A Guide to the Beasts of East Africa

Mr Malik #2

by Nicholas Drayson

Mr Malik has been busy planning the Asadi Club's annual safari. But a series of crimes puts the club's very existence at risk. It is up to Mr Malik and Co to solve a decades-old murder, recover the club mascot and identify the most dangerous beast in Africa. Will Mr Malik prevail over Kenyan politics, a reluctant bride and unrevealed secrets?

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Kenya, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery, Book Club

272 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2012

About the author

Nicholas Drayson has written extensively about wildlife and natural history and is the author of the novels Confessing a Murder, which was hailed by Booklist for its "view of Darwin never before seen", Love and the Platypus and A Guide to the Beasts of East Africa. An Englishman by birth, Drayson has worked as a journalist in the UK, Kenya and Australia, writing for publications such as the Daily Telegraph and Australian Geographic. He has lived in Australia since 1982, where he received a Ph.D. from the University of New South Wales.

Reviews

[Dale Dixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel left me feeling extremely happy. Reading it restores your faith in the kindness of human beings. It was a great sequel to 'A Guide to the Birds of East Africa'. My only disappointment is that Mr Drayson has not written more novels with this wonderful set of characters. If you love things African, as I do, then do yourself a favour and read this book!

[MB (What she read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish Drayson's books weren't so difficult to get in the U.S. But if you can get your hands on them, it's worth the trouble. (I resorted to borrowing this one through interlibrary loan.)

While this didn't have quite the charm of it's prequel, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa it was still very enjoyable in it's own quiet and charming way. I liked the club member interactions, the safari and the food!, and the historical mystery debate and resolution. Since I know very little about Kenya, or it's history, these characters and their lives have an quietly exotic appeal.

This is a quietly feel-good book for readers who enjoy that kind of thing.

[Lau · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es un libro simpático y lleno de humor, igual que el primero. Me gustó un poco más el anterior, quizás porque la historia era un poco más elaborada (y el querible Mr. Malik tenía más protagonismo), pero de todos modos disfruté el paseo por Kenia, me encariñé aún más con los personajes del Club Asadi y me divertí con ese narrador tan carismático... y aún sin nombre, a quien sigo imaginando con la voz de Hugh Bonneville.
Ojalá haya un tercer libro.

[Sandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Drayson's first book, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa. However, unfortunately, I felt this continuation of Mr. Malik's story was a real let-down. I was fully half way through the book before 'the Beasts of East Africa' even came into the story beyond a mere occasional reference.

Additionally, the mystery regarding the 'loss' of the critical Operating Certificate for the Club's existence was too casually resolved. Given all the time, effort and thought that went into coming up with the presumed solution to Lord Erroll's murder, the protagonists seem to give NO genuine thought to the perpetrator of this other crime. It was not at all believable that the theft was done by the painters. Circumstantial as it may be, every clue points directly to Khan, whose character comes across as a disingenuous, slithery man, much more interested in himself than in anyone or thing else. To me, as a reader, Khan is a false friend, keen on surreptitiously grabbing the club's land for his development scheme. He evidences no qualms or morals as regards his 'friends' or their beloved club. Earnest loyalty to any of them does not seem the least bit a part of his character. This is clearly evidenced by his cavalier response to its pending closure and demise.

If Drayson wants his readers to believe otherwise, he has to give them realistic clues to the actual guilt of another party. The parallel narration of the murder mystery does not do it at all.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who loves Africa will love this book. A simple, charming and very readable tale about mostly charming, very likeable people. That may make everything sound a bit too sweet and lovely and certainly as in all good fairy stories the good triumph and the mischief makers get their just desserts, but there was certainly just enough satire and bite and moments that touch on the not so savoury parts of this wonderful continent. More of the lovely Mr Malik and his friends please!

[John Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sequel to the author's earlier book, A GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF EAST AFRICA. I grew up in East Africa and the book brought out what I remember of Nairobi in my youth. This book takes place four years after the first book. The books are written as light-hearted mysteries surrounding an Asian man, Mr. Malik and people in his club, The Asadi Club. This book is good but not as good as the first book. Still worth reading to bring back the sense of place and worthwhile characters.

