Pony Island Series

In "Pony Island Part 1," Professor Nora Jackson, a respected political science instructor at Carlton University, discovers plagiarism in her student Robert Lavel's final paper, which could lead to his expulsion and damage his influential family's reputation. Desperate, Robert turns to his father, Dr. Lucien Lavel, the authoritarian leader of the Caribbean island of Saint Katherine, who intervenes decisively to protect their standing. Nora is unexpectedly detained and relocated against her will, awakening in confinement where she learns of the orchestrated plot. Her sister Annalise is also apprehended to ensure silence, and both are transported to the island, where they face intense coercion under Lavel's regime, highlighting the dangers of challenging powerful interests and the erosion of personal freedoms.

The narrative escalates in "Pony Island Part 2: The Bonds of Friendship," as exiled former president Albert Solanges receives a seemingly genuine invitation from his old ally and successor, Dr. Lavel, offering amnesty and restoration of their estate after a coup that ousted him. Trusting this gesture of reconciliation, Albert returns with his wife Helen and niece Marianne, only to be arrested on trumped-up charges of treason upon arrival. Separated and subjected to harsh interrogations by the secret police, the women endure psychological strain in isolated facilities, while Lavel confronts Albert with revelations of hardened political realities. Amidst celebrations twisted into displays of dominance, the captives grapple with betrayal and control, weaving together themes of fractured alliances, the corrupting allure of authority, and the resilience tested by tyranny across the island's shadowed power struggles.