Bone Mountain

by Eliot Pattison

Minotaur, September, 2002.
Hardcover, 424 pages.
ISBN: 0312277601

Bone Mountain by Eliot Pattison

Former Beijing police investigator Shan Tao Yun continues his journey towards enlightenment in the enigmatic land of Tibet in this latest tale in the Edgar-winning series. Shao was thrown out of his cushy Beijing life and into the central Tibetan gulag for his unwillingness to ignore the truth in favor of political correctness. But after helping with an investigation, he was unofficially released and now lives with a group of outlaws and Buddhist monks who befriended him in prison. Shan agreed to help his friend Lokesh return a stolen artifact to the Yapchi valley, a very dangerous proposition indeed. The valley is the site of a proposed international oil exploration project, but to its inhabitants it is a sacred place which would be destroyed by the drilling operation. In their trek to the remote valley, Shan and Lokesh travel with a number of different companions, including salt traders, outlaws and the mysterious medicine lama. And as is usual in Shan's wanderings, murder and violence are constant -- if unwelcome -- traveling companions.

This is the third entry in the suspense/mystery series from Eliot Pattison, after The Skull Mantra and Water Touching Stone. As in Buddhist philosophy, the destination is not as important as the journey in this newest entry in this series. And because Eliot Pattison excels at bringing the people and landscapes of Tibet to life, one falls slowly into the rhythm of the journey itself. The majesty of the remote Himalayas, the diverse cultures which make up the land of Tibet and the depiction of the yearning of the human spirit are the elements which make this series so compelling.

Bone Mountain is available for purchase on Amazon.com

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This review was published in the December - January, 2003 of The Internet Writing Journal.