Ivory Ghosts

Catherine Sohon Elephant Mystery #1

by Caitlin O'Connell, Debora Carita (Art), Liezl Buenaventura (Art)

Comic Adapted from Catlin O’Connell’s novel, Ivory Ghosts is a thriller brimming with majestic wildlife, village politics, and international intrigue, a chilling quadruple homicide raises the stakes in the battle to save Africa’s elephants. Adapted by Caitlin O’Connell, Art by Debora Carita and Liezl Buenaventura.

Genres: Mystery, Nature, Africa, Thriller, Crime, Mystery Thriller, Fiction

Paperback

First published April 7, 2015

About the author

Dr. Caitlin O'Connell is an Instructor at Harvard Medical School and a world renowned expert on elephants and vibrotactile sensitivity. She is the author of the internationally acclaimed nonfiction science memoir, The Elephant's Secret Sense (2007, Simon & Schuster--Free Press), which highlights a novel form of elephant communication as well as their conservation plight. Her narrative nonfiction photo book An Elephant's Life (2011, Lyons Press) uses a graphic novel approach to revealing subtle and intimate aspects of elephant society. Her co-authored nonfiction children's book, The Elephant Scientist (2011, Houghton Mifflin Children's Books) won five awards, including the Robert F. Sibert Honor and Horn Book Honor for 2012. A Baby Elephant In The Wild (2014, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers) was a Junior Library Guild Select and winner of the 2015 NSTA award for Outstanding Science Trade Book for students K-12. Her second science memoir, Elephant Don: The Politics Of A Pachyderm Posse (University of Chicago Press) came out in 2015. Her debut novel, Ivory Ghosts, also came out in 2015 with Alibi, an ebook imprint of Random House. The sequel to Ivory Ghosts, White Gold, came out in February, 2017 and the first issue of the comic came out in May, 2018. Bridge to the Wild was published in August, 2016 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers. In her latest nonfiction book, Wild Rituals, 2020, O'Connell highlights the importance of ritual to all social animals including ourselves. O'Connell is the co-founder and CEO of the nonprofit organization, Utopia Scientific (www.utopiascientific.org), dedicated to research and science education. She is also co-director of Triple Helix Productions, with a mandate to develop more accurate and entertaining science content for the media. She has taught Science Writing for Stanford University and The New York Times Knowledge Network.

Reviews

[Magdalena · Rating 3 out of 5]

American wildlife biologist Catherine Sohon official work in a remote outpost in northeast Namibia as a census pilot tracking the local elephant population. But her real work is collecting evidence against ruthless ivory traffickers.

Africa is becoming more and more a favorite continent for me when it comes to books. There is just something with the setting, the nature, the wildlife and of course back in my mind the movie Out of Africa. I admit I just can't stop thinking about the movie whenever I read a book set in Africa.

The story is good and Catherine is interesting characters, she lost her boyfriend almost a year before the story in this book and she is still hurting and traumatized about her memories of his death. There is no instalove in this book, sure there was towards the end warmer feelings between her and Jon Baggs, but they really didn't hit off in the beginning and I liked that. I like my main characters to quarrel instead of making googly eyes at each all the time.

I must admit that even though I liked the story I didn't find it riveting and I guess correctly who the main bad baddie was, there was just not many to choose from and it seemed so logical that it was that person that when it was revealed I was just: "I was right, damn it!" I don't know how it is with you guys and girls, but I enjoy being surprised by book endings.

But I liked the book and I would definitely read more from Caitlin O'Connell!

I received a copy from the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for an honest review!

Review also posted on And Now for Something Completely Different and It's a Mad Mad World

[Phillip Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a noteworthy publishing event when a wildlife scientist with decades of experience in the African bush now turns to fiction in order to dramatize and thus sound the alarm for a crisis that threatens the very survival of African elephants in the wild. Caitlin O’Connell, an acknowledged expert in the field of elephant behavior, brings authenticity to her crossover into fiction in this e-book thriller which reveals the horror and scale of the wholesale slaughter of elephants and glimpses the international underworld connections which drive it. For a while it seemed as though intergovernmental legal protections had successfully crippled the illegal ivory market, but the emergence of a wealthy class in China, where for centuries ivory has been a prized possession and status symbol, has created a renewed demand. Often unattached fighters left behind in the wake of burned-out conflicts in Africa, poachers have rushed to respond, slaughtering entire families of elephants and hacking out their tusks, whether large or small.

