The Lioness
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- Create Date：2022-03-15 11:21:43
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Chris Bohjalian
- ISBN：059358953X
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Summary
A luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Flight Attendant。
Tanzania， 1964。 When Katie Barstow， A-list actress， and her new husband， David Hill， decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon， they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees， great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River， and herds of zebras storming the sandy plains。 Their glamorous guests--including Katie's best friend， Carmen Tedesco， and Terrance Dutton， the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film Tender Madness--will spend their days taking photos， and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp， as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths。 The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker， dinners of cooked gazelle meat， and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive。
What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: a kidnapping gone wrong， their guides bleeding out in the dirt， and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers， guns to their heads。 As the powerful sun gives way to night， the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow， Hollywood royalty， prays for a simple thing: to see the sun rise one more time。 A blistering story of fame， race， love， and death set in a world on the cusp of great change， The Lioness is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers。
Tanzania， 1964。 When Katie Barstow， A-list actress， and her new husband， David Hill， decide to bring their Hollywood friends to the Serengeti for their honeymoon， they envision giraffes gently eating leaves from the tall acacia trees， great swarms of wildebeests crossing the Mara River， and herds of zebras storming the sandy plains。 Their glamorous guests--including Katie's best friend， Carmen Tedesco， and Terrance Dutton， the celebrated Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the highly controversial film Tender Madness--will spend their days taking photos， and their evenings drinking chilled gin and tonics back at camp， as the local Tanzanian guides warm water for their baths。 The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure: fresh ice from the kerosene-powered ice maker， dinners of cooked gazelle meat， and plenty of stories to tell over lunch back on Rodeo Drive。
What Katie and her glittering entourage do not expect is this: a kidnapping gone wrong， their guides bleeding out in the dirt， and a team of Russian mercenaries herding their hostages into Land Rovers， guns to their heads。 As the powerful sun gives way to night， the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow， Hollywood royalty， prays for a simple thing: to see the sun rise one more time。 A blistering story of fame， race， love， and death set in a world on the cusp of great change， The Lioness is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers。
Reviews
Angie Kim
，
I loved this novel so much that I blew off all my responsibilities， turned off my phone， and got lost in this mesmerizing world created by Chris Bohjalian。 A masterful tapestry of heart-pounding suspense and deeply moving drama， The Lioness explores what it takes to survive the siren songs of old Hollywood glitter and the Serengeti’s majestic expanse。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough。The above is my official blurb， but I have to add that this may be my favorite Bohjalian novel ever。 So I loved this novel so much that I blew off all my responsibilities， turned off my phone， and got lost in this mesmerizing world created by Chris Bohjalian。 A masterful tapestry of heart-pounding suspense and deeply moving drama， The Lioness explores what it takes to survive the siren songs of old Hollywood glitter and the Serengeti’s majestic expanse。 I cannot recommend this book highly enough。The above is my official blurb， but I have to add that this may be my favorite Bohjalian novel ever。 So cinematic and suspenseful。 The hostage situation reminded me of BEL CANTO， one of my favorite novels of all time （except set in the Serengeti instead of a living room in Peru）。 。。。more
Mary Olson
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Chris Bohjalian never， ever disappoints。 What a perfectly-paced thrill ride this is。 I enjoyed the structure--many different narrators plus then-and-now timeline。 The Serengeti setting was beautifully and brutally portrayed。 I honestly got sweaty a few times imagining the intense African sun on the characters' bodies。 The Lioness has a higher body count than Chris's last few novels （if I'm remembering correctly）， and the means of death on the savannah are not for delicate readers。 For the first Chris Bohjalian never， ever disappoints。 What a perfectly-paced thrill ride this is。 I enjoyed the structure--many different narrators plus then-and-now timeline。 The Serengeti setting was beautifully and brutally portrayed。 I honestly got sweaty a few times imagining the intense African sun on the characters' bodies。 The Lioness has a higher body count than Chris's last few novels （if I'm remembering correctly）， and the means of death on the savannah are not for delicate readers。 For the first 2/3 of the story， I had "the lioness" pegged as a certain character， and was delighted when I realized it was another。 The CIA backstory was such a clever frame。 Thank you， Chris， for another outstanding novel。 。。。more
Sarah K
，
