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Black cocaïne
«Au Mali, tout est possible et rien n’est certain», ainsi parle Solo, ce Franco-Malien recherché par la police française qui a laissé derrière lui un passé obscur pour recommencer une nouvelle vie sur le continent noir. Ancien des stups respecté de la profession, Solo est devenu à Bamako un détective privé populaire. Même si les souvenirs douloureux le hantent souvent, Solo les noie avec application dans l’alcool. Jusqu’au jour où une belle avocate française l’engage pour faire libérer sa sœur arrêtée à l’aéroport avec de la cocaïne. Un dossier en apparence simple pour Solo, mais cette banale histoire de mule va prendre une tournure inquiétante. Ses vieux démons réveillés, l’ex-flic se lance dans cette affaire dangereuse, entre tradition et corruption, avec la détermination de celui qui n'a rien à perdre.
280 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
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733 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
September 9, 2016
I enjoyed reading this murder mystery about Soulemayne Camara, a disgraced ex French cop now living in Maili, Africa. Solo(his nickname) is hired by Farah Tebessi to bribe a judge to release her sister, Bahia, in jail in a drugs charge. Such things are common in Mali. He accepts the job, but then Bahia is killed and when he tries to find out why, thugs attack him and threaten to kill him. He does find out who killed her in this fast paced mystery with a lot of local information about life in Mali. There is a fair amount of blood and gore if you are squeamish. I give it 4 out 5 stars.
I received this ebook for free from the publisher, Le French Book, through NetGalley.com
I will count this book for Mali in UN Mystery challenge
I received this ebook for free from the publisher, Le French Book, through NetGalley.com
I will count this book for Mali in UN Mystery challenge
November 30, 2015
Laurent Guillaume is a former police officer and mobile commander in the Val de Marne section of Paris, southeast of the city. When he transferred to the DEA-like section of drug enforcement, he was stationed in Mali, Africa, where most of the drugs headed for Europe are transshipped. Guillaume sets this novel in Bamako, Mali and his main character, Souleymane Camara, is a private investigator formerly of the French police, living on the lam in Mali where he feels at home.
Camara is a light-skinned black man, not completely accepted in his native France, nor in Mali, which his father called home. He has a protector of sorts in the head of police in Bamako, a childhood friend of his father’s, and a background in crime detection, so he waits for trouble to come to him, working for clients needing help.
The opening sequence in this novel is so tightly written we are drawn in before we can spot what lies ahead. A French law student in financial troubles is unwitting courier to drug traffickers, and Camara is called in to extricate her. What we get are cartel-like deaths with chainsaws, a road trip through Mali along the Niger, an overnight in the open sleeping on top of the jeep, satellite phones and long-range camera lenses for finding out who is allowing the drugs into the country.
For readers who hope to travel the world in books, or read a book from every country, this should definitely go on your list. For readers who simply wish to know more about what is happening in Mali now, you will be pleased to have a glimpse behind the curtain with this fast-paced and realistic thriller. France has a long tradition of producing great mystery and thriller writers and this author is definitely on that list.
The smooth and fluent translation by Sophie Weiner makes this an easy recommend.
Camara is a light-skinned black man, not completely accepted in his native France, nor in Mali, which his father called home. He has a protector of sorts in the head of police in Bamako, a childhood friend of his father’s, and a background in crime detection, so he waits for trouble to come to him, working for clients needing help.
The opening sequence in this novel is so tightly written we are drawn in before we can spot what lies ahead. A French law student in financial troubles is unwitting courier to drug traffickers, and Camara is called in to extricate her. What we get are cartel-like deaths with chainsaws, a road trip through Mali along the Niger, an overnight in the open sleeping on top of the jeep, satellite phones and long-range camera lenses for finding out who is allowing the drugs into the country.
For readers who hope to travel the world in books, or read a book from every country, this should definitely go on your list. For readers who simply wish to know more about what is happening in Mali now, you will be pleased to have a glimpse behind the curtain with this fast-paced and realistic thriller. France has a long tradition of producing great mystery and thriller writers and this author is definitely on that list.
The smooth and fluent translation by Sophie Weiner makes this an easy recommend.
March 18, 2016
Thank You to Net Galley, the author and the publishers for a ARC copy for a honest review.
Hard-boiled PI fiction will relish Guillame’s first book to be translated into English. French attorney Farah Tebessi approaches ex-cop Solo Camara, who works as a PI in Bamako, Mali, for help after her younger sister, Bahia, gets into trouble. Bahia, who’s a law student in France, was about to catch a flight for Paris from the Bamako airport when she was arrested for transporting 13 kilos of cocaine in her luggage. Since Farah believes that “buying off people is the national pastime in Mali,” she asks Solo to bribe the examining magistrate in charge of the case in exchange for dropping it. Solo agrees and succeeds in getting Bahia freed. When Bahia turns up with her throat slit in the Niger River, Farah asks Solo to find the killers and eliminate them. A former cop who served as a police adviser in Mali, Guillame delivers a tale of corruption in Mali.
A son of both Western Africa and France, Solo has been dubbed White Leopard by the local press because of the crimes he’s solved. Tormented by demons known only to him, he’s just existing, passing time between cases with drink and women, not particularly bothered by the nonchalant government corruption he witnesses every day.
A book to be honest that is hard to review, a reasonable paced crime thriller, but very hard to like the main character, a heavy drinker, a heavy smoker, a user of drugs, a sarcastic rather un-professional PI, who seems to be on the wrong end of beatings all the time but seems to keep going and some very violent and graphic scenes.
I found the story slowed in pace near the end, rather than built up, no strong twists or suprises or great action, but an okay crime thriller.
Three stars from me
Hard-boiled PI fiction will relish Guillame’s first book to be translated into English. French attorney Farah Tebessi approaches ex-cop Solo Camara, who works as a PI in Bamako, Mali, for help after her younger sister, Bahia, gets into trouble. Bahia, who’s a law student in France, was about to catch a flight for Paris from the Bamako airport when she was arrested for transporting 13 kilos of cocaine in her luggage. Since Farah believes that “buying off people is the national pastime in Mali,” she asks Solo to bribe the examining magistrate in charge of the case in exchange for dropping it. Solo agrees and succeeds in getting Bahia freed. When Bahia turns up with her throat slit in the Niger River, Farah asks Solo to find the killers and eliminate them. A former cop who served as a police adviser in Mali, Guillame delivers a tale of corruption in Mali.
A son of both Western Africa and France, Solo has been dubbed White Leopard by the local press because of the crimes he’s solved. Tormented by demons known only to him, he’s just existing, passing time between cases with drink and women, not particularly bothered by the nonchalant government corruption he witnesses every day.
