Mark of the Lion: A Jade Del Cameron Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Suzanne Arruda (Author)

Book Description

Series: Jade Del Cameron Mystery | Publication Date: December 5, 2006

After driving an ambulance along the front lines of World War I, she can fire a rifle with deadly precision. Still suffering trauma from the Great War, she sets off for Africa determined to fulfill a man's dying wish...never expecting to become involved in murder.

Rich with romance, mystery, and adventure, Mark of the Lion introduces a fascinating new heroine and explores the elusive heart of a compelling and exotic world.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 1919, Arruda's promising debut introduces a heroine who's no ordinary Gibson girl. An ambulance driver during WWI, Jade del Cameron promises a dying soldier that she'll track down his brother. The only problem is that the soldier's mother, whom Jade goes to visit in London, insists that she had only one son. Jade reasons that the missing brother must have been born to another woman, conceived when the now deceased family patriarch was exploring East Africa. So off she goes to Nairobi, where she mingles with the colonial elite, kills a hyena, learns Swahili, fingers a drug smuggler, romances a man twice her age, uncovers a murder and attracts the attentions of a local witch. The novel's conclusion is a tad predictable, and Arruda's Africa is not quite as captivating as Alexander McCall Smith's (an inevitable comparison). Still, most readers will close this charming book eagerly anticipating the next installment of Jade's adventures. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

With her caramel coloring and green eyes, American Jade del Cameron is nothing short of exotic. But don't mistake her for a hothouse flower; she's tough, brave, smart, and stubborn, as she proved during her service in France during the Great War. What's more, she's a crackerjack shot. Her temperament and talents get a workout when she agrees to investigate the death of the father of a young fighter pilot who died in the war, and to track down the young man's illegitimate half brother. It's a task that takes her to colonial East Africa, where she encounters racial and gender prejudice as well as kindness, courage, and greed. She also comes face-to-face with superstitions that blend seamlessly into reality. Arruda manufactures an intriguing backdrop for the debut of her new series, delivering both a heady sense of East Africa's cultural and geographical landscape during the early 1900s and an outspoken heroine, who proves herself gratifyingly ahead of her times in numerous ways. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 21 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: NAL Trade; First Edition. 1 in number line edition (December 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451219589
• ISBN-13: 978-0451219589
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #218,836 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Top notch debut novel -- highly recommended, January 19, 2006

By 

Laurel Johnson (Kansas USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mark of the Lion: A Jade Del Cameron Novel (Jade Del Cameron Mystery) (Hardcover)

Early praise for this mystery novel is well-deserved. Jade del Cameron is an appealing heroine and locales in France, England, and Africa are beautifully rendered.

Jade del Cameron epitomizes American toughness and determination in the early 20th century. Raised on a New Mexico ranch, Jade is doing her bit during World War One by
driving an ambulance at the Front. She's a top notch driver and mechanic, a gutsy girl who pilots a rickety Model T Ford through crossfire and shellbursts all day, every day. Transporting wounded and shell-shocked soldiers is a heartbreaking job. Despite her courage, War has taken a hard toll on Jade. When friend and would-be suitor David Worthy crashes his plane, Jade is the first person on scene. Before his death, David extracts a promise from her: Find his brother Abel and investigate his father's suspicious death in Africa. Jade is a girl who keeps her promises. At war's end she dedicates herself to honoring David's last request. In her new job as reporter for an American magazine, she begins the investigation in England then heads for Nairobi.

In Africa, Jade encounters an intriguing mix of characters: English Lords and Ladies living like royalty; native warriors and servants; working class coffee growers trying to survive Africa's climate; and shape shifting witch doctors out to end her investigation. Jade is enthralled by Africa's wildlife, people, and vistas, but doesn't lose sight of the purpose for her visit. The search for David's brother takes her from Nairobi to the foothills of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Handsome Harry Hascombe heads the safari to Kilimanjaro country. Jade is courageous and capable, a crack shot. And thanks to her Spanish-Irish-French ancestry, her looks attract Harry like a magnet. But Jade is all business and focused on the promise made to a dead pilot. She believes the mystery is all but solved until first a lion, then a hyena try to kill native guide, Pili.

I won't share more of the plot because the mysteries are only partially solved by book's end. Jade will carry on her investigation with the next book in this series. Because of top notch prose style, exciting plot, and memorable characters, Mark of the Lion is highly recommended.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book, March 25, 2006

By 

Linda (Duvall, Washington) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Mark of the Lion: A Jade Del Cameron Novel (Jade Del Cameron Mystery) (Hardcover)

Jade Del Cameron is a terrific new character. I've loved African stories since I was small, and rarely do I find one with such a charming lead female. Jade is able to take care of herself. She's the sort of character that makes you keep turning the pages long after bedtime.

I like the character of Africa, too. Suzanne Arruda brings the area to life. I loved the little chapter headings - the articles that Jade "wrote". They bring added life to the story.

I hope to see lots more of Jade, and of Africa in the future.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful characters, intriguing mystery, great supernatural element, March 27, 2006

By 

M. Richard "mrichard" (Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mark of the Lion: A Jade Del Cameron Novel (Jade Del Cameron Mystery) (Hardcover)

Mark of the Lion is a wonderful read. The setting is extremely important in the novel and becomes a character itself because Ms. Arruda has done her research. But luckily the other characters are so well-developed, likeable, and even quirky that they do not get lost in this wonderful setting. And the plot is not typical--Jade is searching for the missing brother of her former love in the middle of witchcraft, greed, wild animals, secrets, and best friends.

I highly recommend this historical mystery novel to anyone--mystery lovers or not. I think anyone who enjoys a good read with exceptional characters will love this book!