Readers will have a tough time believing this is the author's first novel: something this good doesn't just spring out of nowhere. Graham Young, an Englishman living in Jakarta, Indonesia, has a bewildering conversation with a stranger in a bar; hours later, a policeman, Detective Suprianto, appears at Graham's door. It turns out that the stranger in the bar was, or might have been, ""Dr. White,"" the suspected perpetrator of a series of killings in the area; to make matters more baffling, the man is now dead. Following this revelation, Graham finds himself (or so it seems) pursued by unnamed people who want him dead or, at the least, very scared. Does Detective Suprianto think Graham has murdered Dr. White? If he really does believe Graham is innocent, then is he using him to catch White's killer, or perhaps even White himself? Or is it possible that Graham is the elusive Dr. White? Brayne, who has lived in Jakarta since 1996, catapults onto the mystery scene with a lush, captivating thriller. It's a safe bet that most of this novel's potential North American readers won't have set foot in Indonesia, but, through Brayne's precise, evocative descriptions and lively characters, they will feel as though they've just spent several weeks there. A wonderful debut from a writer who deserves a large audience.""--Booklist (Starred Review)