A new case for expat private investigator Jayne Keeney
Jayne Keeney is a fiesty thirty-something Aussie who has been living
in Bangkok for many years. She has been hired to investigate the
alleged suicide of a young Australian woman in a seedy Thai coastal
town. Maryanne Delbeck was happy and harmless, her father refuses to
believe she took her own life. Jayne immerses herself in the case,
navigating the backstreet world of Thai ladyboys, monks, strippers,
expats and corrupt officials.
Maryanne’s death is not the only mystery awaiting Jayne among
Pattaya’s neon signs and go-go bars. While working undercover at the
orphanage where Maryanne volunteered, Jayne discovers something far
more sinister. Now her life is in danger, her case is still unsolved
and she barely has time for dinner with her handsome new love interest,
Rajiv. With love and death both circling, Jayne now has two cases to
crack and very little time to do it.
The Half-Child is not your standard crime novel, and Jayne
Keeney is not your everyday detective.
About The Author
Angela Savage travelled to Laos on a six-month scholarship in 1992
and ended up staying in Asia for six years. She was based in Vientiane,
then Hanoi and Bangkok where she set up and headed the Australian Red
Cross HIV/AIDS subregional program. Her love affair with Asia continues
and she has returned many times since. Behind the Night Bazaar
won the 2004 Victorian Premier's Literary Award for an unpublished
manuscript. Angela lives in Melbourne.
Industry Reviews
`This is a gripping novel; an unromanticised travel guide to today's Thailand; a critique of Western missionary endeavours; and a warning to naive young people who stumble into volunteer work without the necessary skills.' * Australian Bookseller & Publisher *
`This page-turner hooks you in from the start. 4 stars' * Cosmopolitan *
`Angela Savage must have to be one of the most talented authors I have come across, and her novel The Half-Child does not disappoint ... It is not only a crime novel, but a mixture of genres rolled into one. There is romance, heartache and a cultural synopsis of Thailand - the good and bad. Savage has written a well-researched piece ...' * Launceston Examiner *
'One of the most satisfying aspects of this series is its sense of place ... Stylish and witty ... with rich characterisation and the portrait of a complex culture under threat from both within and without. Savage has an important point to make.' * Sydney Morning Herald *
'Savage not only skillfully entertains her readers but also makes us think poignantly and enlighteningly about the big questions of equality and exploitation, sacrifice and the true nature of courage. 5 stars.' * Adelaide Advertiser *
Funny, heart-wrenching and informative, Savage's heroine is someone readers will want to share a beer with. 4 Stars.' * Big Issue *
