DNF – too much violence and Kalashnikovs. These last few pages (midway through the book) especially convinced me to give up. I much prefer Wilbur Smith's historical novels. If you're looking for an action-packed thriller, **The Leopard Hunts in Darkness** might be your thing, but it wasn't for me. There are plenty of **book reviews** out there if you want a second opinion on **Wilbur Smith's** latest.

As always with Wilbur Smith, the writing is fluid and compelling, even if the female characters in "The Leopard Hunts in Darkness" remain flat and predictable, and the love stories are stereotypical. For fans of Wilbur Smith's adventure novels, this is another solid offering, but don't expect any surprises if you're familiar with his style. A decent read, but nothing groundbreaking in the world of thriller book reviews.

Wilbur Smith delivers another thrilling tale, plunging us into the heart of African Shona and Matabele tribes amidst fierce tribal conflicts. Craig Mellow, a descendant of the Ballantyne family, is driven to reclaim his family's land through sheer determination, employing members of the local African tribes, many of whom he remembers from his past. Craig's a talented writer, and his life takes an interesting turn when he falls for Sally-Anne, a passionate photographer who shares his deep love fo...

This is the third Wilbur Smith novel I've picked up, and it absolutely doesn't disappoint. "The Leopard Hunts in Darkness" has virtually no dull moments, moving the story along at a brisk pace without feeling rushed. It's a classic, old-school adventure, packed with action, especially the numerous treks through the jungle as the main characters try to evade capture. I'd give it a full five stars, except for a few instances where the characters' reactions to certain situations felt a little off c...

An excellent read into the history of Zimbabwe, though at times the descriptions become a bit overbearing on the story itself. The descriptions are vivid and beautiful. The words bring the entire wildlife sanctuary to life. I could almost feel the thrill and felt like I was right there in the wild. It actually makes me want to travel to the Zambezi Waters!This is probably the first book I've read that's based in Africa, and it’s truly a fast-paced action story traversing across the length and br...

As the Ballantyne series draws to a close, Wilbur Smith pulls out all the stops to deliver a riveting and powerful story, set in the mid to late 1980s. After fleeing the country during its independence wars, Craig Mellow yearns to return to the newly named Zimbabwe. While in exile, Mellow has penned a wildly popular novel about his ancestors' struggles in the region, based on journals he managed to salvage. Returning to this political cesspool, Mellow's primary objective is to reclaim his family...

Wilbur Smith delivers a splendid, hard-knuckle African thriller, a fitting climax to his Ballantyne quadrilogy. *The Leopard Hunts in Darkness* wastes no time with historical background, diving straight into a gutsy, modern (1980s setting) thriller loaded with blood and guts action. The hero, Craig Mellow, is driven back to Zimbabwe to make a go of it. Once there, he ends up romancing a beautiful young photographer (surprise!) and soon finds himself involved in a high-level poaching operation (...

Blurb - Craig Mellow, acclaimed author but unhappy exile, seizes the chance to return to Zimbabwe when he is given a spying mission for the World Bank. Accompanied by beautiful photographer Sally-Anne Jay, he is at first unaware of the dangerous currents of tribal conflict that swirl below the calm surface of Zimbabwean politics. Then he stumbles upon a highly organized ivory-poaching operation which masks the treacherous plot to sell the country he once fought for into slavery ...It seems to me...

Initially, I was captivated by the vivid descriptions of the landscape in "The Leopard Hunts in Darkness," and I found myself connecting with the protagonist on some level. However, I was rather disheartened when it became clear that the painful history of Zimbabwe was simply being used as a backdrop to sell the book. I'm growing weary of the portrayals of the noble Ndebele people versus the cunning and deceitful Shona – it's all too simplistic, separating the 'good guys' from the 'bad guys' so ...

I'm a huge Wilbur Smith fan, and his books are always so immersive. "The Leopard Hunts in Darkness" is the fourth in a mini-series, and while I'm pretty sure I missed the first three, it worked perfectly as a standalone novel. His series aren't usually heavily reliant on each other anyway. This one took me a bit longer to get through because I was juggling a few other reads. It's not the kind of book you can just rush through. Honestly, I didn't love "The Leopard Hunts in Darkness" quite as much...