Chris Bohjalian has long been one of my favorite authors， and I was surprised by my varied feelings about The Lioness。 On one hand， the writing is excellent and the characters are top notch。 I mean， who doesn't love glamourous Hollywood celebrity types？！ Especially from the past。 The book just mixes 1960s culture， Hollywood， history， and Africa together so well。 The setting - a photo safari in the Serengeti， along with snapshots of Hollywood and various past locales - was a definite high point。 Chris Bohjalian has long been one of my favorite authors， and I was surprised by my varied feelings about The Lioness。 On one hand， the writing is excellent and the characters are top notch。 I mean， who doesn't love glamourous Hollywood celebrity types？！ Especially from the past。 The book just mixes 1960s culture， Hollywood， history， and Africa together so well。 The setting - a photo safari in the Serengeti， along with snapshots of Hollywood and various past locales - was a definite high point。 You can always tell when an author does their research， and this book was no exception。 As a reader though， there were times I was frustrated with the plot。 Since each chapter opens with a new character and a new newspaper article of the past， it was difficult to keep track of each storyline and to really guess where the author was going because of the constant change。 Every time I started to get invested in one character， the chapter ended and you were thrust elsewhere。 At times I truly wanted to put down the book， but it was so intriguing that I did not。 I am glad I persevered to the end as the ending was fabulous。。。and I did not see it coming。 Overall， I'd rate The Lioness 3。5 stars rounded up。 Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced ebook copy to read。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Kim McGee
，
1964 Hollywood royalty go on a safari to celebrate the marriage of everyone's darling Katie Barstow to her Prince Charming。 Traveling with them are their closest friends - fellow actors， her agent and publicist as well as her brother and sister in law。 In addition to the friends they have a big game hunter and a small army of porters and guides。 What could go wrong？ The trip starts off well with everyone amazed by the splendor of the African savannah and the chance to see these creatures up clos 1964 Hollywood royalty go on a safari to celebrate the marriage of everyone's darling Katie Barstow to her Prince Charming。 Traveling with them are their closest friends - fellow actors， her agent and publicist as well as her brother and sister in law。 In addition to the friends they have a big game hunter and a small army of porters and guides。 What could go wrong？ The trip starts off well with everyone amazed by the splendor of the African savannah and the chance to see these creatures up close。 All is well until it isn't。 Russians seem to arrive from nowhere guns blazing and soon those who are left have been captured or thought dead。 They come to a stunning realization that they are in as much danger from their captors as they are from what lies in the tall grass。 These are dangers they are not prepared for as they are pitted against animal violence and human violence。 An adrenaline filled nightmare with snippets of the golden age of Hollywood。 This is the romantic landscape of OUT OF AFRICA， the violence and politics of Wilbur Smith's novels and the animal cast of John Wayne's HATARI - be prepared to think twice about visiting a zoo in the near future。 This may be one of my favorite Chris Bohjalian books so far。 My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy。 。。。more
Allison
，
Chris Bohjalian is a great storyteller。 In The Lioness he ties together many stories。It’s a story of Hollywood in its heyday of the late 50’s and early 60’s。 The stars， producers， agents and publicists and those who follow in their orbit。 While I was reading， I kept thinking about stars like Liz Taylor， Natalie Wood and Sidney Poitier。It’s a story about Africa。 Not a Disney version of Africa， but the real place and while the characters in the book are on a photo safari， they are in just as much Chris Bohjalian is a great storyteller。 In The Lioness he ties together many stories。It’s a story of Hollywood in its heyday of the late 50’s and early 60’s。 The stars， producers， agents and publicists and those who follow in their orbit。 While I was reading， I kept thinking about stars like Liz Taylor， Natalie Wood and Sidney Poitier。It’s a story about Africa。 Not a Disney version of Africa， but the real place and while the characters in the book are on a photo safari， they are in just as much danger as others who follow their famous guide in search of big game trophies to ship home。The stories Bohjalian tells combine to form an epic adventure filled with suspense as well as a human drama set in a place both vividly beautiful and deadly within the blink of an eye。 We see what makes these characters who they are and how they react as individuals and as part of a disparate group when things suddenly go wrong。Not only are Bohjalian’s books entertaining， but they are also a learning experience。 They showcase the research he does for each of his novels。 In The Lioness he descriptively writes an accurate vision of the setting and the history of the time for the reader to absorb。 I loved this book and will recommend it to all my friends and fellow readers。 Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Kerri
，
The Lioness begins with a luxury safari in 1964 with movie stars， spouses， and their guides。 As their safari progresses， an attack happens and their group gets picked off one by one。 The story alternates between each character's point of view with flashbacks to their life prior to their trip to Africa。I had a hard time getting into the novel， even with the attack at the beginning （not a spoiler） there were a lot of characters and a lot of switching POV and timelines to keep up with。 However， onc The Lioness begins with a luxury safari in 1964 with movie stars， spouses， and their guides。 As their safari progresses， an attack happens and their group gets picked off one by one。 The story alternates between each character's point of view with flashbacks to their life prior to their trip to Africa。I had a hard time getting into the novel， even with the attack at the beginning （not a spoiler） there were a lot of characters and a lot of switching POV and timelines to keep up with。 However， once the story progressed， I was more invested and wanted to see what happened and how -- or if？！ -- they could make it out alive。 。。。more
