Review
Crime novels are a dime a dozen, but
The Shadow Walker by Michael Walters
stands apart for both its exotic setting in modern-day Mongolia and its
intriguing investigator Nergui. Offering a fast-paced and dark setting, Walters,
a management consultant, presents an exciting debut novel.
Throughout the book the author provides detailed descriptions of Mongolia, the
resulting portrait is of an unsettled country, formerly occupied by the Soviet
government and now feeling the effects of western modernization, all the while
maintaining its nomadic history. Here, for example, is British police officer
Drew McLeish's first glimpse of Ulan Baatar's city center:
The road widened into a brightly lit avenue, lined with a mix of
official-looking buildings, many studded with communist emblems, and
newer commercial offices, some...
Beyond the Book
A Short History of Mongolia
Mongolia (map)
is located in Northern Asia between China and Russia. It should not be
confused with the Mongol autonomous region of the People's Republic of China
(known as Inner Mongolia), which is located in the north of China, bordering
southern Mongolia.
The name 'Mongol' was first recorded by the Chinese during the Tang dynasty
(618-907 AD). Until the 12th century, the region consisted of loose
confederations of rival clans, then a 20-year-old Mongol named Temujin (better
known as Genghis Khan meaning "Universal King") united most of the tribes. By
the time of his death in 1227, the Mongol empire extended from Beijing to the
Caspian Sea. Genghis' grandson, Kublai Khan, completed the subjugation of China,...