O’Connell has created a colorful but believable cast of characters, appealing, eccentric, committed, flawed, sinister and duplicitous by turns, headed by an earnest protagonist, Catherine Sohon, pilot and fearless investigator. Against a background of memorable scenes of wild areas of southern Africa, traditional native communities and ungainly urban sprawl, the heroine is witness to murder, betrayal, witchcraft, and subversion. Narrow escapes, both terrestrial and airborne, conflicts of culture and personality, as well as the ghosts of past tragic outcomes forge a lively narrative that leave the reader pulling for her success and impatient for the promised sequel that will take her into the labyrinthine dangers of the Chinese criminal underworld. This is a thrilling story, reinforced by the actual crisis which it delineates. Definitely a five-star read.
Phillip Peterson, Alexandria, VA, 1/29/15

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murders, elephant poaching and the ivory trade go hand in hand.

This is a cracking read, an intense, atmospheric thriller mostly set in Namibia. A biologist and bush pilot has moved beyond elephant census taking after learning that a hundred of these creatures are shot each day. She now traces the poachers and ivory. Suspects for the latest murders include poorly paid rangers, witchdoctors, Chinese traders, NGO aid workers and self-interested village head men.

This author has lived in Namibia with her husband for several years and written factual books about the elephants and how the human population co-exists with them. This fictional tale is her way of reaching a wider audience. The story is not for the tender but is full of action, danger and vivid animal life. It's a riveting read.

[Joshua Eckels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivory Ghosts may be a novel, but it's strongly imbued with the realities of the complicated struggles around elephant conservation in Namibia. As the mystery unfolds, the protagonist, Catherine Sohon, uncovers the messy reality of not just ranger versus poacher, but a wide cast of characters with overlapping motivations.

While the book sheds light on the plight of African elephants, it's also both compelling and entertaining, which broadens its appeal beyond the non-fiction conservation-minded audience. Highly recommended as a fun read, a window into a unique, fascinating, and conflicted place, and a reminder that problems that seem like they should have straightforward solutions aren't as easily addressed (but hopefully are still tractable).

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ivory Ghosts by Caitlin O'Connell has mass appeal. It is a thrilling murder mystery that immediately draws the reader in to the pursuit of dangerous ivory smugglers in Northeastern Namibia. O'Connell's descriptions of her beloved elephants and fellow wildlife evoke the latent conservationist in all of us. Catherine Sohon, the American biologist heroine, must contend with many obstacles while investigating the illegal ivory trade. Human greed proves a more formidable foe than the hippos lurking in the Zambezi River. Looking forward to the sequel!

[Stormi (StormReads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a debut novel from this author and I thought she did very well. I could definitely tell that she knows her way around Africa, elephants and poaching. That being said some times I thought it was a bit to much and slowed the pace a bit. I really felt like I went on a safari through parts of Africa right from my couch as I read this book which was really fun because I haven’t ever been there and probably won’t ever go there, so that was cool.

Catherine took a new job to sort of forget a bit of her past. Her fiance was killed and she just needs a new start. She takes a pretty dangerous job going to a remote outpost in northeast Namibia. First thing that happens to her is her car breaks down and she finds some dead bodies. Not a great way to start a new adventure.

Poaching of elephants for their ivory is a horrid thing and something that is going on a lot where Catherine is and she is going to do her best to stop it. Meanwhile she is really there to be a pilot and take census of the elephants and record mortality rates but she gets herself wrapped up in the illegal ivory trade and a lot of danger.

Jon Baggs, head of the Ministry of Conservation and Catherine knock heads right from the start. He yells and yells and is very mean. He eventually lightens up a bit, but he really just doesn’t like someone else coming in and trying to do his job.

