The Murderer’s Ape is an exceptional historical mystery adventure by Jakob Wegelius, and the second book to feature gorilla adventurer Sally Jones. Originally released in 2008 in Swedish, this English translation was released by Pushkin Press in Sept. 2024. It's 624 pages and is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links.
This is a genuinely exciting adventure story with grand themes and a massive complex story arc. There is travel, political upheaval, hiss-worthy antagonists (boo!), and a wonderful cast of quirky characters, including at the center, a classic protagonist, loyal and intelligent, who also happens to be a gorilla.
The print formats are enhanced by the author's pointillist sketches of the major characters. Although marketed for children (Lexile measure 870L), it's an excellent book for all ages. It's a *big* book, and would make a wonderful long-project bedtime read for littler kids.
There are some big themes, and some high-stakes scary bits (but no graphic violence), but the introduction scene leading into the story (which is written in current time) is reassuring that it all works out in the end.
The translation work by Peter Graves is seamless and never intrusive or clunky. It's remarkable for its subtlety and nuance. Even more impressive since the original (Swedish) also encompasses words and concepts from Raj period India, Portuguese, and Finnish.
The unabridged enhanced audiobook has a run time of 13 hours and 46 minutes and is capably read by Kimberly Farr. She has a professionally trained alto voice and does a good job of the vast and varied cast of characters. The sound and production quality are very high throughout the read.
Five stars for the book, four and a half for the audiobook. The translator deserves (and has received) awards. It would be a great choice for public and secondary school library acquisition, home use, and gift giving.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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