A book to be honest that is hard to review, a reasonable paced crime thriller, but very hard to like the main character, a heavy drinker, a heavy smoker, a user of drugs, a sarcastic rather un-professional PI, who seems to be on the wrong end of beatings all the time but seems to keep going and some very violent and graphic scenes.
I found the story slowed in pace near the end, rather than built up, no strong twists or suprises or great action, but an okay crime thriller.
Three stars from me
April 10, 2016
White Leopard by Laurent Guillaume
I’ve just read the most macho, sexist, gratuitously violent novel that I have read for a long time; not forgetting the graphic sex! Been there, done that and do not need to be told everything in great detail, I have a perfectly good imagination, but I suppose others may want more. Sad though, it shows a lack of finesse in an otherwise well written story. Yes, a well written story, which I am ashamed to say, I couldn’t put down! The hero was something else, a sad, lonely figure still mourning the death of his wife and child, but with a violent and vengeful nature, which he puts to full use. However, the way he is able to get out of so many life threatening situations in the most implausible ways, beggars belief. The main redeeming aspect of the story for me was the author’s description of the Mali society; where he had served as a police adviser and which was quite fascinating. As I have said before, how does one rate a story; by the quality of the writing, its content, or both? I would give this book four (4) Stars, for the writing, but the violence and sex were rather too graphic for me, so I rate it Three (3) Stars overall.
Read 11th October 2015
I’ve just read the most macho, sexist, gratuitously violent novel that I have read for a long time; not forgetting the graphic sex! Been there, done that and do not need to be told everything in great detail, I have a perfectly good imagination, but I suppose others may want more. Sad though, it shows a lack of finesse in an otherwise well written story. Yes, a well written story, which I am ashamed to say, I couldn’t put down! The hero was something else, a sad, lonely figure still mourning the death of his wife and child, but with a violent and vengeful nature, which he puts to full use. However, the way he is able to get out of so many life threatening situations in the most implausible ways, beggars belief. The main redeeming aspect of the story for me was the author’s description of the Mali society; where he had served as a police adviser and which was quite fascinating. As I have said before, how does one rate a story; by the quality of the writing, its content, or both? I would give this book four (4) Stars, for the writing, but the violence and sex were rather too graphic for me, so I rate it Three (3) Stars overall.
Read 11th October 2015
December 5, 2015
(translated from French)
Solo Camara, known as the White Leopard, is a wanted man in France. While a cop, he killed the two men who were responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter.
Fleeing charges, he is now a Private Investigator in Bamako, Malia. A local attorney asks for his professional help in locating the men responsible for her sister's death.
Conducting his investigation, he ends up crossing paths with a ring of drug traffickers.
Camara is an interesting character. He's not particularly likable, he has no line he won't cross. He's brutal when it comes to vengeance. His only redeeming quality is that he is loyal to a fault to people that he trusts.
The drug traffickers are also brutal, willing to main and/or kill anyone who gets in their way of a huge profit.
It was an okay read. I found myself skipping pages here and there as it didn't really hold my attention throughout the entire book.
NOTE: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, GRAPHIC SEX, GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
3.5 Stars
My thanks to the author / Le French Book / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Solo Camara, known as the White Leopard, is a wanted man in France. While a cop, he killed the two men who were responsible for the deaths of his wife and daughter.
Fleeing charges, he is now a Private Investigator in Bamako, Malia. A local attorney asks for his professional help in locating the men responsible for her sister's death.
Conducting his investigation, he ends up crossing paths with a ring of drug traffickers.
Camara is an interesting character. He's not particularly likable, he has no line he won't cross. He's brutal when it comes to vengeance. His only redeeming quality is that he is loyal to a fault to people that he trusts.
The drug traffickers are also brutal, willing to main and/or kill anyone who gets in their way of a huge profit.
It was an okay read. I found myself skipping pages here and there as it didn't really hold my attention throughout the entire book.
NOTE: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE, GRAPHIC SEX, GRAPHIC LANGUAGE
3.5 Stars
My thanks to the author / Le French Book / NetGalley who furnished a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
July 4, 2020
Entertaining, pulpy detective novel. I really enjoyed the French-African perspective and Malian setting, with depictions of humble infrastructure, corruption, a practical attitude about bribery, and taking the law into your own hands. Includes rough sex, drugs, and blood.
The characters are harsh. The private dick, Solo, isn’t exactly likeable. His relationship with Farah, the love interest, is adversarial. Solo’s motive for becoming involved in an investigation is the abrupt murder of Drissa, his gardinier/“caretaker,” whom we don’t learn much about until he’s dead. As much as I usually love despicable villains, the bad guys here were over-the-top.
Still, the superior atmosphere, twists and antics make this a fun read. Quick too.
The characters are harsh. The private dick, Solo, isn’t exactly likeable. His relationship with Farah, the love interest, is adversarial. Solo’s motive for becoming involved in an investigation is the abrupt murder of Drissa, his gardinier/“caretaker,” whom we don’t learn much about until he’s dead. As much as I usually love despicable villains, the bad guys here were over-the-top.
Still, the superior atmosphere, twists and antics make this a fun read. Quick too.
November 28, 2015
Laurent Guillaume proves to be a gifted writer in this afrocentric noir located in Mali. The central larger than life character, Solo, is a mixed race (French and Malian) private eye who has a dark past as a French cop who flees to Mali due to being a wanted man. We encounter a Mali where corruption is rife, with a marked demarcation between the haves and have nots. Those with money and corporate power can buy their way out of virtually anything, including murder whilst the have nots struggle to survive where their lives are considered cheap. We savour the skilful prose that captures the political backdrop of a nation, the culture, the institutions of government, and the eye catching characters that inhabit the book.
Solo finds himself trapped into pursuing those responsible for the murder of a young woman who had served as a drug mule. The sister of the woman spreads the rumour that he is investigating which leads to the tragic murder of Solo’s closest friend by some vicious gangsters led by a Spanish man. Solo’s anger and grief leads to him chasing the perpetrators to the final gruesome end. On this path, he finds himself fighting against a powerful drug cartel with significant corporate connections, and fighting for his life on a continuous basis. The suspense creates a nail biting atmosphere as the bodies pile up. We see the effects of instant communal justice, highlighting how people are fed up with corruption and the failures of the judicial system and take matters into their own hands.
There is no doubt that this is a gory, blood drenched trail that Solo follows. This is a cracking and compelling read which also educates us about Mali and Africa. Your life will be poorer if you do not read it. I would like to thank Le French, the publishers, for giving me a ebook copy via netgalley. They introduced me to a superb writer. I understand that Laurent Guillaume has other published books, please could Le French publish translated versions of them as soon as possible?
