The Lioness
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- Create Date：2022-05-11 21:21:47
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Chris Bohjalian
- ISBN：B09CDB3DLY
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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 zebra 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 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。 A blistering story of fame， race， love， and death set in a world on the cusp of great change， The Safari 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 zebra 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 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。 A blistering story of fame， race， love， and death set in a world on the cusp of great change， The Safari is a vibrant masterpiece from one of our finest storytellers。
Reviews
Jennifer
，
DNF = This book gave me a headache。 Too many characters and a bit ambitious with the quantity of themes addressed。 Maybe I’ll try again another time…
Judith von Kirchbach
，
This book has it all， it is a slow burn riveting historical thriller， keeping you on your toes and guessing， it is a thoughtful political history， a gripping safari adventure， and a nuanced character portrait with quite a few character who are all fully fleshed out。 Set in 1964， in Hollywood and East Africa where Hollywood star Kate Barstow has brought a whole group of family and friends along for her honeymoon photo safari。The idyllic luxury getaway turns quickly to a disaster when sowjet merc This book has it all， it is a slow burn riveting historical thriller， keeping you on your toes and guessing， it is a thoughtful political history， a gripping safari adventure， and a nuanced character portrait with quite a few character who are all fully fleshed out。 Set in 1964， in Hollywood and East Africa where Hollywood star Kate Barstow has brought a whole group of family and friends along for her honeymoon photo safari。The idyllic luxury getaway turns quickly to a disaster when sowjet mercenaries kidnap the group。The group reacts differently to the kidnapping - to put hope on a ransom paid or to try to escape captivity， overpower captors or be compliant - what about the blistering sun and the wild animals and the fact that they are far out on the reserve in the Serengeti。Told through each character's eyes Bohjalian captures you from the start - and drops you with these different characters from different backgrounds of whom you only know what they reveal when it’s their turn for you to inhabit their minds and learn a bit about their backstory。 Bohjalian provides a little bit of background on Africa's instability， but as I usually do with historical fiction I also googled quite a bit。A quote that stood out to me was “The rhinos know we’re a threat， and the lions have learned we can be very risky prey，” Muema said， with that lovely professorial lilt to this voice。 “But to the Russians and Americans？ We’re just pawns on the chess board。 Harmless and expendable。”Yet again - I enjoyed my reading and I learned so much ！ 。。。more
Olivia
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THE LIONESS is an engaging Hollywood thriller that keeps the reader on their toes。 It is 1964 and Hollywood starlet Kate Barstow and her new husband David have decided to bring their friends and family with them to Africa for a safari。 Their plans quickly go awry when they are kidnapped by Russian mercenaries - and not everyone will be coming out alive。The book follows about 10 characters in the third person limited。 Each perspective feels like a short story that is linked by the primary narrati THE LIONESS is an engaging Hollywood thriller that keeps the reader on their toes。 It is 1964 and Hollywood starlet Kate Barstow and her new husband David have decided to bring their friends and family with them to Africa for a safari。 Their plans quickly go awry when they are kidnapped by Russian mercenaries - and not everyone will be coming out alive。The book follows about 10 characters in the third person limited。 Each perspective feels like a short story that is linked by the primary narrative， as it gives some personal context and history along with the larger plot。 The beginning of the book includes a list of the characters， and this was immensely helpful in keeping everyone and their relationships straight。 I do wish the book would have focused in on a character or two， but the writing style feeds into the Hollywood feel。The book takes off quickly and the danger gives it a heavy suspense feel， particularly as things go badly rapidly。 This is a really atmospheric and intriguing read。 Highly recommend picking up THE LIONESS if you are a fan of old Hollywood suspense reads， such as THE SIREN。 Please note that I received a review copy。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Gabrielle
