Last Survivor

Sonja Kurtz #4

by Tony Park

Greed.

Joanne Flack is on the run - suspected of stealing a rare African plant thought to be extinct and worth millions of dollars.

Danger.

Sonja Kurtz is hired by the CIA to hunt down Joanne and find the link between the missing plant and a terrorist group hiding out in South Africa.

Treachery.

Joanne is a member of the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society who take it upon themselves to track down the plant ... and the traitor in their midst who is willing to kill for it.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Africa

371 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2020

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

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm guessing that the author, Tony Park, had a lot of fun writing this adventure thriller set in South Africa. The plot revolves around a stolen cycad, a very rare species of an ancient plant, the only female of its kind left in the world and worth millions of dollars. Stolen from a wealthy Saudi prince, it was retrieved before it left the country and given to the improbably named Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society to guard before being returned to its owner. Unfortunately it disappeared from under lock and key at the same time that one of the members, Joanne Flack, leaves for London leaving the society to wonder if she stole it or whether there is a traitor in their midst.

The hunt for the cycad opens up an extensive smuggling operation with links to an Islamic terrorist group under investigation by the CIA. Somehow, the elderly members of the cycad society become involved in a search and rescue operation for Joanne (and the cycad) alongside a hired mercenary (the fearless and passionate Sonja Kurtz who has featured in other books by the author), some corrupt cops, a private jihadi training camp and some vintage aircraft. All splendid fun, especially when the elderly society members put their shooting skills into practice. I loved all the gutsy members of the society and the fast paced plot, with the atmospheric sights and sounds of the African bush as a wonderful backdrop.

With many thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia and Netgalley for a copy to read

[Bee With a Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

This action thriller is set in South Africa and follows Sonja a female soldier/mercenary/CIA Agent/ anything that involves killing the bad guy, as she tries to uncover a terrorist plot that involves an extremely rare plant.This plant is the only female of its kind in the world and worth Billions, which makes it the prime target for smuggling on the black market.

Park packed this book full of action, covering everything from close combat fighting to shoot outs. The story is well told with lots of attention to detail which at some points felt a bit unnecessary but did help to develop the characters and the intricacies of the criminal underworld.

The main characters Sonja and Joanna were hard to love as they felt distant and unrealistic at times, but of course this is an action thriller I guess it is not supposed to be realistic. The sexual tension these women have with almost every man they meet seems like too much especially for their age, did I mention almost everyone in this book is over 50.

The overall plot is well thought out but did seem to drag on in the end as all the characters must converge at the same place in the end to save the day. Perhaps due to the book having so many characters to keep track of.

While I enjoyed all the references to my home country of South Africa, I think it might be a bit difficult to keep track of, if you don’t have much knowledge of the country. I also felt sad at how Park portrayed South Africa as a county complete broken and corrupt, while this might be the image that the world gets, it is not what South Africans see when they look at their home.

What I enjoyed most is how Park touched on the difficulties of conservation in Africa. Few know the struggle of the African content and its natural beauty, as it collides with human nature and poverty.

So, if you love guns, plains, cars, action and just about anything from a mission impossible movie you will love this book. While I gave this book a 3 overall, I do think it could be a 5 for someone who loves the quintessential action story.

[Damo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The consistent theme of the majority of Tony Park’s Africa-based thrillers is the need to protect the continent’s endangered species. And this theme continues in Last Survivor. However, the species under threat is not an animal this time, it’s a plant. A very rare and extremely valuable plant known as a cycad.

The Encephalartos woodii is extremely endangered with the female plant almost extinct. One such plant has recently gone missing, as has Joanne Flack, a member of a cycad fanciers group known as the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society.

The assumption is that Joanne has stolen the hugely valuable plant from the Saudi prince she was working with. The hunt is on for the would-be thief with the survival of the species on the line.

Enter Sonja Kurtz, one time mercenary, occasional gun for hire with the CIA and fierce guardian of the endangered animals of Africa. She enters the scene working on a clandestine mission in Mali retrieving a kidnapped senator’s daughter, working alongside Jed Banks, a familiar face from another of Tony Park’s series. Through this decidedly intense sortie we’re given a taste of Kurtz’s capabilities, but not only that, there’s a hint of terrorist involvement in this whole cycad theft ring.

