Thriller set in Cambodia – A Noble Path by Peter May

Submitted: 20th October 2019

Walking the Noble Path with Peter May

Thriller set in Cambodia – A Noble Path by Peter May – Love the Scottish novels of author Peter May? The China series? Now we’re back to Cambodia with a reissued thriller written in the 1980s. A fascinating country due to its secrecy – so much so that the author wasn’t allowed to visit himself. However, he’s written a thriller with details of a country on the edge, a country in turmoil, and it’s interesting to see what and what hasnt’ changed during this time!

BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Noble Path

Setting: Oslo across the ages

BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Noble Path

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I’d forgotten that Peter May wrote this novel set in Cambodia so I was intrigued to read it. It’s been revised and rewritten since it was first published and is a step away from his Scottish novels, so it was interesting to discover.

It’s also very different from his other ones and has an older feel to it, but this is of course due to the twenty years difference in writing between them and the subject matter. Cambodia and the terrors of the Khmer Rouge are well-documented but I’ve never read about them in quite the same way before.

If you’ve ever wondered what life in Cambodia at that time must have been like, then this is the book for you. The author explains that he wasn’t allowed to enter the country to research it. However, he didn’t let that stop him. This author has ways of finding things out! The plot is strong to shine a light on the subject matter. Moreover, the time and place really make this a striking read in many ways.

BookTrail Travel to the locations in The Noble Path

It’s very graphic in places and the sense of violence and injustice are of course going to play a major part in this kind of novel. John Elliot as a former officer in the British army. Working now as an assassin for hire. He’s on his most dangerous case yet of helping someone to find someone. There’s lots of adventure and action scenes which were thrilling but for me the power of this book lies in the human angle, the human aspect of living in the times of such political turmoil. Times of danger, death and constant fear of the Khmer Rouge.

Reading about it in a history book is hard enough, but in a novel, it’s even more so. In the novel you get a real sense of the daily life in that country. You really get under the skin of what is going on and you get to know the people in the country. Peter May has a unique style and way of mixing cultural and political history with gripping plots and interesting characters and this book proves to be a timely reminder.