Zambezi

by Tony Park

A heart-racing thriller from the master of adventure. New novel Vendetta out soon.

Paradise is about to erupt

News of the death of a research assistant, killed by a man-eating lion in Zimbabwe, reaches those closes to her. Jed Banks, a Special Forces soldier serving in Afghanistan; Professor Christine Wallis in South Africa; and Hassan bin Zayid, a hotel magnate in Zambia. The victim was respectively their daughter, protegee and lover.
Driven to find out what exactly happened, Jed, accompanied by Christine, travels to the banks of the Zambezi to investigate. Not only does Jed learn some shocking truths about the daughter he thought he knew, he begins to suspect Christine is withholding crucial information.

Meanwhile, Hassan's grief is dangerously volatile...

Fans of David Baldacci, Wilbur Smith and Ken Follett will love Tony Park.



PRAISE FOR TONY

"Gripping action thrillers...never disappoints as a storyteller" Daily Telegraph

"Tony Park is a master storyteller. I love his work." Deon Meyer

"Park once again shows why he is one of Australia's preeminent thriller writers. Cleverly utilising multiple timelines to tell an outstanding story across Africa's history, this is an amazing novel. Highly recommended." Canberra Weekly

"Australian author Park knows his subject intimately" The Guardian

"Australian author Park, who spends much of his time living in South Africa, writes in the vein of Wilbur Smith and Bryce Courtenay, with a deep love for the African bush and wildlife." Sunday Age

Genres: Africa, Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Action, Suspense

Paperback

Published June 1, 2011

About the author

Tony Park was born in 1964 and grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney. He has worked as a newspaper reporter in Australia and England, a government press secretary, a public relations consultant, and a freelance writer.

He served 34 years in the Australian Army Reserve, including six months in Afghanistan in 2002.

Tony and his wife, Nicola, split their time between Australia and Africa, where they own a house on the edge of of the Kruger National Park.

His 18th African novel, Last Survivor, went to number 1 in South Africa. His 19th novel, Blood Trail, will be released worldwide on August 1, 2021.

Praise for Tony Park


“Wilbur Smith...fans will not be disappointed to have found a spiritual heir,” The Times, London

“Tony Park is Australia’s premier adventure writer.” Canberra Weekly

“One of our best and most consistent thriller writers.” Sydney Morning Herald

“Since Wilbur Smith in his heyday, no one has written as well about southern Africa than Tony Park.” Crime Review (UK)

The Delta: “Break-neck in pace, with narrow escapes from death on every page, its charm is infectious.” Daily Mail, UK
“Tony Park exudes a love and deep knowledge of southern Africa in every line and character he creates in his books.” The Citizen, South Africa.
Far Horizon “Watch your back, Wilbur,” Qantas, The Australian Way

Zambezi: “a compulsive page turner” Sydney Morning Herald.

African Sky: “Rootin’ tootin reading” Sun-Herald

Safari: “He just gets better and better” Sun-Herald

Silent Predator: “Memorably exciting” Sydney Morning Herald

The Prey: “Another ripping yarn based on realistic scenarios,” Daily Telegraph

An Empty Coast: “Another winner which will keep you turning pages.” Crime Review UK

Red Earth: “One helluva fine thriller.” Booklist (US)

The Cull: “A fascinating insight into a life and death struggle.” Daily Telegraph

Captive: “A compelling and fascinating read.” Sunday Tribune

Scent of Fear: “A first-rate thriller.” Canberra Weekly

Ghosts of the Past: “A fabulous tale of betrayal, greed, intrigue and love.” Drum Magazine, South Africa

Last Survivor: “Sure-footed plotting and regular gunfire makes this one of Park’s best books. Recommended.” Canberra Weekly.

Reviews

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable action adventure novel, we have bereaved father Jed, a special forces soldier, travelling to Zimbabwe after the death of his daughter Miranda, who was studying lions in the bush. Desperate for answers, Jed meets up with Miranda's boss Chris, who seems to have her own agenda. As Jed gets closer to finding out what happened to Miranda, he finds he has more questions than answers. What is Chris hiding? Where is Miranda's mysterious lover? What really happened that day in the bush? Jed is in for some answers that will shock him to the core.

While I found this book well-plotted and hard to put down, I really didn't connect with any of the characters, finding them unlikeable for the most part. While this didn't detract from the book it did rankle a bit. However this wont stop me looking out for more of Tony Park's work, and I have no hesitation in recommending this book to all lovers of action-adventure.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read a lot in the action-adventure genre, but found Zambezi a rollickingly-good read, with plenty of intrigue, a varied cast of characters and exotic settings.

