The Leopard Hunts in Darkness

By Wilbur Smith

The Leopard Hunts in Darkness by Wilbur Smith: In Manhattan, Craig Mellow is the toast of the literary world, a young writer whose bestselling novels and larger-than-life adventures are fueled by natural-born charisma. But Craig lost a limb and a legacy in Africa. And his heart still clings to the land.

A representative of the World Bank recruits Craig to return to his war-torn homeland--to use his knowledge of Zimbabwe's people, languages, and wildlife to stabilize its future. But once he sets foot on the continent, Craig cannot resist what runs in his blood…

Soon, this scion of a legendary family is caught in a new era of massive ivory poaching, of tribal warfare waged with modern killing tools, and international politics hardwired directly to Washington and Moscow. With a woman by his side and a traitor behind his back, Craig is about to learn a lesson of a brutal new age--if he can survive Africa one more time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Nov 28, 2006
• ISBN: 9781429997737

Wilbur Smith

Described by Stephen King as “the best historical novelist,” WILBUR SMITH made his debut in 1964 with When the Lion Feeds and has since sold more than 125 million copies of his books worldwide and been translated into twenty-six different languages. Born in Central Africa in 1933, he now lives in London.

Reviews for The Leopard Hunts in Darkness

[ini_ya_2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very good read.

[seriousgrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the penultimate book in the Ballantyne series. The book opens, as all the others do, with a snapshot of the landscape. This time we follow a bull elephant and his desperate escape from hunters. It's a savage start to Leopard, but very typical of Smith and very telling of the rest of the story, for it's all about poachers. The story then follows Craig Mellow out of Africa and into the urban jungle of New York City. At the end of Angels Weep Mellow has just found out his book, Flight of the Falcon has been accepted for publication. Unlike other Ballantyne books in the series, Leopard does not start with a date. The reader is not grounded in the era until later. Of course, in order to make the story go back to Africa, Mellow returns to his homeland to revitalize his country and start a nature preserve with photographer, Sally-Anne. Typical of all Smith/Ballantyne books there is savage violence, passionate love scenes and gorgeous landscapes to draw every kind of reader in.

[iamandypieters · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wilbur Smith just as powerful as ever depicts this epic tale of love and strife set in the Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) of late 20th century

[chicjohn · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As always, a really good yarn

[cathepsut · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good, reliable entertainment. Although I have read so many of his novels now that it’s starting to become a bit repetetive. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had read that book before, which I haven’t. But it’s just the same themes over and over again. Even though, it’s still an excellent adventure yarn and hard to put down. This time it is set in Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia. Guerillas, poachers, a white damsel in distress, a heroic white guy saving the day, after someone wrongfully takes everything he owns. Etc. If you have read Wilbur Smith before, you know the score….