The Sunlit Ambush

by Mark Derby

The Sunlit Ambush, 1955 BCE, by Mark Derby. Hardcover with dust jacket, 183 pages, published by Viking.

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

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

Reviews

[A.E. Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

Could have done without the forced love subplot.

[Debra Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite books from when I was a teenager. This classic adventure story takes place in 1955 in Malaysia where the new European rajah must fight to retain control of his island after the murder of his father and an uprising of those sympathetic to the puppet rajah who had ruled during the Japanese occupation. The story is the main thing, but the characters are most likeable and there is much here about loss and love and courage. I remembered the book fondly and found myself fighting back tears when rereading it recently.

[Jim Puskas · Rating 3 out of 5]

All of Mark Derby's books are somewhat hard to find nowadays but it's well worth the effort it takes to find them; mine came from wonderbook.com. Like most of Derby's work this one is set in the East Indies, an intriguing area that Derby knew very well. A straightforward adventure story, it lacks the mystery and deception elements of "Sun in the Hunter's Eyes", probably his best known work but lots of mayhem, murder and perilous escapes. Good escapist entertainment.
Note that some of Derby's books were published under his real name, Harry Wilcox.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book 28 years ago at a book charity and picked it up for 50 cents. To this date its one of my favourite. Loved the writing style and the story. This is the only book except for one other that I have read multiple times over the years. Highly recommend.

[Roger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exotic adventure with action, romance, suspense, and a sad part but a satisfying ending. Interesting characters, very readable.

[Lynette Lark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very short read. Under 200 pages. But it was jam-packed with excitement and intrigue. However, I feel that I'll probably have to re-read it in order to definatively capture the nuances of the book. Anyway, a 29 year old man who's lost his wife and son in a tragic accident is karmically involved in another family who lost their father. In many ways this is a book about redemption.

[Wyyknot]

The sunlit ambush by Mark Derby (1955)

[Jack Heath]

Synopsis: an adventure story which takes place in Malaysia in the 1950s. Which rajah will control the country in the aftermath of WW2?