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The “lions of Hollywood” are about to partake on the adventure of a life time funded by America’s sweetheart， Katie Barstow。 Her star-studded troop include her best friend and fellow actress， Carmen Tedesco and A-list co-star Terrance Dutton。 Her new husband， brother， publicists， agent， and their prospective spouses have also come along to explore the majesty of the Serengeti on this photo safari。 It’s not long， however， until the blood starts spilling and it becomes very evident that there is f The “lions of Hollywood” are about to partake on the adventure of a life time funded by America’s sweetheart， Katie Barstow。 Her star-studded troop include her best friend and fellow actress， Carmen Tedesco and A-list co-star Terrance Dutton。 Her new husband， brother， publicists， agent， and their prospective spouses have also come along to explore the majesty of the Serengeti on this photo safari。 It’s not long， however， until the blood starts spilling and it becomes very evident that there is fowl play at hand。 A team of Russian mercenaries kidnapthe group and their guides at gunpoint， taking lives in the process。 As we learn more about the captives and their sordid pasts， truths about their dire predicament are brought to light。The Lioness brilliantly explores themes of love， race， fame， betrayal， and family trauma。 Stars: they really are just like us。 In addition to being my first historical thriller， this was my first Bohhaljan novel and I can see why so many sing his praises。 The Lioness is so well-navigated out。 I enjoyed the complexities of each character as told from alternate perspectives and time frames。 This is a gripping and important read Important issues are explored throughout a moving plot that manages to be gripping and immersive at the same time。 With a healthy dose of symbolism peppered throughout， I wholly enjoyed The Lioness。 It’s one of those books that leave you feeling fulfilled having read it。 。。。more
Lori
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One of OUR FAV books that Chris has written and we have loved every single one of his books！ There is no way this does not get made into a ltd series or a movie。 JUST A RIVETING STORY！ The movie star， the year （1964）， a safari， a kidnapping， a honeymoon。 this book has it all！
Cara Gores
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This book was interesting。 I do not think the cover does it justice as it really is a thriller about a group of Hollywood stars and first worlders on safari who find themselves in a hostage situation that is very violent and bloody。 It is suspenseful and has amazing historical detail-especially about Africa in the 1960s。 This felt a bit like And then there were none by Agatha Christie set in Africa。 The multiple POV could be confusing， but all together it was a good suspense that kept you hooked This book was interesting。 I do not think the cover does it justice as it really is a thriller about a group of Hollywood stars and first worlders on safari who find themselves in a hostage situation that is very violent and bloody。 It is suspenseful and has amazing historical detail-especially about Africa in the 1960s。 This felt a bit like And then there were none by Agatha Christie set in Africa。 The multiple POV could be confusing， but all together it was a good suspense that kept you hooked。 。。。more
Alana
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Bohjalian starts off with a bang， hooking you immediately into this propulsive story。 Each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective and gives their background story as well as their current plight。 It was the perfect combination of character development and thrilling action。 And the setting was lush， rich with color and texture。 This has been optioned for a TV series and I can’t wait to watch this sweeping adventure to come to life。
Shereadbookblog
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In the 1960s， a Hollywood star， her husband， and some invited guests go on a Safari for her honeymoon where they encounter Russian mercenaries。 Told from various POVs， the book is well written and gives a good sense of place with great descriptions of Tanzania。 The story rang true in many instances， but in others， it didn’t。 Some of the animals engagements with humans I thought a bit fantastical and some of the action between humans strained credulity。 I enjoyed the story， even though I had to s In the 1960s， a Hollywood star， her husband， and some invited guests go on a Safari for her honeymoon where they encounter Russian mercenaries。 Told from various POVs， the book is well written and gives a good sense of place with great descriptions of Tanzania。 The story rang true in many instances， but in others， it didn’t。 Some of the animals engagements with humans I thought a bit fantastical and some of the action between humans strained credulity。 I enjoyed the story， even though I had to suspend belief at times， but I guess that is what fiction is all about！Thanks to #netgalley and the publisher for the DRC 。。。more
Lyndi
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Set in the old-Hollywood era of the 1960s， Katie Barstow is a celebrity movie star celebrating her honeymoon by taking her closest friends and family on Safari to Tanzania， Africa。 Charlie Patton had once been one of the great white hunters， but as the generations transitioned from wanting trophies to wanting pictures， Charlie had to adapt from guiding hunters to escorting spoiled rich socialites on luxury tours。 But when they're taken hostage by a rogue group of Russian soldiers， it becomes a s Set in the old-Hollywood era of the 1960s， Katie Barstow is a celebrity movie star celebrating her honeymoon by taking her closest friends and family on Safari to Tanzania， Africa。 Charlie Patton had once been one of the great white hunters， but as the generations transitioned from wanting trophies to wanting pictures， Charlie had to adapt from guiding hunters to escorting spoiled rich socialites on luxury tours。 But when they're taken hostage by a rogue group of Russian soldiers， it becomes a struggle for survival。 If the soldiers don't kill them， the Serengeti will！Yet another fascinating， pulse-pounding， thrilling read by this author。 I've loved every one of his books and I did a happy dance when I received an advance copy！ I admit I was confused by so many characters in the beginning， especially as the chapters alternate between characters and then between past and present within the chapter。 But as more and more of them died off the story become easier to follow。 I was seriously starting to wonder if any of them would survive！ I highly recommend this exciting adventure story！I received an advance reader copy of this book。 The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily。 。。。more