Jon eventually becomes a love interest in the novel and to be honest I just didn’t feel it. He was so brash one moment and then the next moment he is hanging out with her like he never yelled at her. Even by the end of the novel I still wasn’t really feeling the connection that I would want between main characters.

The story has a lot of great secondary characters and there are clues along the way to help you try and figure out who it might have been that was on the wrong end of the ivory trade. Sometimes though you think it is a couple of other people but in the end I was pretty sure I was right about who it was and I was. :)

Over all I enjoy it even though I thought it was a bit slow in places. For those of you who cringed at the thought of reading a book about poaching, there was a little bit about it but I didn’t find it to be to graphic. I would recommend it to anyone who likes a good mystery and a trip to Africa all rolled up in one.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Escaping from a tragedy, wildlife biologist Catherine Sohon takes a position as an elephant census pilot in a remote Namibian outpost. However, Catherine really wants to be looking for evidence of the illegal ivory trade. Before even reaching her destination she stumbles upon a murder in which the murderers appear to be smugglers and might have been murdered by a witch doctor. When Catherine finally reaches her destination, she does not get the warmest welcome by Jon Baggs, the head of the Ministry of Conservation, but delves deep into the investigation of ivory trade and poachers, nonetheless. Catherine soon finds herself in over her head chasing a dangerous murderer.

Thrilling and powerful, I was swept into the wilds of Africa with Catherine. Catherine was fearless in her undertaking in the wilds of Africa, although scarred from the recent death of her fiancé. I loved that she was brave enough to go out independently, skillfully shoot a gun and fly a plane and do her best to relate to the variety of character she meets. Most of all I enjoyed the honest view of Namibia and the descriptions of the vast wildlife and animal behaviors. I appreciated that the author definitely knew what she was talking about in terms of animal biology without being overbearingly scientific. The thriller aspect of the story was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to see what is up for Catherine next!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elephants have to be among the most beloved of all animals and there's something quite romantic about them and their story. I think much of our appreciation of these wondrous creatures comes from our recognition of their intelligence and their loyalty to one another. We're also drawn in by the tragedy of their existence, the horrendous poaching and slaughter for their body parts, especially their tusks.

Catherine Sohon is an admirable woman, one who goes the extra mile to fight the smuggling trade that so severely endangers the elephants, but the stakes get even higher when she becomes involved in murder. Unprepared for this, she nevertheless plunges right in to investigate the human deaths as well as the poaching and slaughter of the animals. Running into something of a brick wall in an official named Jon Baggs, Catherine pushes ahead and finds a senseless darkness even she didn't expect. She also finds a welcome lightening of the grief she has been living with since her fiancé's death.

Author Caitlin O'Connell doesn't just admire elephants; she has made them her life's work and I envy the opportunities she has to be around them. She's also a dedicated scientist and is doing much to make that discipline more accessible to those of us who aren't as thoroughly immersed as she is. Her knowledge of science and of elephants in particular shine through the pages of this debut novel and I can honestly say I know a little more after reading it. I'm already looking forward to what I hope will be many more novels from Ms. O'Connell.

Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, April 2015.

[Jo Reason · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was attracted to this book due to the title and the subject: elephant poaching in the Caprivi Strip, Namibia. Unfortunately this isn’t the thrilling book I was expecting, there is a little bit but not enough to keep my attention for long. The good parts is the author really knows her stuff, at least she seems to anyhow, after all I don’t know much about poaching elephants. Also she has done a good job with the details of the area. The characters are interesting, with such different backgrounds and visions of life which create problems for our main character Catherine. She turns out to be more of a detective than a pilot, getting herself in to tight spots which really seemed a little excessive.

The best part of the whole book are the details of the area, the details of the elephants, Africa is a fascinating continent and so is the area she writes about. I hope to see more books from the author as she matures as I love the area.

