A lovely, well written and interesting book. I loved it.

Really interesting book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I have to say this was a great book. It was a beautifully written novel which describes kenyas landscape and wildlife, it was well thought out it has a historical feel to it. Great story the characters quite hard to like. There was quite a bit of animal cruelty which I'm not a fan of, but that's obviously their way of living. I felt like the ending was rushed not thought out enough. Either way it's still a good read. Thank you netgalley

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, on so many levels. Well written characters, with a storyline encompassing history, geography, politics. Having been to Kenya, and undertaken a small safari, the descriptions in the book took me back there again, painting a landscape so vibrant, but ever changing.

Having spent six years at school in England, Rachel Fullsmith is returning to her childhood home in Kenya with the hope of recapturing what was lost the day her mother died. Unfortunately she’s going back to a home that has changed, personally and politically, which has put her childhood memories out of reach. It is 1952, the Mau Mau uprising has begun, and Rachel’s widowed father has surrounded himself by the worst kind of colonialists. What could possibly go wrong?

When starting a book with a white European heroine set in one of the British Empire’s colonies there is a fear that it shall either be colonial apologist, or that the heroine will be starkly modern seemingly dumped back in time, carrying with her a heavy dose of ‘white saviour guilt’. Leopard At The Door pleasantly does neither of these. Rachel is very much a woman of the period; specifically a woman born in two worlds – cut off from the entitlement of Empire, but still apart from the locals – and her journey in this book reflects that. She comes across as genuinely sincere as the political issues of Kenyan independence become greater in the second half of the book, and does so without sounding patronising or condescending. In fact the political context is dealt throughout the book (apart from a few unsavoury characters) with great sensitivity and is completely aware of the faults on both sides. Rather resulting in a quote that will stay with, ‘authority is not a substitute for truth’.

Incredibly accessible and easy to read, the story is written from a first person perspective and blessedly does not fall in to the trap of being a tedious list of “I went here, I did that”. However, as a result there are some characters you will really dislike. No, really. That is a new experience this book has given me, actively wishing a character to be torn apart by Mau Mau, or the titular Leopard. It also keeps some characters guarded as we are unable to slip in to their thoughts as might be done in a typical third person narrative. Yet, this only made me more curious, push me to read on, and it was gratifying to discover the characters alongside Rachel rather than have foreknowledge. Even if there are a few obvious, sign-posted, metaphors and insinuations along the way.

If you are a fan of writers such as Dinah Jefferies I think you will heartily enjoy this. I blitzed through it in a few days, it was that easy to read, minutes slipping by without notice as reading just ‘a few pages’ turned in to ‘a few chapters’.

Word of warning: There are some scenes depicting violence towards animals and slightly gory descriptions of dead animals. There is also reference to sexual violence. Racial language of the period to be expected and racial violence from one character… you’ll know which one.
Housekeeping: I won a copy from Goodreads in exchange for a review, I was also sent a copy via NetGalley. The copy I received was an Advanced Reads Copy, content in the final version may vary.

Jennifer Mc Veigh’s novel „Leopard by the door" is set in Kenya in the 1950ties, the time of the bloody Mau Mau rebellion. The book draws on facts of the Mau Mau uprisings which the author adds in an informative afterword. This is a really good holiday read for those looking for an East Africa story line, its comes laced with betrayal, an inter- racial love story and historical background about the Mau Mau movement which ended British colonial ruler ship leading to the birth of independent Kenia.

Rachel Fullsmith returns to her beloved Kenya and her parents farm Kisima after having been sent to England for schooling, with her grandparents as guardians when her beloved mother dies suddenly. When she finally returns to Kenya, she finds the world has changed even in this remote corner of the world she calls home. Her father has found a new partner, Sara, who has brought a teenage son with her, Harold, a sensitive boy interested in photography and a love for animals. They strike up an immediate comradery. Sara is the exact opposite of her mother and the two women have a strained relationship from the very beginning, Sara has no taste for life in the bush, a place Rachel dreamed about during her emotionally and atmospherically cold years in England. Having grown up among the Kikuyu tribe living on their land, people she calls family, she has little tolerance for the new racist talks and beliefs of her soon to be step mother who seems to have influenced her father and changed his formerly liberal views. Harold and Rachel share a love for Africa, but things start to come to a head when Mau Mau killing sprees move in closer to the neighboring farms. After her return, Rachael fell in love with Michael, her former teacher, a Kikuyu who seems to be linked to Mau Mau and the Labor movements. As colonial Africa is beginning to fall apart, the political developments have dire consequences for Rachel, her family, Harold and the Kikuyu.