Vicki
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“The Lioness，” by Chris Bohjalian， Doubleday， 336 pages， May 10， 2022。In 1964， actress Katie Barstow and her new husband， David Hill， owner of a Beverly Hills art gallery， think it will be great to honeymoon in the Serengeti。 They bring their Hollywood friends to Tanzania。 Their guests include Katie’s brother， Billy Stepanov， her best friend， Carmen Tedesco， and Terrance Dutton， the Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the controversial film Tender Madness。 The group of nine nicknames themse “The Lioness，” by Chris Bohjalian， Doubleday， 336 pages， May 10， 2022。In 1964， actress Katie Barstow and her new husband， David Hill， owner of a Beverly Hills art gallery， think it will be great to honeymoon in the Serengeti。 They bring their Hollywood friends to Tanzania。 Their guests include Katie’s brother， Billy Stepanov， her best friend， Carmen Tedesco， and Terrance Dutton， the Black actor who stars alongside Katie in the controversial film Tender Madness。 The group of nine nicknames themselves The Lions of Hollywood。 They have an entourage of 17 Kenyans and Tanzanians。 Charlie Patton is head of the photo safari。 Benjamin Kikwete is one of the rangers。 Terrance is one of only three Black guests Benjamin has ever worked for。The wealthy Americans expect civilized adventure with amenities including waterproof canvas bathtubs and a kerosene-powered ice maker。 What they get is a kidnapping gone wrong after Russian soldiers storm their camp and take them hostage。 “The mantra for most of us？ Just stay alive。”This is told from the perspective of travelers and staff。 Each chapter starts with a blurb from newspaper or magazine articles as the stories of their pasts unfold。 The multiple characters are distinctive enough to keep track of and their points of view are woven together。As the number of characters dwindle， readers wonder who will be killed by the kidnappers or attacked by wild animals。 Sort of like Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None，” but with lions。This is an intense， fast-paced， character-driven novel with a shocking， twist-filled plot。 The author gives some clues， but you’ll still be surprised by the revelation of who is behind it and why。Chris Bohjalian really is a master storyteller and no two of his novels are alike。 He is the author of 23 books。 This is one of the best of his works and one of the best novels of the year。 Don’t miss this one。In accordance with FTC guidelines， the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review。 。。。more
Kelly
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My actual rating of The Lioness is 4。25 stars out of 5。 I thought the biggest detractor from this book were the MANY points of view。 However， the POV’s were short and action-packed enough to make each character memorable enough to follow the story line。 As well as having multiple points of view ， this novel addresses many topics such as child abuse， racism， adultery， environmental terrorism and more。 At times， I think it tries to chew more than the wildlife does on the African safari in the stor My actual rating of The Lioness is 4。25 stars out of 5。 I thought the biggest detractor from this book were the MANY points of view。 However， the POV’s were short and action-packed enough to make each character memorable enough to follow the story line。 As well as having multiple points of view ， this novel addresses many topics such as child abuse， racism， adultery， environmental terrorism and more。 At times， I think it tries to chew more than the wildlife does on the African safari in the story， but I did enjoy the story and in the end was kept entertained and cared enough about the characters to continue on the journey through the Serengeti with them。 I will say that there is some pretty graphic detailings of violence and animals attacking and eating human remains， so if that makes you squeamish stay away。 Not to mention the details of human violence against each other as well… if you don’t like violence of any kind this book might not be for you。 。。。more
Jean Kolinofsky
