The White Jaguar

by William Appel

Book

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Jane Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I liked most about William Appel's The White Jaguar were the descriptions of the Amazon jungle and the people with it. I could see, hear, and smell the environs and see the particular details of the characters in the story. Kudos to Mr. Appel for making the read almost cinematic with his attention to detail.

Bad things happen to good people, but the way things happen is what makes the difference in this story. Ava, a herpetologist, goes missing in the jungle and her brother, Michel Russ, joins her best friend and American gymnast, Nicole, to find her. Nicole's love and understanding of the Amazon people and culture help Michel locate his sister's body and the man responsible for her death, Carl Buchreiser. the cocaine smuggler that the local Indians all The White Jaguar,

The story is suspenseful and develops quickly. In addition to enjoying the read, I learned a lot about the Amazon jungle and the way the Indians live and are being eradicated by the White Man's pursuit of cocaine and the appeal of the modern way of life.If you enjoy learning while being entertained, I highly recommend The White Jaguar.

[Charles Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Herpetologist, Ava Rush, living and working with the Indians of the Amazon, looking for medicinal cures from cocoa and snake venom, stumbles across the drug operation run by the vicious drug lord known as the White Jaguar. When she is killed, her brother, Richard, a stock broker, travels to the Amazon to avenge her death. With the help Nicole, an American Olympian whose severe arthritis Ava cured, he and the tribes who adored his sister wage war on the White Jaguar.
White Jaguar by William Appel is a strong story, contrasting the endangered life of the indigenous people with the greedy lifestyle of Westerners; some come to bring civilization to the savages, and others merely looking for profit. The Indians are, unlike many stories of this ilk, not shown as innocents, but fully-fleshed cultural entities willing to risk all to preserve their way of life, and the non-Indian characters span the spectrum, making for full-bodied fiction that will keep you flipping pages.

[Mitzi Voase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best fiction book I've ever read! I was hooked from the second page, couldn't put it down, and it was a random find at a book swap while travelling. Highly recommend you give it a go.

[J.E. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The White Jaguar was a little different than what I expected. Even with my aversion to snakes and explicit sexual content. I admit I did skip over certain areas, but I still found it an enjoyable read. The story was a little slow in the beginning, but picked up and continued at a good pace.

I enjoyed the vivid imagery of the Amazon and the description of the tribes that lived there. I was given glimpses into tribal customs and the world of drug smuggling. Michael Rush, a Wall Street analyst, goes to the Amazon in search of his sister who is missing. He finds more than he bargained for. I don't want to say to much as it would create spoilers.

All in all, a well written storyline with strong well developed characters, in the fashion of an Indiana Jones adventure.

[5ngela · Rating 3 out of 5]

At last I can finish this book. It was slow journey for me. I don't know whether to like or dislike it based on my slow reading. It was an interesting and yet ordinary book. I will be honest the story was very slow. You could just skip it and miss nothing. It is something you will like or hate. The main character is Michael, successful Wall Streeters. One day he get strange email from his sister Ava. And then he goes to find her. The rest they say is in the book. Once again I don't really know how to review this book because I don't hate or like it particularly. Not your best book but also not the worst. If you already read many similar genre book, you can finish it. But I have to warn though, the story is unbelievable. I really mean it. The characters don't help either. I don't particularly like the ending nor hate it. It just doesn't stay in my head nor heart for long. In another sense, I am glad that it was finished at last.

Anyway, I cannot really recommend this story nor against it. Read it when you have time and enjoy it.

My rating : 3 of 5

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