Jakarta Shadows

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This is a thought-provoking, gripping thriller set in Jakarta, with a side trip to Bali. When Graham Young, a disillusioned ex-pat, shares a casual drink with a sleazy stranger, he gets caught up in an investigation into a series of sex killings. Set against a background of corruption and political and religious turmoil, there are shades of Graham Greene in the novel: post-colonial angst, cultural misunderstandings and the search for moral redemption. But the author ratchets up the tension, as even peaceful Bali provides Young with no refuge from the menacing forces closing in on him. Stylish and atmospheric, the book steams with tropical heat and colour. It will give you a better insight into what goes on under the surface in Indonesia than any guidebook. fatnan: I am an Indonesian man who is now living in England. I read Jakarta Shadows and I liked it very much. It seemed to understand the history of my country. We have many problems with corruption, but now we have reformasi and I hope it will be different. Alan seems to realise this. Especially I like when he criticises the IMF because they don't care about my country, they only care about America and international money.

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