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Amie #5
Amie: Savage Safari
Amie, the world’s most reluctant spy is back.
Amie is assured that her next assignment will be easy and very safe.
How could a safari camp in the African bush along with the President and international representatives from several countries possibly be dangerous?
She has no choice but to do as they say.
Simon has flown back to England for a brief meeting and then disappears. Amie has no idea where he is.
But not everyone is pleased about the rare and precious minerals discovered in the north and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to disrupt the safari and stop the auction even if it causes an international incident and people are killed.
Amie now has two lives to save and faces a bleak future on her own.
Fans of Wilbur Smith, Peter Rimmer and Tony Park will love this series by award winning author Lucinda E Clarke set in the modern day in the African bush.
Amie is assured that her next assignment will be easy and very safe.
How could a safari camp in the African bush along with the President and international representatives from several countries possibly be dangerous?
She has no choice but to do as they say.
Simon has flown back to England for a brief meeting and then disappears. Amie has no idea where he is.
But not everyone is pleased about the rare and precious minerals discovered in the north and they are prepared to do whatever it takes to disrupt the safari and stop the auction even if it causes an international incident and people are killed.
Amie now has two lives to save and faces a bleak future on her own.
Fans of Wilbur Smith, Peter Rimmer and Tony Park will love this series by award winning author Lucinda E Clarke set in the modern day in the African bush.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 26, 2019
2 people are currently reading
4 people want to read
About the author
Lucinda E. Clarke
26 books157 followersBorn in Dublin, matured in England, wanted to follow grandfather into Fleet Street, family not wildly enthusiastic - unfeminine, unreliable and dangerous. Went to dockland Liverpool - safe, respectable and pensionable. Returned south with teaching qualifications, extremely good at self defence. Went crofting in Scotland, bred Cairn Terriers among other things. Moved to Kenya with 7 week old daughter, abandoned in the bush. On to Libya, surviving riots, public hangings, imprisoned husband and eventual deportation. Queued with the unemployed millions in UK. Moved to Botswana - still teaching - opened and ran the worst riding school in the world,- with ‘How to...’ book in hand.
Moved south to South Africa taught for four years, then in 1986 became a full time freelance writer, for major corporations, UNESCO, UNICEF and the South African Broadcasting Corporation for both radio and television. Moving into video production in 1986, received over 20 awards, specializing in education, documentaries, municipal and government, one script for National Geographic.
Returned UK Jan 1994, back to SA before April elections.
Taught in 7 countries, including Britain, Kenya, France, Libya, Botswana, Swaziland and South Africa. Also found time to breed animals for pet shops, write a newspaper column, publish two books, Heinneman & Macmillan, and work for several years as a radio announcer. Married with two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter, moved to Spain in 2008. I now write a monthly column and have published two more books, a memoir and an adventure story set in Africa.
Moved south to South Africa taught for four years, then in 1986 became a full time freelance writer, for major corporations, UNESCO, UNICEF and the South African Broadcasting Corporation for both radio and television. Moving into video production in 1986, received over 20 awards, specializing in education, documentaries, municipal and government, one script for National Geographic.
Returned UK Jan 1994, back to SA before April elections.
Taught in 7 countries, including Britain, Kenya, France, Libya, Botswana, Swaziland and South Africa. Also found time to breed animals for pet shops, write a newspaper column, publish two books, Heinneman & Macmillan, and work for several years as a radio announcer. Married with two daughters, a stepson and stepdaughter, moved to Spain in 2008. I now write a monthly column and have published two more books, a memoir and an adventure story set in Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 9, 2019
A terrific, rollicking read and in my view, the best Amie yet. I had the pleasure of Beta reading this book and as always, I loved the sense of Africa and the authenticity of the places and scenery Lucinda Clarke describes. The story of Amie's embroilment in a high level conspiracy to overthrow the government of which her long time friend Ben is the leader is realistic. Some of the scenes are so vivid, it's hard to imagine the author couldn't have experienced them herself, and her depiction of the scenery, African life and the people are second to none. A fantastic read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
July 23, 2019
Is this book 5 already? For some reason I struggle to click with books in series but I have to say I can make an exception for Lucinda Clarke's Amie series. I think I have enjoyed these books largely because the author has a way of painting pictures with her words that is in a class of its own. A bit different to the last one I read but here I found intrigue and suspense in abundance and I thoroughly enjoyed my latest visit to Africa courtesy of Ms. Clarke. Excellent structure, clear, captivating plot and very much a page turner. Pick this one up it stands alone but I would recommend you read all the Amie series, you won't be disappointed. Great read.