Debbie Viscosi
，
A group of friends goes on a camera safari in the Serengeti。 They hire a well known guide to lead them。 One of the biggest female stars of the day， her new husband， agent， brother， sister-in-law， and friends are set for the trip of a lifetime。 They see many amazing sights and are enjoying their trip until a group shows up unexpectedly。 Did the new arrivals need help？ How were these people able to find this group？ The descriptions of scenery， the animals， and the camp conditions are all beautiful A group of friends goes on a camera safari in the Serengeti。 They hire a well known guide to lead them。 One of the biggest female stars of the day， her new husband， agent， brother， sister-in-law， and friends are set for the trip of a lifetime。 They see many amazing sights and are enjoying their trip until a group shows up unexpectedly。 Did the new arrivals need help？ How were these people able to find this group？ The descriptions of scenery， the animals， and the camp conditions are all beautiful。 The author has a true appreciation for the Serengeti。 The story is told by several members of the party。 It is an amazing adventure that ends in a completely unexpected way。 Throughout the twists and turns， the narrative seems a little clinical， lacking some emotion。 It does not impact the overall effect of the story but would serve to enhance it。 。。。more
Linda Quinn
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Katie Barstow is America's sweetheart， an A-list actor who has just gotten married to her childhood crush， David Hill。 She arranges for the second half of their honeymoon to be a photo safari in the Serengeti and brings an entourage of her closest friends and family。 What should be a happy time quickly turns into a spectacularly bad time that not all of them will survive。 While the animals of the Serengeti are dangerous， there are more dangerous animals afoot。 Katie Barstow is America's sweetheart， an A-list actor who has just gotten married to her childhood crush， David Hill。 She arranges for the second half of their honeymoon to be a photo safari in the Serengeti and brings an entourage of her closest friends and family。 What should be a happy time quickly turns into a spectacularly bad time that not all of them will survive。 While the animals of the Serengeti are dangerous， there are more dangerous animals afoot。 。。。more
Raidene
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4。5 So many words can describe this story of Hollywood’s biggest star and a handful of her invited friends as they fight for their lives while on a safari in the Serengeti。 This book is cinematic， propulsive， atmospheric， violent and compelling at the least。 The large number of supporting players is sometimes difficult to keep track of （thanks to the author for the Cast of Characters’ list at the book’s beginning） and it’s hard to get attached to any of them as they start dropping like flies dur 4。5 So many words can describe this story of Hollywood’s biggest star and a handful of her invited friends as they fight for their lives while on a safari in the Serengeti。 This book is cinematic， propulsive， atmospheric， violent and compelling at the least。 The large number of supporting players is sometimes difficult to keep track of （thanks to the author for the Cast of Characters’ list at the book’s beginning） and it’s hard to get attached to any of them as they start dropping like flies during this trip of a lifetime。 The animal and fauna wonderlands are so evocatively described as are the geopolitical turmoil， racism and countless acts of violence。 Despite not usually being one for descriptive violence I was hooked early on and found this book to be an unusual page turner that I could not put down。。 Thanks to Penguin Random House for the prepublication copy of this book！ 。。。more
Erin
，
***Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me a complimentary copy of THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian in exchange for my honest review。***The Lioness is a gripping work of historical fiction。 Reading about the safari from different viewpoints was thrilling as the story unfolds。 At first， I found the flow of each chapter to be difficult to follow。 Each chapter is told by a different character and starts at a time before the safari and ends with the character's experience during the safari。 Af ***Thanks to Penguin Random House for providing me a complimentary copy of THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian in exchange for my honest review。***The Lioness is a gripping work of historical fiction。 Reading about the safari from different viewpoints was thrilling as the story unfolds。 At first， I found the flow of each chapter to be difficult to follow。 Each chapter is told by a different character and starts at a time before the safari and ends with the character's experience during the safari。 After a few chapters， I understood that the backstory in each chapter directly connects to the story in Africa and the development of each character。 。。。more
Ant Knewbie
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Love at first sight is not true because you can always count on this， love requires knowledge and knowledge requires time。 What good is a love you can't even count on， Know the Lion 🦁 of Judah？ The Promise Keeper that's married to the backslider。 Love at first sight is not true because you can always count on this， love requires knowledge and knowledge requires time。 What good is a love you can't even count on， Know the Lion 🦁 of Judah？ The Promise Keeper that's married to the backslider。 。。。more
