The Disappearance of Jonathan Bloom

by Martin Sowery

Julian Bowen is young, good looking but not so wealthy as he seems. When he meets a moneylender who's making fat profits from his friends' excesses, Julian sees a chance to wipe out his mounting debts and make a new start; but his plan leaves a group of innocent tourists in deadly danger in the middle of Africa; and meanwhile there are some people in London who want more than their money back For Jill Stevens, more at home in an accounts department than the savannah, a wildlife safari turns into a nightmare ordeal that she must find new strength within herself to survive. Set in the parched heartlands of south east Africa, this unusual tale mixes an intriguing and violent crime mystery with a gripping struggle to stay alive.

206 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Martin Sowery was born in 1957 and has a clean driving license and no criminal convictions. He has published four novels Sing Like You Know The Words, the Disappearance of Jonathan Bloom, Market Forces and most recently Susan Hummer. He's also published Arrivals and Departures, a collection of short stories

Those whose curiosity extends so far can discover more about Martin than they probably need to know at www.martinsowery.com

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay this has taken a bit of time to read but that's largely because other things kept cropping up preventing me getting really stuck into the story. But had I been able to this would've been finished within the matter of a day or two, the story is that gripping. It begins quite slowely with a group of tourists heading out into the heartlands of south east Africa, each to forget their own worries and troubles. Little do they know that one in the midst is not who he says and will not remain the helpful friendly gentleman they all believe him to be, leading to a fight for survival in more ways than one. This book has two stories in one as we follow the group in their battle to survive the trials and tribulations of the savnnah intertwined with the story of Mr Bloom himself and his numerous indiscretions and misdemeanors. The writing is gripping and descriptive and brings the hot savannah plains to life and as the story continues you find yourself cheering on our survivors and wishing for bad things for a certain Mr Bloom. A great read that keeps you engrossed until the very end.

[jospeh jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular and the characters are so, marvelous! 😍

BUY THIS BOOK NOW! 😍 You get swept away in the story!😍 IT IS WORTH IT! A Great Adventure And Very Exciting ! 😍😍 BUY IT NOW!

[Simon Jenner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faced with a lifestyle he cannot maintain, Julian Bowen takes what appears to be the easy way out by committing murder and traipsing through the African savannah to escape justice. But ‘easy’ it was not, especially for the unfortunate group of fellow safari-goers he happened to be travelling with.

This interesting thriller is written in a style that reminded me of The Talented Mr Ripley – it is quite passive, perhaps reflecting the cool and chilling demeanour of Julian, but nonetheless lures you in as you want to find out what happens in the end. Julian is an interesting yet immediately dislikeable character, whereas Jill, the reluctant hero of the book, was very enjoyable to read as her character grew the more traumatic experiences she encountered.

The book gives the reader a real sense of the savannah as well as showing what a fine line there is between life and death. While the indomitable human spirit shone through, I don’t think I’ll be taking a safari any time soon! I found the trials, tribulations and dilemmas encountered by the safari-goers particularly engaging but would like to have known more about Julian’s trip after he left them. On the downside, I found some parts overly descriptive for my taste and Julian’s trackers a bit superfluous. Overall though this was an interesting story of how an ordinary holiday can soon be turned sour by one person’s greed.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book as a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Disappearance of Jonathan Bloom is a sharp, well written thriller, which fairly cracks along in an easy to read style, long enough to allow character and situation development, but at just over 200 pages it's short enough to get through in one or two determined sittings.
The author wastes no time in creating an instantly dislikable protagonist Julian Bowen, a schemer used to profiting from his wits and manipulating people to achieve his goals, a chancer turned murderer when backed into a corner. Needing to lay low having stolen the identity of one Jonathan Bloom he heads out to the African Savanna with an eclectic bunch of somewhat naive travelers and care worn guides. Needless to say he reverts to type, carnage ensues and he leaves the stranded party to their fate. What ensues is a rollocking yarn of survival, teamwork, and a race against time and the fearful conditions to say nothing of the hungry wildlife.
What will become of Bloom/Bowen, how many times can one man disappear? Will anyone survive, will Bloom return to finish what he started or will his deserved malediction befall him?
Enjoy lost of twists and turns in the finding out.
I received The Disappearance of Jonathan Bloom from the author as a Goodreads Giveaway win, and was pleased to do so.

[Andrew Beake · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like a book of mystery, with twists and turns at every other page - a book to grip you and surprises you. "The disappearance of Jonathan Bloom" showed some hints of promise but sadly didn't turn the pages for me in the way I hope it would. Yes, this is a 'Blokes-book" - a good read for us men. However, if it can be possible, I thought the characters within the storyline were overly stereotypical of the setting. I will, of course, pass the book on to others.

[Claire Spurling · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was won in a first reads giveaway.
An easy, gripping read set in Africa. With a focus on survial you are drawn in to following the characters as the story evolves. However, I did feel the ending was weak compared to the rest of the book.

[Margaret scotland · Rating 3 out of 5]

a well written & enjoyable read. i recived this book for free through Goodreads First Reads