Zambezi opens with American Special Forces Soldier Jed Banks, engaged in a deadly skirmish in Afghanistan, saving the life of an Australian press correspondent in the process. No sooner has Jed returned to safety than he learns the devastating news of his daughter's disappearance, and presumed death, while on a research posting in southern Africa. Jed travels to the Mana Pools National Park on the Zimbabwean bank of the Zambezi River, in order to uncover the circumstances of Miranda's apparent loss to a lion attack.



There, he becomes acquainted with her research supervisor, Professor Christine Wallis, a tentative romance quickly blossoming. However, it doesn't take military-trained Jed long to come to the conclusion that Christine is hiding something from him, and that there is more to Miranda's apparent death than meets the eye.

Meanwhile, hotel magnate Hassan bin Zayid runs his extensive business empire from the exotic island of Zanzibar in Tanzania. We learn of bin Zayid's complex personal history and his romantic relationship with the ill-fated Miranda. But is he really the upstanding philanthropist that the world sees, or does his support of environmental causes hide a darker purpose?

The various storylines converge into an action-packed final sequence that had me glued to the pages. There's some pretty graphic violence, a few distinctly male-oriented sex scenes and some confronting themes, but overall it was a satisfying read that I'd recommend to any reader who enjoys complex plots and great settings.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I quite enjoyed this book, but it didn't start off that way. I enjoyed the use of US Army acronyms, but the confusion took a while to dissipate and that the somethings were heavily anthropomorphised did not help any. The action picked up quickly and this became impossible to put down. The climax, when it turned up was gripping and rather delicious, and I loved the resolution, but I would have preferred to read more about what happened after.

[Janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first by Tony Park and it was great with lots of suspense.

[Mike Makin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read worth about Southern Africà worth about 3 1/2 stars in my ràting system. SOme cliched parts of t’he storyline were rather predictable bit all In all a book worth reading for some night time entertainment .

[Lou Grimm · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a great storyline that could have been better executed in fewer words.

On hearing Park was excellent at creating a 'sense of place', I hoped to learn from him. Having already been to southern Africa, I should have felt that sticky heat again, felt the rumble of elephants, cried with ecstasy at the liquid gold sun rising over the lowveld, and relived the fright of lions on the hunt. But I didn't.

I was just not able to suspend my sense of disbelief, that critical factor in escapism. Throughout the whole book, I felt Park was there with me, pointing and explaining, which made it awkward, uncomfortable, and even creepy in the sex scenes.

In this book, Park mastered the sin of 'the dramatic flashback': where we leave a character in a tense situation, return to him later with a dramatic opening chapter line that makes us gasp... then bogs us down in laborious flashbacks of what we missed, filled with 'he had' and 'he had had'. It only takes two or three of these to dull the senses.

Having said that, this is an older book and the market was probably different back then. I won't let this disappointment stop me from reading one of his later novels.

[Sportyrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action-packed adventure about tracing an American wildlife reseacher who was reportedly eaten by lions in Zimbabwe.

The beautiful, dangerous Zambezi River region is the perfect setting for the story that combines all the major elements of a fun adventure. Plenty of animal encounters and danger around every corner. Lots of mystery and plots.

The characters are the perfect blend: a wildlife researcher, an army soldier, a journalist, a magnate, and a down-on-his luck local guide (my favorite character).

What action novel doesn’t come with some raunchy potential love interest? This is no exception. It doesn’t get in the way of the story.

You can easily escape in this book. I would recommend this to anyone who likes action-packed stories or African safaris.

[Tracy Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the story and the idea. It was fast paced with lots of twists and turns. However, I didnt really like any of the characters, found some of it too far fetched to be true. For somebody who is supposed to spend time in Southern Africa I also felt like he wasnt really that familiar with the area and its people. This was full of stereotypes and fairly negative about the area. I wondered why if there seems to be a dislike of a region that you would bother to write a book about it. Having said that I will definitely try another one of his books, since there was a lot that I did like.

[Patriciagoodwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of enjoyed most of the book but towards the end couldn't wait o get it over with! I didn't engage with any of the characters & found the gung ho hero very tiresome. All very predictable especially the inevitable romance. I did enjoy the backdrop of Africa , the author certainly writes well about the landscape & animal life but otherwise not really my cup of tea.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book completes my challenge of reading books that took place in each of the letters of the alphabet. Z is for Zambezi. Entertaining fast read. Spies, macho military hero, running and hiding through Africa and all the cities and rivers that start with Z, some sexy romance, and terrorists wreaking havoc. Fun read to end the year. On to 2018 challenges.

[Hann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adventure that girls will love too.

[Lenti · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read with a good plot that keeps you guessing. Could have done without some of the raunchy bits though!

[Kiwileese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read! Love Tony parks always fast moving good stories.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh...kept my interest mostly, but pretty predictable and it gets draggy in some parts.