Tim Weed
，
Think up a bunch of colorful characters （say， a 1960’s Hollywood movie star and her entourage）， and place them in a vivid wilderness landscape brimming with both wonder and danger （say， on safari in remote East Africa）。 Tell us about key moments in these characters’ previous lives in ways that make us love them， admire them， or， if some prove worthy of our disdain， at least understand their pressing drives and motivations。 Then， one by one， put each of these characters through the most wrenching Think up a bunch of colorful characters （say， a 1960’s Hollywood movie star and her entourage）， and place them in a vivid wilderness landscape brimming with both wonder and danger （say， on safari in remote East Africa）。 Tell us about key moments in these characters’ previous lives in ways that make us love them， admire them， or， if some prove worthy of our disdain， at least understand their pressing drives and motivations。 Then， one by one， put each of these characters through the most wrenching， life-or-death ordeals imaginable to see how they react under severe duress。 This is the basic recipe for The Lioness， an irresistible character-based thriller plated and served up to perfection by a master novelist at the top of his game。 It seems like it must have been fun to write。 It’s surely fun to read， though it’s also a dark and profound contemplation of the decisive effects of cowardice and courage that recalls and explicitly evokes some of Hemingway’s great fiction set in the same part of Africa。 This novel gets my highest recommendation！ 。。。more
GripLitGrl
，
I received an ARC of this book from PRH， as always my reviews are my honest opinions and spoiler free！Most historical fiction reads for me are slow burns that take me a while to get through。 This one instantly gripped me with the prologue。 I really enjoyed the alternating chapters based on each character and the back and forth of each characters present and past。 Chris Bohjalian really is a master storyteller they way he kept me turning the pages needing to know what happens next。 I really loved I received an ARC of this book from PRH， as always my reviews are my honest opinions and spoiler free！Most historical fiction reads for me are slow burns that take me a while to get through。 This one instantly gripped me with the prologue。 I really enjoyed the alternating chapters based on each character and the back and forth of each characters present and past。 Chris Bohjalian really is a master storyteller they way he kept me turning the pages needing to know what happens next。 I really loved the historical references I was surprised I knew about practically every reference mentioned， it was also so fun to have movies and books as referenced throughout the story as well。 As someone who doesn't read much historical fiction myself I was really happy to be so captivated with each chapter， it's definitely a book I highly recommend。 Bohjalian has another brilliant hit on his hands with this one。 The Lioness is a bingeable read that's absolutely worthy of your time。 。。。more
Amanda
，
I love this book。 Its fast-paced and rich and exudes an old Hollywood charm that I always find myself gravitating towards。 Bohjalian shines in this novel， allowing himself to cross the line in a manner that isn't pure gore and isn't gratuitous。 Let's not forget: there is a TON of violence in this book， both man on man and animal on man， but its not graphic， per say。 Its visceral。 And its necessary to the story。 This is the kind of book that the characters we quickly come to like could be shielde I love this book。 Its fast-paced and rich and exudes an old Hollywood charm that I always find myself gravitating towards。 Bohjalian shines in this novel， allowing himself to cross the line in a manner that isn't pure gore and isn't gratuitous。 Let's not forget: there is a TON of violence in this book， both man on man and animal on man， but its not graphic， per say。 Its visceral。 And its necessary to the story。 This is the kind of book that the characters we quickly come to like could be shielded by plot armor or luck or just the right circumstance。 But that is not what happens to these characters。 Bohjalian has set his novel in one of the most dangerous places on earth， and he adheres to the rules of that world。There are many sections that are not for the faint of heart， so go into this story understanding that they are in Africa。 Surrounded by the world's mightiest predators。 And that's just about all i'll say about that。I love how each chapter is from a different perspective， and how those POVs switch from present day to the past， whether that be moments before this trip started or years before。 It allows the plot to continue to move forward without relying too heavily on one person or another， and it allows the reader to get a deeper sense of who each of these people are。 Its hard to say if I would have liked more of one character or another， but I can safely say that none of the POVs were dull or boring or dragged in a way that made me want less of them。 （in other words， its not like Game of Thrones where sometimes I would groan for certain POV chapters）。I do wish the ending had had a little more umph。 Not to say that Bohjalian didn't stick the landing， but it was a bit on the wobbly side。 However， I'm not sure there was any other way TO end this story once it raced to its conclusion， so maybe i'm just being picky because i wanted to spend more time with these characters， maybe feel a bit more of their grief and shared relief at being rescued and the guilt at surviving。I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for the purpose of this review。 All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own， and I am writing a voluntary review。 。。。more
Emily
