White Leopard

‘It was a beautiful morning.’

Souleymane (known as Solo) Camara used to be a policeman in France. He’s escaped from France, leaving behind a murky past, to begin life afresh in Bamako, Mali. Here, living in his late father’s house, Solo work as a private investigator. Solo has learned a lot about how power works in Mali, how who you know and how much you pay can get results. He’s doing okay.

But then he’s approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia. Bahia has been arrested as a drug trafficker. She had 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage. Can Solo help? He’s been recommended to Ms Tebessi by his former boss.

‘I have a saying: in Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain.’

But freeing Bahia becomes the beginning of Solo Camara’s nightmare. There are plenty of people with an interest in protecting a drug empire, and murder is of no concern to them. But who is in control? Any possibility that Solo could walk away from this case is quickly removed: it’s become personal.

And while Solo works on solving the case, we learn more about his past. About how he’s in the position he’s in, and why this case matters. This is a fast-paced story, with an abundance of bribery, death, sex and violence.

I enjoyed it, and I hope Laurent Guillaume writes more novels featuring Solo Camara.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith

Solo Camara isn't your usual retired policeman turned private investigator. He has a past, a dangerous one. Now that he's a wanted man in France he has settled in the West African country of Mali, his father's homeland. It's here in Bamako, the capital city that Camara takes a case to help a woman whose sister has been arrested for drug trafficking. But, when she turns up dead all hell breaks loose. Camara must follow his instincts if he wants to find out what happened to her, even if it gets him into some tricky situations.
This is a gritty, fast paced, graphic novel full of action, unlike anything I've read recently. The setting is exotic and the characters diverse. The author created the right balance between back story and the main characters main dilemma. It was also a good look into how things work or, in some cases don't work in West Africa. I hope Solo Camara will be back with more cases to solve soon.

This is as "advertised" - a hard boiled excellent mystery with our hero, Solo, having a shady past. But he does good and seems to be indestructible. i knew nothing about Mali and had to pull out a map to see where all the places were that he traveled to.
Like a lot of good mysteries, the theme was contemporary and serious.
I thought the writing was excellent. I loved lines like "Beautiful women do nothing but cause me trouble, and judging by her looks, this girl would be World War III"
Read it! It's a good book, a good mystery and a good education.

Liked this very much, never read a book set in this country before so was a real discovery for me.

Very good book to read, fascinating descriptions of a different life and of a man who is on the ran from his former life in France, was very violent in parts but not gratuitously so.

I enjoyed the ending very much and was very satisfied, not normally a feeling I get when I read a book!

Look forward to reading more by this author and also finding out more about his previous life and what did happen in France.

This is a different type of novel for most Americans who don't get to read much of what is written in Europe unless it follows the traditional English mystery or Scandinavian thriller. What sets this apart (like the works of Izzo or Khadra) is the setting. The book is set in the former French-African country of Mali. For most people this is like asking them to find Burkina Faso on a map.

Except for the rebellion by the Tuaregs a couple of years ago, where they did a lot of destruction to the old city of Timbuctu, most of us have no clue about the country or the people who live there. Ask yourself, who is the government and the major tribes of the country. By reading this book you will learn about where the capital and a couple of major cities are, and the major river that runs through the country.

Guillaume, pulls no punches when he discusses the corruption of the government (much of it fueled by NarcoDollars) and the lacks of infrastructure and utilities in the country. These Africa nations of the Sahel, are the banana republics of the 21st Century. You get the feeling that 200 armed men and a couple of tanks and jet fighters could overthrow the government in about two day.

Countries like this don't have the same cultural background of European nations when it comes to respect for the government (which do little for the common people) and just with they would leave them alone. It's a lot like the game from my childhood "Capture the Mountain". If you have the Army on your side (yes they all have armies) all you need to do is capture the Presidential Palace, the Government Headquarters and the Radio/TV station, and your in charge.

Solo is a private eye in Bamako (the capital) who has come "home" from France. He has had to leave France for an unexplained reason where he was a policeman. Most likely (like any good noir detective) because he was too honest. So he is asked to look into the death of someone's friend, and it goes on from there. It's an interesting story and the background and cultural differences make it a worthwhile read.

