Review: Nature of the Lion

Title: Nature of the Lion

Author: T. M. Clark

Publisher: 16th November 2018 by Harlequin Australia, HQ

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: action, Africa

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

An all-new vivid, action-packed adventure across the African landscape in the tradition of Tony Park and Wilbur Smith, from Australian thriller writer, T.M. Clark. Hiding from the law, they never expected to be caught in the crosshairs of a hunter...

After relocating to South Africa on the heels of scandal five years ago, Chloe and her invalid father, Mike, once wealthy Zimbabwean landowners, now have little. Away at university, Chloe has had to rely on her father's best friend Enoch and his son Xo to watch over Mike.

When a violent confrontation puts Chloe in danger, Enoch steps in to help - with inadvertent fatal results. With increasing pressure from a right-wing group on the police to charge Enoch, this mismatched family have no choice but to flee back to Zimbabwe.

But crossing the border will be dangerous and near impossible with their route taking them amid warring dissident armies and landmines, and their every footstep is stalked by a shadowy ring of hunters - whose trophies are taken from more than animals...

Only with help from Nick, formerly a soldier under Mike's command, now a professional game ranger, will the fugitives have a chance of making it home. But Nick has long struggled to come to terms with his fellow soldiers' choices before their unit was abandoned. Will his past demons put them all at risk?

My Thoughts

‘That is the fire of the Caçador Escuro, the Dark Hunter. We avoid such fires when we see them.’ Julio shook his head and made a cross on his chest as if to ward off evil. Enoch frowned. ‘Why?’ ‘These men are evil. They hunt people.’

‘Nature of the Lion’ is another compelling read from Zimbabwean born T.M. Clark. As I wrote about her previous book, ‘Child of Africa’ (HERE), I love reading about this compelling continent where I once lived. Clark brings to life the modern day hurdles that many there  face and you will find yourself fully engaged throughout this riveting story.

Yet again Clark provides us with another gripping and action packed thriller that not only transports you to the heart of Africa but presents  a side of life that not many are witness to - everything from illegal hunting to racism and corruption. So much beauty to be found in the wilds of Africa, yet it goes hand in hand with  so much horror - it’s a tale of conflict for all the wrong reasons. Clark is so understanding of this imbalance and presents the compelling contradictions to perfection.

Containing a little of everything, the tension will build and the drama continue to unfold right up until the very end. The violence will confront you, the rugged beauty impress you. Clark again provides a  ‘Fact vs Fiction’ at the end that proves most helpful in sorting through the details - real and fictionalised - from the book.

I highly recommend ‘Nature of the Lion’  with Clark becoming a firm favourite for her compelling writing in providing real and gripping dramas that will see you fully engaged throughout the novel. The characters are honest, the story they have to tell, whilst sad and frightening at times, proves very, very enthralling.

‘They do not think like you and me. They see the colour of skin as a measure of character and a means to judge who a person is.”

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.