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The blurb gave away too much。 I just couldn't finish because I felt like there was nothing to keep my interest。 There were so many characters to follow and so many jumps in time and POVs that it kept me from getting into any flow with the story。 I found that I just didn't care about any of the characters。 I tried several times to keep reading， because I normally like this author， but ultimately was disappointed。Thank you to Penguin Random House for an advanced copy。 The blurb gave away too much。 I just couldn't finish because I felt like there was nothing to keep my interest。 There were so many characters to follow and so many jumps in time and POVs that it kept me from getting into any flow with the story。 I found that I just didn't care about any of the characters。 I tried several times to keep reading， because I normally like this author， but ultimately was disappointed。Thank you to Penguin Random House for an advanced copy。 。。。more
Kristen Beverly
，
The Lioness takes place on an African safari in the 1960’s， where a Hollywood star and her new husband take 8 friends along to celebrate their wedding。 Soon things take a turn for the worse when they are kidnapped and one by one they start to die。 I devoured this book！ I couldn’t resist continually turning to page to find out what was going to happen next， so I finished it in just a few short hours。 It’s a fun， atmospheric and thrilling read。
Anne Dennis
，
This newest Bohjalian effort adds fuel to the literary furnace that is his body of work。 I first read his debut Midwives the year it came out， in 1997， and have followed his trail ever once。 His more recent burner Flight Attendant is popular for the same reason The Lioness will be also: he’s just a fantastic storyteller。 I’m not usually on board with fiction that embeds itself in an historical context with made-up characters。 In this case， The Lioness follows an ensemble cast of characters on sa This newest Bohjalian effort adds fuel to the literary furnace that is his body of work。 I first read his debut Midwives the year it came out， in 1997， and have followed his trail ever once。 His more recent burner Flight Attendant is popular for the same reason The Lioness will be also: he’s just a fantastic storyteller。 I’m not usually on board with fiction that embeds itself in an historical context with made-up characters。 In this case， The Lioness follows an ensemble cast of characters on safari， and what or whom is being hunted comes as a violent surprise。 In the Bohjalian tradition， the story burns along， heating up as we learn just why Katie Barstow is in charge of the group。 If you haven’t picked up a Bohjalian book in a while， keep an eye out for The Lioness！ 。。。more
Michelle Stockard Miller
，
I really enjoyed this book。 In some ways， it reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo。 Perhaps because they are both books about movie stars and the fact that both stories kept me wanting to keep reading。 However， The Lioness is a different story。 It's an adventure told from a human perspective。 We get to know each character and their points of view。 When I first read about this book， since it's set during an African safari， I thought it was going to be heavy on the animal attacks。 Turns I really enjoyed this book。 In some ways， it reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo。 Perhaps because they are both books about movie stars and the fact that both stories kept me wanting to keep reading。 However， The Lioness is a different story。 It's an adventure told from a human perspective。 We get to know each character and their points of view。 When I first read about this book， since it's set during an African safari， I thought it was going to be heavy on the animal attacks。 Turns out， the real animals are the humans。。。。the aggressors with their violence， and the captives with their will to survive。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Jo
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Another enjoyable Bohjalian book！ I liked everything about it， a safari with incredible scenery and wild animals， mischievous Hollywood players， local Guides with interesting stories， mysterious bad guys， multiple storylines that connect in some big or small way， interesting chapter headings that give clues on background info， missing characters， and “who dun-nit” abound！ One by one they go， who will survive？ Was like a wonderful Agatha Christie but with a modern twist！ What a wild and enjoyable Another enjoyable Bohjalian book！ I liked everything about it， a safari with incredible scenery and wild animals， mischievous Hollywood players， local Guides with interesting stories， mysterious bad guys， multiple storylines that connect in some big or small way， interesting chapter headings that give clues on background info， missing characters， and “who dun-nit” abound！ One by one they go， who will survive？ Was like a wonderful Agatha Christie but with a modern twist！ What a wild and enjoyable ride！ 。。。more
DeAnn
，
4 safari starsA swank safari for nine Americans， including several Hollywood stars started out as planned。 The group headed to Tanzania in 1964 and planned to see all the big animals while celebrating big star Katie Barstow’s marriage to David Hill。Things start to go terribly wrong when Russian soldiers storm their camp and take them hostage。 The Serengeti holds unknown terrors from predators – both human and wild animal。 The political scene in Africa is full of intrigue and uprisings。The Americ 4 safari starsA swank safari for nine Americans， including several Hollywood stars started out as planned。 The group headed to Tanzania in 1964 and planned to see all the big animals while celebrating big star Katie Barstow’s marriage to David Hill。Things start to go terribly wrong when Russian soldiers storm their camp and take them hostage。 The Serengeti holds unknown terrors from predators – both human and wild animal。 