Death of the Wayang: Deep State Indonesia Paperback – August 1, 2018

What an intriguing voyage to a place I barely knew but now feel like I have lived there all my life, all with an exciting, page-turning, page-burning story that I couldn't put down. An amazing story and novel with people I came to really know and care about.. I just wish there were more of it, then I would have given it 5 stars.

Having had no previous interest in Indonesia, I found that the story line grabbed my attention quickly and held it. Unlike many other contemporary novels, this one added three things that make this a book worth reading. First, the amount of detail in the characters and their background made clear that the author did his homework in researching topics such as Indonesian culture, law enforcement, and government in general. Second, the story kept my attention and held it. There were no chapters where the storyline lulled or the story waned, which kept me from skipping ahead. . Character development was one of the reasons for this. Lastly, the story did not become predictable up to and including the end of the story. This story merited the 5 star rating. You'll be glad you read it.

The attention to detail in this debut novel is outstanding! Having spent a fair amount of time in Indonesia in the 80's-90's, it brought back great memories that had slipped away. I was reminded of the smells (good & bad!), the people, culture, landscape, architecture, food - the very things that create our experiences. The intrigue of the plot and characters were riveting. I certainly hope to read more from this new author!

Reading this book is like taking a suspenseful journey through Indonesian culture and history combined with western interference. Harding did a great job making this a page turner.

An excellent book, full of suspense and action. Couldn't put it down! I highly recommend Death of the Wayang.