March 7, 2019
I have read all of the books in the Amie series and I'm convinced they just get better and better. Amie, is a spy,a role she never wanted, and she considers herself to be not a very good one. What she is however is tough, intrepid but also vulnerable and endearing. This time she finds herself forced back to Togodo where she is roped into help organise a safari. What can go wrong? Almost everything. Somehow though Amie manages to overcome most obstacles. It's a real page turner and I read it in two sittings. It was also good to catch up with some characters from previous books. One of my personal favourites is Ouma Adede. I love reading about Africa and the author obviously knows and loves the continent and its people. It can be a dangerous and unpredictable place but also beautiful and welcoming. This book will tug at the heart and I confess there was a point it made me cry! What a skilled writer Lucinda E Clarke is. I can't wait to see what Amie gets up to next.
October 7, 2019
I hadn't read about Amie previously but readers who have a few thrillers under their belts will pick up on this instalment in the series quickly. Not many thrillers are set in an African nation, and this one echoes The Dogs of War with takeovers, violence, and spying.
Amie wants out of the British secret service and her handlers turn against her. I would have thought anyone would be better than an unwilling spy, but Amie has previously been friendly with a man who is now a President, and that makes her a valuable tool. Keeping her own secrets, the lady then has to live with paranoia and later a personal tragedy if she is to survive.
Amie's close friend Simon gets abducted in England by a group which seems to be giving him basic training plus spy training. But he doesn't know or trust them. The tale goes downhill.
A safari and an international auction for rich mineral rights are the main events in the new nation. Whether bombs or snakebite, something unpleasant happens pretty often. I have to admire the author for deftly juggling so many plot elements and keeping the reader guessing. A thriller fan, male or female, will enjoy getting to know Amie and her shadowy world.
I was sent an e-ARC and read the book in my own time. This is an unbiased review.
Amie wants out of the British secret service and her handlers turn against her. I would have thought anyone would be better than an unwilling spy, but Amie has previously been friendly with a man who is now a President, and that makes her a valuable tool. Keeping her own secrets, the lady then has to live with paranoia and later a personal tragedy if she is to survive.
Amie's close friend Simon gets abducted in England by a group which seems to be giving him basic training plus spy training. But he doesn't know or trust them. The tale goes downhill.
A safari and an international auction for rich mineral rights are the main events in the new nation. Whether bombs or snakebite, something unpleasant happens pretty often. I have to admire the author for deftly juggling so many plot elements and keeping the reader guessing. A thriller fan, male or female, will enjoy getting to know Amie and her shadowy world.
I was sent an e-ARC and read the book in my own time. This is an unbiased review.
April 13, 2019
Not having read the other books in this series, I went into this story blind. But the author backtracked just enough to get me up to speed without dragging the story down. I was quickly drawn into Amie's story. She's a strong willed and passionate character. And the exotic settings were really interesting. Most of the story is set in a small African country, and the culture was vividly drawn. Then came the drama, ramping up page after page as Amie faces obstacles that most of us could never imagine. Highly recommend this one and I'll be looking for others in the series now!
February 15, 2019
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
Amie is forced by Ian Fleming (!) of Her Majesty's Service to go to Togodo, where her friend Ben, her previous cameraman, has risen to be the President of that tiny African country. She has no choice and reluctantly leaves the next morning. Fleming wants her to stay close to Ben, and report back to him. At stake are mineral rights that 6 countries are bidding for. Amie oversees the plans for an elaborate Safari for the representatives of the different countries. On the Safari all hell breaks loose almost immediately and Amie flees for her life into the dangerous African bush, followed by wildlife who are looking for their next meal. She's also terribly upset that she hasn't been able to contact Simon, her fiance and the father of her unborn baby. Simon has been sent to London, where his cellphone and computer are taken from him and he's sent to a suspect 'training camp' in Wales.