Solo finds himself trapped into pursuing those responsible for the murder of a young woman who had served as a drug mule. The sister of the woman spreads the rumour that he is investigating which leads to the tragic murder of Solo’s closest friend by some vicious gangsters led by a Spanish man. Solo’s anger and grief leads to him chasing the perpetrators to the final gruesome end. On this path, he finds himself fighting against a powerful drug cartel with significant corporate connections, and fighting for his life on a continuous basis. The suspense creates a nail biting atmosphere as the bodies pile up. We see the effects of instant communal justice, highlighting how people are fed up with corruption and the failures of the judicial system and take matters into their own hands.
There is no doubt that this is a gory, blood drenched trail that Solo follows. This is a cracking and compelling read which also educates us about Mali and Africa. Your life will be poorer if you do not read it. I would like to thank Le French, the publishers, for giving me a ebook copy via netgalley. They introduced me to a superb writer. I understand that Laurent Guillaume has other published books, please could Le French publish translated versions of them as soon as possible?
September 3, 2016
Admittedly the prologue snared my attention and never let go. The slow burning, yet fast paced unfolding narrative is gritty, and raw. A request for vengeance snowballs leading Solo to avenge for his own personal reasons with unleashed action and excitement. The lurid violence fitting, its towering edge in alignment with plot and players.
I was held hostage by Solo. Solo is the captor of this narrative. He’s part beast, part saint. We follow the scant tracks learning of Solo’s back story regarding his personal and professional life, enough arousing the reader for specifics, for now its mere foreplay. Solo is smooth, smart, gritty and reckless – on the precipice of life and death which translates to a death wish leaving him in a state of limbo making him lethal. As you learn of his loss, his hard exterior has fissures, in this wounded man there is a infiltratable center noticeable at poignant moments, his daily mask is ironhearted. Still grieving, Solo is a nomad drifting in the depths of his pain. He’s fascinating, an emotional wreck, he’s consuming. The supporting cast from angels to demons equally memorable, seemly in plot.
I wasn’t a fan of Solo striking Farah at all. No excuse. Even worse – Farah’s interest in him after the abuse. Wrong from beginning to end under any circumstances.
Guillaume’s law enforcement background along with his solid writing coalesces nicely. I will say the translation is excellent. Hardboiled, noir fans will appreciate Guillaume’s handiwork.
I was held hostage by Solo. Solo is the captor of this narrative. He’s part beast, part saint. We follow the scant tracks learning of Solo’s back story regarding his personal and professional life, enough arousing the reader for specifics, for now its mere foreplay. Solo is smooth, smart, gritty and reckless – on the precipice of life and death which translates to a death wish leaving him in a state of limbo making him lethal. As you learn of his loss, his hard exterior has fissures, in this wounded man there is a infiltratable center noticeable at poignant moments, his daily mask is ironhearted. Still grieving, Solo is a nomad drifting in the depths of his pain. He’s fascinating, an emotional wreck, he’s consuming. The supporting cast from angels to demons equally memorable, seemly in plot.
I wasn’t a fan of Solo striking Farah at all. No excuse. Even worse – Farah’s interest in him after the abuse. Wrong from beginning to end under any circumstances.
Guillaume’s law enforcement background along with his solid writing coalesces nicely. I will say the translation is excellent. Hardboiled, noir fans will appreciate Guillaume’s handiwork.
November 22, 2015
White Leopard by Laurent Guillaume
Translated from the French by Sophie Weiner
5 stars
Thank ‘Le French Book’ for translating this to English! A mini-masterpiece!
This is a real and gritty thriller with no holds barred, which is set in Mali, a small country to the west of Nigeria, and which is one of the poorest countries in the World. Mali was conquered by the French in the middle of the 19th Century and gained independence in 1960. Since then it has been plagued by insurgents including Al Quaeda.
The story is set in 2009 and is centred on Souleymane Camara, an ex-cop from France who is wanted by the French authorities, but who has fled to Mali to rebuild his life. Known generally as ‘Solo’ he is the White Leopard of the title, Warakalan Jeman, a noms de guerre given to investigators by journalists to spice up their stories. The name is a little incongruous due to his being mixed race with a father from Mali and mother from France.
In the best tradition of the crime thriller, Solo is a damaged individual with a tragic past where he lost both his wife and child. He is now a private investigator under some protection from Kansaye, the Commissioner of Police and friend of Solo’s father.
Solo is approached by Farah Tebessi whose sister Bahia is being held for being a drugs mule. Farah is prepared to pay whatever necessary to bribe the judge to let her go, and Solo is engaged as the go between.
It would be wrong for me to go into any more detail at this point as the strength of this novel is its ability to drop situations like mortar bombs, at regular intervals, thereby keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. There are murders, drugs cartels, secrets and lies aplenty which Solo attacks with guns blazing.
The author was himself a policeman involved in crimes involving narcotics, gangs and financial crimes as well as working as an advisor to the Mali police. His writing has that mark of authenticity which makes it totally convincing, and I felt, his style gave a nod to the writing of Ian Fleming.
Solo is a great character in the mould of Jack Reacher and Harry Hole; that is, capable of doing terrible things to avenge evil and enforce natural justice; and inevitably he pays a high price.
It wouldn’t be right to praise the author without mention of the translator, who has done a superlative job. It reads as if written originally in English and at no time did I feel anything was ‘lost in translation’. Well done Sophie!
If I was offered any other books by Laurent Guillaume to review, I would accept in a heartbeat. It is simply, a very honest book, true to its genre.
I loved it and you will too!
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of the book to review
Translated from the French by Sophie Weiner
5 stars
Thank ‘Le French Book’ for translating this to English! A mini-masterpiece!
This is a real and gritty thriller with no holds barred, which is set in Mali, a small country to the west of Nigeria, and which is one of the poorest countries in the World. Mali was conquered by the French in the middle of the 19th Century and gained independence in 1960. Since then it has been plagued by insurgents including Al Quaeda.
The story is set in 2009 and is centred on Souleymane Camara, an ex-cop from France who is wanted by the French authorities, but who has fled to Mali to rebuild his life. Known generally as ‘Solo’ he is the White Leopard of the title, Warakalan Jeman, a noms de guerre given to investigators by journalists to spice up their stories. The name is a little incongruous due to his being mixed race with a father from Mali and mother from France.
In the best tradition of the crime thriller, Solo is a damaged individual with a tragic past where he lost both his wife and child. He is now a private investigator under some protection from Kansaye, the Commissioner of Police and friend of Solo’s father.
Solo is approached by Farah Tebessi whose sister Bahia is being held for being a drugs mule. Farah is prepared to pay whatever necessary to bribe the judge to let her go, and Solo is engaged as the go between.
