The Clouds Beneath the Sun

Overall, I liked this book about a scandal-plagued anthropological dig in early 1960s Kenya. I enjoyed the will they/won't they romance at the center of the story and the intrigue surrounding Natalie, the main character, and her colleagues on the dig. But while I found the history and science that surround the plot to be interesting and often necessary to the story as a whole, I do feel that the author could have found ways to more seamlessly fit it into the novel.

I was also somewhat surprised by what I thought to be an abrupt ending which wasn't really helped by the two paragraph note at the end of the book which included both factual anthropological information as well as a brief follow-up about the two main characters. ( )

I love most any book that can transport me to a place and a time other than my own; a book that I can get lost in. The Clouds Beneath the Sun is such a book. From the very first page I liked Natalie’s character and was interested in and intrigued by the excavation project she was joining as a team archaeologist. From the initial premise the book expanded to deal with social customs of the Masai, local politics, romance, history, mystery, adventure and more. It may seem like an ambitious undertaking but Mackenzie Ford was definitely capable of dealing with every challenge. I was completely enthralled by the events of the story and think most everyone I know would enjoy this book. It would definitely make a good book club selection because of the variety of topics that could be discussed. The only negative: it ended too soon.

I was given this book as a member giveaway. The person who sent it to me had received it as an early review copy, but did not care for the book. Unfortunately, I didn't care for it either. The synopsis sounded interesting, but I was never pulled into the book's narrative and did not finish it. I've passed it on again. Hopefully, third time's the charm and the book finds a more appreciative reader. ( )

I became fairly enthralled with this book when I reached about the second or third chapter. I felt that the author did a very good job of developing the characters: revealing just enough of what motivated them in order to lend them depth, while allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions about the rightness of each character's actions. I also was intrigued by the use of 1961 Kenya as the setting, which created a very politically charged backdrop for the overall mystery within the book. With all of these positives, however, I was still left with a slight feeling of having been cheated when I read the last page of the book; something felt both rushed and unfinished to me about the conclusion and some things that I thought would be answered were not even addressed again. ( )

An oddly engaging story set at an archeological dig in Kenya. It manages to combine a little bit of history (with Kenya's bid for independence), a murder mystery, conflict between Europeans and local tribes, an archeological discovery, and even a little romance. Somehow it manages all of this without becoming cluttered or without anyone part taking focus away from the rest of the story. Worth reading. ( )