Review: Wit, Humour and a Daring Heist In Modern-Day Afghanistan
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 03 2, 2014
'Xanadu' continues the adventures of cheerfully corrupt Nicolas Keszthelyi, antiques dealer, and his dangerous partner in dubiousness, Estrade. It forms the second instalment of the Kesthelyi Chronicles, but can easily be read as a stand-alone novel.Keszthelyi, a kind of low-rent Indiana Jones, has his eyes on some non-PC Kushan ivories that Estrade (recently released from an Iranian jail) has informed him may be found in a mine in Afghanistan. Instead of Indiana Jones' cry of 'These belong in a museum', Keszthelyi's motto is 'These belong on the black market, with my share of the proceeds going to supporting my lifestyle and increasing brood with wife Anastasia.'The local colour and detail of their exploits in Afghanistan are convincing and evocative. There is a cast of eccentric hangers-on, including Bibi, who affects a delightfully infuriating hip-hop patois. At one point, Keszthelyi insinuates himself into a high-stakes game of Mahjong. Forget the so-called glamour and sophistication of Bond-style turns at the roulette wheel, Mahjong, a game which is usually the preserve of middle-aged Chinese women, apparently, has its own pulse-rating excitement.'Xanadu' didn't have me laughing out loud in places the way 'People Like Us' did, but there are still many amusing asides and situations that kept me smiling.It was, however, more tightly constructed than 'People Like Us', with fewer side-excursions as it wends its way towards a climatic 'finale' of sorts. It ends literally on a cliff-hanger (if deserts were vertical) that hopefully hints at a third instalment.Once again, the witty cynical repartee is a chief attraction.