It would be wrong for me to go into any more detail at this point as the strength of this novel is its ability to drop situations like mortar bombs, at regular intervals, thereby keeping the reader on the edge of their seat. There are murders, drugs cartels, secrets and lies aplenty which Solo attacks with guns blazing.
The author was himself a policeman involved in crimes involving narcotics, gangs and financial crimes as well as working as an advisor to the Mali police. His writing has that mark of authenticity which makes it totally convincing, and I felt, his style gave a nod to the writing of Ian Fleming.
Solo is a great character in the mould of Jack Reacher and Harry Hole; that is, capable of doing terrible things to avenge evil and enforce natural justice; and inevitably he pays a high price.
It wouldn’t be right to praise the author without mention of the translator, who has done a superlative job. It reads as if written originally in English and at no time did I feel anything was ‘lost in translation’. Well done Sophie!
If I was offered any other books by Laurent Guillaume to review, I would accept in a heartbeat. It is simply, a very honest book, true to its genre.
I loved it and you will too!
Pashtpaws
Breakaway Reviewers were given a copy of the book to review
January 7, 2016
I am most grateful to LE FRENCH BOOK who allowed me access to this remarkable book via Net Galley.
Otherwise I may well have missed out on a real treat and finding a new author to me.
Set in Mali, Africa it is both a fresh twist on a crime thriller and a familiar friend at the same time. It has the feel of earlier US crime thrillers with private investigators embroiled in a life-threatening case because they looked up and saw a beautiful femme fatale work into their office and couldn't say no.
However it is so much more than a homage to previous murder mysteries; it is very much uptodate set in a country that few people in the UK may know about until occassionally some event hits the news. Mali is on the front line of terriorism but also has a rich French colonial past and this blend is beautifully exploited by the author who produces a plot that intrigues, fascinates and shocks the reader in equal measure.
Souleymane Camara the PI and narrator of the story is the product of a mixed marriage; living in France before some horrific event robbed him of his wife and child, which also left him without his police career as he stepped over the line and fled to his Father's homeland Mali to avoid prison. Althoigh his Dad has passed away his life-long friend Kansaye in the tradition of the country "adopts" 'Solo' and takes on that parental and cultural responsibility when he arrives in Bamako.
I loved the rich African colour to this novel. The different approach to life and death. The poverty and need to stretch your salary to keep your family. I loved the racial mix of Christian and Muslim and our protagonist Solo Camara too black in France but too white in Mali who understands his place and respects and shows loyalty where it is due.
The writing reads well despite some of the issues around any translated work; it helps to transport you to Africa and enable you to sit of the terrace and see the sun over the Niger river. It also opens your eyes to the terror and brutality people seem to enact and bribe themselves free of any true consequences. Indeed the criminal gang Solo comes up against almost brag that they have 'bought' the country and can act with impunity.
A refreshing change to the usual crime thriller available in English and one I am able to recommend unreservedly.
Otherwise I may well have missed out on a real treat and finding a new author to me.
Set in Mali, Africa it is both a fresh twist on a crime thriller and a familiar friend at the same time. It has the feel of earlier US crime thrillers with private investigators embroiled in a life-threatening case because they looked up and saw a beautiful femme fatale work into their office and couldn't say no.
However it is so much more than a homage to previous murder mysteries; it is very much uptodate set in a country that few people in the UK may know about until occassionally some event hits the news. Mali is on the front line of terriorism but also has a rich French colonial past and this blend is beautifully exploited by the author who produces a plot that intrigues, fascinates and shocks the reader in equal measure.
Souleymane Camara the PI and narrator of the story is the product of a mixed marriage; living in France before some horrific event robbed him of his wife and child, which also left him without his police career as he stepped over the line and fled to his Father's homeland Mali to avoid prison. Althoigh his Dad has passed away his life-long friend Kansaye in the tradition of the country "adopts" 'Solo' and takes on that parental and cultural responsibility when he arrives in Bamako.
I loved the rich African colour to this novel. The different approach to life and death. The poverty and need to stretch your salary to keep your family. I loved the racial mix of Christian and Muslim and our protagonist Solo Camara too black in France but too white in Mali who understands his place and respects and shows loyalty where it is due.
The writing reads well despite some of the issues around any translated work; it helps to transport you to Africa and enable you to sit of the terrace and see the sun over the Niger river. It also opens your eyes to the terror and brutality people seem to enact and bribe themselves free of any true consequences. Indeed the criminal gang Solo comes up against almost brag that they have 'bought' the country and can act with impunity.
A refreshing change to the usual crime thriller available in English and one I am able to recommend unreservedly.
September 5, 2015
[I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley. I thank them for their generousity. In exchange, I was simply asked to write an honest review, and post it. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising]
“[I]n Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain..."
Souleymane (aka Solo) Camara, a former French drug force detective expat living in his late father's house, runs Camara Investigations as a Private Dectective: shadowing illicit spouses, finding the "bad guys" and learning just how much you have to bribe a Malian to get anything done....
Then Farah Tebessi come into his life asking him to find her sister Bahia. Accused of being a drug mule, she's disappeared into the corrupt system of Bamako and Farah is desperate to find her as she has a small child at home, and she wants to bring them both to France where they will be safe. Solo agrees to find her, warning his client it's going to take bribe money to get any answers. Farah agrees, and the search begins, taking Solo all over Mali.
This is a fast paced gritty story. People die, people are bribed for information, all the bones of a good "hard boiled detective story". It's violence is pretty detailed and rather crude, just like life in war torn Northern Africa. We get small flashes of Camara's personal history that help "flesh out" his quest, and how his anger fuels his present search, and how the past is put into perspective. If you like mysteries, this might be just up your alley
“[I]n Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain..."
Souleymane (aka Solo) Camara, a former French drug force detective expat living in his late father's house, runs Camara Investigations as a Private Dectective: shadowing illicit spouses, finding the "bad guys" and learning just how much you have to bribe a Malian to get anything done....
Then Farah Tebessi come into his life asking him to find her sister Bahia. Accused of being a drug mule, she's disappeared into the corrupt system of Bamako and Farah is desperate to find her as she has a small child at home, and she wants to bring them both to France where they will be safe. Solo agrees to find her, warning his client it's going to take bribe money to get any answers. Farah agrees, and the search begins, taking Solo all over Mali.
This is a fast paced gritty story. People die, people are bribed for information, all the bones of a good "hard boiled detective story". It's violence is pretty detailed and rather crude, just like life in war torn Northern Africa. We get small flashes of Camara's personal history that help "flesh out" his quest, and how his anger fuels his present search, and how the past is put into perspective. If you like mysteries, this might be just up your alley
November 20, 2015
‘It was a beautiful morning.’