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Hollywood star Katie Barstow celebrates her marriage to childhood friend David Hill with a safari to Tanzania。 They have invited a number of friends to join them， including her publicist， her brother and his wife， her maid of honor and her husband and well known Black actor Terrance Dutton。 Chris Bohjalian sets his story in 1964， a time of turmoil in neighboring Congo and racial tensions back in the US。 The group spends its’ time observing the wildlife of the Serengeti during the day and relaxin Hollywood star Katie Barstow celebrates her marriage to childhood friend David Hill with a safari to Tanzania。 They have invited a number of friends to join them， including her publicist， her brother and his wife， her maid of honor and her husband and well known Black actor Terrance Dutton。 Chris Bohjalian sets his story in 1964， a time of turmoil in neighboring Congo and racial tensions back in the US。 The group spends its’ time observing the wildlife of the Serengeti during the day and relaxing with drinks back in camp each night。 Their adventure comes to an abrupt end when the camp is attacked by Russians who kidnap the group， killing two Rangers and a guide。 They are divided into two vehicles that separate for two different locations。 It becomes a test of their endurance and not everyone will survive。 Bohjalian’s story is told from the various characters’ points of view。 Terrance reveals the death threats that he received after starring in a movie with Katie。 Bill and Katie reveal the abuses that they faced as children， while Bill’s wife fears for the life of their unborn child。 Each person reveals their faults and strengths as they face their captors。 Even if they escape the Russians， they must face the predators of the Serengeti。 They fall one by one until few are left。 Before help arrives they discover that the kidnapping is not only for ransom but is also tied to CIA activities。 I have been a fan of Chris Bohjalian for some time。 His novels give you a clear sense of time and place。 In The Lioness he refers to Ernest Hemingway’s time in Africa as well as famous celebrities from the 1960s。 His descriptions of the heat and wildlife of the Serengeti also brings it to life。 While the deaths are often violent， there are also those who faced their end in a way that brought tears to my eyes。 Once you begin The Lioness you will not be able to put this book down。 I would like to thank NetGalley and Doubleday Books or making this book available for my review。 。。。more
Reeca Elliott
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Katie Barstow is a superstar actress。 She has just recently wed her new husband， David Hill。 Instead of a normal honeymoon， they decide to spend their honeymoon with many of their friends on a safari in the Serengeti。 The trip begins with some unique experiences but then it turns deadly！I love the setting and the time period of this novel。 This tale encompasses many issues of race and sexuality。 I also found Carmen， Kate’s best friend， to be one of the best characters in the whole book。 Talk abo Katie Barstow is a superstar actress。 She has just recently wed her new husband， David Hill。 Instead of a normal honeymoon， they decide to spend their honeymoon with many of their friends on a safari in the Serengeti。 The trip begins with some unique experiences but then it turns deadly！I love the setting and the time period of this novel。 This tale encompasses many issues of race and sexuality。 I also found Carmen， Kate’s best friend， to be one of the best characters in the whole book。 Talk about the unexpected…she is not a woman whom I expected to be the strength of the whole safari。However， I enjoyed this story but I did not like the format。 First off， there are tons of characters and a lot of these characters tell their own point of view。 So， you have quite a few different narrators。 But the thing I hated most was the time jumping。 There are tons of flashbacks per person。 Some of these flashbacks start before the safari and some are early life。 It just seems a bit scattered and hard to follow。I am a huge fan of this author and while I found this story to not be one of my favorites， it is still one that has stayed with me。 I can see this making a wonderful movie。Need a good story with a an unusual setting…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today。I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more
Denise
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Never going on an African safari。。。Historical thriller， quite predictable， and very violent with a large cast of characters。Hollywood actress Katie Barstow， and her new husband， David Hill， decide to take some family and close friends to the Serengeti at the end of their honeymoon。 What is meant to be an adventurous camp-out that involves watching animals and taking photographs turns deadly when the entourage is kidnapped by Russians。 I've read all of this author's books and， upon analysis， I se Never going on an African safari。。。Historical thriller， quite predictable， and very violent with a large cast of characters。Hollywood actress Katie Barstow， and her new husband， David Hill， decide to take some family and close friends to the Serengeti at the end of their honeymoon。 What is meant to be an adventurous camp-out that involves watching animals and taking photographs turns deadly when the entourage is kidnapped by Russians。 I've read all of this author's books and， upon analysis， I see they have been hit and miss with me。 I found this to be terribly bloody， lots of senseless killing， and a plot that really did not grip me with an ending， meant to be a twist， that was totally foreseen early in the story。 Told in multiple voices， the narrators give their take on what is happening during their ordeal， and reveal a bit about themselves and their lives interspersed with blurbs from supposed tabloid reports from Hollywood。 All of the jumping around made the novel less suspenseful as mostly I just wanted a fluid tale without all the background that foreshadowed how this would all end。 I never felt that I identified with the many characters and thus did not regret any one death more than another though it all just seemed so pointless and sad。 As usual， the author includes political and social commentary relevant to the place （Africa） and the time period （1960s） and， given the current global tendency to despise the mercenary Russians， they don't get any love either。 I think my overwhelming response to this work is that I was disappointed。 Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for this e-book ARC to read and review。 。。。more
