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When a French man is found murdered in Cambodia, Serge Morel finds his holiday drawn to an abrupt halt. The victim was the dynamic head of a humanitarian organisation which looked after the area's troubled teenagers. What is the significance of his recent investigations into land grabs in the area? Who broke into his house the night of the murder, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints?
About the author
Anna Jaquiery is of French-Malaysian descent and grew up in Europe and Asia. She has worked as a journalist in several countries, starting out as a freelance reporter in Russia. She is currently based in Melbourne with her husband and two sons. The Lying-Down Room, her lauded debut novel, was the first in a series to feature Commandant Serge Morel. This is her second novel.
Summary
Phnom Penh, Cambodia; the rainy season. When a French man, Hugo Quercy, is found brutally murdered, Commandant Serge Morel finds his holiday drawn to an abrupt halt. Quercy - dynamic, well-connected - was the magnetic head of a humanitarian organisation which looked after the area's neglected youth.
Opening his investigation, the Parisian detective soon finds himself buried in one of his most challenging cases yet. Morel must navigate this complex and politically sensitive crime in a country with few forensic resources, and armed with little more than a series of perplexing questions: what was Quercy doing in a hotel room under a false name? What is the significance of his recent investigations into land grabs in the area? And who could have broken into his home the night of the murder?
Becoming increasingly drawn into Quercy's circle of family and friends - his adoring widow, his devoted friends and bereft colleagues - Commandant Morel will soon discover that in this lush land of great beauty and immense darkness, nothing is quite as it seems . . .
A deeply atmospheric crime novel that bristles with truth and deception, secrets and lies: Death in the Rainy Season is a compelling mystery that unravels an exquisitely wrought human tragedy.
Foreword
Far from home
secrets can be deadly . . .
Additional text
Concentrating on the relationships between variously troubled characters in a fascinating ex-pat setting, this mystery novel also gives an atmospheric picture of modern Cambodia.