Souleymane (known as Solo) Camara used to be a policeman in France. He’s escaped from France, leaving behind a murky past, to begin life afresh in Bamako, Mali. Here, living in his late father’s house, Solo work as a private investigator. Solo has learned a lot about how power works in Mali, how who you know and how much you pay can get results. He’s doing okay.
But then he’s approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia. Bahia has been arrested as a drug trafficker. She had 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage. Can Solo help? He’s been recommended to Ms Tebessi by his former boss.
‘I have a saying: in Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain.’
But freeing Bahia becomes the beginning of Solo Camara’s nightmare. There are plenty of people with an interest in protecting a drug empire, and murder is of no concern to them. But who is in control? Any possibility that Solo could walk away from this case is quickly removed: it’s become personal.
And while Solo works on solving the case, we learn more about his past. About how he’s in the position he’s in, and why this case matters. This is a fast-paced story, with an abundance of bribery, death, sex and violence.
I enjoyed it, and I hope Laurent Guillaume writes more novels featuring Solo Camara.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Souleymane (known as Solo) Camara used to be a policeman in France. He’s escaped from France, leaving behind a murky past, to begin life afresh in Bamako, Mali. Here, living in his late father’s house, Solo work as a private investigator. Solo has learned a lot about how power works in Mali, how who you know and how much you pay can get results. He’s doing okay.
But then he’s approached by Farah Tebessi, a Parisian lawyer to look into the arrest of her sister Bahia. Bahia has been arrested as a drug trafficker. She had 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage. Can Solo help? He’s been recommended to Ms Tebessi by his former boss.
‘I have a saying: in Mali everything’s possible and nothing’s certain.’
But freeing Bahia becomes the beginning of Solo Camara’s nightmare. There are plenty of people with an interest in protecting a drug empire, and murder is of no concern to them. But who is in control? Any possibility that Solo could walk away from this case is quickly removed: it’s become personal.
And while Solo works on solving the case, we learn more about his past. About how he’s in the position he’s in, and why this case matters. This is a fast-paced story, with an abundance of bribery, death, sex and violence.
I enjoyed it, and I hope Laurent Guillaume writes more novels featuring Solo Camara.
Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Le French Book for an opportunity to read an advance copy of this novel.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
September 17, 2015
Solo Camara isn't your usual retired policeman turned private investigator. He has a past, a dangerous one. Now that he's a wanted man in France he has settled in the West African country of Mali, his father's homeland. It's here in Bamako the capital city that Camara takes on a case to help a woman whose sister has been arrested for drug trafficking. But, when she turns up dead all hell breaks loose. Camara must follow his instincts if he wants to find out what happened to her, even if it gets him into some tricky situations.
This is a gritty, fast paced, graphic novel full of action, unlike anything I've read recently. The setting was exotic and the characters were diverse. The author created the right balance between back story and the main characters dilemma. It was also a good look into how things work or, in some cases don't work in West Africa. Hopefully, Camara will be back with more cases to solve soon.
Thanks to Netgalley and Le French Book for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a gritty, fast paced, graphic novel full of action, unlike anything I've read recently. The setting was exotic and the characters were diverse. The author created the right balance between back story and the main characters dilemma. It was also a good look into how things work or, in some cases don't work in West Africa. Hopefully, Camara will be back with more cases to solve soon.
Thanks to Netgalley and Le French Book for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2015
What does it take to write a good mystery? For me, as a reader, it has to have at least one of the following, interesting characters, a good sense of place, a steady acceleration of tension, a good plot line and a good ending. It's rare, truly rare, when all of it falls together and you get a truly great mystery. If I had to put a number on it, I would say it happens far less that one percent of the time.
Is this one of those books, no, but it is a good book and something worth enjoying. What it does have, is first of all a great sense of place. There is a definite noir feel to Mr Guillaume's Mali. Besides the heat and humidity, there is a sense of unpredictability, corruption and violence that permeates the atmosphere and serves to propel the story line.
So it's the perfect backdrop for a mystery and mix it with some lean prose, a man with a complicated history and a woman with a problem and you have the all the makings of a fine noir mystery.
And, that is ..what it was.
Is this one of those books, no, but it is a good book and something worth enjoying. What it does have, is first of all a great sense of place. There is a definite noir feel to Mr Guillaume's Mali. Besides the heat and humidity, there is a sense of unpredictability, corruption and violence that permeates the atmosphere and serves to propel the story line.
So it's the perfect backdrop for a mystery and mix it with some lean prose, a man with a complicated history and a woman with a problem and you have the all the makings of a fine noir mystery.
And, that is ..what it was.
February 17, 2017
Un bon petit polar à l'ancienne, bref, sec, nerveux, comme je les aime.
L'originalité est dans son cadre - Le Mali - et son protagoniste principal - un métis franco-malien - à la violence à fleur de peau.
Après... C'est le Mali; ses paysages, ses ethnies, son vent chaud, ses trafics, sa corruption à tous les étages...
Le petit bémol que je mettrais tient dans les relations de Soko qui le sauvent plusieurs fois de mauvais pas façon deus-ex-machina de façon un peu (trop) visible. Mais peut-être est-ce parfaitement normal dans un pays où la loyauté et les bienfaits s'achètent en milliers de francs CFA.
Et puis au fond, un type qui dédie son livre à Olivier Marchal ne peut pas être foncièrement mauvais.
L'originalité est dans son cadre - Le Mali - et son protagoniste principal - un métis franco-malien - à la violence à fleur de peau.
Après... C'est le Mali; ses paysages, ses ethnies, son vent chaud, ses trafics, sa corruption à tous les étages...
Le petit bémol que je mettrais tient dans les relations de Soko qui le sauvent plusieurs fois de mauvais pas façon deus-ex-machina de façon un peu (trop) visible. Mais peut-être est-ce parfaitement normal dans un pays où la loyauté et les bienfaits s'achètent en milliers de francs CFA.
Et puis au fond, un type qui dédie son livre à Olivier Marchal ne peut pas être foncièrement mauvais.
May 4, 2020
Fascinating. Really nice details throughout that feed your curiosity as you spiral into this crime-laden bit of African noir, as unsettling as it is spell bounding. The characters are easy to imagine and hard to forget. A very nice murder mystery/detective novel with a character that will remind you of Mike Hammer, Mickey Spillane's signature character. Except maybe he's a bit more hard-boiled, has a lot more graphically described sex, and barely survives sadistic brutality over and over. It's a violent world that Souleymane Camara (Solo) lives and works in, but he's an excellent detective, surviving despite often not caring whether he survives or not. His real passion is solving mysteries and making sure those who harm his friends are punished.
