Preview
  • Death in Zanzibar

  • By: M. M. Kaye
  • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
  • Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (90 ratings)

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Death in Zanzibar

By: M. M. Kaye
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
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Publisher's summary

From one of our most beloved and renowned authors, here is a new edition of this classic masterpiece of mystery and romance.

Dany Ashton is invited to vacation at her stepfather's house in Zanzibar, but even before her airplane takes off there is a stolen passport, a midnight intruder - and murder. In Zanizbar, the family house is Kivulimi, the mysterious "House of Shade", where Dany and the rest of the guests learn that one of them is a desperate killer. The air of freedom and nonchalance that opened the house party fades into growing terror, as the threat of futher violence flowers in the scented air of Zanzibar.

Richly evocative, Death in Zanzibar will charm longtime fans and introduce new ones to this celebrated writer.

©1959, 1983 M.M. Kaye (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
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What listeners say about Death in Zanzibar

Average customer ratings
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  • 4 out of 5 stars
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love a good murder mysery

And M. M. Kaye is one of my favorite murder mystery writers. Even though I already read the book and know who did it, I still enjoy re-reading her books. I love the characters and the settings.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love M M Kaye

Would you consider the audio edition of Death in Zanzibar to be better than the print version?

No

Who was your favorite character and why?

Danny. She was the heroine

What three words best describe Bahni Turpin’s performance?

Lively
theatrical
varied

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

exciting mystery in exotic Zanzibar

Any additional comments?

Performance not as good as the cultured voice of Virginia Mckennan. If another of her mysteries are done would prefer another British reader

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great M.M. Kaye

Fantastic plot, great sense of place and time, and flawless performance. One of M.M. Kaye's best, and I'm hooked on Bahni Turpin as a narrator.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Old Favorite Now in Audio

I read and loved M. M. Kaye's mystery series decades ago. When I finished one, I always had the urge to travel to the location in which they were set (Zanzibar, Kenya, Kashmir, Cyprus). It was a pleasure to see Death in Zanzibar available on Audible.com. Written in the late 1950's, Death in Zanzibar is an old fashioned mystery. For the most part, it has stood the test of time. I would describe it as an exotic cozy with a strong romantic subplot, if there is such a thing. A cross between Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters. If you like a hard boiled police procedural, this isn't the book for you. The narrator does an excellent job.

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10 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Dated but ...,

Definitely dated but interesting. Meant to relevant to it's time, 60 years later the US still has a Mid East problem and Africa is more complicated than we realize.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Classic 50s British mystery/thriller

Light-hearted, easy to follow 50s British mystery/thriller. Not much suspense or character development, but enjoyable nonetheless. Although set in Zanzibar, there’s not much illustration of the island and if one were to remove the island’s name from the text, it reads as if set in the British isles.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Great narration

I loved the story and didn’t guess the villain. The narration was very entertaining. Dani and Lash travel to Zanzibar amidst lots of cloak and dagger turns.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Bad performance

Why is it that they cannot find narrators to match the book! This is a lovely little mystery (a bit dated but still a fun book) but the narration ruined it for me. An American obviously trying on an English accent...and not done at all well! I was able to complete the listen but only because I wanted to hear how it ended. Otherwise a waste of time.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great fun!

A great story, enough substance to get your teeth into, but still light and with humor. Somewhat reflective of the time in which it was written- 1959- but not offensive. Bahni Turpin does a fabulous job narrating!!

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Third Grade Writing

I don't understand the positive reviews of this book. I got as far as Chapter 10. Tons of repetition, extended speculating, in her mind, of "what might happen", Her sudden emotional pivots. When I got to the main device of the plot, I quit.

Narration is ok. Was hoping to learn/experience something about Zanzibar. Didn't happen.

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