The Snowman of Zanzibar.
I was looking for a thriller with an African twist, and The Snowman of Zanzibar filled the bill. It is one of those books you need to work through the first few chapters to get to the good stuff. I can understand Gordon Wallis as he describes the weather in wintery London. This was one of the main reasons I left too!
Jason Green, the protagonist of this thriller, is suffering under the weight of a cold and wet winter and fondly remembers his homeland in Africa. I was taught that when I am writing the protagonist must start to move and keep moving forward as the story progresses. Unfortunately, Gordon does not follow this rule in the first half of the book. Jason wanders around London grumbling about the weather, smoking cigarettes, and drinking too much. I felt I was kept in London for way too long, and I almost put the book down. But I was glad I didn’t.
Once you get used to Gordon’s writing style of short and punchy sentences, you can relax and start to get into the character of Jason Green.
The real meat of The Snowman of Zanzibar
As soon as we leave London and head to Africa the book takes on a new life. The descriptions of South Africa are accurate and well-written. In South Africa, the story takes on a different pace and develops into a thriller. I found a little intrigue to keep me reading and a beautiful fem fatale to keep me interested. The Snowman of Zanzibar starts to build to an excellent crescendo as we move on to Zanzibar where the story unfolds. The descriptions of Zanzibar are good and reasonably accurate. Paje is a lovely part of the island, which is where Jason Green ends up and it is well described.
Special Forces
The change in Jason from the guy in London to the masterful spy come special forces expert in Zanzibar was a little hard to take, and the second character was way too weak for someone who had spent the last few years in his occupation. The special forces stuff does come a bit too quickly to a 49-year-old guy who left the army some twenty years ago. But, we can suspend our disbelief as the story unfolds. I found the spy stuff was a little too easy. Breaking into a well-fortified house and not even having a dog present is odd in Africa.
Jason’s skills as a private eye and a special forces expert come into their own as he manages to save the day. There are a few unexpected incidents that keep you on your toes. Gordon’s writing style takes on an even more punchy attitude with great short hard-hitting sentences. A little like Lee Child, with a nonsense attitude and attention to detail. I found the last three chapters to be excellently written. I felt the emotions and fear and could not stop turning the pages!
Conclusion
Overall, The Snowman of Zanzibar, although slow to start when it gets into its stride is well worth the read. When you get used to the author’s writing style which is first person and fast short sentences with a lot of attention to detail then the book is engaging and different.
I enjoyed the read and look forward to picking up another one of Gordon Wallis’ books very soon.
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Below are some more useful links about Safaris in Africa- Enjoy!
Mark Dawson | The Vault
James A. Ross | Hunting Teddy Roosevelt
Wayne Stinnett, John Cunnigham, Nick Sullivan, Nicholas Harvey| Graceless
Through the Leopard’s Gaze | Njambi McGarth
The Sahara Legacy | Ernest Dempsey
Stephen King | A Memoir of the Craft
Petter Rimmer- Echoes From the Past
Top Tips for an African Safari and Beach Holiday
African Safari Which is the Best Country to Choose and Why?
Top Tips for the Perfect African Safari Vehicle
The Naming of Kenya-How and Why!
Zanzibar Tanzania-A must for your Bucket List
A Trip to Monsoon Restaurant Mtwapa
Kerosene Harvesting Stories from Kenya
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Mekatilili Wa Wenza Stories From Kenya