July 19, 2017
White Leopard
I have always appreciated the noir genre. Although not really a hard-boiled noir potential classic, White Leopard is a fascinating introduction to the genre set in Africa with African characters. The story and interplay of police politics in Mali were easy to follow and the private investigator quickly developed a character that was both tough and challenging. Although some might say the story was, to some degree, predictable, the way it ultimately worked out was unique with a satisfying sense of place.
I have always appreciated the noir genre. Although not really a hard-boiled noir potential classic, White Leopard is a fascinating introduction to the genre set in Africa with African characters. The story and interplay of police politics in Mali were easy to follow and the private investigator quickly developed a character that was both tough and challenging. Although some might say the story was, to some degree, predictable, the way it ultimately worked out was unique with a satisfying sense of place.
January 10, 2021
An absolutely stock-standard PI story enlivened by the setting in Mali. Solo Camara, of mixed French/Malian heritage, is hired to find out about a young woman on drug charges. When he bribes her release, she is murdered and he sets out to uncover who and why. Solo has an unbelievable number of last-minute escapes and his choices are not the most sensible at times, but it’s a raw and involving story with much on the endemic corruption, the pace of life and African customs, as well as some interesting peripheral characters. An extra star for the setting.
December 20, 2017
This book had the odd feeling to me of rushing things yet leading me to tap my fingers and ask, "Are we there yet?" The character development wasn't well done and there was no real build up of relationships and I didn't feel myself really caring about any of the characters. Not a horrible book, but left much to be desired.
June 29, 2024
I found this to be a very entertaining read. I like characters who are gritty and flawed and "Solo" certainly fits that bill. The setting of Mali was exotic and different and added to the atmosphere of the story. This read was like watching an exciting (and sometimes gory) action thriller. I would recommend this book and will look for others by this author.
February 27, 2021
Super pulpy and rah rah macho ("I have broken ribs but tonight I will have ferocious sex. Tomorrow while driving on a dirt track, I will complain about the pain"), but stupidly enjoyable. Definitely wouldn't hesitate to pick up another book by this author if I came across one
April 11, 2018
Occasionally engaging!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2018
Some of the plot elements lack clarity.
October 28, 2015
White Leopard by Laurent Guillaume, hard-boiled, noir mystery, is interesting on several levels: It is set in Mali, about which I suspect few American reader know much; I certainly don't. Its narrator is Souleymane Camara, called Solo, a half-African/half-French ex-cop private detective. In France, he was regarded as black; in Mali, he's regarded as white. Solo is the quixotic figure: a (mostly) just man seeking justice in a corrupt world.
The book begins stereotypically with a beautiful dame, a French lawyer, showing up in Solo's office with a problem she wants him to solve. Her younger sister has been arrested as a drug mule. Solo needs to get her out of prison. No problem—or no big problem. Solo knows who to bribe and the sister is released.
Then the sister's mutilated body is pulled out of the river, and shortly after two exceptionally brutal thugs chop off the hand of Solo's elderly gardinier, which is what "Bamako residents call someone who tends the grounds and garden." They do it to warn off Solo, the old man dies, and, needless to say, Solo is not warned off. By the book's end, Solo has found himself involved in an international drug trafficking ring, a gay Ukrainian crook who's not what he seems, an upcountry gold mine, a shore-side standoff between the military and himself, and more.
White Leopard, translated gracefully from the French by Sophie Weiner, is Guillaume's first book to be published in English. He is apparently writing from the inside. A former police officer, he worked on anti-gang, narcotics, and financial crimes. He also served on a number of international cooperation missions, including one as a police adviser in Mali, particularly for issues related to drug trafficking. He has six thrillers published in France (French readers: take note).
I said above I know nothing about Mali, but now I know something: "Mali was once the French Sudan, and even though it has been an independent nation for a half century, vestiges of French rule still remain." A painless way to assimilate geopolitical information. And while Mali may be a third world country, technology thrives: "It took me a good ten minutes to find Ronny's magnetic GPS tracker underneath the engine block [of my Land Cruiser]. I pulled it off and examined the casing. It had a cable with a male USB port. I hooked it up to my computer and quickly figured out how to download the correct application. Fifteen minutes later, the GPS's location showed up on Google Earth. Satisfied, I charged the battery before going to bed."
While White Leopard contains some grisly violence, I never felt the bloodshed was gratuitous or overdone. Solo operates in a violent and corrupt milieu. Readers who would enjoy a safe visit to that world as they watch Solo untangle the mystery surrounding the sister's death will enjoy White Leopard.
The book begins stereotypically with a beautiful dame, a French lawyer, showing up in Solo's office with a problem she wants him to solve. Her younger sister has been arrested as a drug mule. Solo needs to get her out of prison. No problem—or no big problem. Solo knows who to bribe and the sister is released.
Then the sister's mutilated body is pulled out of the river, and shortly after two exceptionally brutal thugs chop off the hand of Solo's elderly gardinier, which is what "Bamako residents call someone who tends the grounds and garden." They do it to warn off Solo, the old man dies, and, needless to say, Solo is not warned off. By the book's end, Solo has found himself involved in an international drug trafficking ring, a gay Ukrainian crook who's not what he seems, an upcountry gold mine, a shore-side standoff between the military and himself, and more.
White Leopard, translated gracefully from the French by Sophie Weiner, is Guillaume's first book to be published in English. He is apparently writing from the inside. A former police officer, he worked on anti-gang, narcotics, and financial crimes. He also served on a number of international cooperation missions, including one as a police adviser in Mali, particularly for issues related to drug trafficking. He has six thrillers published in France (French readers: take note).
I said above I know nothing about Mali, but now I know something: "Mali was once the French Sudan, and even though it has been an independent nation for a half century, vestiges of French rule still remain." A painless way to assimilate geopolitical information. And while Mali may be a third world country, technology thrives: "It took me a good ten minutes to find Ronny's magnetic GPS tracker underneath the engine block [of my Land Cruiser]. I pulled it off and examined the casing. It had a cable with a male USB port. I hooked it up to my computer and quickly figured out how to download the correct application. Fifteen minutes later, the GPS's location showed up on Google Earth. Satisfied, I charged the battery before going to bed."
While White Leopard contains some grisly violence, I never felt the bloodshed was gratuitous or overdone. Solo operates in a violent and corrupt milieu. Readers who would enjoy a safe visit to that world as they watch Solo untangle the mystery surrounding the sister's death will enjoy White Leopard.
November 23, 2015
Souleymain Camara (Solo) left his career as a cop in France for the supposedly quieter life of a PI in West Africa. Unfortunately, corruption is everywhere and it seems to follow him like a lost puppy.