Zeb Kantrowitz

I was pleased to receive White Leopard from NetGalley having not read any of Laurent Guillaume's work before. Bamako and Mali meant little to me before I read this book but Guillaume's police background, local Mali knowledge and his creative writing blends sex and violence, including rough justice by Article 320 into a Mali cultural experience. It is fast paced and colourful. Guillaume crafts an 'earthy' page turner around cocaine trafficking and murder in what was once the French Sudan, depicting a country deeply submerged in corruption, where everything has a price. I agree with Anne Trager that very creative authors like Guillaume require a much wider audience. Thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book I was introduced to White Leopard. I look forward to many more Guillaume titles in the future.

Eddy Weatherill 25th September 2015

Laurent Guillaume proves to be a gifted writer in this afrocentric noir located in Mali. The central larger than life character, Solo, is a mixed race (French and Malian) private eye who has a dark past as a French cop who flees to Mali due to being a wanted man. We encounter a Mali where corruption is rife, with a marked demarcation between the haves and have nots. Those with money and corporate power can buy their way out of virtually anything, including murder whilst the have nots struggle to survive where their lives are considered cheap. We savour the skilful prose that captures the political backdrop of a nation, the culture, the institutions of government, and the eye catching characters that inhabit the book.

Solo finds himself trapped into pursuing those responsible for the murder of a young woman who had served as a drug mule. The sister of the woman spreads the rumour that he is investigating which leads to the tragic murder of Solo’s closest friend by some vicious gangsters led by a Spanish man. Solo’s anger and grief leads to him chasing the perpetrators to the final gruesome end. On this path, he finds himself fighting against a powerful drug cartel with significant corporate connections, and fighting for his life on a continuous basis. The suspense creates a nail biting atmosphere as the bodies pile up. We see the effects of instant communal justice, highlighting how people are fed up with corruption and the failures of the judicial system and take matters into their own hands.

There is no doubt that this is a gory, blood drenched trail that Solo follows. This is a cracking and compelling read which also educates us about Mali and Africa. Your life will be poorer if you do not read it. I would like to thank Le French, the publishers, for giving me a ebook copy via netgalley. They introduced me to a superb writer. I understand that Laurent Guillaume has other published books, please could Le French publish translated versions of them as soon as possible?

I enjoyed reading this murder mystery about Soulemayne Camara, a disgraced ex French cop now living in Maili, Africa. Solo(his nickname) is hired by Farah Tebessi to bribe a judge to release her sister, Bahia, in jail in a drugs charge. Such things are common in Mali. He accepts the job, but then Bahia is killed and when he tries to find out why, thugs attack him and threaten to kill him.. He does find out who killed her in this fast paced mystery with a lot of local information about life in Mali. There is a fair amount of blood and gore if you are squeamish.. I give it 4 out 5 stars.
I received this ebook for free from the publisher, Le French Book, through NetGalley.com

Guillaume establishes a brilliant voice (perhaps sometimes it feels inconsistent which I blame translator about), but the story is great in an exoic setting; the hard-boiled central figure is attractive and while he has attributes of these heros - hard-drinking with a big heart, an eye for women, he is pragmatic when he needs to be, and as he plays along with local mores, we know it is for a good end. the preliminaries are violent and fast but then the book really digs into to top level crime/drama that runs deep and is comment on regional politics and human nature. The glamour of the white leopard, named for a case he solved successfully we also get a sense of the mores of the population of Mali - the ambient is terrifically well worked out. I hope this evolves into a series, I really like this sexy detective, and former cop with a brain and big big emotion.

White Leopard by Laurent Guillaume Translated from the French by Sophie Weiner 5 stars Thank ‘Le French Book’ for translating this to English! A mini-masterpiece!
This is a real and gritty thriller with no holds barred, which is set in Mali, a small country to the west of Nigeria, and which is one of the poorest countries in the World. Mali was conquered by the French in the middle of the 19th Century and gained independence in 1960. Since then it has been plagued by insurgents including Al Quaeda.

