Ivory

By: Tony Park

Narrated by: Mark Davis

Length: 15 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

Simultaneous release of the eagerly awaited latest title from best-selling thriller writer, set in Mozambique and South Africa. Guaranteed to appeal to fans of Wilbur Smith and Beverley Harper.

Alex Tremain is a pirate in trouble. The two women in his life - one of them his financial adviser, the other his diesel mechanic - have left him. He's facing a mounting tide of debts and his crew of modern-day buccaneers, a multi-national band of ex-military cut-throats, is getting restless. They don't all share his dream of going legit, but what Alex really wants is to re-open the five-star resort hotel which once belonged to his Portuguese mother and English father on the Island of Dreams, off the coast of Mozambique. A chance raid on a wildlife smuggling ship sets the Chinese triads after him and, to add to his woes, corporate lawyer Jane Humphries lands, literally, in his lap. Another woman is the last thing Captain Tremain needs right now - especially one whose lover is a ruthless shipping magnate backed up by a deadly bunch of contract killers.

Meanwhile Jane finds herself torn between the crooked but charming pirate and her coolly calculating millionaire boss, George Penfold. Both are passionate, and both are dangerous. What Alex really needs is one last big heist - something valuable enough to fulfil his dreams and set him and his men up for life. When the South African government makes a controversial decision to reinstitute the culling of elephants in its national parks, Alex finds the answer to his dilemma - three tonnes of ivory.

©2009 Tony Park (P)2009 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd.

Exceptional

The narrator excels in his trade. American, South African, Australian, British and Irish accents. Prepare for a voyage on a modern pirate ship. Contains violent and intense parts.

1 -D stereotype characters and predictable plot

boring and lacking imagination beyond male, action thriller fantasies. I could not listen beyond chapter 1

This book has Multiple Personality Disorder.

Which makes it annoying, yet entertaining. Honestly, I don't know how else to describe this one.

This is a pirate/ bodice ripper/ military action/ environmental treatise with a wee bit of an elephant's biography thrown in here and there. Just for spice. I think.

Although it's called "Ivory"- elephant tusks have very little to do with the plot for the first 3/4 of the story. As for characters, our lead pirate is perfectly charming and has a penchant for interior design. Because, of course, he's A-Pirate-With-A-Heart-Of-Gold- and as such, he needs such silliness to keep him well within the bodice-ripper character outline. In keeping with same character outline, our heroine, though she makes properly feminist sounds when she speaks, never-the-less, has all sorts of men falling head over heals for her despite her deep naiveté and poor decision making skills. As for the other characters- did I mention that every American in the novel is super evil and/ or has a careless disregard for human life and also loves him some torture and killin'?

I shouldn't have enjoyed this as much as I did- but I got a kick out of it and listened all the way through. The plot had plenty of action and the settings were fantastic. I got this on sale and I don't regret it. I did listen all the way through. That said, I probably won't seek out more books by this author. Just not my cuppa.

Romantic? Military? Pirates, Hot ladies, Gangsters

Would you try another book from Tony Park and/or Mark Davis?

Mark Davis, yes. Excellent execution. Tony Parker, no. This book cannot decide what it is.

Would you ever listen to anything by Tony Park again?

Believe I will have to pass on any future books by Mr. Park

Which scene was your favorite?

No favorite scene.

If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from Ivory?

I would try to limit the book to a coherent storyline. Not everything for everyone

teenage novel

had to give up on this one. thin plot, shallow, written for young male audience.