Cambodia Noir
A Novel
by Nick Seeley
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Pub Date Mar 15 2016 | Archive Date Mar 15 2016
Description
A high-octane thriller with a heart-stopping conclusion about a mysterious American woman who disappears into the Cambodian underworld, and the photojournalist who tracks her through the clues left in her diary.
Phnom Penh, Cambodia: The end of the line. Lawless, drug-soaked, forgotten—it’s where bad journalists go to die. For once-great war photographer Will Keller, that’s kind of a mission statement: he spends his days floating from one score to the next, taking any job that pays; his nights are a haze of sex, drugs, booze, and brawling. But Will’s spiral toward oblivion is interrupted by Kara Saito, a beautiful young woman who shows up and begs Will to help find her sister, June, who disappeared during a stint as an intern at the local paper.
There’s a world of bad things June could have gotten mixed up in. The Phnom Penh underworld is in an uproar after a huge drug bust; a local reporter has been murdered in a political hit; and the government and opposition are locked in a standoff that could throw the country into chaos at any moment. Will’s best clue is June’s diary: an unsettling collection of experiences, memories, and dreams, reflecting a young woman at once repelled and fascinated by the chaos of Cambodia. As Will digs deeper into June’s past, he uncovers one disturbing fact after another about the missing girl and her bloody family history. In the end, the most dangerous thing in Cambodia may be June herself.
Propulsive, electric, and filled with unforgettable characters, Cambodia Noir marks the arrival of a fresh new talent. Nick Seeley is an ambitious, wildly imaginative author and his enthralling debut explores what happens when we venture into dark places…when we get in over our heads…and when we get lost.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781501106088 |
| PRICE | $26.00 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Leslie G, Book Trade Professional
I was drawn by the geography, and the title indicated it would be dark - it is and it packs a wallop; the writing is superb, capturing the ways of the mind and the emotion - scattered and disruptive as Will goes on his increasingly frenzied and hysterical search for a woman he should have steered clear of - along the way other true friends and supporters try to deflect him - and he is someone with many moves and many experiences as a journo in the field with a camera - his despair and the geography and the search for a woman who appears more and more a demon in her way, merge into each other - and, at times, we are not sure who is talking and where the humanity of a person is - Cambodians are made out to be efective sometimes, evil and yet also sweet - a daring driver who happens on the scene at the right moment, and a transgender helper leading to an entirely emotionally eviscerated and, yes, romantic high-powered ending. almost cinematic - but the writing would be missed on film. really terrific - I wonder if author Seely will return to Cambodian surroundings after the last fatal foray in Hong Kong. war and brutalit that characterised a nation edged into the soul of the photographer who is the central figure - and we learn from it, and know it is true. wow. excellent
Joshua J, Book Trade Professional
Searing, exotic and original......as someone who has spent time in Cambodia, the novel exudes the truth and sadness of a country plagued by its history. The fact that the thriller is exciting to boot, makes for a perfect combination.
A terrific debut.
Shayne B, Reviewer
This book is amazing.
A first-person present-tense feverdream, equal parts Raymond Chandler and Bret Easton Ellis. Drugs and crime, political coups and sex workers, and blood, and blood, and blood.
Visit a locale you may not have literarily been to before. The humidity and corruption of the place actually seeps from the printed words into your soul. You're tasting the fish soup and pollution as you devour page after page, even when it starts to make you feel a bit sick.
Highly recommended for anyone who likes their noir on the frantic, graphic, semi-disturbing side.
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