Christine
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4。25* I love how Chris Bohjalian novels are all so different。 I didn't know anything about this story， other than a Hollywood movie star and her entourage go to the Serengeti for a safari in 1964 - not to hunt， but to photograph and experience Africa。 The trip goes very wrong and is told in the voices of each of the travelers。 Each chapter starts with a Hollywood gossip article which directly feeds into the African portion of the story。 The reader learns about each person's past a little more be 4。25* I love how Chris Bohjalian novels are all so different。 I didn't know anything about this story， other than a Hollywood movie star and her entourage go to the Serengeti for a safari in 1964 - not to hunt， but to photograph and experience Africa。 The trip goes very wrong and is told in the voices of each of the travelers。 Each chapter starts with a Hollywood gossip article which directly feeds into the African portion of the story。 The reader learns about each person's past a little more before seguing back into the African story。 Bohjalian is a master and I never felt lost in the story， even with all the switching back and forth。 I highly recommend this atmospheric novel！Thanks to Penguin Random House and Doubleday for providing me an early copy in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more
Shaun Shepard
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Have you ever been deceived by a book cover？ The cover of The Lioness gives me Taylor-Swift-Wildest-Dreams vibes。 But this sultry， golden era Hollywood illusion is shattered—erm， pretty much immediately—and replaced by violent bloodshed and utter terror。 But to be honest， I kind of loved it。This book is not for the squeamish。 A lot of people die in very gruesome ways （hints: 🔪 🐆 🐯） and I will say I felt pretty ill the whole time I was reading it…that said， I read it in one day and could barely p Have you ever been deceived by a book cover？ The cover of The Lioness gives me Taylor-Swift-Wildest-Dreams vibes。 But this sultry， golden era Hollywood illusion is shattered—erm， pretty much immediately—and replaced by violent bloodshed and utter terror。 But to be honest， I kind of loved it。This book is not for the squeamish。 A lot of people die in very gruesome ways （hints: 🔪 🐆 🐯） and I will say I felt pretty ill the whole time I was reading it…that said， I read it in one day and could barely put it down， so I’d say that’s a win。 🐘 What would have made this five stars for me would have been more inner dialogue in the present timeline。 All of these awful things happen and I barely glimpsed insight into how the surviving characters were affected！ All in all， an intense and utterly consumable read。 。。。more
Amy Brown （amylikestoreadalot）
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This was very tense！ It's about a group of people who visit Africa in 1964 for a safari。 Katie Barstow is a beautiful movie star and this trip is a gift to her new husband and her close friends。 While there， they are kidnapped by a group of Russians， and it starts to go bad from there。 Each chapter is told by a different character， so you get lots of different perspectives。 And one by one， people start dying。。。 This was very tense！ It's about a group of people who visit Africa in 1964 for a safari。 Katie Barstow is a beautiful movie star and this trip is a gift to her new husband and her close friends。 While there， they are kidnapped by a group of Russians， and it starts to go bad from there。 Each chapter is told by a different character， so you get lots of different perspectives。 And one by one， people start dying。。。 。。。more
Tina
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The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian#twentyfifthbookof2022 #arc CW: death， murder， miscarriage， racism， kidnapping， snakes， animal attacks， political machinationsThis book details the disastrous safari honeymoon of 60s movie star Katie Barstow， husband David Hill， and their invited guests， involving a kidnapping attempt。 Told with flashbacks to happier Hollywood days， we learn the backstories of Katie’s friends and family， alongside the agonizing details of the kidnapping and survival efforts of folks The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian#twentyfifthbookof2022 #arc CW: death， murder， miscarriage， racism， kidnapping， snakes， animal attacks， political machinationsThis book details the disastrous safari honeymoon of 60s movie star Katie Barstow， husband David Hill， and their invited guests， involving a kidnapping attempt。 Told with flashbacks to happier Hollywood days， we learn the backstories of Katie’s friends and family， alongside the agonizing details of the kidnapping and survival efforts of folks who hadn’t planned on shooting guns， only photographs。 I enjoyed this book immensely。 I’m a sucker for old Hollywood movies， and reading the flashbacks of the movie stars on set was so interesting to me。 I’ve also been intrigued by the idea of a photo safari， and reading about the animals that were seen on this trip was exciting， although not without some hazards。 The book changes perspective between various members of the party， and at first， I was disappointed when a chapter ended and we switched to another person， but that disappointment always quickly faded as that next chapter began to fascinate me as well。 As the book went on， I happily returned to each person， eager to find out if their story would end in tragedy or survival。 This book was so good！ I always enjoy this author’s novels， and this one was no exception。 Thank you to @netgalley and @doubleday for the advance copy。 （Pub date 05/10/22）#thelioness #chrisbohjalian 。。。more
