One sentence summary:
In the 1960’s, a glamorous movie star named Katie Barstow and her husband David take off on their honeymoon on an African safari with some fellow actors and business colleagues, but their trip veers into the unexpected and dangerous, making them wonder if they will make it out alive.

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Pretty much right from the beginning, you as the reader know that not many of the people on this trip are not going to make it out alive, which is a fantastic opening for a thriller like this. Throughout the read, I found myself literally holding my breath for certain characters, hoping that they would make it, and gasping at certain moments.

The characters in this seem very carefully crafted, each reflecting the complicated power dynamics that exist and shift between husband and wife, employee and employer, celebrity and agent. The harsh truths of these dynamics seemed to be reflected in the wild animals of the Serengeti – the lust for power, the willingness to sacrifice, the need for survival. The wildness of the Serengenti is just a bit of an exaggerated version of the human impulses that drive us to co-exist in what we think of as civil society.

I really enjoyed how this story explored power dynamics, as well as the state of the patriarchy and racial issues and race relations in a time before things were about to change dramatically. (Although not nearly enough, let’s be honest).

If you really want to go on safari, but are on a tight budget, reading this book is a great way to save your money. It will scare you the heck away from the entire idea.

I loved this read and hope it’ll be a movie soon!

This is already out - I’m just terribly behind on my reviews because life.

Thank you Doubleday for the ARC!

The Lioness is a shockingly messy book given the skill and experience of the author. I was flummoxed on how to grade it upon finishing it and still find myself trying to balance the good and bad to arrive at a rating that is fair.

When Hollywood super star Katie Barstow marries struggling gallery owner David Hill in the fall of 1964, she pays for an extra extravagant wedding and honeymoon to celebrate the event. They start in Paris, naturally, which would seem the perfect foil for gorgeous, sophisticated Katie, but it is the African safari trip that follows it which Katie is especially excited about. Katie and David bring some of their nearest and dearest with them on their trek through Tanzania: her brother Billy and his pregnant wife Margie; Katie’s best friend, Carmen Tedesco, and her husband Felix; Katie’s agent, Peter Merrick; Terrance Dutton, a Black actor who recently starred with Katie in a highly controversial film, and her publicist Reggie Stout. The plan is simply to spend their days sight-seeing – watching giraffes bend their long, heavy necks to get a drink from the river, see a mama lion and her cubs lazing in the sun during a hot day, watching antelope frolic across fields. Their guides, led by legendary Serengeti big-game hunter Charlie Patton and the skilled Benjamin Kikwete, are experts at the art of making the wilderness luxurious and glamorous, providing their guests with chilled before-dinner drinks, hot baths and outstanding meals cooked over open fires. The goal is for the Hollywood tourists to have plenty of photos and stories to share with their friends back home once the adventure is over.

But the adventure has barely started when the unthinkable happens. A team of Russians attacks their little entourage, killing many of their beloved guides and herding the Hollywood hostages into jeeps for a ride deep into the wilderness. It looks like a simple shakedown for money and they certainly picked a well-heeled group as a target. Looks can be deceiving however, and Katie and her friends are about to find out that there is nothing truly simple about what is happening to them.

The first thirty percent of the book is spent introducing the characters, especially the practical, kind, talented Katie. She’s clever and handles her fame and fortune without being elitist. plus she’s wise beyond her years due to her tough childhood. David is almost a blank space beside her, a man whose life seems to be defined by his father’s clandestine work for the U.S. government. He and Kaite were childhood friends but other than that, I wasn’t sure why Katie married him. On the other hand, it’s easy to see why Katie is besties with Carmen – Carmen is as smart and down-to-earth as Katie is. Her husband Felix, by contrast. is shown as cowardly and conniving – once we get to know him, we realize he’s going to be a real liability in their situation. Both Reggie and Peter, the two older and wiser gentlemen on the trip, are shown to be courageous, resourceful people, as are Billy and Margie. Charlie Patton is as much of an enigma as David, but Benjamin Kiwete and Terrence Dutton are marvelously brave, kind and intelligent. I tell you about all these people because with just one exception, we get viewpoint chapters from every one of them. This plethora of voices, however, doesn’t give us a panoramic view of what’s happening nor does it actually provide us with a clear understanding of each player. The crowded page space instead leaves us with winsome sketches of most of these folks, with only a few of them given enough fodder to help us know who they really are and to cause us to care for them.

