Darkside of Debonair

by Barbara Davis

An American woman is challenged to live up to a male standard of toughness when she hires a professional hunter and an arrogant Maasai tracker to help her find her father and other scientists who are studying chimpanzees and their connections with AIDS. But the rescue mission quickly turns into a struggle for survival when their paths cross that of a cunningly brutal Frenchman and poaching gang who will not let anyone foul their bushmeat operation.

Genres: Fiction

368 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bushmeat...Africa's dirty secret. This is an adventure story about love, greed, and cultural differences. Hazel-eyed beauty MacKenzie Blankinship hires Jon Corbett, a handsome professional hunter, and his native friends to help her find four missing American scientists. When they uncover a highly-organized poaching operation, their trek across Africa quickly turns into a struggle for survival. The story examines various aspects of the bushmeat black market, and its effects on endangered animals, the environment, and medical research -- including the search for a cure for AIDS. (cover blurb)

I purchased this book from the author, who was promoting it at the Arkansas Literary Festival.

In the first forty pages, Ms. Davis provides enough hints of the direction of this story to know I won't enjoy it. The frequent references to "full soft lips" and "magnificent hazel eyes" combined with a detailed description of a chimp hunt can mean only one thing: Trashy romance novel plus African adventure story with a social agenda.

Thank you very much, but no. Not for me. Someone else will love it, I'm sure.

[Carla · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend of mine knew the author and asked if I would read it and go to amazon and write a review so I did.
Wow. This book got my attention from the very beginning. The Darkside of Debonair entertains the subject of bushmeat and the practice of poachers in Africa. This book was action packed. It shows the greed of man, friendships, romance and amazing animals. The Author had a way of making you feel like you were there in Africa. You could feel the physical and emotional pain, the fear of the characters involved and the heat of the countryside along with the beauty. Some of the scenes were graphic and others made you laugh. I couldn't put the book down. I Have recommended this book to my bookclub and many others.

[Sue Clippard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really LOVED this book!!!

I've read it several times over the last couple of years.

The first time I read it I couldn't put it down. I've never read a story set in Africa before and was blown away.

I'm looking for other books that are similar to this one.

Action. Adventure and has a message too, I highly recommend this story!

Sue