE 'The Lion's Den makes a powerful statement: no matter what you can actually achieve while fighting injustice, sometimes trying to do the right thing in the face of adversity is itself a form of victory.
Beautifully written, well plotted, and with fully fleshed out characterisations, The Lion's Den is not to be missed' - CrimeReads 'Searingly well-crafted . Humbling, illuminating and enrapturing!' - RICK COSNETT 'A cracking thriller . Mwanza jolts and dazzles' - JENNIFER MAKUMBI 'The Lions' Den is a brave and scathing probe of Zambia's justice system. Grace is complex and compelling - the perfect advocate for all the Bessys of Zambia that go undefended' - MUBANGA KALIMAMUKWENTO 'A highly impressive debut, infused with Zambian history and culture that still echo today' - HAWA JANDE GOLAKAI 'A sharp, provocative debut that examines what it means to live and love in a country battling the dual restraints of religion and colonialism' - ONYI NWABINELI 'A masterful debut from Iris Mwanza . [Explores] the desire to intersect our humanity with our perpetual need for justice. I didn't want to put it down!' - CATHERINE ADEL WEST '[A] thrilling book . Grace Zulu is a headstrong Zambian lawyer guided by an unwavering moral compass and sense of justice' - LIAM BISHOP.