Once again, Tom Vater gives us an overwhelmingly realistic and painful view on the world as he walks us through another glorious tale from Asia. This time his story takes us to Cambodia in the 90s where we follow a German journalist turned private detective as he searches for his client’s son, pulling together pieces along to form in to a greater and more painful story than anyone would have imagined.
As with Tom Vater’s other works, the details in to the time and location that the story takes place are so methodically displayed that you feel as if you are sitting there with the character. Those characters? Well, they are wonderfully realistic in their twisted dark ways that make you feel as if they are another damaged person you could have actually met.
This one was hard for me to read. I actually had to put the book down a couple times because of the content, but I was more than happy I picked it back up and finished it. Vater never skimps on the dark aspects and while they can be a bit much for the reader, they are always placed there for a reason.
Is the Cambodian Book of the Dead worth reading? Yes, yes, it is! This book, like other Vater stories I have reviewed is certainly a must read.