The Shadow Walker by
Michael Walters
hbk out November 06
Published by Quercus
at £12.99
A very well-written first novel with a most unusual location. All the
action takes place in Mongolia, a country which is completely unknown
to most of us, though probably we could name the capital, Ulan Bator.
I suspect that the author has put a great deal of personal experience into
this book, which is as it should be. Michael Walters has worked in a
variety of industries including oil, and has been a management consultant
in many countries. Obviously Mongolia was one of them and his
descriptions of the place are extremely interesting and illuminating. The
sparsely populated country seems uneasily poised between its two huge
neighbours, Russia and China. In attempting to exploit its rich mineral
resources, it appears to be prey to unscrupulous commercial interests
from many directions and it is this which forms the basis of the story.
A serial killer is stalking the capital, mutilating his victims in an extreme
manner. One of these is a British geologist and as a consequence, a
Manchester detective, Drew McLeish, is sent out to liase with the local
police.
The lead man is Negrui ( Mongolians seem to have only one name) who
was a senior CID officer before he was seconded to the Ministry of
Security. He has been returned to his old job to sort out this series of
horrific crimes. Together with the British detective, they travel from the
capital to mining sites which are wrecking the countryside and also down
to the Gobi desert where further crimes have occurred. The author is
talented at making pen-pictures of the contrast between the grim Soviet
style apartments and industrial blocks in the capital, with the nomadic
way of life of half the population, who still live in circular huts made of
wood and felt. The economic decline after the collapse of communism
has even driven some of the city dwellers back into the steppes to try to
scratch a living in the old way.
The story is full of action and makes a very good read, the only slight
criticism being that the end it is somewhat inconclusive, but the book is
well worth reading, especially for its insights into an almost unknown
country.
(
Bernard Knight
ex Home Office Pathologist and author of the highly acclaimed Crowner John series)
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The Shadow Walker by
Michael Walters