The political scene in Africa is full of intrigue and uprisings。The Americans are separated into a few groups and the terror unfolds a bit differently for each of them。 Katie is separated from her best friend Carmen， but her recent co-star Terrance is with her group。 Katie is also with her husband David and her brother and his wife。 They eventually are driven to isolated huts， but they are not safe at all。The book alternates the terror of Africa with snippets of their lives in Hollywood。 As the kidnapping goes wrong on several levels， it becomes unclear if anyone will survive the safari。I have long been a fan of Chris Bohjalian， and this is the eleventh book of his that I’ve read。 I’ve grown to love his twists and this one had that trademark twist！ Thank you to Doubleday/Penguin Random House for the complimentary copy to read and review。 Scheduled to publish 5。10。22 。。。more
Stephanie
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Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this novel。I’ve been a fan of Bohjalian’s writing for a few years now。 Like many others， it started with The Flight Attendant， way before the HBO series， I might add。 Loved last year’s Hour of the Witch， a great historical fiction read that made my 2021 Books of the Year list。 Naturally， I got excited when Bohjalian revealed the cover for his upcoming novel The Lioness a few months ago on Twitter。Simply put， The Lioness tells th Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy of this novel。I’ve been a fan of Bohjalian’s writing for a few years now。 Like many others， it started with The Flight Attendant， way before the HBO series， I might add。 Loved last year’s Hour of the Witch， a great historical fiction read that made my 2021 Books of the Year list。 Naturally， I got excited when Bohjalian revealed the cover for his upcoming novel The Lioness a few months ago on Twitter。Simply put， The Lioness tells the story of a safari gone very wrong。 But it’s so much more than that。 The tale is layered with tension around race relations both back home and in Africa and tackles the civil unrest that was rife in both countries at that time。 One of the safari-goers， Terrance Dutton， is a Black actor， and it was interesting to read his interactions with the guides and staff on the safari。 There’s an underlying sense that the lifestyle of the glitterati of 60s Hollywood perpetuates an industry detrimental to African culture， but it’s never explicitly touched on。Each chapter is told from a different character’s point of view， which I found made The Lioness a quick read and， potentially， a lighter version of a very heavy story。 The background building is very rich for each character and is interspersed through each chapter as the action is happening， offering the reader potential theories for why the kidnapping is taking place。There are a lot of characters in this book–but they’re all distinct enough that it’s not arduous to keep track of what’s going on for each and their relationship to the situation and those around them。 There were a few people I really cared about， with Katie’s sister-in-law Margie being the main one。 The setting and the animals were also so well described and written that they became characters in their own right。Do I recommend it？ Yes。 Make no mistake， this is novel is as brutal as the landscape it takes place in。 The action is unrelenting and makes for a very fast， and satisfying， read。（4。5 / 5 stars） 。。。more
Jordan （Jordy’s Book Club）
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QUICK TAKE: Jurassic Park meets Evelyn Hugo when a glamorous Hollywood starlet's safari honeymoon becomes a deadly story of survival。 I couldn't put this one down and it's easily my favorite Bohjalian novel。 QUICK TAKE: Jurassic Park meets Evelyn Hugo when a glamorous Hollywood starlet's safari honeymoon becomes a deadly story of survival。 I couldn't put this one down and it's easily my favorite Bohjalian novel。 。。。more
Victoria
，
Thanks Doubleday and Netgalley for sharing the prolific Chris Bohjalian’s upcoming novel。 It’s definitely another winner， I couldn’t put it down。 It’s dark though。 I keep wondering， was he in a really cruel mood when he wrote this one？ COVID perhaps？ It it was thoroughly enjoyable for fans and those new to the author as well。 Recommended。
Stephanie
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Last year， when I read and reviewed Chris Bohjalian’s Hour of The Witch， I wrote “I admit it: I have been a big fan of Chris Bohjalian， ever since I read Midwives several years ago。 I consider Mr。 Bohjalian one of the most reliable authors I read regularly， and I always look forward to his books…Hour of the Witch （2021）， Red Lotus （2020）， The Flight Attendant （2018 and BTW it is WAY better than the TV series）， The Sleepwalker （2016）， and The Guest Room （2015） have all been 5 star reviews for me。 Last year， when I read and reviewed Chris Bohjalian’s Hour of The Witch， I wrote “I admit it: I have been a big fan of Chris Bohjalian， ever since I read Midwives several years ago。 I consider Mr。 Bohjalian one of the most reliable authors I read regularly， and I always look forward to his books…Hour of the Witch （2021）， Red Lotus （2020）， The Flight Attendant （2018 and BTW it is WAY better than the TV series）， The Sleepwalker （2016）， and The Guest Room （2015） have all been 5 star reviews for me。 And OMG The Sandcastle Girls was one of my all-time favorite books。 So I was happy to receive a copy of Bohjalian’s latest， The Lioness， from Doubleday and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review。 And wow， does this book have something for everyone: historical fiction， African safari， Hollywood celebrities， racial conflict， animal rights， kidnapping， political intrigue – you get the idea。 And for starters， I’m thinking this has the potential to make a GREAT movie。 