Janine
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Okay so this book is great。 It’s so original and I love how the story is pieced together。 There’s a lot of characters which kinda took a minute to keep straight but definitely one of the best books so far this year！
Crystal
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I've never read a book by Chris Bohjalian before， and I am glad Net Galley allowed me to read this one early。 This was an intense and suspenseful story of a famous actress （Katie） and how her guests and crew barely survived being kidnapped by Russians in Tanganyika， Africa （the Serengeti Desert）。 While many reviewers have complained that there are so many characters， I didn't have a terribly hard time telling them apart。 I really liked how Bohjalian intertwined current and past events into what I've never read a book by Chris Bohjalian before， and I am glad Net Galley allowed me to read this one early。 This was an intense and suspenseful story of a famous actress （Katie） and how her guests and crew barely survived being kidnapped by Russians in Tanganyika， Africa （the Serengeti Desert）。 While many reviewers have complained that there are so many characters， I didn't have a terribly hard time telling them apart。 I really liked how Bohjalian intertwined current and past events into what they were experiencing。 Some of my favorite parts were the many ways you could die in the Serengeti which Bohjalain reveals he learned from his tour guides when he was visiting。 I also enjoyed thinking about the symbolism of all the animals， especially the Lioness。 The first quote of the book was very telling of the story， "Oh， I can't speak for the dead。 And I won't speak for the missing。" You aren't told who is speaking in the Prologue， but by the Epilogue that is made clear。I recommend this for fans of Bohjalain。 I really liked it and the story kept moving making me guess what will happen next。 。。。more
Sue
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A Hollywood star travels to the Serengeti in the 1960's with some friends & family to celebrate an extended honeymoon。 Their safari convoy is attacked and the story follows the aftermath。 Another brilliant Bohjalian novel。 A Hollywood star travels to the Serengeti in the 1960's with some friends & family to celebrate an extended honeymoon。 Their safari convoy is attacked and the story follows the aftermath。 Another brilliant Bohjalian novel。 。。。more
Diane
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review coming soon - audio narrators were so good！
Andrea Johnson
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Mr Bohjalian writes another suspenseful thriller， this one in 1964 on a safari in the Serengeti。 A movie star takes her family and friends on this adventure and their lives are never the same when disaster hits in a big way。 Told from many points of view in Africa， and also through flashbacks that fill in the back story， as well as fictional tabloid news。 Each of this author’s books are different， and he continues to amaze and entertain。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced rea Mr Bohjalian writes another suspenseful thriller， this one in 1964 on a safari in the Serengeti。 A movie star takes her family and friends on this adventure and their lives are never the same when disaster hits in a big way。 Told from many points of view in Africa， and also through flashbacks that fill in the back story， as well as fictional tabloid news。 Each of this author’s books are different， and he continues to amaze and entertain。 Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Shelli Young
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The novel takes places in the 1960’s set in the Serengeti， Africa。 You meet Katie Bastrow a young Hollywood star who just got married。 To celebrate her wedding， she decides she wants to take a dream African safari trip and invite her while entourage。 All expenses paid。 On the morning of the planned safari excursion something goes horribly。 What is suppose to be a photo safari turns into kidnapping bleeding out gone wrong。 I adored the scenery of this book。 The author put a lot of time and energy The novel takes places in the 1960’s set in the Serengeti， Africa。 You meet Katie Bastrow a young Hollywood star who just got married。 To celebrate her wedding， she decides she wants to take a dream African safari trip and invite her while entourage。 All expenses paid。 On the morning of the planned safari excursion something goes horribly。 What is suppose to be a photo safari turns into kidnapping bleeding out gone wrong。 I adored the scenery of this book。 The author put a lot of time and energy into researching Tanzania/Africa and the time period to get this right。 It is a great suspense novel。 Just honestly to many POV for me。 It became very hard for me to follow。 Possible trigger warnings。 There are references to miscarriage and violence that some may find upsetting。 Be sure to purchase your copy of the #TheLioness on May 10，2022Thank you very much to NetGalley and DoubleDay for advanced readers copy in exchange for a truthful for a review。 。。。more
