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A Savage Garden

Chris Muir

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Jan 05, 2014 Brenda rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, aussie-authors, read-on-kindle, 2014-release, arc, thriller, own-read, war-military

4.5 stars....

As ex-Navy Seal, Jack Norton left the woman he had just spent seven days with, days where he found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe he did have a heart after all, and Sophie had just found it, he wondered if he would see her again. Flying the helicopter with little Jolie inside, headed for the orphanage in which she would become educated, with her dearest wish to become a doctor and save her country’s people, Jack suddenly spotted the enemy heading toward where he had just le 4.5 stars....

As ex-Navy Seal, Jack Norton left the woman he had just spent seven days with, days where he found himself thinking that maybe, just maybe he did have a heart after all, and Sophie had just found it, he wondered if he would see her again. Flying the helicopter with little Jolie inside, headed for the orphanage in which she would become educated, with her dearest wish to become a doctor and save her country’s people, Jack suddenly spotted the enemy heading toward where he had just left Sophie. Wheeling the chopper around, occupied in the firefight that ensued, they barely escaped – but when he headed back and saw the evidence of his own eyes, he was shattered.

The twelve months following that disastrous day had found him wallowing in the depths of alcohol, so when he heard a familiar voice shouting out across the room, he was surprised to see his old friend, ex-British army captain Mark Wilkinson. It had been years since they had seen one another, so the reminiscing and talking went on for hours – the alcohol consumed seemed endless. Then continuing on in Mark’s home, meeting his pregnant wife, Isabella, Jack and Mark were suddenly confronted by two men, big menacing looking men – but these men wanted to employ Jack.

Papa Jim’s grand plan was to educate Africa’s young child soldiers – sending them overseas to different schools and universities. He would rescue these children and after training them, it was their turn to leave the Congo for a better life. But the expense of his enterprise was immense – his secret diamond mine, though covering costs, was becoming a draw to the war lords and evil doers of the country – Papa Jim’s life, and the lives of his children were in great danger.

As Jack and Mark prepared to protect Papa Jim and the children, the race against time, and the enemy, was on. Their trek across Africa was fraught with immense danger, against a bigger enemy that would stop at nothing to gain what they wanted. What would happen? Would they succeed – could they possibly succeed?

What an incredible thriller! This debut novel by Aussie author Chris Muir is filled with action, a pace that doesn’t stop, and tension that grabbed me and didn’t let go! The ending was excellent – I certainly didn’t see it coming! I have no hesitation in recommending this novel highly.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy to read and review.
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Jan 17, 2014 Bree T rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, african-fiction, kindle-version, netgalley, cultural, war, blog-tour, politics, aussie-author-challenge-2014

Many years ago Jack Norton, a former Navy SEAL came to Africa to make a difference. But that was a long time ago and exposure to the hopelessness and corruption of the area has jaded him immensely and now he hires himself out as a helicopter pilot to the highest bidder. It doesn’t matter who pays him or what they want him to do, so long as he gets paid.

However when Jack flies some injured children to a hospital in the Congo it leads to a chance meeting with a humanitarian doctor who still retain Many years ago Jack Norton, a former Navy SEAL came to Africa to make a difference. But that was a long time ago and exposure to the hopelessness and corruption of the area has jaded him immensely and now he hires himself out as a helicopter pilot to the highest bidder. It doesn’t matter who pays him or what they want him to do, so long as he gets paid.

However when Jack flies some injured children to a hospital in the Congo it leads to a chance meeting with a humanitarian doctor who still retains a starry-eyed view of Africa and a belief in change. Jack falls in love and comes to question the way his life has gone and the fact that he has left his own views of wanting to help change in the past. When he experiences tragedy, he drifts until he meets a man known as Papa Joe who wants Jack to help him with his plan.

Papa Joe has been rescuing children in the Congo from poverty, disease and death for a long time, trying to implement his long term plan to educate them and then use them to bring about the change the country so desperately needs. He wants Jack’s help in executing the plan, funded by a diamond mine, the existence and location of which is known to only a few people in the world. Papa Joe needs Jack’s skills and although he takes some convincing, it’s just the sort of exercise that can help Jack find his way again.

For the last couple of years, I’ve had a real fascination with novels set in Africa. I’ve never been there and it’s unlikely that I ever will go there but it fascinates me all the same. I’ve never really thought too much about why that is but I suppose I’d say it’s the difference between it and what I know. I can read a book set in the UK or America or Canada or even parts of Europe and there’s plenty there to find that’s very familiar. With a lot of books set in Africa, almost nothing is familiar.

Jack Norton has been in Africa a long time and he’s gone from being idealistic, thinking about being an implement of change to being a paid mercenary for hire to the highest bidder. He’s seen enough corruption and violence to last a lifetime and no longer thinks that he or anyone else can make a difference. Nothing an individual does can stand up against the many who serve their own interests and use others as pawns. Meeting Sophie, a French doctor changes that. Sophie is still possessed of that dream to change Africa, to haul it into democracy and harmony and her passion and enthusiasm spark something in Jack once again.

This book is interesting because it’s one of the first ones I’ve read that poses a solution to “the Africa problem” and by that I mean the wars, the famines, the genocide, the government corruption, the military presence and whatever else has contributed to the continent and the many countries within it disintegrating into chaos. It’s using Africans to fix the problems, to bring about the change. Not the UN, not America or Britain or experts from anywhere else but Africans born and raised in the Congo. I’m not sure how successful the posed solution would be but it’s something. And there are some really good ideas and problematic as it might be, it’s something that it’s hard not to get hopeful about and that’s something Jack experiences. When Papa Joe first approaches him about helping him with his plan, Jack is reluctant and borderline hostile. Slowly Papa Joe wins him over with conviction and dedication until Jack is as big a believer as Papa Joe is and is willing to go the extra yard to get done what needs to be done. I also like that this book explores what can possibly go wrong with ‘the plan’ as is evidenced by one of the situations later in the novel. There’s an acknowledgement that Papa Joe’s plan is just the beginning and that it would be a long, slow process to bring about the change they believe the area requires.

There’s action in this book, plenty of near misses with torturers and murderers, some daring escapes both on foot and in several helicopters and there’s also mateship and armed forces comraderie and a love story. One of my favourite parts was actually the call to arms for the retired soldiers around the world to help out Jack and his mate in a situation that required some special talents. But more than all of that, it’s also a thoughtful exploration of Africa, the Congo in particular and some of the problems that have led it to where it is now and how it might be possible for it to begin to extract itself from the situation. It’s a very well rounded debut and a highly enjoyable story. ...more

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