This book is perfect for fans of travel and adventure books. It is action packed and has a great sense of place. Unfortunately I couldn't feel a connection to either Amie or Simon, which is why I give the book a 3.5 rating.
Amie is forced by Ian Fleming (!) of Her Majesty's Service to go to Togodo, where her friend Ben, her previous cameraman, has risen to be the President of that tiny African country. She has no choice and reluctantly leaves the next morning. Fleming wants her to stay close to Ben, and report back to him. At stake are mineral rights that 6 countries are bidding for. Amie oversees the plans for an elaborate Safari for the representatives of the different countries. On the Safari all hell breaks loose almost immediately and Amie flees for her life into the dangerous African bush, followed by wildlife who are looking for their next meal. She's also terribly upset that she hasn't been able to contact Simon, her fiance and the father of her unborn baby. Simon has been sent to London, where his cellphone and computer are taken from him and he's sent to a suspect 'training camp' in Wales.
This book is perfect for fans of travel and adventure books. It is action packed and has a great sense of place. Unfortunately I couldn't feel a connection to either Amie or Simon, which is why I give the book a 3.5 rating.
February 14, 2019
Reviewed by Sarah Stuart for Readers' Favorite
Amie: Savage Safari by Lucinda E. Clarke is the latest in a series of books that opened with an ordinary English housewife relocating to Africa to further her husband’s career. Upon his death, Her Majesty’s government forcibly recruited Amie as a spy, leaving her family to attend her “funeral”. Years, and adventures, have passed, and Amie is pregnant and planning marriage to Simon, who mysteriously vanishes. Furious, Amie throws herself into her job at the British Embassy in Tobago where her friend, Ben, is now President. When he proposes a safari for representatives of the six nations competing for mining rights, Amie is tasked with organisation and a watching brief. What could possibly go wrong for the world’s most reluctant, and incompetent, spy?
Lucinda E. Clarke has written a thriller that makes her previous bestsellers look tame! Well-grounded, it can be read as a standalone, and Amie’s trials in her beloved bush are vivid, but Simon’s “fitness training” in Wales proves… dangerous. Ben has made an unfortunate marriage to social-climbing Matilda and lives in a mock Palace of Versailles, but can he survive the power of his African roots? Savage Safari is more than a thriller; it’s an intriguing and believable peep behind the scenes of politics. Stir together six world powers, each determined to undermine, or kill, the opposition, and the mixture is pure dynamite, with Amie in the path of the explosion. Amie: Savage Safari looks set to launch Lucinda E Clarke as a contender for top honours beside Tony Park, Peter Rimmer and Wilber Smith.
Amie: Savage Safari by Lucinda E. Clarke is the latest in a series of books that opened with an ordinary English housewife relocating to Africa to further her husband’s career. Upon his death, Her Majesty’s government forcibly recruited Amie as a spy, leaving her family to attend her “funeral”. Years, and adventures, have passed, and Amie is pregnant and planning marriage to Simon, who mysteriously vanishes. Furious, Amie throws herself into her job at the British Embassy in Tobago where her friend, Ben, is now President. When he proposes a safari for representatives of the six nations competing for mining rights, Amie is tasked with organisation and a watching brief. What could possibly go wrong for the world’s most reluctant, and incompetent, spy?
Lucinda E. Clarke has written a thriller that makes her previous bestsellers look tame! Well-grounded, it can be read as a standalone, and Amie’s trials in her beloved bush are vivid, but Simon’s “fitness training” in Wales proves… dangerous. Ben has made an unfortunate marriage to social-climbing Matilda and lives in a mock Palace of Versailles, but can he survive the power of his African roots? Savage Safari is more than a thriller; it’s an intriguing and believable peep behind the scenes of politics. Stir together six world powers, each determined to undermine, or kill, the opposition, and the mixture is pure dynamite, with Amie in the path of the explosion. Amie: Savage Safari looks set to launch Lucinda E Clarke as a contender for top honours beside Tony Park, Peter Rimmer and Wilber Smith.
