In her new adventure, Mrs. Pollifax accompanies her young friend Kadi Hopkirk to the African country of Ubangiba, where Kadi's childhood friend, Sammat, is soon to be crowned king. This impromptu journey is a response to an SOS from Sammat to Kadi; and Mrs P., reluctant to allow the girl to venture alone into what she fears may be grave danger, crashes the party.

Sammat has dangerous, jealous enemies and rumors are springing up that he is a sorcerer and that his evil power is responsible for recent shocking murders in which the victims appear to have been clawed to death by a lion. Even though there are no lions in Ubangiba.

Without the comforting backup of the CIA, Mrs. Pollifax wades into the fray, hunting for the source of the bloody terrorism that threatens Sammat and Ubangiba. Not to mention Kadi and Mrs. Pollifax. Home has never looked so good, or seemed so far away.