The beginning of his latest adventure brings a beautiful woman to his doorstep asking him to help her sister. Apparently the sister has made the very bad decision to get tangled up with drug smugglers. She was caught acting as a drug mule and was arrested. Her sister is willing to do anything to get her released and begs Solo for his help.
Solo “plays ball” with the corrupt politicians of the area and gets the sister out of jail. But she never makes it home to her daughter. She is found with her throat slit the day after her release.
The case continues to spiral out of control and quickly becomes very personal to Solo. He finds his life in danger as well as the lives of people he cares about. If the bad guys cross the line into his life, he is not above taking an eye for an eye.
I’m not really sure if I like Solo, but if he were a real person, he would not care if I did or didn’t. The reasons he does what he does are because he is following a strict code to which he adheres, even though it isn’t necessarily one we would all follow.
Guillaume, a French author making his English language debut with White Leopard, does not lose the integrity of the story, or the noir feel of his main character in the translation. As a former cop himself, Guillaume pulls from his vast knowledge of police work including narcotics, anti-gang and drug trafficking. This knowledge brings a graphic reality to this book and I would presume the others.
This is a hard-boiled detective novel. The chapters are short, and the tone and language gritty. Reality is intertwined with fiction creating a heart-pounding, page turning thriller.
White Leopard is his seventh novel; the previous six were published in French.
The beginning of his latest adventure brings a beautiful woman to his doorstep asking him to help her sister. Apparently the sister has made the very bad decision to get tangled up with drug smugglers. She was caught acting as a drug mule and was arrested. Her sister is willing to do anything to get her released and begs Solo for his help.
Solo “plays ball” with the corrupt politicians of the area and gets the sister out of jail. But she never makes it home to her daughter. She is found with her throat slit the day after her release.
The case continues to spiral out of control and quickly becomes very personal to Solo. He finds his life in danger as well as the lives of people he cares about. If the bad guys cross the line into his life, he is not above taking an eye for an eye.
I’m not really sure if I like Solo, but if he were a real person, he would not care if I did or didn’t. The reasons he does what he does are because he is following a strict code to which he adheres, even though it isn’t necessarily one we would all follow.
Guillaume, a French author making his English language debut with White Leopard, does not lose the integrity of the story, or the noir feel of his main character in the translation. As a former cop himself, Guillaume pulls from his vast knowledge of police work including narcotics, anti-gang and drug trafficking. This knowledge brings a graphic reality to this book and I would presume the others.
This is a hard-boiled detective novel. The chapters are short, and the tone and language gritty. Reality is intertwined with fiction creating a heart-pounding, page turning thriller.
White Leopard is his seventh novel; the previous six were published in French.
March 3, 2016
Laurent Guillaume graduated law school, served in the French military, then went to the police academy. He worked as a policeman in France, and abroad in Mali as an advisor. In Mali he started writing, winning a few awards. His writing style is reminiscent of Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane. White Leopard is a well written novel that moves along quickly. The characters are brought to life and the settings are described in enough detail that a mental picture forms easily. The translation was well done, and added to the readability of the book. It’s the type of book you want to keep reading to see what happens next. This is an author and a character I look forward to reading more of.
White Leopard is set in the west African country of Mali, a former French colony. Our protagonist, Solo Camara, is a was a police officer in France, until his wife and son were killed by a hit and run driver. After taking his revenge, he had to leave the country resettling in Mali.
In Mali Solo works as a private investigator. When a beautiful French lawyer hires him to help get her sister out of trouble, we discover Solo has few scruples. Since he is willing to be used to bribe a judge for the girls release. The judge is bribed, the girl is to be released, and all seems well until the girl turns up dead the next day.
Solo’s client wants him to exact revenge on whoever killed her sister. Solo refuses, and she spreads the rumor he is going to kill those responsible. Solo knows nothing of her actions until he is ambushed in his house by one of the drug kingpins, and a couple of his thugs. Solo tries to reassure them he is not after them. They harm an old family friend, and the caretaker of his house, as a warning to leave them alone.
His friend later dies. For Solo, now it has become personal. Now he well go after them and get his revenge. For the rest you need to read White Leopard
White Leopard is set in the west African country of Mali, a former French colony. Our protagonist, Solo Camara, is a was a police officer in France, until his wife and son were killed by a hit and run driver. After taking his revenge, he had to leave the country resettling in Mali.
In Mali Solo works as a private investigator. When a beautiful French lawyer hires him to help get her sister out of trouble, we discover Solo has few scruples. Since he is willing to be used to bribe a judge for the girls release. The judge is bribed, the girl is to be released, and all seems well until the girl turns up dead the next day.
Solo’s client wants him to exact revenge on whoever killed her sister. Solo refuses, and she spreads the rumor he is going to kill those responsible. Solo knows nothing of her actions until he is ambushed in his house by one of the drug kingpins, and a couple of his thugs. Solo tries to reassure them he is not after them. They harm an old family friend, and the caretaker of his house, as a warning to leave them alone.
His friend later dies. For Solo, now it has become personal. Now he well go after them and get his revenge. For the rest you need to read White Leopard
March 2, 2016
Souleymane Camara, known as Solo to his friends is the White Leopard. He was a police officer in France but now lives in Bamako, Mali as a private detective. He is approached by a woman who believes her husband is having an affair.
Farah Tebessi, a Paris lawyer, hires him to get her sister, Bahia, out of jail. Bahia was hired to carry gold into the country. Unknown to her, it turns out to be drugs. She is arrested and thrown into jail. The lawyer gives Solo money to bribe the officials to get her released. He meets with the jail official and negotiates the woman’s release.
After the police wake him up, they take him to an industrial area of the city. The police commissioner, Kansaye, is there waiting for him. There is a woman floating in the water. When he looks closer at her, he realizes she was Bahia.
He is back on the infidelity case. He followed the husband to a hotel restaurant. Sitting at the table with him is a beautiful woman. When he reports his findings to his client, she is pleased with the outcome and pays him.
Farah spreads the word Solo has taken the case to find Bahia’s killers. This infuriates the men behind her death and they begin following Solo. Before he knows it, he is almost over his head in trouble. He asks his friend Milo, the Serb, for help. Things go from bad to worst in a hurry. After traveling back roads and sleeping under the stars, he returns to finish the job.
The book is full of action and I could see this becoming a movie. I must caution there is a lot of violence and some raunchy sex scenes. With that said, I enjoyed the book and its fast action adventure. I found myself rooting for Solo to be successful and live to see another day.
Farah Tebessi, a Paris lawyer, hires him to get her sister, Bahia, out of jail. Bahia was hired to carry gold into the country. Unknown to her, it turns out to be drugs. She is arrested and thrown into jail. The lawyer gives Solo money to bribe the officials to get her released. He meets with the jail official and negotiates the woman’s release.
