From Publishers Weekly
In her third appearance, following Elephants' Graveyard , spirited Jazz Jasper, American owner of a safari company in Kenya and occasional PI, sets out to solve a murder and protect a magnificent and endangered species. On the opening pages, Jazz witnesses the gruesome death, by the sting of a non-indigenous scorpion, of investigative reporter Nick Hunter. Aided by Nick's widow Wynn, an animal-rights activist, and the suave police detective Omondi, Jazz traces Nick's last moves, gradually discerning that whoever is behind his murder may also threaten the survival of the cheetah. She finds herself in the treacherous worlds of illegal poachers, large-scale land developers and the wealthy who think nothing of keeping a cheetah cub as a pet or wearing its fur. Such physical dangers as a plane crash, an attack by Saudi bodyguards and another by lions are all part of a day's work for the resourceful and courageous Jazz, who is also coping with a floundering business and a rocky romance. While McQuillan's characters tend to be good crusaders or evil exploiters, her haunting scenes of a paradise on the verge of destruction will likely move all readers, animal-rights supporters or not.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA-Accustomed to seeing four-footed animals hunt prey as she leads African safaris, Jazz Jasper is shocked by the death of a friend on his own estate. She is even more startled to learn that it was not an accident, but murder. Calmly and methodically, she investigates suspects and possible motives. Her first-person narrative affords readers the opportunity to experience her confusion and to endure her terror rather than merely witness them. Characters are realistically depicted: no one is all evil or all good. Teens will especially enjoy Jazz's wit, resourcefulness, and spontaneity and the story's rapid pace. Although the number of primary suspects is relatively small, McQuillan draws an intricate web of suspense involving international intrigue concerning the illegal slaughter of animals, oil deals, and ecological concerns of shrinking habitats. The novel also provides an interesting and somewhat unique look at many aspects of Kenyan culture: the glitz of high society in Nairobi, the ordinary working class, the native tribal people out in the bush, and government bureaucracy.
Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