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping page-turner, Ivory Ghosts delivers a fast paced adventure full of mystery and intrigue set against the backdrop of the ruggedly beautiful Caprivi region in Southern Africa. Tortured by her troubled past, Catherine, on a mission to observe and report, throws herself recklessly into an investigation of local ivory smuggling and must quickly decipher who she can trust…if anyone. Ms. O’Connell’s intimate knowledge of elephant behavior shines through and her vivid descriptions of region and wildlife easily transport the reader to this truly magnificent sliver of the world, while her story weaves in the harsh realities of conflict, politics, disease and the struggles of elephant conservation. A great read – I will be looking forward to the next Catherine Sohon adventure!!

[Loretta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Ivory Ghosts. I was especially taken by the descriptions of Africa in this book. It feels like you are with Catherine Sohon every step of the way. The murders are chilling and you become engaged in the politics of the region. The story angered me when exploring the issues surrounding poaching, but also captivated me when describing the beauty of the continent. It was evident that the author has experienced both the beauty and the tragedy of the elephants. In short, this is a great book that I had a hard time putting it down. Read it!

[Jay Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written story that brings the reader into the heart of Africa. Yes, it has a lot to do with the illegal trade in ivory, but it is a good mystery, a budding love story, and a light of hope for those who have suffered grief in their lives. I was barely engaged at the beginning, but as the story progressed I became more and more emotionally involved, and at the end I just couldn't put it down. The descriptions are so rich that I will look forward to a second or third reading. It is that good.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read: I learned so much about the plight of saving the elephants, and there was a compelling mystery too. I hope there will be more Catherine Sohon novels to come!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review here (4th one down): http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/201...

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published at Reading Reality

This story is about charismatic megafauna, our use, misuse and abuse of and by them, and murder.

I’m in love with the phrase charismatic megafauna, because it so fits. The author is talking about elephants in this particular story, but I’ve also lived in proximity to a one of the other animals in this group. Bald eagles are everywhere in Alaska, including Anchorage, and in their native habitat they are a messy and opportunistic species. They do an excellent job of keeping the pigeon and Canada Goose population way down in Anchorage – and they also occasionally carry off a small poodle. So while I have no familiarity with elephants except in zoos, I have a tiny idea of the differences between the ways that people who have to live with one of these species and people who are merely enraptured by their press coverage diverge.

But no one hunts eagles for their tusks.

Elephants are beautiful and majestic. They can also be destructive. But the ivory in their tusks can be worth a fortune. And that’s where the story in Ivory Ghosts begins.

Catherine Sohon is a pilot. She is also utterly fascinated with elephants, both in spite of and because of her experiences as an elephant census pilot working in Kruger National Park in South Africa. After her fiancé’s tragic death at the paws of a water buffalo, Catherine can’t bring herself to leave Africa. But she desperately feels a need to leave Kruger, and she needs to do something, both with herself and for a living.

She takes a job in the Bwabwata National Park in Namibia, working for a slightly mysterious wildlife protection agency. Her ostensible job is to fly an elephant census in the protected areas, but her real job is to find out who is poaching ivory in and smuggling ivory through the contested Caprivi region.

Catherine trips over a jeep full of dead humans and ivory tusks on her first night in the Park. It never gets any less bloody from there.

Catherine finds herself caught in a web of contradictions. She wants to protect the elephants from the humans, but sometimes finds herself in a position of protecting the humans from the elephants. She is told that she can trust the environmental officials on scene, but she is keeping a huge secret from them, and vice versa.

The man she thinks is the most hostile turns out to be the most trustworthy, in spite of his initial boorishness and her agency’s mistaken belief that he may be in on the smuggling. The person she most trusts turns out to be an irredeemable villain. Even worse, a villain who seems to have government officials in his pocket.

She’s told that the problem is local. She eventually discovers that the rot stretches all the way from the local government to organized crime triads in Hong Kong.

In Ivory Ghosts, Catherine travels into her own personal Heart of Darkness. While her personal ghosts finally get expiated, she comes all too close to becoming a ghost herself.

Escape Rating B: While I enjoyed Ivory Ghosts, it had the feeling of a “dropped into the middle” kind of story.

Some of that is literal. Catherine is dealing with her own ghosts by trying to suppress them, so we know that she is running from something without having the details on exactly what she is running from. It takes a while for Catherine to reveal her feelings about what happened to her fiancé, and her own feelings of guilt as well as loss.