It seems that there are some pretty bad guys looking to take Joanne out for her deviousness. Sonja is hired to find her with the hopes that she can protect her from harm. In true form, she gets to her side just in time and the action takes off with one close call after another demonstrating that there’s more to the story than just a rare plant, no matter how valuable it might actually be.

It seems that not all is well inside the four walls of the Saudi prince’s property. It’s here that the story eventually wends its way to, with an all out battle involving a group of jihadists and the elderly members of the aforementioned Cycad Society. Throw in Hudson Brand, Sonja’s on again, off again love interest, as well as the CIA and other assorted militia.

This is another absorbing action thriller set in Africa that brings rampant gunplay, questionable air attacks and a high body count to bear for our entertainment. It’s fast paced, it skirts the edges of believability much of the time, indulges in brief romantic interludes and even squeezes in a twist ending. Above all, Park includes a stack of interesting detail about the cycad and its perilous plight and I was surprised with just how into these ancient plants I got.

Just a couple of little asides to finish with…

I found the details about cycads particularly interesting and was marveling at just how exotic they sounded. Curious, I googled the plants to get a better understanding of what they were…found a few pictures and it was then that I realised that we have a cycad growing in our front garden. Derrr.

And in a raging coincidence, there was a story only last week (September ‘24) about drones and artificial intelligence being employed in an attempt to locate a female Encephalartos woodii with the hope of saving it from extinction. Could almost have been a plot point from the book.

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last impressions definitely not as good as first impressions, that's for sure.

The Plot has something to do with stolen super-rare plants, a super-rare-plant society, and a hard-ass soldier-lady sent to investigate how it all links up to terrorism.

The story was there for sure but it was just drowning in detail. The author works hard to communicate all of the corruption and illegal dealings of South Africa and the Middle East, but there are so many place names, people names, group names etc that it's almost impossible to follow if this is all new information to the reader. For someone already a little aware of these things I imagine the details would be fascinating but for me it was just confusing and rather hard to follow.

Along with all the political/terrorist drama, the book likes to refer to all weapons and vehicles by specific names which, again, will be a thrill for people interested in that sort of thing but for me just became a tangled mess. It's what I think of as a 'Boy's Book': it's all about cars, guns and sexual tension. YES I KNOW AM STEREOTYPING.

So then of course there's the sexual tension and the author's obsession with everyone's attractiveness levels (as well as with age). Sonja is portrayed as this rough tough warrior lady who hates feelings and likes violence. If this is a 'Boy's Book', Sonja is very much a 'Boy's Woman'; she reads like a man's wet dream, to be honest. I liked that she was a badass, but I think it was taken a little far and at times she really grated on me with all the gung-ho crap. I haven't read the previous books, though, so maybe others have been warming up to her for three books already?

Aside from Sonja, there's also this undeniable attraction between Joanne and Rod, and then between Sonja, Joanne, and any and almost all of the men they encounter, because no one in this book can stop thinking about sex for, like, five minutes. Like I said - Boy's Book.

Anyhoo, if you take out all the confusing details and the awkward sexy moments, there's actually a fun story here involving smuggling, terrorism and plants. Also because it's set in Africa there are a lot of gratuitous animal moments which were fun. Even if I did get a little bored of elephants. But I think I would have followed the story a lot better if the details were kept to the essential instead of every detail about every current event affecting South Africa.

Also, the showdown at the end took way too long and was such a mess that I had no idea what was happening and was basically just waiting for the final twist which I saw coming from a mile away.

I think if this book was turned into a movie, I would love it. The action is there, the characters are dynamic and interesting, and Sonja is a pretty decent lead. It travels across a bunch of locations to make things interesting, and the battles are intricately detailed.

As a reading experience, however, I felt it was weighed down too heavily with details for me to properly follow what was going on, and some of the 'romance' had me cringing pretty hard. Charles and Sandy?? Really?? WTF was that? *hysterical laughter* Also LOL at that guy getting the jump on Joanne and Rod coz they stopped to have wild animalistic sex.

Personally, I think Matthew Reilly might have ruined other action authors for me a little bit. His stuff is a lot faster so a novel with more character development like this one just seems slow and clunky to me.

