I am one of the biggest fangirls of this author's work through the years. I appreciate so much the fact that each of his novels is completely different in scope, he literally never writes anything remotely resembling the same story twice (and this is book 25?). His books are engaging and compelling, his characters are amazingly crafted, and his writing is superb. Having said all that, I did have a major problem with this book. Before I get into that however, I do want to mention how wonderful it was to read about the animals on the Serengeti. The descriptions of them was such a highlight for me. I will warn you that there are a lot of characters to keep track of in this one, and once they get separated into three groups, it's hard to remember who is traveling together. This does get better as the novel progresses, so it becomes less of an issue. I think old time movie buffs will love all the references to great Hollywood films and actor/actresses. My biggest issue with the book was that it was just too violent and graphic for me. One or two scenes I could take, but it was repeated over and over, and it was just too much. I'm someone who doesn't watch any tv shows or movies that contain violence, so if this is something that doesn't bother you, you will likely be fine.

This was a great story that unfortunately I could not appreciate because of the extreme violence. I'll also be keeping my safaris to those in a controlled environment at Disney, this book freaked me out that much! A great book if you are not squeamish like me :)

I enjoyed this book. I have read almost all the books by this author. I enjoyed the mystery and the location, as an African safari seems so exotic.

OMG! I wasn’t expecting this when I selected this title. I’ve read many of Bohjalen’S work over the years and was unsure by the description if I wanted to read this, however this is one of the best books I’ve read this year. Interestingly the comparison to our world today and the late 50’s early 60’s is an underlying theme from the involvement of Russian agents and the flu epidemic of the mid 50’s and the impact that epidemic had on the health profession back then….but that isn’t the main plot by any stretch of the imagination. This is a book about the land, about power, and about trust. The use of alternating characters to tell the story is well done, great character development, believable plot line and an unexpected twist at the end. Definitely, read this book!

4 stars

Combining the glamour of Old Hollywood with the suspense of a survival story, The Lioness is a book that will constantly have you promising yourself that you're just going to read one more chapter. Bohjalian utilizes multiple POVs as well as flashbacks in order to build not only the scope and tension of the story, but to truly give these characters life. The writing itself feels incredibly cinematic in its descriptions of the Serengeti and in the way that the various perspectives hurtle towards the story's conclusion.

Which brings me to my one and only complaint.

The question as to why this group gets taken hostage lingers somewhat throughout the novel, but it is overshadowed (and rightly so) by the far more interesting survival plot. However, at the 95% mark, there is a massive twist about the kidnapping that, to me, came completely out of left field because of how the question had been put on the back burner for so long. It was such a shift that didn't have enough time to develop and because it happened so close to the story's conclusion, I definitely left the book with a little bit of whiplash. I can see why Bohjalian chose to reveal that information, but I think that there could have definitely been more of a build towards it.

The good, however, absolutely outweighs the confusing in this book and I would absolutely recommend this to any readers who love historical fiction and suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

When I first started hearing about Bohjalian’s 2022 book, I heard it was about Old Hollywood. I adore stories about Old Hollywood. However, the novel’s timeframe, 1964, isn’t Old Hollywood. I was disappointed but dug in anyway. Bohjalian always comes through with a great read, and this one is no different.

At first, the unique structure was off-putting, but by the end, I thought it was brilliant. Each chapter would start with current time (1964), but then switch to each character’s backstory. As the novel progressed, in each chapter, narrated by one of the ten top characters, the structure shifted, dealing more with what was happening than backstories.

In 1964, one of the most glamorous and A-list actresses in Hollywood, Katie Barstow, marries gallerist David Hill. Instead of a traditional honeymoon, they take seven others with whom they are close with, along on a photo safari to Tanzania, Africa. They hire a famous guide, Charlie Patton, who puts together a “civilized adventure.” However, it’s hot on the Serengeti, and there is nothing Charlie can do about that.

