*This review was read and written honestly and voluntarily. Possible spoilers ahead.

For all those reading this review, “Terima kasi, thank you, merci.”

The Elephant in the Room takes you on a journey to the island of Siberut where curious things and powerful world-changing events seem to be happening. 

After Ella, the main character, discovers a body with secret lover—and not her long-time companion—Henry, readers jump back through time, journeying to figure out what the heck is going on off the coast of West Sumatra.

Hop on an elephant and see what this adventure mystery has in store for you.

About Elephant in the Room

Ella and her partner Warren intended for this to be a lovely vacation to Siberut, but of course, that gets derailed when Warren mysteriously goes missing for an evening. 

Something is seriously wrong, and it will take detective work from seasoned traveler, Ella, to uncover just what happened to the dead body they discovered two weeks before Ella and Warren’s vacation began.

Author Jill Campbell-Mason’s novel takes the reader by way of an elephant, giving an aerial view of the complex issues invading Siberut Island. Get ready for extensive detailing of the galvanizing forces at large today.

Readers will also see the story of an abused lower caste, a collapsing ecosystem, and a despot ruling Crown Prince who is out-witted by the native wisdom of a simple shaman. Witness the dawning of understanding ready to enforce powerful change for the course of individual and international lives.

Kelly’s Honest Review

An adventure mystery for travel lovers seeking a thrilling escape. 

The Elephant in the Room is a novel—that promises adventure and mystery—is filled with lovely details about the locations the main characters, Ella and Warren, encountered along what should’ve been a vacation. 

Initially, I was drawn to the first chapter because of the great tension between Ella and Henry finding a dead body. I was curious about what may be going on with these two. When warren was introduced, and they started detailing their lives, it seemed like they had it made as world travelers. But the next several chapters of backstory, summary, and information—with little dialogue—slowed it down.

Since there was minimal dialogue throughout it was a bit difficult to really understand all facets of the characters, their personality, and the tension they shared through interaction with others.

At times, I also struggled to keep up with the story because of the many side quests I seemed to be going on while also trying to figure out what initially happened at the beginning of the book.

The second conflict introduced—when Warren was essentially kidnapped—wasn’t enough for me to stay deeply invested in the story. There didn’t seem to be a clear reason for him being kidnapped other than the fact that he was American, which I felt wasn’t a good enough reason for someone to get kidnapped at the time.

Overall, there were some beautifully written parts in this book, and the author does a fantastic job of writing in detail. There were some excellent quotes throughout the story as well. I just wished there was a bit more dialogue and a lot more talk of what was happening in the present.

If you love diving into stories where cultures clash, this is the book for you. 

Kelly’s Favorite Quote

“I’m worried, and that worry is growing like the jungle around us.”

“But if you own your worth, your heart-centered and soulful life creates ripples that extend far into the richness of humanity until they become one with the ocean.”

“This moment would stand as one of both Henry and Ella’s largest signboards, signaling that they were the same as they had always been and yet entirely different. “

Book Cover Rating

With all the travel and mystery that takes place in the story, the cover could’ve been a little bit more indicative of that adventure and thrill. But I did love the elephant head design on the front, although I felt like it got a bit lost in the dark grey background and the papyrus font.

I would have loved to see a Siberut landscape or the view from the top of an elephant. Something that got me ready for this story.

Overall Rating: C

Other Publishing Information

• Date published
• Global Publishing Group LLC
• ISBN: 978-1-954804-46-3
• Adventure Mystery, Travel Adventure

More from the Jill Campbell-Mason

Jill Campbell-Mason is a collector of stories. Everyone has a story, the deeper one delves the more intriguing.

As a psychologist and inner-city counselor, she began her writing career developing a card game to help adolescents enter into a greater awareness of themselves and understanding of other

Learn more about Jill on her website.