Bam cooks the books ;-）
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Chris Bohjalian has written a suspenseful thriller set in 1964。 Katie Barstow， Hollywood starlet， and David， her newly-wed husband and childhood friend， invite seven of their closest family and friends， including Katie's publicist and agent， to join them on an African safari。 'God， they'd christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding， and raised champagne to the idea。 The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari。' Little did anyone envision the disaster tha Chris Bohjalian has written a suspenseful thriller set in 1964。 Katie Barstow， Hollywood starlet， and David， her newly-wed husband and childhood friend， invite seven of their closest family and friends， including Katie's publicist and agent， to join them on an African safari。 'God， they'd christened themselves the lions of Hollywood at the wedding， and raised champagne to the idea。 The movie mags even called them that when they wrote about the safari。' Little did anyone envision the disaster that magical-sounding safari would become。。。The story is quite suspenseful and very violent。 Bohjalian has certainly done his research on the ways one can die on the plains of the Serengeti。 There is a large cast of characters and Bohjalian cleverly brings in their back stories in separate chapters。 I got a little tired of hearing about the charms of Miss Perfect， the beautiful starlet however。 In the end， is she the eponymous Lioness？ You decide。 I received arc of this new thriller from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 Many thanks for the opportunity。 Chris Bohjalian is probably the most versatile writer out there today。 。。。more
Tami
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It's 1964 and an American starlet has planned a Tanzania Safari / honeymmon celebration for her closest friends， fellow starlets， actors， a publicist and family。 The Lioness was a book， I simply couldn't and didn't want to put down。 Chris Bohjalian WOW'ed me with this first ever book I have read of his！Africa is a dream come true where Hollywood royalty can get away from media and enjoy the splendors of nature found no where else in the world。 Unbeknownst to them， politicial unrest and betrayal It's 1964 and an American starlet has planned a Tanzania Safari / honeymmon celebration for her closest friends， fellow starlets， actors， a publicist and family。 The Lioness was a book， I simply couldn't and didn't want to put down。 Chris Bohjalian WOW'ed me with this first ever book I have read of his！Africa is a dream come true where Hollywood royalty can get away from media and enjoy the splendors of nature found no where else in the world。 Unbeknownst to them， politicial unrest and betrayal from within leads to kidnapping， murder and outright horror。 We know this from the very beginning and the book blurb。This African adventure is told through flashbacks， news articles and multiple points of view。 Some might find that a distraction， but I loved that we learn about the ten individuals prior to the trip and have a front row seat step by step throughout the kidnap （which ultimately goes completely upside down）。 So much carnage caused by man and animals！ I kept thinking would anyone make it out alive？ Was this a "and then there were none story？" And who is the bigger threat animals or humankind？ Fortunately， Bohjalian gives us a satisfying end and a complete resolution。This is a book of many layers and would be an amazing book club selection。 Africa and The Lioness are not for the faint of heart - so much danger abounds both in the native life， but also from manmade dangers。 From landscapes， to animals， political unrest， and battles waging in the Congo and beyond， this book is a cautionary tale。 And for a person like me who's dreamed to travel the world always wanting to see the Serengeti， The Lioness， gives me pause。 My heart is fearful after this read even knowing it is a fictional tale set in 1964， This speaks to the strength of Chris Bohjalian's words。The Lioness is a first class thriller and an absolute best seller！Many thanks to NetGalley， Chris Bohjalian and Doubleday Books for this vivid 5 star thriller！ I strongly recommend you pick it up。 You won't be the same after you have read it！ 。。。more
Kari
