Pattison, Eliot "The Skull Mantra" St. Martin's Minotaur: 1999I mentioned in a post on current books that I am reading, this book. It is a mystery novel that won an Edgar. It is also by an author I had not read before. I had bought the book at Barnes and Noble in a promotion in which you buy two books and get the third free. All are qualify paperback and all three were by authors that I had not read before but looked interesting.
The blurb at the back of the book said that it was a sensation when it came out receiving wide acclaim from critics and readers alike. I did not remember it. It is ranked with "Gorky Park" and Smilla's Sense of Snow" as a novel as much about a people and a place. I loved both those novels
and so bought this book. This book is about the Tibetans of the high Himalayas and a Chinese investigator who was a prisoner named Shan Tao Yun.In the high mountains of Tibet, a prison work gang is building a road along
with a prisoner who was sent to this work gang because he was too good of an investigator in Beijing. A headless corpse is found and work shuts down as the Tibetans refuse to continue the work. The man in charge gives Shan a temporary work release to find out who the corpse is and who committed the crime or the prisoners of the prison work gang will suffer. Then outside Chinese authorities arrest a Buddhist Hermit who Shan knows is innocent. He will be executed as others have been for other murders unless Shan can find out what is happening and who is responsible or if there is a demon loose as some Tibetans suspect.The plot is complicated with many twists and turns, but it is sorted out by Chan after much skill and determination. Buddhism plays a strong role in this book and it is accurately portrayed or at
least as far as I can determined. Chan has found Buddhism and incorporated it into his life. Tibet and Chan are at home with each other. I found in reading this book that I felt I was in the high mountains of the Himalayas. I also learned more of the pain and suffering that the Chinese Government brought to the people of Tibet.
When I read a book, I don't want to read or see anything of the author. Pattison does this very well. He does not push a particular point of view. People are portrayed as living characters both with good as well as the bad. There are some things that are strange and wonderful of Buddhism and that is in the book too, but I did not find it overly done either. I happen to believe some of the things that Buddhist Sages could do were true and some may have been exaggerated. That is the viewpoint of the book as well.I have every intention of following the exploits of Chan and hopefully there are newer books.
Name of author: Eliot Pattison (Joseph Eliot Pattison is another pen name in international business relations)Dates of birth and death (if applicable): October 20, 1951
Place of birth: unknown
Education: He is an attorney but where he went to law school is unknown
Literary movement associated with author: He is most known for the Inspector Chan series that is based on Tibet during modern times.
Nationality: He lives in the United States.
Notable award(s) or ideas (s):
The Skull Mantra won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel in 2000.
Books and years when published:
Book list from Google
