The Shadow Walker

Starred review from June 16, 2008
Set in Mongolia, Walters's riveting first novel opens with a slew of murders investigated by a local policeman, Nergui, and a visiting British police inspector, Drew McLeish. The bloody nature of the murders makes them suspect a serial killer, but when a member of Nergui's staff joins the list of victims, the case becomes more complex. Traveling to a tourist camp during the investigation into the dead cop's background, the two detectives are confronted with a double murder. Suddenly, political or business motivations for the carnage come to the fore. A kidnapping starts the clock ticking toward a thrilling conclusion in a spooky abandoned factory. Throughout, the mysterious Nergui, who has a possible spy background, and the stoic McLeish make for a potent and exciting team. The evocative descriptions of modern Mongolia create a unique backdrop for a suspenseful mystery full of misdirection and terror.

July 1, 2008
As Mongolia struggles to find its place in a post-Soviet global world, Minister Negrui, former head of the Serious Crimes Unit, is confronted with a dead Englishman and a possible serial killer. The unusual setting provides the perfect backdrop for a captivating series of events that are far more complex than they appear. Fortunately, Negrui, a Harvard MBA, is a more than able investigator, seeing connections between the seemingly unrelated deaths and Mongolias vast natural resources. This optimistic master investigator heads a medium-sized cast of fully fleshed characters, both Western and Mongolian. Assisted by an English detective brought in by the embassy and the phlegmatic yet competent current head of Serious Crimes, Negrui tracks down his suspects in a well-paced and increasingly tense debut mystery. Recommended in particular for fans of international crime fiction who like plots filled with the global political complexity of Henning Mankells Dogs of Riga (2001) and White Lioness (1998).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

Starred review from July 15, 2008
It is difficult to picture a serial killer running rampant in Mongolia, but in Walters's superb debut, someone is murdering men in Ulan Baatar, hacking off their heads and hands, then posing the body parts where all can see them. When a British businessman becomes the next victim, Detective Chief Inspector Drew McLeish is sent to the Mongolian capital to aid Nergui, once head of the Serious Crimes Squad and now part of the Ministry of Justice and Internal Affairs of Mongolia. Walters gives us a glimpse into a little-known country where superpowers vie for mineral rights and businesses see an untapped market ripe for plundering. Careful plotting and meticulously drawn characters make this a sure winner for all collections.

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