attytheresa's review against another edition
5.0
This has been languishing in my TBR since publication in 1994. I can't believe I left it so long to read!
Third in the Jazz Jasper Safari Guide series, this outing in Kenya takes us from a Cheetah Preserve near the Somali border, to Nairobi, to the desert and a manyatta (village) of locals, then into the mountains of the Great Rift and the cave of a native whose tribe continues living as they did in the stone age. Once again, the author has brought Africa and its wildlife and dramatic geography to vivid life while delivering a good mystery, a touch of romance and steamy sex, and high action. Jazz is visiting friends who own a Cheetah Preserve when Nick, one of the owners with his wife Wynn, dies before Jazz, his family and the sole employee from what appears to be a scorpion bite. Soon Jazz spots some inconsistencies and determines it is murder. While investigating, Jazz uncovers illegal trade in animal skins, including the endangered cheetah, and mass poaching.
The author uses the mystery plot to provide a background for revealing the wildlife and habitat threats in Africa - and particularly Kenya which is developing rapidly and popular with tourists. I learned a great deal about cheetahs, in particular, but a really broad array of African wildlife. One of my favorite tidbits was that if you want to hunt scorpions, you do so in the dark with UV lantern. The UV lights them up like neon. Useful to know when I finally take that African safari of my dreams.
Third in the Jazz Jasper Safari Guide series, this outing in Kenya takes us from a Cheetah Preserve near the Somali border, to Nairobi, to the desert and a manyatta (village) of locals, then into the mountains of the Great Rift and the cave of a native whose tribe continues living as they did in the stone age. Once again, the author has brought Africa and its wildlife and dramatic geography to vivid life while delivering a good mystery, a touch of romance and steamy sex, and high action. Jazz is visiting friends who own a Cheetah Preserve when Nick, one of the owners with his wife Wynn, dies before Jazz, his family and the sole employee from what appears to be a scorpion bite. Soon Jazz spots some inconsistencies and determines it is murder. While investigating, Jazz uncovers illegal trade in animal skins, including the endangered cheetah, and mass poaching.
The author uses the mystery plot to provide a background for revealing the wildlife and habitat threats in Africa - and particularly Kenya which is developing rapidly and popular with tourists. I learned a great deal about cheetahs, in particular, but a really broad array of African wildlife. One of my favorite tidbits was that if you want to hunt scorpions, you do so in the dark with UV lantern. The UV lights them up like neon. Useful to know when I finally take that African safari of my dreams.
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