Finding the jeep full of bodies is also a literal “dropping in”. There’s bad stuff going on, it’s been going on, and she trips over it the first night.

Catherine has been living in Africa, and working in African game parks and preserves for a few years. She is familiar, at least from an outsider’s perspective, with some of the culture and the way that life works. Readers may not be, and a bit more exposition about the government culture, bureaucracy and corruption would have been helpful. Likewise, a bit more explanation of who the native leaders are and what their titles/positions represent would have made some things a bit less opaque. Your mileage may vary.

There’s a difference in narrative between a point-of-view character who is as lost as the reader and a POV character who knows it so well that he or she isn’t saying enough. I felt like Catherine was a bit of the latter.

I never did get a handle on Craig, Catherine’s boss at the mysterious WIA. Who are they and what do they do? What do they claim to do? I found myself wondering, fairly often, if Craig and the WIA were the good guys or the bad guys.

In the early stage of the book, and of Catherine’s relationship with the local agent Jon Baggs, Jon refers to Catherine’s Karen Blixen complex and wants her to get it out of her system and go back where she came from. Catherine is not reenacting Blixen/Dinesen’s Out of Africa experience, and doesn’t intend to, but there is certainly that feeling that Catherine, like Blixen, has fallen in love with Africa and is looking for any excuse to stay, whether she wants to save the place (an impossible but common notion) or not.

In the end, Catherine uncovers one deadly conspiracy, but it is clear that she has just touched the surface of the ivory trade. There are murky depths yet to be explored.

I’m glad that Catherine is planning to stick around and explore them. I hope we’ll see more of her story.

[Maura · Rating 5 out of 5]

The word "page-turner" is overused for so many crime fiction novels and thrillers. It is spot-on for Caitlin O'Connell's first Catherine Sohon Elephant Mystery. With her theme of ivory trafficking and elephant poaching, O'Connell has created her own thriller sub-genre: the wildlife conservation thriller. (Environmental thrillers tend to have plots involving bioterrorism, but O'Connell places the spotlight squarely on the slaughter of elephants for their tusks to feed the real beast--ivory trafficking). Her protagonist, Catherine Sohon, is well-developed, and O'Connell uses a first-person narrative. Catherine is a white American wildlife blogger who has been living and working in South Africa. She's grieving the recent death of her fiancé. O'Connell imbues her with a lot of depth and emotional complexity. In the opening scene, after her truck breaks down on a remote, dry road in the sub-Saharan African country of Namibia, Catherine stumbles on a horrific murder scene. She has traveled to Namibia under the guise of doing an elephant census, but Catherine's actual purpose there is to substantiate evidence and put a stop to an ivory trafficking ring. As a woman reader (and writer), I appreciated that O'Connell wrote this scene, using the first-person, without giving any initial indicators of whether the narrator was a man or a woman. Speaking from my experience as a "book scout" for a producer at Warner Bros., this thriller would make a riveting film adaptation which, with the right screenplay, could give an actress a pivotal career opportunity.

The pace is breakneck, yet the stylish writing allows the reader to absorb a lot of fantastic (and horrifying) content and facts about ivory trafficking, and about Namibia. The scope is international and yet the action and the details are of a very specific place. The villains are terrifying precisely because they are portrayed in all their humanity and greed. Catherine may even have a new romantic opportunity with the Ministry of Conservation, Jon Biggs. Their vexatious conversations barely conceal the sexual chemistry between the two characters. Then, of course, there are the elephants. Scenes with the elephants were so galvanizing, and could not make a stronger case for why poaching is such a reprehensible crime. O'Connell's thriller leaves no room for debate that it is a moral imperative to stop and prevent ivory poaching. Trafficking seeps its evil into everything and everyone it touches.

Caitlin O'Connell is a top surgeon and world-renowned expert on elephants and vibrotactile sensitivity (vibrotactile means "Relating to or involving the perception of vibration through touch."). Her nonfiction science memoir THE ELEPHANT'S SECRET SENSE was an internationally acclaimed work. This Renaissance woman may now add "expert thriller writer" to her resume. I eagerly await the sequel to Ivory Ghosts.

