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Bohjalian, Chris. The Lioness. Doubleday. May 2022. 336p. ISBN 9780385544825. $28. CD. THRILLER

In 1964, top-of-the-heap white actress Katie Barstow honeymoons in the Serengeti with new husband David Hill and a bunch of their glittery Hollywood friends, including distinguished Black actor Terrance Dutton, with whom Katie starred in a controversy-sparking film. They’re looking forward to a luxurious safari watching the giraffes and the wildebeest play and guzzling gin with ice from kerosene-powered ice makers. Instead, they get kidnapped, with Soviet mercenaries shuffling them into Land Rovers, leveling guns at their heads, as their Tanzanian guides lie bleeding in the dirt. Will they all survive? Different from the 1660s Boston–set Hour of the Witch , the HBO-blessed The Flight Attendant, and the topical Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands, with Bohjalian doing what he does best: surprising us. For suspense readers as well as those who love historical fiction and women’s stories, plus literary readers with a desire for adventure and great language.

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