The plot feels haphazard as well. Most of the time, stories like this are designed to showcase the indomitability of the human will and to help us see how crucibles forge heroes. That does happen here to an extent, but the construct of events is rather flawed and lacks nuance. For the most part, those characters we expect to be chicken are, and those we expect to rise above everything and become champions do.

The hints we receive regarding the motivating factor for the whole event sound rather intriguing but in the end fizzle like a wet firecracker. The character it hinges upon is rather hapless and clueless, and subtlety and refinement in viewing both that person and the mitigating events are, once again, lacking. Taking a look at why various people groups are working with the Russians and just what makes the CIA as culpable as our cruel kidnappers would have been a far better use of narrative than the time introducing us to/giving us the viewpoint of several of the outlying players.

In fairness, the author does try to show how prejudice and the exploitation of the African continent and its people is wrong, but once more his lengthy look at occurrences through the multiple, mostly white lenses of the Hollywood contingent dilute whatever his message might have been into a rather meaningless aside which skates the line of being a form of prejudice in itself with its surface view of a deep and resounding problem.

There’s a line in the book that is very un-PC regarding the mentally ill which pulled me completely out of the story for a moment. Saying that hyenas sound like “the highpitched giggles of manians in a mental hospital” and emphasizing what vicious scavengers those creatures are denigrates some of our neediest citizens.

Given all the negatives, I was surprised at how very readable the story is. Bohjalian has a prose style which sucks one into the tale and doesn’t let you go. Like a meal that tastes bad but smells delicious, this story is so alluring initially that you find yourself completely drawn in. It is only as you finish that you realize how unsatisfying the experience turned out to be. I was frustrated by the multiple points of view because they kept me from knowing any one character well, but at the same time each is written so compellingly that I found myself fascinated by and engrossed in their individual aspects of the grander narrative. And the premise was completely intriguing – I couldn’t help but turn the pages to find out who was behind the kidnapping and why the whole thing was happening. The primary problem actually lies with the brevity. Each piece is fantastic – and given time to flesh things out more, the sketchy characterizations, superficial views of complex issues, and incomplete treatment of the puzzle driving the plot could have been resolved.

Mine will probably be the minority opinion but ultimately, I can’t recommend The Lioness. I have no doubt that the many fans of the author will turn this into a best-seller but in my view, readers should look elsewhere for their thrills.

3.5 stars rounded down because it took me approximately seventeen years to read this book. A Hollywood starlet and some of her famous friends go on safari in Africa, where they are kidnapped by Russian mercenaries. Lots of people get killed, one of whom is beheaded and eaten by a leopard, before we find out the reason for the kidnapping. Sounds exciting, right? Except, no. For a situation so fraught with tension and danger, there is zero suspense. The pacing is thrown off by the alternating timelines and the big reveal is telegraphed about 35% into the book. The extra half star is for the elephants.

Thank you to Net Galley and Doubleday for the advance copy.

I couldn't finish this book. I really wanted to like it, because I loved the author's last book, Hour of the Witch, but reading this was just a chore. As many others mentioned, the number of characters is just too many to keep track of, and the story goes back and forth from past to present between all these characters. Just too hard to remember who is who. And just when it seems like the action is getting good, the story switches to the past of one of the characters who you've totally forgotten about. Just wasn't enjoying it and couldn't finish.

