• Death in Zanzibar

  • By: M. M. Kaye
  • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
  • Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (86 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Death in Zanzibar  By  cover art

Death in Zanzibar

By: M. M. Kaye
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.95

Buy for $19.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From one of our most beloved and renowned authors, here is a new edition of this classic masterpiece of mystery and romance.

Dany Ashton is invited to vacation at her stepfather's house in Zanzibar, but even before her airplane takes off there is a stolen passport, a midnight intruder - and murder. In Zanizbar, the family house is Kivulimi, the mysterious "House of Shade", where Dany and the rest of the guests learn that one of them is a desperate killer. The air of freedom and nonchalance that opened the house party fades into growing terror, as the threat of futher violence flowers in the scented air of Zanzibar.

Richly evocative, Death in Zanzibar will charm longtime fans and introduce new ones to this celebrated writer.

©1959, 1983 M.M. Kaye (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Death in Zanzibar

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    43
  • 4 Stars
    25
  • 3 Stars
    13
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    39
  • 4 Stars
    26
  • 3 Stars
    8
  • 2 Stars
    3
  • 1 Stars
    3
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    40
  • 4 Stars
    19
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    1

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Old Favorite Now in Audio

I read and loved M. M. Kaye's mystery series decades ago. When I finished one, I always had the urge to travel to the location in which they were set (Zanzibar, Kenya, Kashmir, Cyprus). It was a pleasure to see Death in Zanzibar available on Audible.com. Written in the late 1950's, Death in Zanzibar is an old fashioned mystery. For the most part, it has stood the test of time. I would describe it as an exotic cozy with a strong romantic subplot, if there is such a thing. A cross between Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters. If you like a hard boiled police procedural, this isn't the book for you. The narrator does an excellent job.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Read don't listen

Any additional comments?

I'd read this book and some of the other MM Kaye mysteries years ago. This one was a favorite. They are dated but that's part of the charm. This was the third of these mystery I've listened and the performance is disappointing. The characters are voiced as though it was a melodrama, the manly-men are brusque, loud, abrasive and the women shrill. Dani the young heroine comes off as a whinny nincompoop. If you like this type of story try Death in Cyprus instead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bad performance

Why is it that they cannot find narrators to match the book! This is a lovely little mystery (a bit dated but still a fun book) but the narration ruined it for me. An American obviously trying on an English accent...and not done at all well! I was able to complete the listen but only because I wanted to hear how it ended. Otherwise a waste of time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love M M Kaye

Would you consider the audio edition of Death in Zanzibar to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Danny. She was the heroine

What three words best describe Bahni Turpin’s performance?

Lively
theatrical
varied

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

exciting mystery in exotic Zanzibar

Any additional comments?

Performance not as good as the cultured voice of Virginia Mckennan. If another of her mysteries are done would prefer another British reader

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dated but ...,

Definitely dated but interesting. Meant to relevant to it's time, 60 years later the US still has a Mid East problem and Africa is more complicated than we realize.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Third Grade Writing

I don't understand the positive reviews of this book. I got as far as Chapter 10. Tons of repetition, extended speculating, in her mind, of "what might happen", Her sudden emotional pivots. When I got to the main device of the plot, I quit.

Narration is ok. Was hoping to learn/experience something about Zanzibar. Didn't happen.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Classic 50s British mystery/thriller

Light-hearted, easy to follow 50s British mystery/thriller. Not much suspense or character development, but enjoyable nonetheless. Although set in Zanzibar, there’s not much illustration of the island and if one were to remove the island’s name from the text, it reads as if set in the British isles.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • MS
  • 10-03-20

Great fun!

A great story, enough substance to get your teeth into, but still light and with humor. Somewhat reflective of the time in which it was written- 1959- but not offensive. Bahni Turpin does a fabulous job narrating!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration

I loved the story and didn’t guess the villain. The narration was very entertaining. Dani and Lash travel to Zanzibar amidst lots of cloak and dagger turns.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
  • R
  • 08-06-18

Love a good murder mysery

And M. M. Kaye is one of my favorite murder mystery writers. Even though I already read the book and know who did it, I still enjoy re-reading her books. I love the characters and the settings.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!