The Map of Lost Memories [Kindle Edition]

Irene Blum (an employee at the Brooke Museum of Oriental Art) uses her familial connections to fain an introduction to Simone Merlin. Simone is a woman of means and Irene hopes that she will support her search for a set of lost scrolls.

Almost everyone in the story, from the main characters down to the waiters, seem to have their own reasons for wanting the 10 missing copper (why copper?!) scrolls found. Not all have altruistic motives, I even found myself questioning Irene's motives for wanting the scrolls.

If I had one piece of advice for the author it would be to limit the number of characters she introduces and not necessarily giving everyone an ulterior motive. I would suggest sticking to a small number of main characters and making the rest disposable.

To the publishers I would say please use a larger font. Yes, I realise that smaller font means more words per page and that means less pages are needed to make the book, but I enjoy reading and tiny print makes this a chore rather than a pleasure. I read when I am in hospital and in the evenings, both times when eye sight is strained and concentration is lacking due to tiredness - such tiny print only adds to the strain.

The story is full of decorative description of the various countries, and it is, at times, lovely to read but it does slow the story down significantly in parts.

To be honest it appealed to me as some sort of cross between Indiana Jones, Lara Croft, Flynn Carsen, and others, and I wasn't overly disappointed. Even though, at times, it was heavy going it was still worth it and I have no doubt that it would make a great Tomb Raider type mini-series or film. I expect a sequel is in the works already.

1925. Deep in Cambodia, a hidden temple contains ten copper scrolls - they stunningly shedding light on why the mighty Khmer civilization crumbled. Formidable Irene Blum is on the trail - a chance to prove her worth and stun the world, one in the eye for those who so undervalued her at Seattle's Brooke Museum. Volatile Simone Merlin accompanies, she with an agenda of her own....

Normally such a theme would ensure an avid read. It clearly has done that for so many. Sadly I had problems throughout. The novel is rich in atmosphere, every place visited described at length. What initially seems a strength becomes a problem. A novel needs ebb and flow, its emphasis firmly on key moments. Here, en route, are a violent death and major revelations - all with reduced impact because of the overdetailed plodding on. I found it difficult to become truly involved or to care for the characters as much as I should. Curiously it was Clothilde, she only appearing late in the tale, who really intrigued.

Yes, for me, too much information, some of it repeated - the writer so preoccupied with the scenery, the journey seems to take forever. On the plus side, ethical matters interest. What should happen to priceless artefacts when discovered - museums, private collections, or the rightful possession of the country where found, part of its heritage?

Everything livens up in the final phases - an unexpected development upliftingly and lyrically described. Too little too late?

Do not be put off by my reservations. Be advised many have enjoyed the novel exactly as it is, I one of the few yearning for savage editing and a firmer sense of direction.

Not all is as it seems. The Map of Lost Memories is not your typical adventure story. It may feature the search for lost copper scrolls deep in the jungle of Cambodia and it may be steeped in the mysteries of a lost history but all of this serves as the grand and evocative backdrop for the tale of two young women back in the 1920s who are searching for the clues to an even greater puzzle - their own heritage and their purpose in this difficult and masculine environment.

The story begins in Shanghai in 1925. It focuses on Irene, a museum curator who has been cheated from what is her due because of her sex. She seeks vengeance in the form of making a great archaeological discovery that no-one can steal from her. When her elderly patron Mr Simms reveals that her recently deceased father has left him (not her) clues to a lost temple and its scrolls, she sets off on what becomes a trail of breadcrumbs. She is advised to seek out the well know Khmer linguist and archaeologist - or treasure hunter - Simone, a young Frenchwoman who was born in the east and has married a man that many believe will be the instigator of a socialist rebellion that will finally rid Cambodia of its western overlords. Charismatic leader he might be, but he is also a brute of a man and a monster of a husband. Simone is no longer the woman she may once have been.

The Map of Lost Memories follows Irene and Simone, and the men who love them, on a slow and winding trail through the hot, wet and insect-ridden jungle, pausing for tantalising glimpses of hidden villages, meandering cool rivers and Angkor Wat. The dangers come from local chiefs or officials who want to safeguard their resources as well as threats closer to home, some exaggerated by opium and alcohol and self-loathing.

The mystery of the scrolls might steer the course of the novel but The Map of Lost Memories investigates many large themes - the place of women in a man's world, the future of the people of Cambodia, drug addiction, the theft of antiquities and the relationships between parents and children, husbands and wives, between lovers.

If you were after a pageturning quest thriller, I doubt you'd be entirely satisfied. The pace is leisurely and the novel is very much about the journey rather than the destination. There are many little details about the history and environment of China and Cambodia and there is in depth scrutiny of Irene's aspirations and needs. Set against that is Simone, a deeply damaged and unsympathetic individual. There are elements of melodrama - we are put in a famously enigmatic and romantic place and time after all - but often the mood is quiet and complex.

Irene and Simone are memorable characters, as is the jungle itself. It is vividly brought into colour for us. The women are the force behind The Map of Lost Memories and if there is any criticism it would be that the men are less well-rounded and real. I would also suggest that the novel is a little too burdened with over description. An upside of this is an enormously detailed picture of the jungle and other places, but the downside is the potential to stall the story and slow the read. Nevertheless, this is a fine novel, a literary adventure, that lingers in the mind, thanks to the wonderful portraits of Irene and Simone, and the atmosphere that seeps through the novel, evoking so strongly another place and time. If you can't appreciate the passion and courage of Irene or feel the heat and damp of that jungle, so beautifully described by Kim Fay, I'll be very surprised.