A Road Through Mali-Kuli

by Agi Kiss

The Mali-Kuli Forest Reserve in central Africa is home to an ancient volcano, rare Pygmy Chimpanzees, and a tangle of plots and intrigues as impenetrable as the jungle itself. On a business trip to... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0759649928
• ISBN13: 9780759649927
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: 1st Book Library
• Length: 424 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.1" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

An Extraordinary Adventure...

There are those who will insist that writers who take advantage of print-on-demand technology to self-publish do so because they either lack real talent or have a book nobody would want to read.In A ROAD THROUGH MALI-KULI, Agi Kiss makes liars out of all of them.Carol Simmons makes an emergency trip to the small African nation of Rumara, tracking down the truth about allegations that a project her organization is funding is destroying rain forest and that the head of the project is embezzling funds. She leaves behind a disgruntled husband she is fairly sure is having an affair with his graduate assistant.However, what should be a simple fact-finding mission quickly becomes a dangerous game of intrigue, beginning with a phone call in the middle of the night from a mysterious African man who insists "Mrs. Simon" would do better to deal directly with him rather than anyone else. That Carol has no idea what he's talking about--and tells him so--makes no difference. Something is happening here that has little to do with a village women's cooperative, and before the riddles are solved someone is very likely to end up dead.An ecologist for the World Bank, Ms. Kiss knows well the region in which she places her fictional country of Rumara, and it is clear from her exquisitely detailed descriptions that she loves it, as well. However, good description is only one aspect of a well-written book. A ROAD THROUGH MALI-KULI has it all: intriguing characters, most of whom are never quite what they seem; breath-stopping action and a plot with more twists and turns than the rural mountain roads that weave through the Rumaran jungle.This is a first-class thriller of the sort one always hopes to find and all too often doesn't. There are no sermons on man's depredations on the wilderness; Ms. Kiss lets her characters and story reveal that in the way it should be done. If you want a can't-put-it-down page-turner, do not pass Go. Just pick up a copy of this book, and be prepared to lose sleep staying up all night to finish it.

A Road Through Mali Kuli

A fun read. Intrigue, Africa and its environment are woven well for a real page turner. Keeps you guessing until the end. How soon to we get the sequel?

A Road Through Mali-Kuli

This book will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end, when all the characters fall into place. An excellent blend of excitement, romance and environmental intrigue, all based on real places, real environmental issues and real life. If you are looking for something slightly different in a novel, that is related to the real world and the struggles of real people, then this is the book for you. If you have visited Africa you will recognise much in this book, and if you have not, you will want to go. An African story to rival Wilbur Smith's!Really looking forward to Agi Kiss's next book.

An unsual eco-thriller

This is an unusual book, a thriller that takes the reader to the world of environmental conservation in Africa. While the book is highly informative -as a lead ecologist for the World Bank who has spent years in Africa, Agi Kiss knows her topic- it never preaches or lectures. The pace is fast and the book contains all necessary elements for the reader to keep the pages turning. The characters range from corrupt African politicians to fanatic European conservationists, from ruthless foreign business interests to local village women. While a minor quibble could be that the characters are not always fully drawn or multi-dimensional, the dialogue is constantly natural, the protagonist Carol Simmons a truly sympathetic figure. In a couple of instances the editing could have been more careful (in one scene, the spaghetti bolognese turns into ravioli during the course of the dinner), but these don't distract from the reading pleasure. Agi Kiss keeps the complex plot together in an exemplary manner and the reader is taken on a fascinating ride through Africa and international intrigue surrounding wildlife trade and conservation. This entertaining book on an important topic is highly recommended!

Something for everyone and more

Agi Kiss has used her wealth of experience in Africa and in ecology to provide a story which has something for everyone and more. As a person who has lived in Africa and as an avid birder, it is wonderful to read something which points out the current environmental concerns in Africa and around the world. If you have never lived there, you will feel descriptions which make you know the forest. If you have been around, Agi's references bring back memories of sights and sounds which have to be among the richest anywhere. The mystery is not predictable and I look forward to reading more from this author. I am giving this as a gift to several people with an interest in the real world.