Michael Pearce is a master at this type of thing, a story revolving around the intricate politics of a country going through what the Chinese would term "interesting times". Aided and abetted by a wisecracking pair of locals (who are not allowed to dominate the story) Seymour has to unravel the clues that will crack the case, without setting a match to the powder keg political situation. How he does this and what he encounters in the form of bureaucracy, international relations and personal agendas makes for an absorbing story. It is another of this author’s beautifully concocted tales about progress replacing the old order, and what happens when east meets west. This is a tale to read slowly and to savor, just the right length and infinitely satisfying on more than one level.