After the police wake him up, they take him to an industrial area of the city. The police commissioner, Kansaye, is there waiting for him. There is a woman floating in the water. When he looks closer at her, he realizes she was Bahia.
He is back on the infidelity case. He followed the husband to a hotel restaurant. Sitting at the table with him is a beautiful woman. When he reports his findings to his client, she is pleased with the outcome and pays him.
Farah spreads the word Solo has taken the case to find Bahia’s killers. This infuriates the men behind her death and they begin following Solo. Before he knows it, he is almost over his head in trouble. He asks his friend Milo, the Serb, for help. Things go from bad to worst in a hurry. After traveling back roads and sleeping under the stars, he returns to finish the job.
The book is full of action and I could see this becoming a movie. I must caution there is a lot of violence and some raunchy sex scenes. With that said, I enjoyed the book and its fast action adventure. I found myself rooting for Solo to be successful and live to see another day.
January 17, 2016
“White Leopard” is a pretty standard noir mystery thriller. It is strong on violence but weak on plot and nuance. The one feature that makes this novel unusual is its setting in the West African nation of Mali, most notably the city of Bamako. Guillaume does an outstanding job of capturing this locale with excellent descriptions of its geography, people, food, ambiance and, especially, its corruption. His protagonist, Souleymane (Solo) Camera, is representative of the genre. He has a checkered backstory, dubious ethics, exceptional intelligence, exquisite observational and deductive skills, a high degree of competence beyond most of his peers, tenaciousness and an outsider status. Likewise, the antagonists exhibit the traits of all bad guys in the genre: they are relentless, threatening, brutal and morally bankrupt. The damsel in distress in this case is the beautiful Farah Tebessi whose sister, Bahia is being held on a petty drug smuggling charge.
The weakness of this genre is that the reader knows at the outset that the hero, notwithstanding his obvious flaws, will succeed. However, we read on just to learn the details. Guillaume’s plot is no exception in this regard. Solo spars with a brutal drug cartel, often finding himself in situations that would seem to be hopeless. But he always manages to escape, often with the miraculous help of police commissioner Kansaye. The latter has taken on the responsibility of looking out for Solo in the Malian tradition of “fostering” the children of close friends who have passed on.
The weakness of this genre is that the reader knows at the outset that the hero, notwithstanding his obvious flaws, will succeed. However, we read on just to learn the details. Guillaume’s plot is no exception in this regard. Solo spars with a brutal drug cartel, often finding himself in situations that would seem to be hopeless. But he always manages to escape, often with the miraculous help of police commissioner Kansaye. The latter has taken on the responsibility of looking out for Solo in the Malian tradition of “fostering” the children of close friends who have passed on.
February 29, 2016
Thanks to netgalley.com, Laurent Guillaume and LeFrench Book for the ARC copy for my honest review.
White Leopard's a noir story that takes place in Bamako, Mali, it's a decent read, involves murder, drugs and corruption and seems like everyone can be bought in the African country.
Souleymane (Solo) Camara is a PI, he's interesting, likable, damaged, has no line he won't cross, loyal, doesn't just give up and full of vengeance.
He's was a Cop in Paris, who's now wanted in France, for killing 2 men who were responsible for killing his wife and son.
Solo takes a client Farah Tebessi a French Lawyer asks for his help in freeing her younger sister from drug charges and enabling her to take her home to her daughter.
Bahia Tebessi a law student, to be able to support herself and her daughter agrees to carry 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage back to France and gets arrested at the Mali airport.
The problem for Solo was, he realizes after Bahia gets killed that she was in deeper with the drug smugglers than he was told or Farah realizes.
Your in for a thrill ride, full of corruption, after he goes after those who are responsible for her death and it's a alright read. Even the translation of the books good.
The only thing I hated that three times Solo's on the brink of death and with seconds to spare gets saved.
If you like noir, then you'll enjoy the read or don't mind that the main character has nine lives.
White Leopard's a noir story that takes place in Bamako, Mali, it's a decent read, involves murder, drugs and corruption and seems like everyone can be bought in the African country.
Souleymane (Solo) Camara is a PI, he's interesting, likable, damaged, has no line he won't cross, loyal, doesn't just give up and full of vengeance.
He's was a Cop in Paris, who's now wanted in France, for killing 2 men who were responsible for killing his wife and son.
Solo takes a client Farah Tebessi a French Lawyer asks for his help in freeing her younger sister from drug charges and enabling her to take her home to her daughter.
Bahia Tebessi a law student, to be able to support herself and her daughter agrees to carry 13 kilos of cocaine hidden in her luggage back to France and gets arrested at the Mali airport.
The problem for Solo was, he realizes after Bahia gets killed that she was in deeper with the drug smugglers than he was told or Farah realizes.
Your in for a thrill ride, full of corruption, after he goes after those who are responsible for her death and it's a alright read. Even the translation of the books good.
The only thing I hated that three times Solo's on the brink of death and with seconds to spare gets saved.
If you like noir, then you'll enjoy the read or don't mind that the main character has nine lives.
December 1, 2015
White Leopard, by Laurent Guillaume, is my one hundred and eighteenth book that I have received and read from Goodreads. Solo Camara is not your usual retired policeman. He is a ex-cop from France who is wanted by the French authorities. He has fled France and went to Mali to rebuild his life. Mali is a small country west of Nigeria. It is one of the poorest countries in the world. Solo Camara real name is Souleymane Camara, goes by Solo. He is the white leopard.
Solo is half African and half French. He is a private eye. The death of a young female, a drug mule starts all the violence and death. A beautiful French women ask Solo for his help to seek revenge on the people responsible for murdering her sister.
The sister spreads rumours about Solo investigating her sister death, which in turn leads to the death of Solo closest friends by some vicious drug gangster. Because this happens Solo becomes angry and starts to chase the perpetrators to a very gruesome ending.
In the story Solo finds himself fighting very powerful drug cartel. The rest of the story you will have to read for yourself. I recommend this book to anybody who likes international crime fighting. This author really writes a great crime story.
Solo is half African and half French. He is a private eye. The death of a young female, a drug mule starts all the violence and death. A beautiful French women ask Solo for his help to seek revenge on the people responsible for murdering her sister.
The sister spreads rumours about Solo investigating her sister death, which in turn leads to the death of Solo closest friends by some vicious drug gangster. Because this happens Solo becomes angry and starts to chase the perpetrators to a very gruesome ending.
In the story Solo finds himself fighting very powerful drug cartel. The rest of the story you will have to read for yourself. I recommend this book to anybody who likes international crime fighting. This author really writes a great crime story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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