[Gretchen Paris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read with the same lovable characters as Birds of East Africa. I wasn't so interested in the details of the billiard games, but we know that Malik and his sidekick Benjamin will come through in the end and all problems will be resolved! Thank you Carolyn Fagan for book delivery service.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just delightful

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book, brought back many memories. Very evocatice and believable writing, although I'd never thought of E Africa from the Indian colonial perspective before. The intertwining of the Lord Errol story was intriguing as it was a mystery that has also troubled me since childhood as to what really happened and why. I hope there will be further books in this series.

[Bogelsker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book.

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's hard to say how much I love this series. I loved this book, I loved the first one. I wish there were more! I would recommend these books to everyone. They are fun, sweet, witty, silly and unassumingly deep. And Drayson has such a good way of throwing in a small twist at the end that just makes you chuckle.
READ THIS SERIES!

Content-
Completely clean

Favorite quotes:
Pg 11- I read a recipe for chicken tikka masala in one of those women’s magazine – ready roast chicken, curry powder, evaporated milk and tinned tomato soup.” “That’s not a curry, that’s a criminal offense,” said Mr Gopez. “Anyway, rest assured, my dear Malik, that Ally Dass would not allow a jar labeled curry powder within a hundred yards of his kitchen.

Pg 33- The classic comb-over is not a matter of sudden whim. A man does not wake up one day, examine his reflection in the mirror and think to himself; Right, no more Mr Baldy – it’s comb over time.’ He does not decide that from this day forth he will let grow what hairs remain on one side of his head, that he will cherish and nurture them as the vigneron his vines. He does not then begin to coax the hairs with brush or comb, and perhaps a little Brylcreem, to wind their way over his scalp. No man believes that his family and friends, confronted with such a tonsorial transformation, will immediately forget that he was ever bald, that hey will think that a miracle has occurred, and the part of his scalp that was once bare has blossomed with hair as the desert blossoms after rain. No, such things happen slowly, over many years. A man notices a little thinning of the hair. It is a matter of a moment to conceal this by altering the flow of the rest of his hair. As the thinning increases, the time and care taken to disguise it increases. All too soon the man finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. Should he continue with an artifice which is looking more and more unnatural by the month, or should he dispense with it- in effect, go bald overnight? Mr Malik long ago decided to take the former path. No matter how long it took him each morning or how often the abominably hairy Patel teased him, as long as a single hair grew on his head, that hair would be plastered up and over his scalp in glorious defiance of the effects of age, gravity, and male hormones.

[Anthony Friscia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Malik and the members of the Asadi Club are back and... I’m not exactly sure what they’re doing. The first book in this series, A Guide to the Birds of East Africa is a charming little novel about a protagonist vying for the attentions of the apple of his eye, the lovely Rose Mbikwa, by having a birdwatching contest with another suitor. I loved it and have recommended it to numerous people. This one I won’t be recommending. Although it has its moments, the story meanders all over the place - the club members go on safari, and there’s Kenyan political intrigue, and a theft from the club, and an on-again-off-again wedding, and long digressions into the story of Lady Delamere and the Lord Erroll Murder (which is a true story of decadent British expats in colonial Kenya, told fairly well in the book White Mischief). The crisis of the book doesn’t come til two-thirds of the way through it. It just never really weaved a single story, which made the convoluted conclusion all the more disappointing. Also, although these books focus on a part of Kenyan culture that doesn’t get much coverage, the large Indian population descended from those brought over by the British, the native Kenyans are very much marginalized. I can count the number of lines of dialogue they had in this book on my fingers, and it’s often to focus on some imagined ‘primitive’ quality of them. Guess I won’t read the next one if there is a next one...

[L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Guide to the Beasts of East Africa is an equally entertaining read as its predecessor—A Guide to The Birds of East Africa, where I’d been first introduced to the writings of Nicholas Drayson and his cast of lovable and brilliantly comedic members of the Asadi Club.

Both books carry very wholesome and ebullient energy thanks to their charming personalities and a lighthearted plot that combines some good old neighbourhood romance, mystery and intrigues, a dash of coffee shop-style political commentary and debates, good old bets to settle debates amongst friends, and more than a few games of billiards. It is a story that revolves around a close-knit community living within the lush Kenyan landscape, sprinkled with tidbits of trivia about the fauna found within the territory—something I personally enjoyed reading about.