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A well crafted romp into the African Safari that goes wrong。 The book is a chilling view of each of the characters’ account told chapter by chapter， by both past and present tense。 I was so immersed with the vast details， I actually felt as if I were on the African Safari myself and the fear enveloped me from the beginning of the book until the very end。 A different thrill unlike any other。*****It’s 1964 and Katie Barstow is a popular A-list Hollywood Actress that gets married and celebrates her A well crafted romp into the African Safari that goes wrong。 The book is a chilling view of each of the characters’ account told chapter by chapter， by both past and present tense。 I was so immersed with the vast details， I actually felt as if I were on the African Safari myself and the fear enveloped me from the beginning of the book until the very end。 A different thrill unlike any other。*****It’s 1964 and Katie Barstow is a popular A-list Hollywood Actress that gets married and celebrates her marriage by taking a Honeymoon in the Serengeti。 And they don’t celebrate alone， they invite some of Katie’s actor friends， agent， brother and some wives to participate in a luxurious African Safari。But the celebration doesn’t last when they are kidnapped and it doesn’t go as planned。 What follows is a nightmare of the days following that will leave your hands clenched and also breathless。 。。。more
Crystal
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I saw another reviewer describe this novel as a little bit Evelyn Hugo and a little bit Jurassic Park and I could not agree more with this comparison。 I enjoyed parts of this book。 Only parts。 There are so many characters in this novel that I just gave up keeping them straight by the end of the book。 The flashbacks were frustrating and not what I wanted to read about。 I wish this novel focused on 2-4 characters and the kidnapping scenes in Africa。 The back and forth was just too much for me。 Wha I saw another reviewer describe this novel as a little bit Evelyn Hugo and a little bit Jurassic Park and I could not agree more with this comparison。 I enjoyed parts of this book。 Only parts。 There are so many characters in this novel that I just gave up keeping them straight by the end of the book。 The flashbacks were frustrating and not what I wanted to read about。 I wish this novel focused on 2-4 characters and the kidnapping scenes in Africa。 The back and forth was just too much for me。 What I liked: ▪️ The thrill of being trapped in the middle of Africa with no way out。▪️ The mystery behind the kidnappings ▪️The overall concept of the novel ▪️ The characters being movie stars Thank you to @doubledaybooks @prhaudio & @netgalley for the opportunity 。。。more
Dive Into A Good Book
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Is there one place that has always sparked your interest from a small child。 When you hear people speaking of it you listen in。 Or when you come across a show on tv， you will pause and drink it in。 The one place you would jump to visit。 The Serengeti is it for me， this mystical， vast land。 That is home to some of the most vicious and magical animals that have stepped upon this earth。 Plants and trees that are horrifyingly dangerous， and as whimsical as the baobab trees。 Coming together to form a Is there one place that has always sparked your interest from a small child。 When you hear people speaking of it you listen in。 Or when you come across a show on tv， you will pause and drink it in。 The one place you would jump to visit。 The Serengeti is it for me， this mystical， vast land。 That is home to some of the most vicious and magical animals that have stepped upon this earth。 Plants and trees that are horrifyingly dangerous， and as whimsical as the baobab trees。 Coming together to form a home of wild abandonment， that I yearn to witness， that I need to experience just once in my life。 This beautiful， yet dangerous area where time marches on。 We were lucky that Chris Bohjalian experienced the Serengeti in all its glory right before COVID shut down the world。 He used all that he had experienced and witnessed and brought the details and descriptions to life in The Lioness。 You feel the intense， simmering heat， imagine the towering giraffe， the unique walk of the hyena， and the astonishing wildebeest crossing the crocodile infested river。 He brings the details to such a height that you feel like you are at the movies。 A deeply graphic， extremely intense mystery， where suspense hangs in the air。 Actress Katie Barstow has just married her longtime friend David。 She wants her friends and family to experience a trip of a lifetime。 A safari to the Serengeti where no expenses were spared。 The best tour guides that know the lay of the land and what the animals are going to do before they do it。 This group of nine are calling themselves The Lions of Hollywood。 They are mystified and infatuated with the elegance of the elephants， the viscousness of the lioness， and leery by the vultures constantly circling waiting for the next victim to fall。 This carefree vacation ends abruptly end when a group of men come into their camp， savagely killing many， and kidnapping the rest。 Who are these men？ What do they want with them？ Hold on tight the answers to the questions will make you gasp。I loved this book。 It transported me to the middle of the Serengeti。 The book is written in such vivid description that I found myself shivering in horror。 The one aspect that I had a tough time getting my head around were the number of characters in the book。 I am so glad there is a guest list at the beginning of the book， I referenced it constantly throughout。 It is a slow burn read that is told from multiple points of views。 I loved how each chapter was told by a different character。 What they were experiencing at the moment， and they would flash back in time to set the base for the story。 It is intriguing to see what stories are brought back when people are under extreme stress。 Thank you to Chris Bohjalian and Doubleday for sending me this fascinating read。 。。。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