MC Veigh writes fluidly and keeps you on edge, particularly towards the end. I really enjoyed the novel but some of the storyline is rather predictable. The cover is simply dreadful in my view, far too schmaltzy and kitschy which belittles McVeigh’s work.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this captivating novel. Set in the 1950s in Kenya, against the backdrop of the rising struggle for independence from the British Empire, the novel centres around a young woman who returns to Kenya to find everything has changed - on both a personal and national level. It is a fascinating period of history, and the novel does not beat around the bush - it portrays the harsh reality of this time in full. The beautiful descriptions of the landscape of Kenya were breath-taking and helped me to feel like I was experiencing the story. The plot is interesting and I found myself drawn in, unable to put it down in order to find out what would happen. I have not been able to stop thinking about it since I finished reading it either! I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Leopard at the Door, Jennifer McVeigh

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction, Historical Fiction

I really really wanted to love this book, I adore books set back in time that involve characters from other countries, other cultures. I like to feel I'm there with them, sharing their experiences and to begin I thought this book would do it. 

Sadly, though it started well I just don't really like any of the characters, and the story is so slow moving it almost comes to a stop. I wasn't expecting breakneck speed, the beauty of books like this for me is in the gentle pace that allows me to see and feel all the day to day minutiae, but even for me this was just too meandering. 
As the story moved on it got more graphic, more murders, abuse, tortures of humans and animals. I just don't want to read that, I know it happens, that its an important part of the story but I don't want the gritty, horrific details. 

Rachel - I felt sorry for her at first, she had an idyllic upbringing til her mum died and she was shipped off to England to grandparents who didn't really want her, even though she was away at boarding school most of the time.
When she returns to Kenya, against her fathers wishes, she finds he's a very different man, and is living with a lady, Sara, who is the antithesis of her beloved mother.
Her father comes over as spineless to me, maybe he's just given up? I don't know but the man we met when Rachel was a child was so different to who he is now.
Then there's Sara, who is very clear - whites and natives do not mix, there is no place for being friendly with them, and any hint of them wanting to better themselves needs stamping down on, hard. She genuinely believes they are an inferior race, and need keeping in their place. 
She clearly thinks Rachel lacks discipline and is not happy at the way she has freedom of the farm, freedom to talk to and help the native people. Gah, that makes me so angry, but there were, and still are, so many like Sara, who believe a white skin makes one superior. I'll stop my rant there ;-)
It does make for an interesting read, I do like characters I can dislike but once more the story was just so slow moving. Sara would complain to Rachel's father, he in turn would gently suggest Rachel modify her behaviour, then Sara wouldn't feel he'd done enough, would get impatient with him, and would take steps to get what she wanted to happen. Complaining all the time if you want something done, do it yourself. 

I didn't like the ending, felt very hurried and ambiguous and that's not how I like books to finish. Between that, the characters I didn't really feel for, the slow pace and the graphic cruelty I just couldn't get to like this story.  
I can see others loved it though so you choose, you may have a stronger stomach and more patience when reading than me...It is very beautifully written, and there were scenic parts I loved, but overall it was one I was glad to put behind me. 
 
Stars: Three, a wondefully descriptive novel in parts, but the story and the cruelty in it just weren't for me. 
 
ARC supplied for review purposes by Netgalley and Publishers

This is a well written and well researched book set in 1950's Kenya. It had me gripped from the very first page to the end with characters I loved to hate and fantastic scenery I could imagine.
4 stars ****

Kenya comes to life in the details of a farming family dealing with the terror of Mau Mau in the 1950's.

Not only does Rachel have to face a homecoming after 6 years at boarding school in England, at the age of 18 she comes up against the cruelty, sometimes intentional, sometimes unintentional, of people who should have protected her.

A straightforward, historically serious read.

5 Words: Family, home, prejudice, change, cruelty.

It took me a while to get into the story with this book. I found myself distracted by the descriptions, daydreaming instead of reading. And how wonderful is that?

This is my second book by this author, and like the first book there are conservation messages subtly strewn throughout the text. It really makes you think.

This book was a lot more violent than I was expecting, and I did have to put it down a few times as there are some graphic descriptions which made me feel a little ill - but that is personal preference and if anything speaks to the strength of the writing. I didn't want to put this book down because I absolutely love the writing itself, but the story made me FEEL so much that I had to.