This is an action story for the military buffs, and those interested in detailed workings of terrorism and smuggling in this particular corner of the world. It has a unique plot and a cast of unusual characters to support the lead, and we get the story from a few different viewpoints to keep things interesting. It travels relatively fast and will take you on quite a ride with some interesting trivia along the way. I can definitely see this appealing to a lot of readers, and I'd still recommend it for lovers of action stories.

With thanks to Macmillan for an ARC

[Alex Cantone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Last Survivor was a good read for armchair adventurers, featuring a group of aging cycad collectors in Pretoria, each with a history of conflict, hence the ‘firearms’ link. One of the members, Joanne Flack is missing - along with the world’s rarest cycad (stolen property entrusted with the group by the police) and the club’s funds - turning up in London briefly (Kew Gardens, naturally). After a thwarted attempt on her life, she goes into hiding at a tourist lodge near the Victoria Falls on the Zambesi River – marking the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Namibian-born CIA agent Sonja Kurtz, fresh from rescuing a Senator’s daughter from villains in Mali, is brought in to keep Joanne safe, (between an on-again, off-again steamy affair with rugged game park warden Hudson Brand). Joanne is economic with the truth regarding the missing cycad – believing she has been framed by another member of the group and unsure who to trust.

I was aware of the illicit trade in ivory and rhino horn, but rare plants? Throw in a Kuwaiti prince, a helicopter pilot or two, corrupt police, elephants, a deadly snake, a leopard and enough firepower to fill two novels – and this was an engaging read, the first for me by this author. I will look out for more of his work, and must give Klipdrift brandy a go.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Survivor is the fourth book in the Sonja Kurtz series by Australian author, Tony Park. The audio version is narrated by Erica Lovell. The members of a plant appreciation society puzzle over missing funds and a rare plant that’s disappeared; a terrorist stronghold is seen to contain rhino horn, ivory and tree-trunk-like items; a knife-wielding terrorist is shot dead during an attack on a London street; and somehow all these lead to mercenary Sonja Kurtz babysitting an ageing, penniless Zimbabwean ex-pat and attending a cycad convention.

From the opening scenes, readers could be forgiven for thinking they have picked up a cosy mystery, but within the first ten percent they are firmly disabused of that notion, even if the (often hilarious) cosy elements keep reappearing. In typical cosy fashion, it ends with a classic denouement which reveals quite a twist. It’s clear that Park had a lot of fun writing this one.

Sonja Kurtz does perform the challenging extraction of an aid worker from Mali amid much gunfire; she does team up with a CIA operative and a one-time FBI consultant; she does save a woman from a terrorist attack at Victoria Falls; she also buys a coffin, shares a shower with a deadly snake, and meets a Kuwaiti Prince.

But, until the final battle, there is less gunplay and perhaps a lower body count than the reader might have expected. Reduced, too, are the usually abundant weapon descriptions that have the eyes of the uninterested glazing over. And then: “She was in the middle of an eight-thousand-hectare game reserve, surrounded by dangerous wild animals and an even deadlier force of soldiers, most of whom would not hesitate to give their lives to achieve their mission. The troops arrayed against her had air support in the form of a helicopter, an armoured vehicle, electronic monitoring sensors and heavy weapons. She, on the other hand, had an assault rifle with, by her count, seventy-eight rounds of ammunition left.” And she was clad in a “little black dress”.

The members of the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society come to the rescue… and Hudson Brand plays a bit of a role too, in neutralising “an international smuggling ring and a terrorist/ organised crime training school”

As usual, Park demonstrates his thorough knowledge of, and love for, the African continent and her people and, this time, shines a light on the illegal trade of cycads. His protagonist is still definitely more comfortable with a gun than anything domestic, and “She wondered if she would ever be able to look at a view without searching for cover and firing positions, or see or meet a group of people without assessing their capability to do her harm” but she does manage to say (well, text) three little words in the final chapters.

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Survivor is the fourth book in the Sonja Kurtz series by Australian author, Tony Park. The members of a plant appreciation society puzzle over missing funds and a rare plant that’s disappeared; a terrorist stronghold is seen to contain rhino horn, ivory and tree-trunk-like items; a knife-wielding terrorist is shot dead during an attack on a London street; and somehow all these lead to mercenary Sonja Kurtz babysitting an ageing, penniless Zimbabwean ex-pat and attending a cycad convention.