[Clare Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Throwaway read to pick up off the bottom shelf of the bookcase at the holiday home you're staying in. It will keep you mildly amused without taxing your holiday fogged tiny little mind :-)

[Bruce Kobrin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action galore

Great setting and plenty of action. The main characters and the plot thicken as a man searches for his daughter In the wilds of africa. Don't miss it great story

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most dangerous predator is a two-legged creature - says Moses, local guide of Jed Banks, main character of the novel. This holds true of the African poachers and terrorists, often being the same persons. Jed gets enchanted with the land of the Zambezi river when he gets there looking for his daughter, supposedly killed by a man-eater lion. As always with Tony Park's novels, my full admiration for his skillful rendering of the African wildlife marvels, not so much for his handling of the criminal intrigue.

Jed, żołnierz amerykańskich sił specjalnych w Afganistanie, dowiaduje się, że jego córka, Miranda, zajmująca się badaniem afrykańskich lwów, zniknęła i wszystko wskazuje, że mogła stać się ofiarą lwa-ludojada. Zrozpaczony, rusza do Zambii i Zimbabwe, aby w dolinie rzeki Zambezi trafić na jakieś ślady wydarzeń, które doprowadziły do tragedii.

Mniej więcej połowa książki to typowa powieść afrykańska, prawdziwa frajda dla miłośników tamtych klimatów, niepowtarzalnej przyrody, drapieżników i ich zwyczajów oraz emocji, które afrykański busz wyzwala w ludziach. Nastrój zbliżony do powieści Wilbura Smitha czy Leona Mare. W drugiej części Afryka ustępuje wątkowi sensacyjnemu, bo - jak twierdzi lokalny przewodnika Jeda, Moses - najbardziej niebezpieczny drapieżnik, także tam w buszu, to istoty dwunożne. A konkretnie terroryści i ich żądza zemsty.
Można wybrzydzać, że mariaż niezbyt się autorowi udał: Afryki za mało i mniej autentyczna niż u Smitha, sensacja za to przerysowana i zbyt efekciarska. Niemniej skonsumowałam książkę ciurkiem. Jest to po prostu wciągające czytadło, wspomagane - co staram się często robić - wersją audio. Na dodatek, tym razem lektor imituje różne dialekty angielskiego, jako że wśród bohaterów Zambezi obok lokalsów i Amerykanów jest nawet Australijczyk.

[Muphyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thinking that since Park had spent some time in Africa, this would be an enjoyable read.. I have to conclude, however, that this was one of the worst books I've ever read. It was so bad that I actually took it back to Borders and got it exchanged for some other book. The story was lame and I thought badly written. The whole military side of things was just not credible (though I'm quite aware that Park has had some military experience himself, which puzzles me even more). And the fact that the "main character" was a lion and had a narrator voice really confused me. Perhaps I'm just a bit slow but it took me quite some time to realise that the person I thought was narrating some of the story wasn't a person at all but an animal.. how bizarre..

[Danaletchumi Balakrishnan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read....given a perfect insight on South Eastern Africa.. this book had all the elements a good book should have.. adventure, passion, romance, responsibility & commitment. This book took me through a direct passageway to a lot of dark corners which all came to light in a very pleasant and unexpected ending. Zimbabwe and Zambia seem to have quite a bit of rivalry, Zambezi seems to hold many dark secrets.. This book and perhaps the river itself. A perfect book to take you out of this world to the promised land.

[Rose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zambezi was an enjoyable action-almost-thriller read made more intriguing than many of its genre because it was set in parts of southern Africa. Big game, brave and multi-talented heroes both male and female and solid descriptions of the setting added to the enjoyment of not quite knowing through much of the book how the story would resolve. Tony Park can write an engaging story. This particular story would make a great movie with the right cast.

[Nicola Sheridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't really express how much I enjoy Tony Park's writing. Put simply, I love it, evocative settings, thrilling adventures and authentic characters. Filled with excitement, lions, and the amazing African bush... what's not to like?
Five Stars from me.

[L Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another glued to the page book! Really enjoyed. So much action, and killing. I could have gone without having sex WITH some of the characters-certainly well written though- but that’s just me. Otherwise, loved, loved the book.

[Cathy Cameron-dow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gripping story loved it

[Christa Liedtke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book. The book was so gripping I read it in 4 days. It has a nice twisting end and one cannot foretell the story. Love it.

[Anthony Matoka]

Pacey, riveting!

[Snucklepuff · Rating 4 out of 5]

a good listen

[Peter Jochinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very easy read. I liked the characters and great action and suspense.

[Pamela Kempster/Stuart Kempster · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant

Didn't,t want it to end. Read all his books and now reading again. The are all so good, up to Wilbur Smith's anyday

[Francois Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

He never disappoints!!