The Lioness by Chris Bojalian is an interesting book, not only in its presentation, but in its story. The story is a timeline of events, but it is told in snatches, not in order. There are a number of characters: David and Katie, newlyweds; seven people who joined them after their week in Paris, including Katie's brother and his wife, and five who were loosely business associates of Katie's who went on the safari as Katie's guests; the leader of the safari, Charlie Patton, and various native guides and porters. Katie Barstow is a huge Hollywood star whose reign as an ingénue is nearly over. Her husband owns a struggling gallery but she has known him since her childhood in New York and they have recently married; there are a couple of actors that Katie has worked with including a past leading man, a black actor named Terence Dutton. It is somewhat a motley crew. They are gazing at giraffes drinking from a pond when all of a sudden there is shooting. It seems they are the targets, not the giraffes. It quickly becomes apparent that this is a kidnapping as the Hollywood folks are mostly rounded up and loaded into vehicles. Several of the natives are shot and killed, but the rest are loaded up and held until the kidnappers take everything of value from the various tents, and leave with them all. It is obvious that the natives are of no ransom value so they assume they will all be killed or taken to a mine somewhere where they will be slave labor until they die.

Interspersed between the timeline vignettes are autobiographical sketches and stories about each of the people involved, lending information about their characters and emotional states. In many cases it previewed how they would behave and why. One of the Hollywood men was killed at the scene and his carcass hauled away by a big cat to be eaten. The other were taken to different destinations and separated. Some came away alive, some did not. Some escaped and survived and some did not. In the end there was an explanation. It destroyed the people left, some of who never recovered. It was an enthralling read, not to be missed.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of The Lioness by Doubleday, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #doubleday #chrisbojanian #thelioness

Total page-turner. A glamorous Hollywood star, her new husband, and several of their closest friends embark on safari as part of the honeymoon festivities. But disaster strikes as the party is kidnapped by Russian mercenaries and find themselves at the mercy of their captors as well as the unforgiving Serengeti.

I liked all the POV characters. There were a lot but I didn’t have any trouble keeping them all straight and I thought everyone was really distinctive. The juxtaposition of 1960s Hollywood glamour and the revolutions and proxy wars happening in Africa at the time was fascinating. Overall this is a smart and fast-paced thriller with a strong sense of time and place. If any of this appeals to you, go check it out!

Also reminds me of:
-Circling the Sun by Paula McClain (for the African setting)
-Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid (for the vintage Hollywood gossip)
-The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian (for the thriller pace)

Bohjalian is an excellent writer and his books are always different and interesting. This book, set in Africa in the 60's, had more violence and death than I expected - mostly at the hands of men rather than animals. The characters are interesting and there is plenty of action. I admit I didn't remember much about the political unrest and war in Africa at that time. My only complaint is the switching back and forth in time frames was rather jarring.''

It's a hold your breath, who dies next book and a very worthwhile read.

In 1964, a movie star arranges a safari in Tanzania as part of her honeymoon. She invites a group of relatives, friends and colleagues to come along. There are so many people on this safari, including the guides and porters, that the author had to provide a character list at the beginning of the book. The pov changes in each chapter and the narrative skips around between the past and present. In the present, the safari party is attacked and taken hostage by a group of armed Russians. In the past, we learn the backstory of each of the characters. We do not find out why this group was attacked until the end of the book.

“We went there and (most of us, anyway) died there in 1964.” That sentence is in the prologue of this book, so we know from the start that there will be a high body count. There is quite a bit of violence and people are killed by both animals and humans. Many (possibly too many) issues are raised including racism, colonialism, wild animal preservation, child abuse, the Cold War and discrimination in the movie business. I liked the author’s writing style, but it took me a while to connect to the characters because of the constant jumping among characters and time periods. By the time I became attached to a character, they usually ended up dead. Overall, I did enjoy the book. 3.5 stars

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Thank you for this ARC! I was really excited about this premise of this book! I love the setting- African safari- and love reading about old time Hollywood. However, the execution was slightly confusing for me and the book fell flat. There were a lot of characters and switching between them disrupted the flow of the story. It was still suspenseful and fun, but I didn't get a change to develop any empathy for all the many different characters so the emotional involvement wasn't there. I think this book could be fun for a beach read or airplane, when you can read for long stretches at a time.

Chris Bohjalian can write just about anything.

There are relatively few writers in the realm of popular fiction who possess the range that Bohjalian has brought to his oeuvre over the past few decades. His depth of research results in books that, no matter their subject, make for compelling and propulsive reads.