Thank you to Alibi, an e-originals imprint of Penguin Random House, for the opportunity to read the digital copy via NetGalley.

[Quentin Rushing · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.72/5.0 Stars
Rating if the Book Were a Movie: PG-13

Creative Team:

Writer: Caitlin O’Connell
Pencils: Debora Carita
Inks: Laurie Foster
Colors: Liezl Buenaventura
Letters: Saida Temofonte
Cover: Debora Carita
Editor: Paul Daughetee
Publisher: Kymera Press

Ratings:

Story: 3.8 Stars
Interior Artwork: 3.8 Stars
Cover Artwork: 4.2 Stars
Dialogue: 3.5 Stars
Mechanics: 3.5 Stars
Editing: 3.5 Stars

About the Book:

“Ivory Ghosts” begins in Namibia with our primary character, Dr. Catherine Sohon, finding herself a long way from Wyoming. She did her research for her PHD at Yellowstone. Now she’s trying to work the elephant census for the Wildlife Investigation Agency.

Dr. Sohon hasn’t received a very warm welcome. She got a flat tire driving in. None of the local authorities knew she was coming. They are being nice; but keeping their distance. The party line is obsolete technology and unreliable mail service caused the breakdown in communication.

Is it truly a case of broken lines of communication? Are Namibian authorities involved in the poaching of elephants? Time will tell.

Reviewer’s Notes:

I’m thrilled that “Ivory Ghosts” #1 gives us another strong female lead character. With a PHD, Dr. Sohon is clearly book smart. The fact that she’s a pilot that puts herself in potentially dangerous situations in the name of her field of study makes her more of a badass than Indiana Jones.

In case getting another great female character onto the indie comic scene isn’t enough of a reason to look into “Ivory Ghosts”, this book focusing on real world problems should be. With the amount of poaching that is taking place there are a great many creatures on the verge of extinction it’s good to bring this to light.

Gorillas are being hunted for their hands. Elephants are being hunted for their feet and tusks. Rhinoceros horns are coveted because some people believe that consuming ground up horns is an aphrodisiac.

The punishment for poaching in some countries is death. The payout if a poacher can bring back a trophy is more than they would make in a lifetime. In their eyes, the reward outweighs the risk, especially if they are able to bribe an official before a hunt.

I love the wildlife in this cover. The detail is exquisite. With the amount of books set in space or a city, wildlife is something that isn’t seen often in comics that aren’t associated with “Tarzan”, “Sheena”, or “Groo”. The change of pace is appreciated, especially with it being relevant to the story.

The artwork on the interior pages is very well done. The line work and coloring put the reader on the backroads of Namibia. I liked the panel with the elephants on the plains. It shows us just how serious this issue truly is.

As a geek on a budget I would strongly recommend checking out “Ivory Ghosts”. We get a great story, well done artwork, and real world issues that don’t stay within the confines of the pages of a comic book.

You can get your copy of “Ivory Ghosts” at: www.kymerapress.com.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review Excerpt:

Ivory Ghosts is an intense page turner with a strong message--a great balance of mystery/thriller and an in-depth look at elephants, poaching, and the illegal ivory trade. I love it when a book not only sweeps me up in a fascinating story but teaches me something along the way. Author Caitlin O'Connell's background and knowledge of elephants and life in Africa make her words ring true and she writes in a way that is very accessible and engaging--nothing is too technical or detailed for non-scientific types or non-world politics experts to understand. Her vivid descriptions pulled me immediately into the book and made me feel like I was flying over Namibia counting elephants along with the lead character. Catherine Sohon is a great heroine--she is strong, independent, and brave enough to fight for the elephants and the people of Africa, but she is not perfect and she's normal enough to find being in the middle of a hyena hunt is terrifying along with being thrilling. (OK, maybe 'normal' would be to find it way more terrifying than thrilling!) ;-) The story had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing about who the 'bad guys' were. I changed my mind several times, which I liked as I enjoy being at least a bit surprised at the end of a mystery. Although there is some romance thrown in, the mystery is the heart of the story and it is a compelling one--your heart can't help but break for the elephants when reading about their senseless slaughter. Ivory Ghosts will appeal to mystery fans, animal lovers, those who like books with strong female leads, and anyone who enjoys a fast paced and well-written thriller. I am looking forward to more Catherine Sohon adventures.