I found that I never quite clicked with Rachel, but she was far better than Sara. I find that this is something I really like about this author - her characters are not inherently likeable but the glorious descriptions mean that it doesn't matter.

Leopard at the Door is perfect for those times when you want to escape. Jennifer McVeigh's writing is harrowing and evocative and her descriptions are simply breathtaking.

This is a beautifully written book that vividly conjures up the struggles of the Kenyan peoples to break free of the British rule of their country.

What an outstanding novel, couldnt put it down it was a definite page turner. I would highly recommend this book in fact I will read it again...

This is a brilliant well researched historical novel that does not spare the reader the insanity of British colonial history in Kenya in the 1950s. It plays out amidst the recent independence of India and a Britain determined to stave off further losses by ruthlessly squashing all signs of rebellion in other parts of its empire. Kenya is a particularly horrific and ugly part of the British in Africa and McVeigh captures the struggles that took place in a realistic manner. In Kenya, upon the tragic death of her mother, twelve year old Rachel Fullsmith is sent to England to live with her grandparents and attend boarding school. However, all Rachel wants is to return to her beloved Kenya, and at 18 years old she returns. Rachel has an innocence and naivety that you might expect of a young woman of that age. What follows push Rachel to question all that she thought she knew about the country and its people. Amidst the political intrigue and turbulent times, she finds herself in search of a home, and a identity.

On returning home to her isolated family home, Rachel finds her father living with another woman, Sara and her son, Harold. Sara is a woman that is hard to like, with unpalatable views that echo grim imperialistic thinking and attitudes. Her father bends to Sara's views, and Sara cannot bear Rachel's perspective which leaves Rachel deeply unsettled in her family home, although she does become closer to Harold. The Mau Mau are leading a rebellion which results in the murder of white settlers and other atrocities in their attempt to rid themselves of the shackles of British rule. There is good reason behind the uprising with the treatment that Kenyans have received but the Kikuyu communities are splintered. Some have embraced the rebellion whilst others remain loyal to the British which triggers violence within the communities. The British response is hard hitting and ruthless. What is hard to bear is that the brutality extends to animals as well as people. This is a story of secrets, lies, betrayal, divisions, and a dangerous love.

This is a beautifully written atmospheric novel that describes the beauty of Kenya's landscape and wildlife juxtaposed with the brutal horror that unfolds within the country. The narrative is tense and compelling infused with fear and menace throughout. The characterisation is complex and vibrant, reflecting the times and the place, many of the characters are hard to like. This is not an easy read, not surprising given what happened in Kenya at that time. A great book that gives a glimpse into a period of history that deserves to be better known, but not for the faint hearted. Thanks to Penguin for an ARC.

I have read this through NetGalley. It is a return for a very accomplished writer. The story is challenging to the reader as it raises issues about the use of violence to achieve political ends, in this case to gain freedom from colonial rule for Kenya. Readers will remember the Mao Mao but we're probably influenced by the reporting in the western press. This book offers different angles from which to judge. The lead character is very well drawn. She faces decisions in her personal life similar in style but not scale to those facing the country she has returned to after six years of exile in an English boarding school. The book would make a good film.

I was initially asked to be part of the Leopard at the Door blog tour, so was delighted to host a piece by Jennifer McVeigh about her idyllic African honeymoon. By reading that piece, you’ll begin to get some idea of Jennifer’s writing style which brings the landscape and wildlife of Africa vividly to life, and there’s much more of that in the book.

I love the story of how Jennifer came across the events described in Leopard at the Door, which she writes about on her blog – the idea that an elderly woman has kept photographs, news clippings and propaganda materials from a dark time in Kenyan history and lived through it, hoping that it would find a home and a voice is the sort of thing that keep me reading. In Jennifer McVeigh, that story has found an author that does it justice.

As difficult as it must have been to tease a narrative out of a suitcase of seemingly unconnected items, Jennifer has done this brilliantly, crafting a cast of characters who each have very different views on, and investment in, colonialism and all the things that entails. There are views from the British side, and those who have the most to lose if the Kikuyu succeed in bringing about a change and also the view from the native population who suffer the most under the British foot. Even Rachel’s mother – who has passed away before the events of the book – is described so vividly and longingly by Rachel, that she seems almost a living character within the book.

I was not previously aware of the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, seeing as my knowledge of African history is shockingly poor, but I found enough historical information in the book to be able to set the scene in my own mind, without it being overwhelmed by facts and figures. It is interesting during further reading to note that, while it must have been a frightening time for white settlers, which comes across well from the book, fewer than 500 settlers were killed. This is in stark contrast to retaliatory attacks, in which thousands of Kikuyu were imprisoned and killed. It’s absolutely true that history depends entirely on perspective!