His latest is “The Lioness,” a midcentury story revolving around a Hollywood movie star who embarks on an African safari for her honeymoon, bringing friends and professional associates along for the ride. However, when the adventure takes a deadly turn, the group is left facing dangers both animal and human … and not everyone will escape with their life.

Told via a constantly shifting perspective, with each chapter moving to the point of view of a different character, “The Lioness” uses the vagaries of Hollywood culture and the brutal beauty of the Serengeti to explore the meaning of perception – how we are viewed by others and, crucially, how we view ourselves.

The year is 1964. Hollywood star Katie Barstow has just married David Hill, a gallery owner and childhood friend. To celebrate their union, Katie wants to honeymoon by going on safari in Africa. In addition, she wants to bring along a collection of the important people in her life.

It’s Katie and David, of course, as well as Katie’s brother Billy and his wife. Also along for the ride are Katie’s best friend and fellow actress Carmen Tedesco and Katie’s controversial co-star Terrence Dutton. In the mix are Katie’s agent and publicist and a few others as well, all led by a legendary hunter and his team of native assistants.

What begins as a grand adventure, a “photo safari” wherein the only shooting is done by cameras, quickly turns terrifying when a group of mysterious armed mercenaries kidnaps the entire entourage. As these new players demonstrate their ruthlessness and willingness to commit violence, the group is fractured, with each individual forced to confront not just the events of the present, but the whispers of the past that echo in their psyches throughout.

As more and more members of the group fall victim, whether to the guns of their kidnappers or the teeth and claws of the deadly inhabitants of the Serengeti, questions continue to swirl. Who are their captors? What do they want? And what – if anything – can Katie and her friends do to ensure their own survival?

Each chapter offers the perspective of an individual involved in these events, combining their experiences in the moment with instances in their pasts that inform the ways in which they’re dealing with their brutal and frightening circumstances. And as these different perspectives are stitched together, a greater picture begins to come into focus – a picture that illustrates just how difficult it is for any of these people to truly understand those closest to them, even as the specter of death looms ever larger.

“The Lioness” offers typically great storytelling from Bohjalian, a rich and intertwined narrative that advances with twisting inevitability even as the wide cast of characters is rendered with a fullness of dimension that would be difficult even with a much smaller list of dramatis personae. That depth of characterization serves to invest us in the people involved, which in turn deepens our investment in the story itself.

The author’s commitment to research is readily evident, both in terms of the picture painted of the African experience and that of the Hollywood machine. There’s an immersiveness to Bohjalian’s work that is only possible because of the incredible work that has gone into ensuring the verisimilitude of both setting and social dynamics.

Among the many methods in which Bohjalian aspires to crafting a complete world is his use of fictionalized press clippings to open each chapter. Through these manufactured items pulled from Hollywood gossip rags, we’re given yet another perspective regarding the people with whom we’re traveling. It’s a deft, smart choice – one that accomplishes a lot of heavy lifting in relatively little space.

And of course, it is an adventure story, one whose influences – Hemingway, Christie – are apparent, even as the tale manages to avoid any whiff of the derivative. It is action-packed while also being very human, a juggling act that only a gifted writer can effectively navigate.

Good thing Bohjalian’s pretty damned gifted.

This is one of those books that invites that “just one more chapter” feeling – if you’re a big reader, you know what I’m talking about. And with the Rashomon-adjacent perspective shifts only compound that feeling; each turn offers more information even as it reveals another layer to the mystery, leaving the reader craving more.

“The Lioness” is another exciting work from the pen of an exceptional writer. It is a transportive book, one that puts us in the heads of a group of flawed individuals even as it lays out the lush and deadly beauty of the African savannah. Meticulously researched and constructed, it is a first-rate novel from one of the best writers of popular fiction currently writing.

In short, “The Lioness” roars.

Loved the genre of this… historical thrillers are hard to come by. I really loved the old Hollywood/gossip intertwined here! So much fun!