The story is set in 2009 and is centred on Souleymane Camara, an ex-cop from France who is wanted by the French authorities, but who has fled to Mali to rebuild his life. Known generally as ‘Solo’ he is the White Leopard of the title, Warakalan Jeman, a noms de guerre given to investigators by journalists to spice up their stories. The name is a little incongruous due to his being mixed race with a father from Mali and mother from France.

In the best tradition of the crime thriller, Solo is a damaged individual with a tragic past where he lost both his wife and child. He is now a private investigator under some protection from Kansaye, the Commissioner of Police and friend of Solo’s father.
Solo is approached by Farah Tebessi whose sister Bahia is being held for being a drugs mule. Farah is prepared to pay whatever necessary to bribe the judge to let her go, and Solo is engaged as the go between.

It would be wrong for me to go into any more detail at this point as the strength of this novel is its ability to drop situations like mortar bombs, at regular intervals, thereby keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. There are murders, drugs cartels, secrets and lies aplenty which Solo attacks with guns blazing.

The author was himself a policeman involved in crimes involving narcotics, gangs and financial crimes as well as working as an advisor to the Mali police. His writing has that mark of authenticity which makes it totally convincing, and I felt, his style gave a nod to the writing of Ian Fleming.

Solo is a great character in the mould of Jack Reacher and Harry Hole; that is, capable of doing terrible things to avenge evil and enforce natural justice; and inevitably he pays a high price.

It wouldn’t be right to praise the author without mention of the translator, who has done a superlative job. It reads as if written originally in English and at no time did I feel anything was ‘lost in translation’. Well done Sophie!

If I was offered any other books by Laurent Guillaume to review, I would accept in a heartbeat. It is simply, a very honest book, true to its genre.

I loved it and you will too!
Pashtpaws

Excellent story! A hard boiled detective novel where the hero has foibles but the reader warms to him.
Set in Mali and the scenes are painted so realistically that I found myself looking up streets and Hotels and the Hand of Fatima on Google Earth to check the authenticity and they surely are authentic..
A 'tough' book, flawlessly translated from the French and a great read that you will not want to end.. All of the foibles of Africa are laid bare in this great story.
I can't wait to read more from this author.

White Leopard is a Malian nickname for Solo Camara, a former French policeman who escaped to his father's home in Mali after meting out vigilante justice on the criminals who killed his wife and son. He works as a private investigator and enjoys the protection and influence of his father's well-connected friends. These connections come in handy when an intriguing French lawyer comes to him for help for her sister, who was seduced into becoming a drug mule and arrested.

Solo lives up to both his nicknames, hunting mostly alone even when offered muscle from a friend. He persistently digs deeper and deeper into the case to identify the full network of the cocaine smuggling operation.

What sets this apart are the characters, especially Solo's narration as he is drawn into the plot and his obsession overrules any instincts for self-preservation. Also, the descriptions of the locations, journeys, and characters of the corrupt police and harsh desert of Mali.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

enjoyed it. page turner.

A great and terrifying thriller, obviously written by someone who knows about West Africa, knows how to maneouvrer in East Africa and knows everybody or almost. Mali is an other continent, a totally different way to discuss, another set of relationships.
White Leopard went back to his father courtry, Mali, after trying to be a French policeman.
Finally, it seems easier to him to work as a P.I. in Bamako, where he knows all the undercurrents, all the dangerous characters, all the rules he won't find in law books.
And the way he directs his enquiries is a bit different from the usual practice in Paris.. But it feels home.
Solo tries to declare was to the corruption, the secrets, the deals done almost openly, even if totally illegal..
The translator does a great job by being unnoticeable, the greatest compliment you can make to a translator -lt people forget about her, her work, and let he words flow as if hey came naturally in English..
And you get a thriller you don't want to put down, because you want to know what is hidden.
An excellent book.

A detective novel that takes place in the Western African country of Mali, it features a half-African, half-French private investigator with a murky past in France, hence his being in Africa.
When a French lawyer wants him to get her drug-running sister out of jail, things go from bad to worse. Like most hard-boiled detective stories, the PI goes from one screw-up to another, beaten up over and over; the setting makes no difference. And I so hate it when a babe is killed. . .
Despite all the mentions of places in the cities and countryside, a little more description would have been nice. There’s also one time he gets out of death by a deux ex machina, which was annoying, but otherwise it’s a pretty good detective novel.