Not long after they arrive, the group is attacked by Russian mercenaries. They shoot most of the porters and guides, leaving Katie, David and their entourage defenseless. The Russians round them up, divide them up and shove them into the Land Rovers, “guns to their heads,” and head out into the desert. What follows brims with dread; this reader had her heart in her stomach for the rest of the book.

All are terrified, but the Russians show no mercy. As thy group travels across the plains, each takes chances they would never take back in Hollywood, chances that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.

Even given the dismays I pointed out earlier. “The Lioness” still receives 6 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world. That sense of dread and several shocking events kept this reader up long past her bedtime.

Katie Barstow is an A-list actress in 1964. Katie grew up on the stage with Broadway parents and entered Hollywood life to finally escape the clutches of her abusive manipulating mother. She is set to marry her brother’s best friend David, whom they grew up with and planning a safari honeymoon only the very wealthy could consider. Katie’s companions include her brother and his pregnant wife, fellow starlet Carmen Tedesco with her privileged husband, Terrance a handsome actor she often works with and her infamous agent. They land in Africa excited to experience the Serengeti and all it offers. Gazing at herds of magnificent animals and photographing idyllic scenes seem to be right out of the movies. While these entitled guests drink gin and are waited on hand and foot they are worried about the wrong enemies. While cautious of their distance to wild animals of which they’ve been warned they are confronted by Russians with rifles. Escorted to Land Rovers and tied up in huts the Americans have no idea what these kidnappers want. Survival is the key to figuring out what is behind this brutal attack. Told from the many many many different voices of each character this story dragged. I adored the author’s beautiful descriptive writing but in the end I couldn’t figure out if there was too much backstory or not enough. The whole plot just fell flat. I have loved all of this authors books and enjoyed numerous novels of Africa, unfortunately this one was not for me.

Despite the graphic violence, I really enjoyed this book. I liked meeting all the characters and learning about Hollywood in the 1960s. I also enjoyed reading about the animals, trees and scenery in the Serengeti. At first I didn’t care for the formulaic style of each chapter starting with a newspaper blurb, then being only from one characters point of view. Then about half way through, I got into the rhythm and it flowed for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

I like Chris Bohjalian. Some of his books are really good but this one wasn't my favorite. A Hollywood royalty entourage goes on a safari and political horror ensues. As other reviewers noted, there were too many characters spotlighted from the periphery of the story. Without much of a backstory and very little presence, it was hard to care about them. The breaks in the chapters from past to present or a bit choppy. But the writing is detailed and well done. Descriptions of animals and land abounded,capturing both the beauty and darkness of safari. The politics of the region were brushed upon. I wish it would have included more history on the times and turbulence rather than touch briefly on so many subjects.

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

What a roller coaster, you totally think the book is going to be about one thing and then it turns into something totally else. You become so invested that you don't care. Only hard thing was the amount of characters to keep track of and the mid chapter timeline changes.

Another great book by Chris Bohjalian. The story follows an actress and her entourage as they embark on a safari in Africa. They are kidnapped and each chapter provides a different character's viewpoint. You see the strengths and weaknesses of each character. The secrets of their relationships are revealed.

Based on the premise of this book, I was expecting a fast paced thriller that kept me turning pages. Unfortunately this book is more of a slow burn, which is not my kind of book. I got frustrated with the pacing because each action-heavy scene is interrupted by a character’s backstory. There were too many characters and too much detail about each one to keep me engaged in the plot. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for my honest review.