February 26, 2019
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to read an early draft of this, the fifth Amie adventure.
This time Clarke's heroine is employed to help organise an international trade conference in the fictional African country where she has made her home. As usual, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. And, as usual, Amie somehow manages to sort it all out.
Apart from Amie, there are other characters readers met in earlier volumes, but you don't have to have read any of the other Amie books in order to enjoy this one. I guarantee that, after you have read this one, you will want to go back and enjoy the others.
Amie is no James Bond, but she is a very likeable heroine whose bumbling is as endearing as her ability to endure the suffering Clarke subjects her to. The really outstanding character in this series, however, is Africa. Clarke's love for the continent and its people shines throughout but she is not afraid to tackle controversial subjects. In the fourth volume it was the tragic consequences of FGM. This time she is dealing with the corruption of some African politicians and the way in which the wealthier nations of the world are still intent on exploiting the continent in their rapacious search for resources.
By the end of this book Amie is about to become a mother. I can't help wondering how that will change her career. I have no doubt that Clarke will be showing us very soon.
This time Clarke's heroine is employed to help organise an international trade conference in the fictional African country where she has made her home. As usual, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. And, as usual, Amie somehow manages to sort it all out.
Apart from Amie, there are other characters readers met in earlier volumes, but you don't have to have read any of the other Amie books in order to enjoy this one. I guarantee that, after you have read this one, you will want to go back and enjoy the others.
Amie is no James Bond, but she is a very likeable heroine whose bumbling is as endearing as her ability to endure the suffering Clarke subjects her to. The really outstanding character in this series, however, is Africa. Clarke's love for the continent and its people shines throughout but she is not afraid to tackle controversial subjects. In the fourth volume it was the tragic consequences of FGM. This time she is dealing with the corruption of some African politicians and the way in which the wealthier nations of the world are still intent on exploiting the continent in their rapacious search for resources.
By the end of this book Amie is about to become a mother. I can't help wondering how that will change her career. I have no doubt that Clarke will be showing us very soon.
March 24, 2019
The book starts off boldly with Amie’s memories of a previous mission which contains a flashback of female genital mutilation.
When the pregnant spy is called once again to go to Togodo, she reluctantly agrees but only because of her friendship with Ben, who has become president of the small African country.
When he asks Amie to organise a safari with a bunch of delegates from various powerful countries (all vying for a share in the mineral wealth of Togodo), she has no idea of the horrifying consequences to follow.
Deep in the bush where a camp has been set-up, a gang of jealous political opponents plan a coup, and outside hostile neighbouring tribes gather to stake their claim on the precious resources.
After a brutal attack and the North Korean delegates killed, plucky Amie escapes. But finding herself alone in the bush, she soon realises she has bitten off more than she can chew and has put herself and that of her unborn child in mortal peril.
Savage Africa it certainly is, with gory scenes of butchery and torture and only a person who has spent much time on the continent could portray its rugged beauty while, at the same time, depict the barbaric nature and cruelty which warring factions inflict on their fellow countrymen.
It was my first Amie adventure and as part of a series it works well as a stand-alone. However, because of its history and not personally having read the previous books, I found myself asking questions about past events. Such as the characters’ backgrounds: Why Ben had been Amie’s photographer and about Ouma Adele and what happened to Amie’s husband, Jonathon? Did we ever know why Simon was kidnapped and sent on a survival course to Wales? I felt this lack of information prevented the reader connecting with the characters on a deeper level.
Lucinda E Clarke is a great story teller and Amie - Savage Safari is a fast-moving rollicking good tale. Highly recommended.
When the pregnant spy is called once again to go to Togodo, she reluctantly agrees but only because of her friendship with Ben, who has become president of the small African country.