Although this book was an excellent read, and I do enjoy historical fiction, on some occasions it does make my blood boil. In this instance, Rachel is a young woman who knows her own mind, but events towards the end of the book are a hideous reminder of how far we have come – and how far we still have to go – before women are truly in control of their own fate. I don’t wish to spoil the end of the book, but it is a stark reminder that only half a century ago, a young woman could be completely at the mercy of her own family and have her liberty taken away if she did not toe the line. Thankfully, things have improved in this area!

I was asked to read and review this ARC and as I love the author Dinah Jefferies books which this book is likened to due to its exotic location I was eager to see what it is about so here is my review.

Rachel an 18 year old girl returns home to Kenya after six long years in England where she was sent with her grandparents by her father after her mother’s death. Rachel is excited to get back to the country she knows and loves expecting the family farm and her life to pick up as before she left. However, she soon discovers that there have been many changes in her absence, one being a new woman Sara who now lives at the farm and who has stepped into her mother’s role. The country is also in the midst of political unrest as a secret society Mau Mau is wreaking havoc across Kenya against white supremacy fighting and murdering in order to reclaim their land. Rachel experiences awkward, complicated and forbidden relationships with some horrific consequences.

This story explores the struggles Rachel and others faced: discrimination, betrayal, shame and fear. As I enjoy reading about the culture and traditions of other countries and this tale explored Kenya in the 1950’s era I found this novel packed with descriptive emotion and well written characters. I awarded Leopard At The Door a 4 star rating.

1950s colonial Kenya made for an atmospheric setting for Leopard at the Door, as Rachel returns home to place that is not the same as she once remembered. Jennifer's writing about Kenya is beautifully moving and wonderfully descriptive. I honestly felt like I was standing next to Rachel.

At times Rachel is frustratingly and infuriatingly naive. It is obvious that she has lived a sheltered life and while it has protected her from some things it has left her exposed to others. She also has a huge secret from her childhood. One that could impact those around her. But she is afraid of revealing what she knows and worries about what will happen.

One thing that I really didn't like the idea of Rachel's love interest, the fact that that person had played a significant role in her childhood did make me negative to the idea, rather than endear me. I liked the idea that he protected Rachel, especially from Steven. A man who was creepy and basically a disgusting human being. His moral compass just didn't seem to exist.

I wish that her father had done more to keep her in England and once she returned home to protect her. In m mind he was too weak to do so. Too afraid to upset Sara, that he ended up causing more problems. He never really explains what is going on in Kenya. Rachel has to rely on what she hears on the Radio. This means that our knowledge is also limited. I wish that I could have had more information on the Mau Mau and the political background. Like Rachel I ended up being confused and not completely understanding. But this did make me understand more of what Rachel was feeling.

Leopard at the Door is about love secrets and believing in yourself. In your decisions and the choices you have made. To stay strong and to not turn your back.

This is an absorbing read that will pull at your heart-strings, provide historical fact and lead you down a path you cannot forget.

Leopard at the door is not your average historical romantic fiction, it is a dark and powerful look at a time and place when culture clashes and grievances erupted into a regime of utter brutality and violence.

Set in Kenya in 1952, the story is narrated by 18 year old Rachel, who is returning to the Kenya of her childhood, to the family farm where she was brought up, until the age of 12, on her colonial parents remote family farm in a pretty idyllic environment. Her childhood companions the native Kenyans who work for her family, she was even educated by a Kenyan tutor. Roaming around the nearby bush and fishing in the dam, the long sunny days and cries of the wildlife are imprinted firmly on her memory despite being uprooted and shipped off to cold gloomy England at the age of 12 following the sudden death of her Mother.

All she has longed for ever since is to return, but she discovers the Kenya of her childhood is long gone and its place is a country simmering with political tension, threats and terror always just over the horizon. The biggest threat these days is not from the leopard roaring in the bush, but from the natives themselves. Its seldom possible to go back and find things how they were and change is not always for the good.

The story is about how man can turn on the fellow man he has always looked up to, and how if the hand that feeds does it carelessly and disrespectfully, undoubtedly it will be bitten.