From the opening scenes, readers could be forgiven for thinking they have picked up a cosy mystery, but within the first ten percent they are firmly disabused of that notion, even if the (often hilarious) cosy elements keep reappearing. In typical cosy fashion, it ends with a classic denouement which reveals quite a twist. It’s clear that Park had a lot of fun writing this one.

Sonja Kurtz does perform the challenging extraction of an aid worker from Mali amid much gunfire; she does team up with a CIA operative and a one-time FBI consultant; she does save a woman from a terrorist attack at Victoria Falls; she also buys a coffin, shares a shower with a deadly snake, and meets a Kuwaiti Prince.

But, until the final battle, there is less gunplay and perhaps a lower body count than the reader might have expected. Reduced, too, are the usually abundant weapon descriptions that have the eyes of the uninterested glazing over. And then: “She was in the middle of an eight-thousand-hectare game reserve, surrounded by dangerous wild animals and an even deadlier force of soldiers, most of whom would not hesitate to give their lives to achieve their mission. The troops arrayed against her had air support in the form of a helicopter, an armoured vehicle, electronic monitoring sensors and heavy weapons. She, on the other hand, had an assault rifle with, by her count, seventy-eight rounds of ammunition left.” And she was clad in a “little black dress”.

The members of the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society come to the rescue… and Hudson Brand plays a bit of a role too, in neutralising “an international smuggling ring and a terrorist/ organised crime training school”

As usual, Park demonstrates his thorough knowledge of, and love for, the African continent and her people and, this time, shines a light on the illegal trade of cycads. His protagonist is still definitely more comfortable with a gun than anything domestic, and “She wondered if she would ever be able to look at a view without searching for cover and firing positions, or see or meet a group of people without assessing their capability to do her harm” but she does manage to say (well, text) three little words in the final chapters.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Pan Macmillan Australia.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

High action and tense from the get-go, Last Survivor is the type of thriller I usually worry I won’t keep up with – too much happening to too many characters, but I see now why Tony Park is in the top shelf of his genre. He writes in an engaging manner, the story clipping along at a fast pace but with the essentials all woven in tightly so that the amateur thrill seeker (ie. Me) can follow along and settle in for the duration. Because I’m going to be honest, what I know about guns, terrorism, poaching, and international smuggling rings could easily fit on a thimble. But Tony Park has made allowances for this and the end result is a writing style that entertains and imparts useful information at the same time.

‘That was the thing about Africa – and life – Sonja mused. One minute everything was peace, love and happiness, and the next second people were dying.’

I really love novels about Africa. I’m quite a fan of Australian author T.M. Clark, whose stories are a blend of African adventure and crime with a bit of romantic suspense thrown in. What T.M. Clark and Tony Park have in common is that they both have extensive lived experience of Africa and this shows in their work. Africa is a character itself, with all of the beauty and heartache, a paradox of a place that is forever changing. I particularly loved that about this novel, the intimacy with Africa, the honest reality, and the sheer affection Tony has for this place coming off the page in waves. I had a such a firm sense of place whilst reading which was a real treat, to be honest.

‘That’s the problem with elephants… Endangered or near-extinct across most of Africa where they’re persecuted, and causing a problem through over-breeding where they’re protected.’

The story that unfolds in Last Survivor is quite layered and utterly gripping. The characters were all a lot tougher than I’m used to but they seemed authentic in a way that conveyed the places they were from and the living they’d done – and they were all older and wiser; no freshly hatched glamorous assassins around here! I was a bit stunned by the extent of poaching and its links to terrorism as a means to finance weapons and further destruction. It’s quite depressing to be honest, to contemplate the capitalist nature of terrorism because it gives me this sense of hopelessness, that it can’t ever be quashed or eliminated. I didn’t know much about the extent of civil war throughout Africa either, my knowledge only going so far as a few key events that have been covered by international media. But it’s not until you read novels like this, ones written by people who live in Africa, that you can appreciate how horrifying life has been for Africans, betrayed by their governments, tortured by insurgents and rebel forces, torn apart and forced to flee. The corruption is extensive, as is the misconception passed on from international news feeds. No matter the genre, it’s the manner in which the novel conveys the bigger picture, and in this, Tony Park excels.