You can see my full review as well as a recipe for Chewy No-Bake Muesli Bars inspired by the book on my blog post here: http://kahakaikitchen.blogspot.com/20...

Note: A review copy of "Ivory Ghosts" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Tia Bach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars

Catherine Sohon went to Africa with her love to follow her dreams. After a tragic incident, her fiance was gone. Needing to a focus, she decides to go undercover in another part of Africa to face off against some elephant killings and other shady dealings.

There, she finds herself knee-deep in issues and drawn to a man, Jon, who might or might not be there to help her.

Right away, I was intrigued by Catherine. She was determined to carry on despite tragic loss. Instead of taking her dad up on his offer to help, she decides to jump in and carry forth with her passion for animals. Very little deters, or even frightens, her.

Plus, this novel showcases the beauty of Africa as well as its demons. With amazing details and well-illustrated locals, the reader feels transported. Added to that, there's lots of information about the cruelty of those who would kill to make money, regardless of who or what is endangered.

My only disappointment was the consistency of action. I was sucked in at the beginning, then there was a mid-way slump, and finally I was back on board at the end.

Still, there's so much to enjoy, I would definitely recommend it, especially if you like environmental and foreign issues as presented by a passionate, determined, and strong lead character. A woman, no less. (Which was made even more interesting by reading the Author's Note and discovering the author's background and own passion.)

Note: I received a complimentary copy for review purposes. A positive review was not requested or guaranteed; the opinions expressed are my own.

[Elaine - Splashes Into Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a superb debut novel! This is a fast paced, atmospheric thriller, a real page turner that has the reader riveted, wanting to know what happens next. The heroine, Catherine Sohon, is still mourning the tragic death of her fiancé when she travels to Namibia, near the border with Angola. She’s a biologist and pilot who will be working in the area carrying out an elephant census whilst also secretly investigating the illegal ivory trade in the hope of stopping it. From the start, she’s encountering multiple murders, aggressive rangers, witch doctors, elephant poaching, ivory trading, Chinese traders and lots more. The longer she stays in the area, the more she discovers about the wide variety of possible poachers and traders, all with their own possible motivation for their involvement. She isn’t sure who she can trust and who is double dealing.

A brilliant story with great characters in a fascinating setting, rife with mystery, suspense, intrigue and death. The author’s personal experiences of living in such an area are evident throughout and bring the region to life in the reader’s imagination. The political tightrope walked by those engaged in fighting the ivory trade is explored in an easy to relate to manner. As for the animal life - especially elephants - in the area, simply amazing.

I have no hesitation in recommending this to anyone who likes a great mystery, plenty of thrills and a hint of romance!

Thanks to the author, publishers and NetGalley, too
for letting me read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Catherine Sohon has just taken a new job in Namibia, undercover as a census pilot counting and tracking elephants and elephant mortality. In fact, Catherine is there to spy on the growing poaching and illegal ivory trade in the area.

Everyone claims there is no poaching issue here - that that's an East Africa problem and that here their issue is in fact wildlife management. But Catherine soon discovers the area's poaching trade is alive and thriving. So much so that even local officials have their hand in the business. Unsure who to trust, Catherine must keep her cover if she is to make it through this job alive.

Caitlin O'Connell's fiction debut is quite an admirable one - she's created a great lead character, plopped her down in a fabulous setting, and wrapped a plot around a genuine and disturbing world issue. You might think that this last part in particular would be a recipe for a less than successful suspense read but that's definitely not the case in O'Connell's hands.