When he asks Amie to organise a safari with a bunch of delegates from various powerful countries (all vying for a share in the mineral wealth of Togodo), she has no idea of the horrifying consequences to follow.
Deep in the bush where a camp has been set-up, a gang of jealous political opponents plan a coup, and outside hostile neighbouring tribes gather to stake their claim on the precious resources.
After a brutal attack and the North Korean delegates killed, plucky Amie escapes. But finding herself alone in the bush, she soon realises she has bitten off more than she can chew and has put herself and that of her unborn child in mortal peril.
Savage Africa it certainly is, with gory scenes of butchery and torture and only a person who has spent much time on the continent could portray its rugged beauty while, at the same time, depict the barbaric nature and cruelty which warring factions inflict on their fellow countrymen.
It was my first Amie adventure and as part of a series it works well as a stand-alone. However, because of its history and not personally having read the previous books, I found myself asking questions about past events. Such as the characters’ backgrounds: Why Ben had been Amie’s photographer and about Ouma Adele and what happened to Amie’s husband, Jonathon? Did we ever know why Simon was kidnapped and sent on a survival course to Wales? I felt this lack of information prevented the reader connecting with the characters on a deeper level.
Lucinda E Clarke is a great story teller and Amie - Savage Safari is a fast-moving rollicking good tale. Highly recommended.
May 24, 2019
What I love most of about all these Amie books is learning so much about the way of life in Africa. Their culture, beliefs, and politics are so different from those of the western world. Well, corruption exists in politics everywhere, as you'll discover in this book. But it's how the belief in curses and such play a role in the lives of even those who are educated that makes this such a compelling read.
And as always, you'll love seeing it the way Amie sees things. Her love for her adopted homeland brings so much beauty to the way of life of the African people. A must read if you've ever wondered about the life in Africa.
And as always, you'll love seeing it the way Amie sees things. Her love for her adopted homeland brings so much beauty to the way of life of the African people. A must read if you've ever wondered about the life in Africa.
June 6, 2019
This was my first 'Amie' book but it was an easy book to pick up and read it as a standalone.
Having spent much of my younger life in Africa and with many holidays spent there I do love books based on Africa, both past and present. However, I did not feel as drawn to this story as much as some other books I have read. The plot was good but I almost felt like a lot of the details that normally draw me into the story were missing or glossed over.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
Having spent much of my younger life in Africa and with many holidays spent there I do love books based on Africa, both past and present. However, I did not feel as drawn to this story as much as some other books I have read. The plot was good but I almost felt like a lot of the details that normally draw me into the story were missing or glossed over.
Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for the eARC.
April 16, 2022
I have read all of Amie's stories, like the rest of the series, this one did not disappoint other than the fact it is the last in the series.
Despite the fact that she is not a very good spy, she has been chosen to act as a spy for a high finance business project, once again she connects with her old friend, Ben who is now the president of Togodo. She has to deal with the corruption of some African politicians, how some of the wealthier world nations are intent on exploiting the continent in their determination to win the auction for the rich mineral rights.
Amie is pushed to her limits and the challenges test her near to breaking point. You can almost taste her fear, all the senses are on alert, and the smells, sounds, and sights are all captured by Lucinda's writing pulling the reader into Africa and Amie's life.
This is an exciting, scary, intriguing, fast-paced and sometimes, heartbreaking story and I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Despite the fact that she is not a very good spy, she has been chosen to act as a spy for a high finance business project, once again she connects with her old friend, Ben who is now the president of Togodo. She has to deal with the corruption of some African politicians, how some of the wealthier world nations are intent on exploiting the continent in their determination to win the auction for the rich mineral rights.
Amie is pushed to her limits and the challenges test her near to breaking point. You can almost taste her fear, all the senses are on alert, and the smells, sounds, and sights are all captured by Lucinda's writing pulling the reader into Africa and Amie's life.
This is an exciting, scary, intriguing, fast-paced and sometimes, heartbreaking story and I cannot recommend this highly enough.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews