Blood Red Ivory

By: John Stamp

Narrated by: Ramiz Monsef

Length: 9 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

Some cases, you solve. Some cases, you survive.

Naval Criminal Investigative Service Special Agent Tyrone Benhoff is in purgatory. That’s what agents call it when they find themselves on the wrong side of command and are transferred to a place like Djibouti, Africa. He tried to open a case in Virginia that was too close to the wrong people. Now he’s being watched for even the slightest screw-up so his enemies at headquarters can drive him out of the agency.

When a sailor on leave from Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, is killed outside a wildlife preserve in Zimbabwe, Ty is hand-picked to lead the investigation. He finds himself in the middle of a turf war between ivory smugglers and an amazing group of female antipoaching rangers trying to protect a herd of endangered elephants. If his enemies in NCISHQ don’t get him, it’s even money the wilds of Zimbabwe will.

But Tyrone Benhoff doesn’t quit a case … even when the whole thing was a setup from the start.

Blood Red Ivory is a wild ride of a thriller from John Stamp, whose twenty-year law enforcement career included posts as a police officer and special agent with the FBI and NCIS.

©2022 by John Stamp (P)2022 by Blackstone Publishing

Excellent

From beginning to end it was engaging, the type of audio book you sit in you car in the driveway to finish the chapter before going in the house. Narrator is very good.

Great audible.

Many times I have started an audible book, only to to stop because the narrator was not easy to listen to. The content of this book & narrator were both great.

Highly recommend.

One of the best written books of 2922

John Stamp is an excellent writer and did not disappoint with Blood Red Ivory. John has a bright future indeed.

Super Original, Educational, and Compelling Story

I’ve only read one of Stamp’s other books (Brother’s Keeper) which I liked a lot and reviewed here. As time constraints have built up recently I’ve moved away from the written word a bit temporarily and moved to the world of audio books. I was stoked to see that Stamp had his first book on Audible and listened to the sample and loved the narrator immediately. He had an extremely versatile voice that conveyed who all the characters were immediately as you listened. As to the story….wow! Stamp did an amazing job of creating a world in which you felt the real life gripes of an NCIS agent who is just trying to do the right thing in a system that seems to value form over substance and explores the disconnect between upper management’s priorities and agents doing the mission in federal law enforcement. And Stamp clearly has the background to make the dialogue and attitudes completely believable and immensely enjoyable. I don’t want to give any spoilers but the level of research that went into the world of poaching in Africa was perfectly melded into and exciting and educational story line that covers a host of geopolitical issues and crime drama that any true crime genre lover would appreciate. It’s entertaining from beginning to end and I found myself wanting to stay in my car a little longer after my commute to finish chapters! It’s absolutely worth spending the cash or Audible credits on! I give it 5/5 stars for an inventive and creative setting with action that keeps the plot moving but is not reminiscent of other crime novels I’ve read. Truly original stuff here folks. Give it a shot, you’ll enjoy it!