Africa is a setting that I find greatly appealing in fiction. It's probably the main reason this particular book came onto my reading radar. Unlike the Africa of, say, Natasha Mostert's Windwalker (which is also set in Namibia), O'Connell focuses on the Caprivi Strip. In addition to poaching and wildlife, she does touch on local politics and the affects of nearby countries' politics on the area as well.

Ivory Ghosts is a solid start to what could be a great series - and I do hope we'll get to see more of Catherine.

[Philip Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mystery thriller with hints of a brutal reality. Though not breaking news or even headlines any more the illegal poaching and slaughter of elephants for the ivory trade is rampant where vast stretches of wilderness inhibit patrol and enforcement and poverty stricken starving populations seek survival by any means possible. Enter the elements of enforcers, conspiring officials, well doers and bleeding hearts. Toss in a smattering of romance, and place the setting in a mysterious place to most, where tribal feuds exist amongst an already dangerous situation of man against wild beasts and the even deadlier faceoff as criminals practice their trade with little concern for the value of human life. It all takes place in this engaging story woven by an author whose talent shines with the brilliance of someone in their element. Toss in some facts lending impact to the main issue and the reader runs the gamut of emotions. Well worth every minute spent reading and sure to stay tucked into a corner of the reader’s memory.

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that takes you to Africa and into the thick of elephant poaching and the business of tusks - this one kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning to the end.

Although I am definitely not knowledged about the world of Africa and their relationship with elephants and tusks and poaching, so at moments I was a little lost, but I just kept reading and loved learning about what all is going on, not positive but informative. Catherine was the best main character to help inform the reader and to show so much passion, I felt how someone who is in the thick of trying to save these elephants may feel.

If you are a reader who has been reading a lot of mystery thrillers, try out this one as it is a little spin on the genre with an international twist.

[John Geary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little environmental whodunit set in Namibia, Africa. Ivory poachers, conservation officers, local witch doctors, A Chinese triad rep and a host of other characters combine in this fictional story based on the author’s actual experience working in that area as an elephant conservationist.
It reminded me a little of the Jade del Cameron series by Suzanne Arruda, although that was set in East Africa between the first and second world wars, while this is set in modern times. I thought I had the identity of the mysterious head smuggler figured out 3/4 of the way through the book – but I was wrong.
After five non-fiction books about conservation, this was the authors first attempt at fiction. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good story. I was disappointed whenever I had to put it down. The characters are very well developed. You can envision each character. You get to know them. As much a book about conservation; specifically about elephants. It does so without preaching. The story delves into the true complexity of saving the African Elephant. At its heart though it's a great adventure and mystery. Plenty of great action sequences and mystery twists and a little love story thrown in.

[Lauren Bromley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley.

There's not much I can say about this book. I was riveted. I hated having to put it down, and was so disappointed when it was over. It was at times hard to read, because of the devastating things that you have to read happening to different characters and to the elephants. But it was a fun book to read. I was on the edge of my seat and stressed out the whole time.

[Sibel Hodge · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced thriller that exposes the corruption and horrific consequences of the ivory trade. This book has tension, romance, suspense, and intrigue that will keep you turning the pages. It's horrific that these highly intelligent, sentient animals are being poached at the rate of one every 15 minutes. Thank you to Caitlin O'Connell for raising awareness to this issue!

[Patricia Moren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad story about the plight of the African elephants but also highlighting the conundrum of the survival of the human population when the elephants eat or damage their crops. Fascinating reading illustrating the greed of some people coming above anything else. Well written book with some good characters. The story keeps moving at a fast pace with a surprising end.

[Mark Smeltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging thriller that is elevated by its superb use of setting. This book caters specifically to my interests in African conservation and biology, and it is great to get a glimpse of the nuts and bolts of this kind of work on the ground. The author draws from her own experience to create a story that is both entertaining and important for the message it carries.

[Inhabiting Books]

I appreciated the walk down memory lane, having spent four years in southern Africa, but I found the writing awkward and the story not especially compelling, though the subject matter is important. I've read O'Connell's compelling non-fiction books about her elephant research, and love them, but she seems uncomfortable as a fiction writer. That's not to say she can't/won't grow into it.