The driving force of this story is the Mau Mau uprising of a rebel factor of the Kikuyu tribespeople, and true news headlines and reports are scattered throughout the book as Rachel listens to illicit radio broadcasts from the UK. The Mau Mau are forcing their fellow tribesmen to swear an oath to join them in their revolt against oppression by the white settlers who now aim to claim their lands and virtually enslave them. But by doing this the rebels end up committing vile atrocities against their unwilling fellow natives and ultimately against the British, whom they begin to terrorize and brutally slaughter in violent murderous attacks where folk are hacked to death with Pangas or burned in their beds.




I told you it wasn't an easy read!

What struck me most in this book is the contrast, the beautifully described, idyllic, location of stunningly beautiful rural Kenya, the peaceful Great Rift Valley, the expansive Bush, the wide open spaces, the searingly hot sun and the wildlife. In contrast are the hideous atrocities committed, against livestock, pets, men women and children and also in contrast are the thoroughly dislikeable characters who range in character from the weak and foolish to the truly despicable.

Do not be fooled into thinking this will be a nice gentle holiday read! This is a harsh and brutal telling of a terrible period in history, a tale of barbarity and vicious cruelty and it doesn't pull ANY punches. How could a book based on such a terrible historical event be anything but emotional and harrowing? Yet is is instantly gripping and I was swept through Nairobi to the Rift Valley with the unfolding horrors playing out as a backdrop, much as Rachel was borne along on events over which she had no control but just had to observe. It is terrible in its simplicity and awesome in its barbarity and a thoroughly fabulously researched and deeply emotive tale. The author undoubtedly knows her location intimately and respects its heritage as well as the nature.

I personally found the animal cruelty as distressing as that done to the humans, after all it could be argued that the British brought it on themselves, but their pets? livestock? Children?

It is a very chilling tale, which had me looking over my shoulder for men with cleavers creeping up behind me and listening for the telltale sounds which can mean the Mau Mau are coming.

But don't let this put you off reading it. If you enjoy gritty realistic historical fiction based on true events, let this book be your introduction to the Kenyan Mau Mau uprising.

It educated me about a period in history which took place just before I was born and thus I had only just heard a little about. This plays out in an Africa colonized by the British whilst at home in England the new Queen Elizabeth enjoys her coronation ceremony.

The poignancy of the diversity and tension of the events unfolding make this quite a genre defying historical novel. It is not a romance although there is a simmering, forbidden passion which I failed to be able to regard as romantic, just ill advised and doomed from the outset.

Five years is an awfully long time to wait for a follow up book from an author whose début you simply adored. Such a long gap between books makes you wonder will there ever be another and will it be worth the wait or has the 'difficult' second novel just proved that one bit too much? Well I am glad to say Jennifer McVeigh's follow up to The Fever Tree, Leopard at the Door, was worth every bit of that tedious wait and it is just as good if not better than her first novel.

I stumbled across The Fever Tree quite by accident when it was first published and instantly fell in love with the author's style of writing. She has such a way with words and it's clear she loves Africa where her two books have been set. Within a few pages of Leopard at the Door I found myself lost in an incredible story and before I knew it I was nearing the end. It's a book I didn't want to finish reading as I felt I had been transported to Kenya at such a raw and tumultuous time yet the author balances these life changing events with a beautiful story of a young girl trying to find herself again and readjust to a world in which her family have moved on and so has the political climate. Yet she so fervently wished that things could have remained the same as she holds close the memories from her idyllic childhood, yet time and people are always marching on and Rachel must try to do the same.

Instantly from the opening chapter as Rachel, now a young woman of 18, sails into Mombassa after spending six years living in England there is a real sense of time and place. The reader is exposed to a whole new world - the heat, sights, sounds, smells and colours all make for a visual feast and are in direct contrast with the life Rachel experienced in England. Ever since the tragic death of her mother Rachel has been boarding in a draughty girls school and spending her holidays with her aloof grandparents. This absence from Kenya was enforced upon Rachel and it's only now she feels her life can begin again as she comes back to the place where she feels at one, at peace and at home. Kenya is so vastly different to England and when Rachel returns there is unease and unrest as the Mau Mau rebellion is beginning to gather steam. I loved how the author mixed historical events with Rachel's personal story but it didn't feel like I was reading a history book that was boring and stilted. To be honest I had only vaguely heard about the rebellion and through such clever, compelling writing Jennifer McVeigh brought the period alive on the pages packing the story full of emotion and tension so much so that you never knew just quite what would happen and more often than not your heart was in your mouth.

