Tibetan murder mystery
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Shan Tao Yun fell victim to politics and now works in a prison camp in the Himalayas. He's part of a work group that mostly consists of Buddhist Monks who have greatly influenced him, to the degree that he has converted to Buddhism. He has come to terms with the fact that his life will be spent breaking rocks until he dies or something drastic happens.
And then something drastic happens, he's on the spot and chosen to investigate a murder, the authorities believe that another Tibetan monk has done it and they want the appearance of investigation to make questions from further up go away. But with Shan they've chosen the wrong man for the job, he's dogged and won't hide the truth, that's why he's in Tibet in the first place (and one of the quibbles I had with the story, why chose someone that's known not to hide things?)
It's interesting but it occasionally gets bogged down in detail, things that just don't move the story ahead, and while interesting, just seem to make the story falter. I found the culture clash and the issues with heritage and tourism to be interesting ones, I know some people had issues with the depiction of Buddhism and the reality of Buddhism but it did add to the sense of alienness. There were some moments where I felt that things were depicted as being a little too black and white, and the political agenda of the author occasionally crept in.
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Tibetan mystery
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This is quite simply an brilliant read from first page to last. This book takes you into a whole new world cand is completely different too any other book of this genre. I cannot recomend it high enough.
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Raises the bar for the genre. Superb.
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Eliot Pattison stands head and shoulders above most authors writing mysteries and thrillers today. No. I take that back. He towers over them. I haven't been this excited about a new author in years. Fusing elements of police procedural and pedal-to-the-metal thriller, all flawlessly integrated with the remote Tibetan setting, "The Skull Mantra" is our introduction to dogged, unassuming Shan Tao Yun, a former Inspector in Beijing who has subsequently spent years as a political prisoner alongside lamas and freedom fighters. He is temporarily released for a specific purpose: to solve a murder that has occurred near the labor camp. However, he soon comes close to despair as it begins to appear that the murder was a demon. Pattison is a first-class prose stylist. The story flows quickly and smoothly, untangling the mystery one revelation at a time, yet the author doesn't skimp on the visual detail that is necessary to bring this remote setting to life for readers who have never been there. The characterizations are economical and realistic. The monks and lamas make utterly sympathetic martyrs -- one of the hardest literary tricks to pull off. Pattison does it effortlessly, and I think this is because he believes whereof he writes: "The Skull Mantra," like its sequels, is a field guide to the dying practices of Tibetan Buddhism, suffused with the author's political indignation over the fate of the minorities who have the misfortune to live within the boundaries of modern China. My sole reservation about Pattison's writing is that he occasionally demonizes Beijing and mainstream Chinese culture. You start to think, "Oh come on, it can't really be as bad as all that!" However, that these doubts arise at all is a testament to Pattison's intimacy with his material: it is a rare thriller that feels as convincing as nonfiction. For sheer authoritativeness, "The Skull Mantra" bears comparison to "The Constant Gardener" and "The Quiet American." Higher praise than that there is none. So, hats off to Eliot Pattison, and let's hope he keeps writing.
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an awesome blend of Tibet's past & present!
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When a headless corpse is uncovered by a prison work gang on a windy Tibetan mountain, veteran Beijing police inspector Shan Tao Yin would seem the perfect man to solve the crime - except Shan himself has been a prisoner there for years. More at ease with his fellow Tibetan inmate monks than with the Chinese officials who run the work camp. Eliot Pattison has taken us into the highest reaches of this world, into the rarified realm of petty, absolute bean-counter tyrants with pasts to hide & greed to satisfy. Mixed in with centuries-old rituals & stories, are modern day mischief & manipulations. Hidden tunnels & monasteries; helicopters & Chinese armed forces; faxes & demons & a lot about the influence of Communism as practiced by Chinese bureaucrats & Buddhism as practiced by Tibetan adepts. The more things change the more they stay the same! Amazing! The story of how both Westerners & Chinese have incised the mystical, magical & spiritual from the Land of Snows is a sorry one. Crass shenanigans to placate tourists & callow genocide to rid the land of its holy men. In the end The Skull Mantra is only a murder mystery, a mere novel yet it aroused my wonder, raised the hairs on the nape of my neck & deeply satisfied. Good stuff! You really should buy yourself a copy!
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Brilliant - couldn't put it down
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Wonderful story and characters that came to life - I was there as Shan tried against great odds to solve the murder - but it also told me so much about Buddhism and life in Tibet that I am now hooked and want to learn more.
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