Similar to the previous book, Drayson's storytelling cracks me up (I've caught myself laughing out loud at times!) and leaves me with feelings of warmth from such a feel-good read.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas Drayson's books are always infused with a gentle kindness, even when the subject matter is confronting. Spending time with Mr Malik is always a treat. Hanging around Nairobi is also great fun for me as I lived there for a few years. But for me this book did not quite gel in the way one would find satisfying. I can't say why exactly... Once again, similar to volume one of this series, there is a form of sexism that permeates the storyline in various ways (although there are also some very strong and complex women). And the storyline, while ingenous, didn't quite pay out in the way the author was hoping, at least not for me.

There is a lovely interlude where Mr Malik and friends decamp on safari; he brings along a rather elaborate surprise which turns out to be an exquisitely made traveling billiards table. This ingenious invention also plays an important role in another of Drayson's books, Love and the Platypus. It does make one wonder about where he has run into such an invention.

While short of the mark, it is nevertheless a gentle and enjoyable book.

[Muphyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

This audiobook is evidence that a book can rise and fall by its narrator. The first book "A Guide to the Birds of East Africa" was read magnificently by Humphrey Bower while this one was narrated by a rather boring sounding, draggy Bill Wallis. And so the whole story suffered and did not keep me very engaged.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another reviewer writes that this book is quietly charming, and that it is. At times I felt that storylines were unnecessary and felt like filler and fluff. But, that is exactly what one expects would occur within clubs and communities - rumours and theories from the past fill the time and minds of the group of the present.
This reader does feel that anything of true interest was glossed over, that it could have been a deeper novel overall; but it is exactly what it needs to be. Light hearted and enjoyable.

Bought from Alan's stall at a farmers market; Morgan Bay (Eastern Cape).

[Payal · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I really wanted to love this book since the first book Guide to Birds of East Africa was simply charming and such a joy to read. This was a let down. The stories were too meandering and just didn’t capture the same magic as the first book. A real shame. However, it was still pleasant to revisit the characters and spend a little time in the world of Mr Malik - he’s wonderful.

[Sally Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a book club read and not a book I would normally read but it was well written and evocative of a different way of life in a foreign place. But I did find it difficult to immerse myself in the characters or plot lines. Nothing particularly gripped me. However, it was an easy and relaxing read at bedtime.

[Sorento62 · Rating 3 out of 5]

For sentimental reasons, I'm glad I can justify giving this book at least 3 stars. It was pretty close to 2 stars, but ultimately yes, it was better than just ok.
I don't recommend the book unless you really loved A Guide to the Birds of East Africa, and you can't imagine passing up an opportunity to hear more about the characters. I regret to say, the magic just wasn't the same for me.

[Sanhita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly entertaining and makes one really happy at the end of it. This is the sequel to A guide to the birds of East Africa, in author's Mr Malik series. Shades of McCall Smith. The description of Indian community based in Kenya is superb, though there are slippages in customs etc followed by them. A whoddunit with a difference. Absolutely delightful.

[Debbie Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2
I wanted to read the follow up to The Guide To The Birds of East Africa which I enjoyed so much. It was fun to be back with Mr. Malice, Rose and the others.
This was a good book but I enjoyed the first a bit more. It was hard to find this book and I did search online for it and I will say I am so glad I found it.

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story evolves around friends in a club in Nairobi. The existence of the club is in jeoprody. The story gives many details on the politics and life in general in Nairoba including wildlife and includes this in the story.

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

A companion or sequel to "A Guide to the Bird of East Africa", this book is just as good a read as the bird one. An easy-going read, information incorporated about the animals of the area, but definitely not an animal, travel guide. I love Mr. Malik.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I want to go on the annual Asadi Club safari! Shows the Kenyan government as being pretty corrupted.

[Smileandread · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful narration and a nice plot!

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel was an enjoyable read but did not captivate me as much as the first book: A Guide to the Birds of East Africa.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!
As good as the first one in the series.

[Carolyn Fagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Mr. Malik! I wish there were more in this series!

[Sue Corbett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still similar feel to ladies detective agency. Love the gentle humour in these books . Predictable plot but fun getting there. Nice easygoing tale

[Nancie Lafferty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less substantial than “Guide to Birds...”, but still delightful.