The outline is that the Queen of Hollywood in 1964， Katie Barstow， marries her childhood friend and celebrates by taking an entourage on safari for their honeymoon to Tanzania。 For most， it will be a photo safari， but some of the guests plan to stay after for a “real” hunting safari。 There are multiple characters to keep track of， and the story is told in alternating points of view， plus chapters start with blurbs from fan magazines and news sources – I admit I referred to the character list in the beginning on multiple occasions。 The group seems to expect a series of leisurely days being escorted safely into the wild to see and photograph animals （including giraffes， wildebeests， zebras， lions， elephants – all of which are described beautifully。 These scenes， along with the descriptions of the physical setting， are incredibly well done）。 Then they anticipate sitting around a campfire in the evening， being waited on by the attendants， drinking gin and tonic， etc。 Then， this happens: （NOTE: this isn’t a spoiler， it is all in the publisher’s blurb – but that’s another issue） “ A kidnapping gone wrong， their guides bleeding out in the dirt， and a team of Russian mercenaries herding them into Land Rovers， guns to their heads。 As the powerful sun gives way to night， the gunmen shove them into abandoned huts and Katie Barstow， Hollywood royalty， prays for a simple thing: To see the sun rise one more time。” The various stories that emerge are complex and often evoke real emotions （in my case， both for the people and the animals）。 The plotting is well-done， the characters are revealed in depth （and I CARED about several of them as if they were real people）， the setting is stunning as described by Bohjalian – in many ways， this is another terrific story told by a master storyteller。 My only reason for making it four stars rather than 5 is that there could maybe have been fewer characters， as all of them have backstories and safari-related events to keep track of。 For people like me， who tend to binge read， it may not be an issue， but more casual reading might make tracking everyone a bit of a challenge。 Four stars， highly recommended。 。。。more
Jo Dervan
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In 1964 Katie Barstow， a popular Hollywood actress， decided to spend her honeymoon on safari in Africa。 She invited 7 other friends and family members to join her and her husband David on the adventure。 She engaged the services of Charlie Patton to lead the group。 Charlie was considered the last of the great white hunters and had guided Hemingway and other famous folks。 However most of the group would only be photographing the animals， not killing them。The location of the safari was the Serenget In 1964 Katie Barstow， a popular Hollywood actress， decided to spend her honeymoon on safari in Africa。 She invited 7 other friends and family members to join her and her husband David on the adventure。 She engaged the services of Charlie Patton to lead the group。 Charlie was considered the last of the great white hunters and had guided Hemingway and other famous folks。 However most of the group would only be photographing the animals， not killing them。The location of the safari was the Serengeti， a large area of modern day Tanzania known for game reserves and a protected area for wild animals。 Although there was turmoil in nearby Congo， the group was assured that they would be safe。 So when Russian mercenaries kidnapped the group， they were in shock。 The group was separated into to smaller groups and some of the African guides who offered resistance， were brutally killed。 The members of the group were transported in different vans to an abandoned reserve and then restrained in dark huts。 The rest of the book deals with the violence that resulted from the kidnapping。 The story was told from the point of view of each of the characters。 It is not till the end of the story that we learn the surprising reason for the kidnapping。I have been to Africa on a photo safari so the setting was not a surprise to me。 I have read and enjoyed other books by this author。 This book was a not as good as the others。I received this ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Christine Savukinas
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I really wanted to love this book。 It sounds like it could grab you at the beginning and not let go， but it didn’t happen that way for me。 When a book starts with a character list I know it’s going to be difficult to keep track。 And unfortunately it was。 There were 10 American in safari and 4 African guides。 And that is before the kidnapping takes place！ I just had a difficult time keeping track， and I did have to reference the character list several times。 Another thing that I found difficult i I really wanted to love this book。 It sounds like it could grab you at the beginning and not let go， but it didn’t happen that way for me。 When a book starts with a character list I know it’s going to be difficult to keep track。 And unfortunately it was。 There were 10 American in safari and 4 African guides。 And that is before the kidnapping takes place！ I just had a difficult time keeping track， and I did have to reference the character list several times。 Another thing that I found difficult is that just when I would get into a chapter and really start to understand a character and their thoughts， something would happen and the chapter would end。 I’d wait until the character had their own chapter again to find out what happened。 BUT， I really enjoyed the storyline and was interested in finishing the book to find out what happened。 Chris Bohjalian is an amazing storyteller - he has amazing ideas and can can really weave a story。 I ended up at 3 stars。Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC。 。。。more
Kelsey