The reader can see Rachel has been through a lot, her experiences as a young girl on the rural farm run by her father shaped the person she is today. Returning home she fears having had no contact with her father for so many years that things have changed irreparably and there may no way of reclaiming the memories and feelings she has longed for in her absence. She fears her father really doesn't want her home and he will not speak to her. I felt sorry for Rachel that such a life altering experience of loosing your mother led to even more change. Her father seemed to have gotten rid of her as soon as possible and in doing so damaged their relationship. She was uprooted from everything she had known but I loved how her affection and longing for the farm never wavered and how she still held some belief that the relationship with her father could be repaired. When Rachel arrives at the farm I could clearly picture everything in my head and that's thanks to such brilliant writing from the author, I sensed how the farm was isolated yet at the same time it was a cocoon and a safe haven for its residents who work as hard as they can eking a living from the land. Rachel wants to bring back the good times and begin afresh, a new chapter in her life. She perhaps wasn't counting on a new woman in her mother's place - Sara.

Sara has been imposing changes at the farm and not for the better. I didn't like Sara one bit throughout the story, she made no attempt at getting to know Rachel and understanding where she was coming from. She seemed to have taken over the running of the household and tradition and custom went out the window. She was a city woman who seemed reluctant to be at the farm and I never sensed her relationship with Sara's father Robert was really genuine. Cruel wouldn't be the correct word for Sara but she was cold and didn't do her best to make the return home a welcome one for Sara. By contrast her son Harold was a character I did grow to like and Rachel did the same. He had a deep passion for photography and despite protest from his mother he often disappeared into the African bush photographing wild animals, life on the farm and the Kikuya people. I think Rachel felt a connection with him as like her he was in a vulnerable position and slightly isolated. Harold's storyline surprised me twice but it gelled well with the overall themes within the book.

Rachel is not happy with how things have progressed in her absence but she tries to assimilate herself back into the way of life she remembers and loves. She has such a deep connection with the land and people she wants to re-stablish this as proven by her encounter with Michael who was her tutor all those years ago and a person she had deep faith and confidence in. Michael was a bit of an enigma, always there on the outskirts and never being fully able to interact with ease with Rachel due to him being 'black' or part of the others, the people whom Sara would have viewed as being there to serve. The reader could see there is a connection between Rachel and Michael that goes back a long way. He will protect her if he can and be there for her but Rachel's vision and her memories of a peaceful happy life at the farm are solely being eroded as the rebellion shifts up a gear and discontent and unrest increase by the day.

Jennifer McVeigh presented a very balanced view of the position the white farmers found themselves in and how the native people who had lived n the lands for thousands of years now wanted their independence and country back. I can't say I agree with the means either side used to achieve what they wanted but it did make for powerful reading. The terror and fear escalated and built to a very dramatic conclusion. Lawlessness, violence and disorder abounded and the author did not spare the descriptions and I am glad she did not because that was the brutal realities of the time. Life in 1950's Kenya was not easy for either side and it had to come to a head at some stage. A certain aspect regrading Rachel felt more than unjust to me and for her it probably made her realise that her intuition had been correct and she was more a stranger in her own home and as the title suggest the leopard never was far from the door in more ways than one. Perhaps the character I detested most of all was Steven, a prime example of a white man determined to exert his power and control using any means possible. There was a real sense of one-upmanship with him and he seemed to hold some sway over Rachel. She lived in fear of him and as it is revealed why I felt nothing but sympathy for her.

After a slight lull in the middle of the book everything really picked up a gear as the outside tensions and events made their way into the lives of the people living on the farm. Rachel finds herself living in fear as danger lurks behind every corner. Who can she trust? Will the Mau Mau seek their revenge right at her door in their quest for independence and to reclaim what is rightfully there's? Rachel is torn in two as the story only becomes ever more absorbing and exhilarating as all the back story, the introduction of the various characters and the different plot-lines all began to bear fruit and climax in the most powerful and emotional of ways. Rachel is a most memorable character who gets inside your head and does not relinquish her grip until the very last word. She is a strong main character and holds the book together. Her past moulds the person she is today and how she will be in the future. Although outside events encroach on her life, her strength and deep connection with the land will attempt to see her through.

Leopard at the Door was a wonderfully crafted novel and just the kind of book I love to get lost in. With an assured pace, rising tension, crafty twists and beautifully imagery this is a story not to be missed. My only hope is that Jennifer McVeigh won't keep us waiting quite so long for her next book. I suggest once you have finished this book do try The Fever Tree and also there is a trilogy set in Africa by Barbara and Stephanie Keating which are in a similar vein and would make for just as good reading.