So eloquent and spell binding - this is my first Chris Bohjalian book and it certainly won't be my last. I'm going to have to pick up on the back list of his titles as this one really hit the mark for me! I really enjoyed the travel thriller/travel adventure genre here even though I had not read it before - I guess I didn't know travel thriller was a genre but I'll have to look into it more! As far as women's adventure books go this one really hit the mark! I'll update my review in a little while to include more thoughts. thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

Chris Bohjalian has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read The Sleepwalker a few years ago. His writing style is superb, his plots are original, and I can never predict the endings! This book was no exception! Told in multiple POVs, this historical thriller, set in the Serengeti, is filled with suspense and mystery and you won't want to stop turning the pages to find out what happens next!

As always, I can't wait for Chris' next book!

Thank you to Netgalley and Doubleday Books for the e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc! I have now read three Chris Bohjalian novels and Hour of the Witch is my favorite. This one left me so underwhelmed. I loved the premise and the setting but the characters were hard to keep track and the story’s POV would flip as soon as the action started. I enjoyed it but felt like I needed more.

Great character studies in an exciting plot. The combination of celebrity and the peril of people thrust into a situation they are completely unprepared for is dramatic. In addition, the African background is wonderfully depicted.

Where do I begin with The Lioness? First I must admit something…. I am a huge fan of Chris Bohajalian! I fell in love with his writing and storytelling with The Guest Room and read everything he has written! When I complete a Chris Bohajalian book I’m like “that was the best book he has ever written”.

The Lioness was an amazing historic thriller. This unique story had me glued to my kindle, thank goodness it was a fast paced book and I was able to devour it in a couple days! I loved that Chris told the story through the POV of the guests. Gave me a amazing clue vibe and I felt like I was in the story! I am praying for the day this becomes a TV series! Also I look forward to reading more from Chris Bohajalian!

Did I love this? No. Did I hate this? Also, no.
This is my first read by this author; and, I have to admit that based on the description of the title, I thought it would be quite a bit more fast-paced. I found myself growing bored of the stories that weren't part of the actual safari (the characters flash back to stories of their lives that are sometimes relevant to what they are going through now and sometimes aren't) and I just wanted to get back to something exciting. It was interesting because I never read anything quite like this, but I am not raving about it. It has a LOT of characters to follow, so if that is not something you enjoy, I would skip this one. You can tell this is well researched, which I always appreciate, so it is a book you can learn from. Overall...it was just okay.

DNF at 54%. I was drawn in by the synopsis - “a luxurious African safari turns deadly for a Hollywood starlet and her entourage in this riveting historical thriller…” And at the beginning I was pulled right into the story - excited to learn about the starlet Katie Barstow, her new husband and the rest of their guests.

However, ultimately this one didn’t end up working got me. With each chapter coming from a different character’s perspective - it felt like as soon as I was sinking into someone’s story I was abruptly pulled from it and dropped in somewhere else.

Despite a lot of action, I realized I wasn’t getting to the point of caring too much about any of these characters and ultimately decided it’s not for me. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

A historical thriller? Yes, please! Kate Barstow is an A-list actress drawing attention across the world. When she newly marries and honeymoons in the Serengeti with an entourage of friends it makes for perfect headlines..
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They expect to leave this trip with pictures and stories to brag about. Never could they have guessed they would be kidnapped, he’d ransom by Russian mercenaries, while their guests are murdered. Never did they expect that they all wouldn’t make it out of this trip alive. A sweeping story with gorgeous descriptions of a breathtaking setting, all while keeping me on the edge of my seat. This one is going to be adapted as a TV show and I cannot wait!
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Thank you @doubleday and @NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Who wouldn't want to go on safari in Tanzania? What could happen other then seeing the magnificent wildlife? Katie Barstow and her new husband treat her Hollywood friends to a trip to the Serengiti for their honeymoon. Then kidnapping goes wrong, their guide is killed and Russian mercenaries take then hostage. Who will survive and why are they taken. This fast-paced book is told from the perspective of the guests and is quite the story. There is ample suspense and charater development in this intriging plot.