Bit of an overdone melodrama, I think Death in Berlin was, despite the somewhat preposterous plot twists, was a better read. None of the characters are really all that likeable and I lost interest in figuring out who the murder was and why. I've got a few more in the Death in Exotic Locale series left so we will see how they go.

loved it, loved it loved it! I love books set in the East ( )

Went through and read every M.M. Kaye book many years ago. I remember I loved all of them. ( )

With Death in Kenya, I think I have finished M. M. Kaye's mystery oeuvre. I love her exotic settings that are so realistically portrayed, due to her actually living in the many countries her novels describe. This one, set in Kenya's Rift Valley, is yet another well-written thriller. Kaye casually sketches a believable picture of the landscape, race relations, settler personalities, and day-to-day life in a colonized country that is just emerging from a period of violent guerrilla warfare called "the Emergency."

Lady Emily DeBrett ("Em"), an elderly English colonist, has set up a family estate called Flamingo where she lives with her grandson, the extraordinarily attractive Eden. Eden had once been engaged to his young cousin, Victoria Caryll, but it was broken off years ago and now, at Em's invitation, Victoria is coming to work as her secretary. Eden is married and all is safe in that quarter — right? Until Eden's wife is murdered just before Victoria's arrival, culminating a mysterious and upsetting period of malicious breakages and vandalism at Flamingo. And Alice's murder is just the beginning. I'm never very good at guessing the murderer, and this story proved no exception. Looking back, of course it all fits together and is most sinister.

At times, the characters in Death in Kenya express some very politically incorrect viewpoints. They may have some legitimate reasons (the Mau Mau gang activities can probably be verified, for example). There is a justification for the settlers colonizing the country that was interesting. I don't know enough to venture an opinion. Where possible in these instances, I find the best thing is to sweep over those bits and get on with the story. I didn't find them too intrusive overall.

Once more, Kaye delivers a gripping mystery with memorable characters and a beautifully drawn setting. Recommended. ( )

When Victoria Caryll receives a letter from her Aunt Em inviting her to Kenya, she is nervous about accepting the offer. Although she spent her childhood in Kenya and loves the country, she once had a relationship with Em’s grandson Eden that ended badly. Despite feeling uncomfortable about seeing him again, Victoria decides to make the trip. But when she arrives in Kenya, she promptly finds herself in the middle of a tragedy: Eden’s wife Alice has just been murdered. Suspects abound, both among the local African natives and among Victoria’s new circle of friends. But as mysterious events continue to occur, Victoria becomes increasingly frightened as everyone wonders who will be the next to die.

I’ve enjoyed all the M. M. Kaye mysteries that I’ve read, and this book is no exception. It does follow a pretty standard formula of cozy mystery plus romance plus exotic setting – but if you like that kind of book, I think you’ll enjoy this! Be warned, though, that if a pro-colonial outlook bothers you, there are a few passages in this book that you really won’t like. One of the sympathetic characters delivers a short rant about how the British colonization of Kenya was a good thing, and several other characters use derogatory language when they talk about the African servants. So if that’s likely to enrage you, I wouldn’t recommend this book. Otherwise, I enjoyed it a lot, and I’d definitely recommend it to Agatha Christie fans.