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I was lucky enough to win this bound galley from @chrisbohjalian and I devoured it almost immediately。 The plot is gripping and dynamic and the characters are intensely likable， dare I say lovable。 （spoiler: don’t get too attached！）I loved that this book was just mysterious enough - it didn’t test my brainpower too much but it kept me turning page after page。 The perfectly placed tidbits of knowledge and facts made me feel almost like I was reading a work of non-fiction。 The balance of action an I was lucky enough to win this bound galley from @chrisbohjalian and I devoured it almost immediately。 The plot is gripping and dynamic and the characters are intensely likable， dare I say lovable。 （spoiler: don’t get too attached！）I loved that this book was just mysterious enough - it didn’t test my brainpower too much but it kept me turning page after page。 The perfectly placed tidbits of knowledge and facts made me feel almost like I was reading a work of non-fiction。 The balance of action and drama with love and tenderness combined with a perfect amount of darkness provides a rich yet kind of heartbreaking story。 。。。more
Kristin Lee Williams
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Every time I started to get in to the story it changed perspectives or went back to explain something from the past。 Made it very hard to get into a flow。I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley。
Wendy
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Chris Bohjalian seems to be channeling Agatha Christie in his latest novel， The Lioness， in which a party of nine travelers to the Serengeti dwindles down in this mystery-thriller-historical fiction all rolled up into one fast-paced book。 Hollywood actress Katie Barstow is getting married， and just for fun she wants to take special people in her life on an after-honeymoon photo trip to Africa。The expedition is hardly underway when the vacationers are overtaken by Russian mercenaries。 The politic Chris Bohjalian seems to be channeling Agatha Christie in his latest novel， The Lioness， in which a party of nine travelers to the Serengeti dwindles down in this mystery-thriller-historical fiction all rolled up into one fast-paced book。 Hollywood actress Katie Barstow is getting married， and just for fun she wants to take special people in her life on an after-honeymoon photo trip to Africa。The expedition is hardly underway when the vacationers are overtaken by Russian mercenaries。 The political climate in 1964 was such that Moscow was meddling in Africa as it was believed that Africans would embrace the Russian model of socialism as part of a plan for modernization。 But what did that have to do with a group of people whose lives were involved in acting， writing， and publicizing in Hollywood？ Just who was the target of this attack？Each chapter is introduced with a gossipy blurb about one of the safari bound， be it about Katie， her psychologist brother， her actress friend， or her recent co-star。 Bohjalian builds suspense throughout the mystery by bringing one chapter to a close in the midst of high dramatic tension and plunging into the next chapter from a different character’s point of view。 A trip to Africa is treacherous enough with all the things that could happen such as animal attacks and snake bites without confrontations and threats by ruthless Russian thugs。 The number in the vacationing party diminishes as the tension builds toward a climax of betrayal and more killings。 Those who survive will never be the same。Chris Bohjalian is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 24 books。 His books have been translated into 35 languages。 A few of his books have been made into movies， and his The Flight Attendant became a big series hit for HBO。 His books have been chosen as Best Books of the Year by the Washington Post， the St。 Louis Post-Dispatch， the Hartford Courant， the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel， Publishers Weekly， Library Journal， Kirkus Reviews， BookPage， and Salon。 My review will be posted on Goodreads starting February 17， 2022。I would like to thank Doubleday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review。 。。。more
Nan Williams
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Ever since I happened upon Midwives in my local library， Bohjalian has been one of my favorite writers。 I have enjoyed all his books and have learned a lot about various subjects。 I was looking forward to this historical novel set during an African Safari in 1964。 tI loved the original premise and the setting of the safari。 The number of characters， however， along with the backstory of each， was mind boggling。 10 Americans on the Safari plus 5 African principals leading the Safari plus assorted Ever since I happened upon Midwives in my local library， Bohjalian has been one of my favorite writers。 I have enjoyed all his books and have learned a lot about various subjects。 I was looking forward to this historical novel set during an African Safari in 1964。 tI loved the original premise and the setting of the safari。 The number of characters， however， along with the backstory of each， was mind boggling。 10 Americans on the Safari plus 5 African principals leading the Safari plus assorted others causing mayhem。tThe manner of telling the story was quite hurky jerky， making it difficult to maintain a mental flow。 In each chapter， we start in the present time with a particular character and quickly jump into a backstory and/or come to some sort of excitement just in time to close the chapter and move onto someone else。tThere was also the overload of themes including a hodge podge of past and current political issues。 tI’m very appreciative to NetGalley and the publisher， DoubleDay Books， for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Lioness
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Lioness&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Lioness&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0