For someone who only dabbles in thrillers and action adventure, it’s no small thing to announce that Tony Park is now on my must-read list. Fortunately, I have at least one other of his already on my shelf, but more will soon be joining it.

Thanks is extended to Pan Macmillan Australia for providing me with a copy of Last Survivor for review.

[Marylyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 actually

[Rowena Andrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Last Survivor is the fourth in a series but works very well as a standalone which is how I read it. It has an intriguing premise, and it resulted in a gripping, enjoyable book.

The thriller aspect of this book was complex, tightly woven and fascinating, as it went from what has to be one of the coolest group of pensioners I’ve ever read about and launched into a very modern exploration of the wrong side of the law. From terrorism to smuggling, corruption and poaching and more, all with a very modern and very realistic flavour, some closer to home than others in our current time, this book had it all, combined with obvious knowledge and love for the African Continent. Knowledge that for the most part was displayed with great skill, alongside the thriller aspect of the book, although there were a few places where it felt like the details were outweighing the story. While there was a lot, I found interesting – especially the information about the Cycad – there was also some that felt unnecessary and slowed down the pacing, although Park was swift to draw us back into the action after those moments.

However, for the most part, Last Survivor was well-paced with a good balance of story, characters, and action. Park has created a very character-driven story here, and they were well-drawn and central to the plot from start to finish, and never lost out to plot or information. In particular, the elderly society members were the highlight of this book for me, and I would gladly read more about them.

A fun, engaging read with a fast, well-paced plot and a really fascinating premise, and certainly a book I would recommend to anyone who likes some different characters in their action.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a genre that took my interest. I found it a bit silly and did not keep my interest

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘South Africa also has the highest proportion of critically endangered cycads in the world. These plants are in far more trouble than rhinos, though they don’t get nearly as much attention.’

I always highly anticipate a new release from Tony as reading one of his books guarantees you will be taken on an amazing ride. Definite page turners set against an inspiring African backdrop, it provides sensational escapism which is something we all crave currently. Tony uses his tried and true formula for his novels - a fast moving thriller with deadly outcomes in exotic, yet often, dangerous African locations. This can be read as a standalone, however a couple of characters reappear from roles in previous books.

On this occasion 'Last Survivor' revolves around a stolen cycad (had to look that one up - a rare species of an ancient plant) with the only female species in the world, worth million of dollars, stolen. Thus ensues a fast paced drama across the Southern African continent with a short spell in London. Throw in some jihadi terrorists, a Saudi prince, a mercenary and some retired fighters (The Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society) and you have all the necessary components for an exciting action story.

These are fast paced reads - lots of action, leading to the ultimate major showdown between goodies and baddies, with a little sexual tension thrown in, making these not only readable, but very engaging. However, don't cast this aside thinking it is lacking in substance. Tony’s novels always contain noteworthy commentary on a range of topics, on this occasion, terrorism, corruption and preservation to name a few.

‘You had a couple of farmers who had lost everything they had ever worked for and owned and they made a few bucks selling some plants that they’d grown themselves. What’s the harm in that, even if they bent the rules? Their government was busy stealing from its own people.’

I really enjoy Tony’s books as once having lived in Africa, I love to lose myself in its pages for a brief respite to the wonders that can be found there. Yes, he will take you on a thrilling journey, however, at its heart it is clearly apparent the great love and appreciation Tony holds for this special place on our planet and I will always sign up for that.

‘And yet, she told herself as she watched the elephant move down to the river, there was this. No crooked politician or gang of criminals could rob her or anyone else of the simple joy of seeing a sight as grand as this.’




This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Susan Bray DeLong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Park has outdone himself with his latest shoot em up novel based in Africa.
If you can stop yourself from turning the pages after reading the best opening yet for a book, I will be surprised. My heart was breaking for this poor last survivor of his species, alone forever, without a mate to reproduce. Oh no! Then you find that he isn’t a precious rhino, a lion or a leopard. He is a plant!

Not just any plant mind you, but a cycad, worth millions of dollars, so just as valuable to villains as rhino horns. I have always loved the two cycads my mother had growing in front of her door. But they were commoners compared to the rare and valuable species that are unfortunately being stolen from the African bush by the same greedy people who kill animals for their tusks.

