Savages by Shirley Conran
From the author of ‘Lace’ comes this tropical adventure survival tale. This was originally published in 1987 so it is rather dated and sexist. But it is a good pulpy read. Executives of the Nexus mining company head to the South Pacific island of Paui after a rare mineral strike. Their wives are along for a luxury holiday but Paui’s political situation is dangerously unstable. As a result, five wives and a pleasure cruise boat captain end up hiding in the jungle fighting to survive. Meanwhile a desperate search begins that some don’t want to succeed. This is a good adventure tale even there is an irritating cop-out towards the end.
Best Lines:
“No telephone, telegraph, telex or radio.”
“Avoid anything that looks even vaguely like a tomato.”
“Why did you let us picnic on a cannibal’s beach?”
“On Paui a female was about as influential as a chicken.”
“Annie lay gasping in the undergrowth, her head only inches from her own vomit - or was it Suzy’s.”
“Lucky the fire’s gone out because she just fell into it.”
“Now she’s tearing at a mango covered with mud.”
“Her or the mango?”
“God help us when she discovers the Coca shrub.”
“You phoney Florence Nightingale!”