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Oh my, Chris Bohjalian has written a very dramatic and shocking story entitled The Lioness. A famous female starlet gets married and takes her besties on an all-expense-paid trip to Africa and the Serengeti. This is not a hunting trip but a chance to see the wildlife of Africa in their natural habitat; only things don’t go as planned. Just days into the trip, the entire group is kidnapped and held for ransom but not before things go terribly wrong. This is not a happy story, but I don’t think all stories have to be happy to be good. Mr. Bohjalian has written a remarkable and historically accurate yet fictional tale of life and death in 1960s Africa, where prey and predator can be the same. In Africa, no one is safe from wild animals or human predators. While the story is extremely well-written, it is also very violent, and the deaths are not PG. In fact, I’m not sure how this story plays out on Audible. There are a couple of moments that I still can’t get the detailed and gruesome point of death out of my mind right now. So that’s my main warning. Great book, great details, an interesting plot twist at the end, yet well-written although distressing book. Pub. Date: May 10th #historicalthriller @chrisbohjalian #TheLioness @doubledaybooks #historicalfiction #Netgalley @netGalley #dark #Africa #Serengeti #safariGoneWrong #murder #deaths #destruction #wildAnimals #USA #Russia #duplicity #shocking #somuchdeath
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Thank you to Doubleday Books, Chris Bohjalian, and NetGalley for this free ARC; my thoughts and review are my own and without bias.
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When Hollywood's darling, Katie Barstow, marries her childhood friend, she decides to take her 5 closest friends, including her brother and pregnant sister-in-law, along on their honeymoon safari in the Serengeti. But when the party is kidnapped, who is the real target? And how many of them will make it out alive?

The chapters rotate among the kidnapping victims, including one of the safari porters. Each chapter is a small frame, beginning and ending with the current situation, bracketing a brief bit of the character's history. The effect is to steadily ratchet up the tension, while at the same time deepening the reader's connection to the characters.

This is another excellent book from Bohjalian, complete with a twist that I maybe should have seen coming (maybe), but definitely didn't. And for another look at the politics of Central Africa in the same time period, read The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver, a personal favorite of mine.

Thank you NetGalley, Doubleday Books, and Chris Bohjalian for the advanced copy of The Lioness in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Reading the synopsis for this one I was hoping to be on the edge of my seat the whole time. An actress and her crew get kidnapped on an African safari?! Yes, please!

Unfortunately this was just *way* too slow for me. Each chapter followed a pattern: it began with a quote from a magazine or newspaper article regarding the person the chapter POV was from, then went into what they were currently experiencing, and then it would jump to some background to expand on the opening quote. I found I really wasn't all that interested in the background parts of the story, I was only interested in what was happening in the Serengeti.

That said, if slow burns are your thing, I'd absolutely recommend The Lioness to you! I do also think this would make a great limited series.

The Lioness will be on US bookshelves May 10!

Chris Bohjalian never, ever disappoints. What a perfectly-paced thrill ride this is. I enjoyed the structure--many different narrators plus then-and-now timeline. The Serengeti setting was beautifully and brutally portrayed. I honestly got sweaty a few times imagining the intense African sun on the characters' bodies. The Lioness has a higher body count than Chris's last few novels (if I'm remembering correctly), and the means of death on the savannah are not for delicate readers. For the first 2/3 of the story, I had "the lioness" pegged as a certain character, and was delighted when I realized it was another. The CIA backstory was such a clever frame. Thank you, Chris, for another outstanding novel.

A sojourn gone wrong that holds your attention until the end.
We get to know the characters via their backstories and reactions to their current situation. The events are undeserved but you take them in stride. You may feel you know the players but you realize the game is impersonal and you trek along waiting for the conclusion.
I'm always amazed at Chris Bohjalian's ability to keep coming up with new premises and quickly throw us into the events of the story.
Really liked this one!

What a fun and delightful ride through a safari! The plot was preposterous, as well as its characters and I reveled in the slight campiness.

Another amazing read by the ever consistent Chris Bohjalian. It was nonstop action with vividly drawn characters and a plot that kept you on the edge of your seat. You could imagine yourself there, your life in the balance and the lush backdrop only added to the intensity of the story. Bohjalian never disappoints and I did not want this story to end

Bohjalian never writes the same novel twice. His subjects range from Puritan witchcraft to see trafficking to his latest, The Lioness, a tale of old Hollywood that is also a suspenseful thriller of adventure tourism.

Once again, Chris Bohjalian transports readers into another time and place - it's 1964 and a Hollywood starlet invites her close friends to join her on a lavish honeymoon safari. Readers will know from the beginning that the safari goes horribly wrong, and will engage with the story's multiple narrators as Bohjalian masterfully weaves his tale.