Wild Horizon: The Ghost Herd (Paperback, Reading Age 10-16)

Book Details

Title: Wild Horizon: The Ghost Herd
Series: Wild Horizon Adventures
Author: Eric Henry
Recommended age: 10–16 years
Genre: Wildlife Adventure / Mystery / Family Adventure / Coming-of-Age Fiction
Language: English
Edition: First Edition
First published: United Kingdom, 2026
Publisher: Questbound Studios Ltd, UK

Book Description

They came to Kenya to begin again. Someone was making the wildlife disappear.

Fifteen-year-old Tess Mercer never asked to exchange her life in Britain for a wildlife rescue centre in Kenya.

Her mother calls it a fresh start. Her adventurous brother Finn thinks it is the greatest thing that has ever happened to them. Ten-year-old Bea is fascinated by the unfamiliar sounds of the wilderness.

Tess just wants her old life back.

Then, on the family's very first night at Kijani Wildlife Rescue, an injured elephant calf stumbles onto the road carrying a damaged satellite collar.

There is just one problem.

According to Kijani's tracking system, the elephant wearing that collar is still travelling nearly eighty kilometres away.

The following morning, experienced ranger Samuel Oduor is missing.

And the mysteries are only beginning.

Waterholes mysteriously run dry. Wildlife begins moving towards neighbouring farms. Powerful veterinary medicines disappear. Unmarked vehicles travel through the reserve after dark.

Most disturbing of all, Kijani's digital map shows elephants travelling normally across the landscape...

but the real herd has vanished.

As Tess, Finn and Bea adjust to their extraordinary new home, they join forces with sharp, determined local teenager Amani Kilonzo. Piece by piece, they begin uncovering evidence of something far bigger than a missing elephant.

Someone is manipulating Kijani's wildlife tracking system.

Someone is stealing its water.

And someone intends to turn a conservation emergency into an opportunity worth millions.

With the first great storm approaching and an entire elephant herd in danger, the young investigators must decide when to trust their instincts—and when courage means stopping, listening and asking for help.

But discovering the truth is only part of the challenge.

They still have to prove it.

A Wildlife Adventure with a Difference

Wild Horizon: The Ghost Herd combines the excitement of a wildlife adventure with a sophisticated mystery designed for modern young readers.

Alongside elephants, wildlife rescues, dramatic storms and remote landscapes, the story explores questions young people increasingly encounter in the real world:

What does it mean to belong somewhere new?

Is bravery the same thing as taking risks?

Can something posted online accidentally place others in danger?

What happens when adults don't have all the answers?

And can protecting wildlife succeed if the people living alongside it are forgotten?

At the heart of the novel is the Mercer family themselves.

Tess must learn that photography carries responsibility as well as power.

Finn discovers that rushing towards danger isn't the same as courage.

Quiet, observant Bea discovers that listening carefully can reveal things everybody else has missed.

And their parents must confront an uncomfortable truth of their own: moving the family thousands of miles in search of a fresh start doesn't automatically make everything better.

Their friendship with Amani brings another perspective to the adventure as the children learn that protecting Kijani depends not upon outsiders arriving to save it, but upon veterinarians, rangers, engineers, neighbouring families, community wildlife scouts and young people working together.

Perfect for Readers Who Love

• Wildlife and animal adventures
• Elephants and African wildlife
• Mystery and detective stories
• Family adventures
• Conservation and nature
• Survival and outdoor stories
• Suspense and secret conspiracies
• Coming-of-age fiction
• Friendship stories
• Travel and discovering new cultures
• Strong young characters
• Stories in which clues actually matter

Wild Horizon: The Ghost Herd is an exciting adventure about wildlife, family, friendship, responsibility and discovering that sometimes finding a new home begins with learning how to see the world differently.