Thursday, January 23, 2020

Death in the Rainy Season by Anna Jaquiery


First Line: The moment he turned down the alley, the dog started barking.

Commandant Serge Morel was enjoying his vacation in Cambodia until the head of a humanitarian organization is brutally murdered and he's called to Phnom Penh to work with the Cambodian police to solve the crime. The victim is French and well-connected, so it does Morel the French policeman no good to protest.

He finds the investigation hampered by the murder having occurred in a country with few forensic resources and his being teamed with a local police detective who clearly doesn't want to be there. But what hinders the investigation most of all is the dead man himself. What was he doing in a hotel under an assumed name? Do land grabs have anything to do with his death? Who broke into his home on the night of the murder? As the rain continues to pour down from the sky, Morel has to slog his way to the answers that will solve this crime.

I had some problems when I read the first Commandant Morel mystery, The Lying Down Room, but I'm happy to say that this second book didn't have them. Well, her, to be precise. I strongly disliked the character of Lila Markov, so I was thrilled that she stayed behind in Paris. With Miss High and Mighty out of the way, I could settle down to enjoy the book.

I liked the depiction of Phnom Penh during its monsoon season, and I learned a bit about the Khmer Rouge as I tried to solve the mystery. Morel, in the homeland of his deceased mother, is much more relaxed here and doesn't resort to his hobby of origami nearly as often as he did in the first book.

In Death in the Rainy Season, the whodunit is rather easy to solve. At least it was for me. It's the eternal "Why?" that kept my little grey cells confused. All in all, the setting and the mystery are strong reasons to read this second Morel book. I wonder if there will be a third?


Death in the Rainy Season by Anna Jaquiery
ISBN: 9781447244493
Pan Books © 2016
Paperback, 344 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Commandant Morel mystery
Rating: B+
Source: Purchased from Book Outlet. 

6 comments:

  1. So...let me guess, Cathy. Not a fan of Lila Markov? She is that sort of character, isn't she? I'm glad you enjoyed this one. I think Jaquiery does an effective job of creating atmosphere and evoking place, and I'm happy to hear you thought that happened here. I hope there'll be a third Morel story - guess we'll see...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How ever could you tell that Lila and I don't get along? ;-)

      Delete
  2. Haven't read this author, but the setting sounds interesting. I don't think I've read any books set in Cambodia, and that alone makes me want to read it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The setting is one of the things that drew me to this book, too.

      Delete
  3. Sounds intriguing, especially the setting. (sigh)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is one that you can figuratively put on a back burner.

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to make a comment. I really appreciate it!