I am most grateful to LE FRENCH BOOK who allowed me access to this remarkable book via Net Galley.
Otherwise I may well have missed out on a real treat and finding a new author to me.
Set in Mali, Africa it is both a fresh twist on a crime thriller and a familiar friend at the same time. It has the feel of earlier US crime thrillers with private investigators embroiled in a life-threatening case because they looked up and saw a beautiful femme fatale work into their office and couldn't say no.
However it is so much more than a homage to previous murder mysteries; it is very much uptodate set in a country that few people in the UK may know about until occassionally some event hits the news. Mali is on the front line of terriorism but also has a rich French colonial past and this blend is beautifully exploited by the author who produces a plot that intrigues, fascinates and shocks the reader in equal measure.
Souleymane Camara the PI and narrator of the story is the product of a mixed marriage; living in France before some horrific event robbed him of his wife and child, which also left him without his police career as he stepped over the line and fled to his Father's homeland Mali to avoid prison. Althoigh his Dad has passed away his life-long friend Kansaye in the tradition of the country "adopts" 'Solo' and takes on that parental and cultural responsibility when he arrives in Bamako.
I loved the rich African colour to this novel. The different approach to life and death. The poverty and need to stretch your salary to keep your family. I loved the racial mix of Christian and Muslim and our protagonist Solo Camara too black in France but too white in Mali who understands his place and respects and shows loyalty where it is due.
The writing reads well despite some of the issues around any translated work; it helps to transport you to Africa and enable you to sit of the terrace and see the sun over the Niger river. It also opens your eyes to the terror and brutality people seem to enact and bribe themselves free of any true consequences. Indeed the criminal gang Solo comes up against almost brag that they have 'bought' the country and can act with impunity.
A refreshing change to the usual crime thriller available in English and one I am able to recommend unreservedly.

This was a fast paced thriller, set in Mali, based around corruption. Written by a former police officer and translated from French. For lovers of thrillers, I would recommend it and have reviewed it on Amazon.

Bring something to read

Travelling is a “hurry up and wait” scenario. Be at the airport early to check in, then, wait for boarding time. And then, there is the actual travel time of course. Being on a plane is a good time to catch up on your reading. If you are into mystery/ thrillers, then you will like White Leopardby Laurent Guillaume.

The story revolves around Solo, a former cop who ran away from a dark past in France to start his life over again in Bamako, Mali, as a PI. An ordinary case turns out to be not so ordinary. Approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia for drug trafficking, Solo finds himself in the telecospic sights of the authorities and the drug cartel. A man torn between two continents, Solo faces a dangerous confrontation between tradition and corruption. This is classic hard-boiled noir with a modern twist set in Africa. White Leopard is Rated M for Mature due to sex, violence and drugs.

White Leopard is an intense thriller that left me out of breath. Having lived in Africa, I loved the setting and who wouldn't love African noir? Corruption, drugs, murder, this book has it all, Buckle up readers, you're in for one hell of a ride! Thank you, Le French Publishing and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of White Leopard.

Laurent Guillaume graduated law school, served in the French military, then went to the police academy. He worked as a policeman in France, and abroad in Mali as an advisor. In Mali he started writing, winning a few awards. His writing style is reminiscent of Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane. White Leopard is a well written novel that moves along quickly. The characters are brought to life and the settings are described in enough detail that a mental picture forms easily. The translation was well done, and added to the readability of the book. It’s the type of book you want to keep reading to see what happens next. This is an author and a character I look forward to reading more of.

White Leopard is set in the west African country of Mali, a former French colony. Our protagonist, Solo Camara, is a was a police officer in France, until his wife and son were killed by a hit and run driver. After taking his revenge, he had to leave the country resettling in Mali.

In Mali Solo works as a private investigator. When a beautiful French lawyer hires him to help get her sister out of trouble, we discover Solo has few scruples. Since he is willing to be used to bribe a judge for the girls release. The judge is bribed, the girl is to be released, and all seems well until the girl turns up dead the next day.

