Behind the Scenes

Behind the Scenes:Crime and Sufferingis the first of a four-book, factbased-suspense novelseries which exposes the criminal exploitation of thepeople behind the facadeof many of the tourist paradises in Southeast Asia. The books describe howthe poor in Myanmar, Thailand and Laos do theirbest to survive, oftenby growing opium, smuggling weapons and selling theirdaughters to brothels,sometimes before they are even born. The plight of thesepeople is made more complicated because this criminalityis often sanctioned byofficial organisations in existence to protect them, notto take advantage ofthem.Crime and Suffering begins the series focusing on onepoor family from asmall village in Laosduring a time of increasing drama in the aftermath of theVietnam War: - Grandfather Songchaiand his efforts to smuggle a transport of hidden armsto buyers in west Africawith the help of old friends and family members. - Lu, hisdaughter-in-law, helps two Americans, Will and Frank, who seek theremains of US soldierslost in the War which means fatal consequences. - Prim, Lu's daughter,and her antics with teenage friends Lek and Moa whoend up on a frighteningpath heading towards the bars of the sex trade.The characters' fatesare interweaved in a colourful and harsh narrative thatmoves toward itsresolution as relentlessly as the mighty Mekong River flowsforth. The series is inspiredby real people and based on real life stories.