Pre-order: Hardback ships 1st September 2026
 
“NOT ALL OF THIS IS TRUE. But some surely is. Most of it, I hope.”
 
When five wealthy trophy hunters descend upon a remote African forest, they overlook the passionate young researcher, Angel Restorick, who has learned to communicate with the chimpanzees she studies. As the hunters close in, Angel must use her unique bond with the chimps to outwit the human predators.
 
From the Cornish village of St Piran to the jungles of Tanzania and back, this gripping tale weaves themes of conservation, connection, and courage against exploitation.
 
Award-winning author John Ironmonger, acclaimed for 'The Whale at the End of the World' and 'The Wager and the Bear', delivers a powerful story of cross-species compassion.
 
Author bio:
John Ironmonger was born in East Africa and is now based in Cheshire. He has a doctorate in zoology, and was once an expert on freshwater leeches. He is the author of The Good Zoo Guide and the novels The Notable Brain of Maximilian Ponder (shortlisted for the 2012 Costa First Novel Prize and the Guardian‘s Not the Booker Prize), The Coincidence Authority and The Whale at the End of the World (an international bestseller). He has also been part of a world record team for speed reading Shakespeare, has driven across the Sahara in a £100 banger, and once met Jared Diamond in a forest in the middle of Sumatra.
 
Praise for 'The Wager and the Bear': 
 
• 'Nuanced, compassionate and funny, this tale of love and revenge is one of my favourite books of the year.' - Carys Bray, author of When the Lights Go Out
 
• 'Suffused with warmth and charm. This is what good storytellers do in the face of the climate crisis: choreograph a dance between the global and the human.' - Shelley Harris, Author of 'Jubilee' and 'Vigilante'