Solo’s client wants him to exact revenge on whoever killed her sister. Solo refuses, and she spreads the rumor he is going to kill those responsible. Solo knows nothing of her actions until he is ambushed in his house by one of the drug kingpins, and a couple of his thugs. Solo tries to reassure them he is not after them. They harm an old family friend, and the caretaker of his house, as a warning to leave them alone.

His friend later dies. For Solo, now it has become personal. Now he well go after them and get his revenge. For the rest you need to read White Leopard

Thanks to netgalley.com, Laurent Guillaume and LeFrench Book for the ARC copy for my honest review.

White Leopard's a noir story that takes place in Bamako, Mali, it's a decent read, involves murder, drugs and corruption and seems like everyone can be bought in the African country.

Souleymane (Solo) Camara is a PI, he's interesting, likable, damaged, has no line he won't cross, loyal, doesn't just give up and full of vengeance.

He's was a Cop in Paris, who's now wanted in France, for killing 2 men who were responsible for killing his wife and son.

Solo takes a client Farah Tebessi a French Lawyer asks for his help in freeing her younger sister from drug charges and enabling her to take her home to her daughter.

Bahia Tebessi a law student, to be able to support herself and her daughter agrees to carry 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage back to France and gets arrested at the Mali airport.

The problem for Solo was, he realizes after Bahia gets killed that she was in deeper with the drug smugglers than he was told or Farah realizes.

Your in for a thrill ride, full of corruption, after he goes after those who are responsible for her death and it's a alright read. Even the translation of the books good.

The only thing I hated that three times Solo's on the brink of death and with seconds to spare gets saved.

If you like noir, then you'll enjoy the read or don't mind that the main character has nine lives.

Interested to read more from Laurent after this

This is the authors first book translated to English. This is a story about a man who lives between two continents . Solo a former who cop has to run from his past in France. Anyone who truly loves intrigue and suspense should read this book LeFrench Publishers are one of my favorites.
I received this book in exchange for and honest review.

Thank You to Net Galley, the author and the publishers for a ARC copy for a honest review.

Hard-boiled PI fiction will relish Guillame’s first book to be translated into English. French attorney Farah Tebessi approaches ex-cop Solo Camara, who works as a PI in Bamako, Mali, for help after her younger sister, Bahia, gets into trouble. Bahia, who’s a law student in France, was about to catch a flight for Paris from the Bamako airport when she was arrested for transporting 13 kilos of cocaine in her luggage. Since Farah believes that “buying off people is the national pastime in Mali,” she asks Solo to bribe the examining magistrate in charge of the case in exchange for dropping it. Solo agrees and succeeds in getting Bahia freed. When Bahia turns up with her throat slit in the Niger River, Farah asks Solo to find the killers and eliminate them. A former cop who served as a police adviser in Mali, Guillame delivers a tale of corruption in Mali.

A son of both Western Africa and France, Solo has been dubbed White Leopard by the local press because of the crimes he’s solved. Tormented by demons known only to him, he’s just existing, passing time between cases with drink and women, not particularly bothered by the nonchalant government corruption he witnesses every day.

A book to be honest that is hard to review, a reasonable paced crime thriller, but very hard to like the main character, a heavy drinker, a heavy smoker, a user of drugs, a sarcastic rather un-professional PI, who seems to be on the wrong end of beatings all the time but seems to keep going and some very violent and graphic scenes.

I found the story slowed in pace near the end, rather than built up, no strong twists or suprises or great action, but an okay crime thriller.

Three stars from me

If you're a crime/detective novel fan, this is a book you will probably love as much as I did. The story hits all the typical crime novel beats: cop/PI with tragic past, drugs, smuggling, violence, femmes fatales, dead witnesses, corrupt cops, etc., but the fresh setting in Mali and the winning main character makes everything new and entertaining. Apparently, this is the first of this author's books to be translated into English, and I hope it's not the last, as I'd like to read more in this series - maybe I'll track them down in French and give that a go! The publisher, Le French Book, translates French authors and it looks like they may have some other interesting books I should look into. But back to this one in particular: I really enjoyed it. It's the perfect summer page-turner. Recommended.