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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
East meets West with murder and intrigue..., July 9, 2001
This review is from: Death Stalks the Khmer (Paperback)
The author, Patricia Harrington, brings a considerable amount of knowledge to this, her first novel. Knowledge and compassion. She has worked with the Cambodian refugee community in the Puget Sound (Seattle) area for over a decade. With the skill of a veteran writer, Harrington brings the clashing of the American and Cambodian cultures to the forefront in a haunting tale of murder and intrigue. This story might easily have been clipped from the lead article of a recent Seattle Post-Intelligencer news article. It is that timely. The crime, the emotions, the mistrust of police and politicians, and the wariness of the Cambodian refugees is real enough. I suspect it occurs to some extent with all immigrants. The author brings a set of characters to life in such a way that the reader cannot help but become involved in their struggle. The reader may not know anything about the Khmer when they begin reading page one, but they will know and understand plenty by the time they turn the last page and close the book. It is more than just a book about murder, police, and mystery. It is a book about people trying to balance their lives, trying to "walk in American ways while honoring their Cambodian customs." As readers, we get a history lesson and a well plotted mystery. Although the names of some of the characters will have your tongue or your eyes, twisting and turning to get a grasp of them, don't worry, you'll quickly get everyone sorted out...from Patrewski to Sovath Sovang to the protagonist, Bridget O'Hern. Ms. Harrington has a crisp writing style that is quite refreshing. There is a breeziness and sense of humor lurking in the words that too often would be edited out by lesser writers. Or over written in tired cliches, by lesser writers. cj
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
AuthorZone.Com Book Review, July 19, 2003
This review is from: Death Stalks the Khmer (Paperback)
In Seabell, by their choice, a large community of Cambodians live segregated from the rest of the citizenry. Bridget O'Hearn, while not Asian, has come to know the Cambodian people from her work for the SouthEast Asian Assistance Agency. When Hahn Lys and his wife are found dead in their apartment the SEAAA appoint Bridget to serve as liaison between the community and the police. Enter Detective Jack Patrewski. He and O'Hearn set out to unravel the mystery surrounding the deaths and in doing so find themselves embroiled in an even greater mystery. Before long O'Hearn is convinced that the deaths relate back to the old Khmer Rouge days while whispers of bad karma surrounds much of the thinking of the residents. O'Hearn is viewed by many within the community as an unwelcome intruder, while others believe she is a helpful outsider. Death Stalks The Khmer is the well wrought product of writer Harrington, who like her Bridget O'Hearn is well versed in the intricacies of the Cambodian refugees living here in this county. Harrington has peopled her work with a fine assortment of characters. The clash of cultures resulting from transporting a large group of people from their own land to what is considered to be a safer enviornment is presented in a deft manner in this well crafted ethnic mystery. As in life, the old generation presented in Death Stalks The Khmer clings to the old ways while the younger generation yearns to be wholly American. Steinbeck's displaced Okies are evocative of the struggles facing those who fled the terror of Pol Pot and now live in an enviorment very different from that they have always known. This fast paced thriller is reminiscent of the drama found in the works of Dashiell Hammett.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
DEATH STALKS THE KHMER is a Fascinating Read, October 11, 2001
This review is from: Death Stalks the Khmer (Paperback)
Patricia Harrington's knowledge of the Cambodian refugee community provides an extra layer of realism in "Death Stalks the Khmer." The protagonist, Bridget O'Hern, is a compassionate and intelligent woman who plays a major role in helping the police solve two murders among the Cambodians-in spite of the strangle hold of an evil man who is considered to be one of their own. The characters are well defined and the story fascinating, but this book goes far beyond the mystery to be solved. By acquainting us with the world of the Cambodian refugees, Harrington educates us about the culture of a group of people who live among us, but about whom most of know very little. This is Harrington's first novel, but I predict we will see Bridget O'Hern and Seattle police detective Jack Patrewski again. At least, I certainly hope so. Janet B. Fudala, Ph.D.
CEO, Educational Solutions
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