Again we readers are treated to the plucky exploits of Sonja Kurtz who is hired by the CIA to hunt down Joanne, a member of the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society. Joanne is suspected of stealing a valuable female cycad from the Society. It belonged to Joanne’s former employer, Faisal the suave, filthy rich prince of a Kuwait, who owned a splendid wildlife sanctuary. It sure looks like Joanne has stolen it and fled to the UK.But then a terrorist tries to abduct her on a London street and she kills him and flees back to Africa.

Fans of Tony Park’s previous novels will be delighted to see Hudson Brand reappear. And yes he still has the hots for Sonja. Joanne is pretty appealing to Prince Faisal as well, but you will have to get through an awful lot of hairy battles between geriatric cycad lovers and youthful would be jihadis as they shoot it out with high power weapons before you can have any happy ever afters.

There are out and out bad guys and even a traitor in the Cycad society to puzzle over before we found out just who we can trust. Tony Park has had had a lot of fun writing this novel and it shows. A great romp of a story set as usual in the wilds of the African bush.

[Beej Jeffery · Rating 4 out of 5]

The unlikely “Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society” is on the hunt for a rare stolen cycad and a missing club member. Find one and you’ll find the other? Maybe. 

The “Last Survivor” is an inanimate female Encephalartos woodii, world’s rarest cycad and highly coveted by collectors and villains alike. Our heroine, Sonja Kurtz, tough but troubled and lacking passion or mercy, is hunting for the prize and the missing Member.
Tony Park is a favourite of mine. His intimate familiarity with all things African have, in the past, resulted in some satisfying novels and awakening of the Dark Continent. This latest offering begins with a bang, hovers for a while and then finishes with an improbable conflagration between trained Jihadists and the armed but doting members of PCFAS.
I’m betting Tony had a grin on his face and a mischievous twinkle in his eye writing this. Worth a read for lovers of Africa and bloodshed. Aircraft fans keep an eye out for a cameo appearance of the vintage Hawker Hunter fighter jet.

[Cheshire · Rating 1 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it, just could not get into the story. A group of people with a love of guns and plants 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Melissa Trevelion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Australian author Tony Park has written another intense thriller novel. Last Survivor is the fourth book in the series following freelance intelligence agent Sonja Kurtz.

Joanne Flack, treasurer of the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society is accused of stealing a female cycad worth millions of dollars; she is on the run from her residence in South Africa and escapes to London but when she is attacked by a terrorist operation who are financing themselves through the smuggling of cycads and it makes headline news, Joanne flees back to Africa to ensure her safety.

With a new mission at hand the CIA contacts Sonja Kurtz to find Joanne and the terrorists who attacked her. Sonja teams up with former Fish and Wildlife Services investigator Rod Cavanagh and travels to Africa to make contact with Joanne, the moment that Sonja finds her they are attacked by a team of heavily armed killers. Sonja, Joanne and Rod flee deeper into the African wilds seeking refuge.

The story jumps around various parts of multiple countries; South Africa, Mali and Zimbabwe in order to work out who is funding the terrorists and their interest in the cycad. Sonja uses the Pretoria Cycad and Firearms Appreciation Society as a cover to gain access to acquire secret information they may have for her investigation and it becomes clear that someone in the Society is working for the terrorists. Added to the mix, Faisal the Kuwaiti Prince comes under suspicion when Joanne worked as a horticultural consultant on his private game reserve. There are several twist, turns and plot lines that will keep you fully immersed until the end, especially the shootout between Sonja and her gang facing off against the terrorists.
I love novels about Africa encapsulating history, picturesque landscape, adventure and wildlife. Whilst this novel did take a bit to get into it did conclude with a thriller ending. If you are interested in African fauna and flora this book will be of a great interest to you. I didn’t know much about cycads before reading this novel and appreciated the learning experience involving their worth in regards to the smuggling trade. Overall it was another compelling Tony Park novel which I highly recommend.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan AU and Beauty & Lace for the opportunity to read and review.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tony Park delivers a stunning, action-packed mystery thriller in Last Survivor. I have to admit that I have no idea why I chose to read this book. But I sure am glad I did! I was on the edge of my seat through the whole thing and kept guessing right until the very end.

