Mark Of The Lion

British East Africa just after the end of WWI, a missing second son and a mysterious pre-war murder are the hooks on which the tale is hung in Mark of the Lion (#14) by Suzanne Arruda.  Jade del Cameron is an American female ambulance driver in a French unit on the front lines during the war.  Her close friend David, a pilot, is shot down in a dog fight and dies in her arms.  His dying request is that she locate his brother.  She is determined to carry out his last wish and conveniently combines the trip to Africa with a travel magazine assignment. 

The descriptions of the country and colonial society around Nairobi are fascinating, as is the lore surrounding the laibons, or witch doctors, capable of controlling aminal familiars, or in the case of particularly strong witches, turning themselves into the aminals.  Suzanne Arruda says she based this plot device on a story written by Baron Blor Blixen, husband of Isak Dinesen (Out of Africa).

Less compelling to me is her heroine, Jade.  I did not find this character either likable or sympathetic, though she engenders strong loyalities amongst her friends.  How and why are the big mystery.  She is supposed to be portrayed as strong, independent, brave and adventurous, but a lot of that comes across as selfish and pig-headed.  She can shoot better than the men (with the rifle her parents gave her when she was 16!), she can fix any motor vehicle better than a man, she's won the Croix de Guerre in France for her actions, hates wasting time on frivolous talk about fashions, and she's fluent in Swahili after being in Africa only a few days!  What a paragon!  Her wealthy British friends shower her with gifts - a new evening dress, a top-performing rifle and letters of introdruction from a lordship! - which she seems to accept as her due.  Her family apparently supplies her with money and freedom to quench her wanderlust, but the only one she seems to feel any obligation to is the dead David, and that seems to be largely motivated by guilt that she didn't love him enough to marry him. 

I can't say that there were any surprises in this book; no plot twists to make me think "I did NOT see that coming!"  but it was interesting enough to hold my attention when I wasn't thoroughly annoyed by Jade.  It made me long to go on safari and see Africa for myself.  A number of years ago, one of my co-workers was fortunate enough to do that.  He went by himself on a safari trip to Kenya and shared the pictures and his experiences when he came back.  My sister-in-law on the other hand, is the only person I know who could announce she was off to a librarians' international conference in Nairobi and have a blind date set up for her there!  (She went to the modern day equivalent of the Muthaiga Club mentioned in the book and had a miserable date, so maybe there is some justice.)  Maybe someday...