I am emphatically against the use of weapons of war used for fun or sport. This book would have been perfect without these references. Not to mention much shorter. This novel is long at 416 pages and drug in some parts. Especially when describing the make and model of every gun fired. I do not need to know that the characters keep a Glock such and such model in their purse. This oversharing is useless information, in my opinion.

But, that said, the book is excellent. It is well-written and exciting. When I started this book, I didn’t want to put it down. It was so engrossing that I skipped a few meals and conversations with my family because it was so intense. The different backstories meshed together well in the overarching theme of the book.

I enjoyed getting to know all these characters, and I was a bit sad to let them go at the end. The ending was superb, with a daring showdown and a surprising twist when I least expected it. And, I also have to say that my guess for the culprit was wrong, even though the story led me to believe that I was right. That was a tricky move on the part of Tony Park.

I am happy to award Last Survivor 4 out of 5 stars. This novel ticks a lot of boxes for those who love thrillers with a big mystery tie-in. I enjoyed this book and recommend it to all those action fans out there.

Many thanks to Emma at Damppebbles Blog Tours, Tony Park, and AJP for providing me with a digital copy of Last Survivor in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

This started out just okay but was basically an awesome action movie by the end. Think lady Indiana Jones but instead of antiquities, she's getting into gun fights over poaching. And terrorists. And organised crime. There was a lot going on!

This is #4 starring Sonja Kurtz but it can absolutely be read as a standalone. Unfortunately that's because the first 100 or so pages are REALLY exposition heavy. You get filled in on all the characters and their life stories and it's pretty slow going. It has shades of Tom Clancy style 'Dad Lit' - detailing lots of vehicle makes and ammunition calibers and street names. But it also had a cosy 'Mom Lit' subplot with a club of grannies and grandpas doing some amateur sleuthing. They even joke about being the next No 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This really was a mish-mash of everything and while on paper, it shouldn't have worked, in the end it was a really fun read.

Never though I'd read a book about cycad smuggling and jihadis but I'm glad I did.

[Neville · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joanne Flack is running, but is she guilty of theft of a rare plant and money from the society?

Sonja Kurtz is hired by the CIA to track Joanne down and find the missing cycad and money, but others are also looking for Joanne, so as to be able to kill her. Faisal is a prince with extreme wealth, but he is not aware that he is being used by extremists within his team of employees to train religious fanatics who are really only bodyguards for the extremists to fund a terror campaign.

The story takes to Africa, England and Australia but in the end, the climax is on the princes' property.

This is another good story from Park, and I see similarities between him and Wilber Smith, both great authors.

[Caroline · Rating 2 out of 5]

started out as a great concept the theft of valuable and rare plants esp the cycads which can sell for millions of dollars on the black market. set in South Africa - a group of friends who are all cycad and gun lovers meet regularly and then one of their plants go missing. So they go looking for it. so far so good, but the story gets out of control and a little to descriptive on the battles of the various people fighting for the plants (and all the people in the group are old - so not really real). Lost interest really and just skipped whole pages of 'battles'.

[Mary Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have read a few of the authors previous books & was happy to say that Last Survivor did not disappoint.

With a cast of fun characters ( aged gardening enthusiasts ) mixed with violent criminals ( albeit terrorists ) this is the another Sonja Kurtz novel .

Parks descriptions of African scenery & animal encounters is second to none leaving the reader with a wonderful experience of adventure in the wild .

Mixed with betrayals , friendships , corruption .. this makes a good exciting novel!

[Bethany-Lauren Robins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I’ve read in a very long time. I’ll definitely be reading more of Tony Park’s work. I’m very impressed.

[CJ Mason The Fallen Librarian Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thrilling conservation crime caper, love it❤️📚. Full review on my blog

[JA Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a nice change to delve into the floral world. Parks usual mystery, twist and drama.

[Kerri Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thriller that had me captivated right from the start. Set in Southern Africa, I learnt such a lot about the life, terrain, culture and people which is always an added bonus.

[Pat Raab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent!

[Snucklepuff · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very tedious read. Not up to the authors usual standard

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another awesome novel by Tony Park!

[Megan Morgan]

Enjoyed reading before our safari.