Zero Hour in Phnom Penh

By: Christopher G. Moore

Narrated by: Dan Russell

Winner of the German Critics Award for Crime Fiction - 2004

Winner of the Premier Special Director Book Award Semana Negra, Spain - 2007

Zero Hour in Phnom Penhis a brilliant detective story that portrays - with no illusion - Cambodia’s adventurous transition from genocide and civil war to a free-market economy and democratic normality. Zero Hour in Phnom Penh is a rare stroke of luck and a workof art, from which one can always draw more stories and levels of meaning....an all too human, timeless, historical and philosophical novel.

PLEASE NOTE: This Audiobook contains explicit language.

Public Domain (P)2014 Aquarium Audio Books

Critic reviews

“An excellent hardboiled who dunnit, a noir novel with a solitary, disillusioned but tempting detective in an interesting social, historical context (of post-Pol Pot Cambodia), and a very thorough psychological study of the characters.”(La culture se partage)
“Moore is an idealist and a lone warrior who doesn't hesitate to get his hands dirty.... Those who have travelled to Southeast Asia will be captivated by his ability to recreate the atmosphere.” (Le Parisien)
“Much more than a thriller, Zero hours in Phnom Penh is a fresco of Cambodia and its people, their despair, their hopes, their fears, their lives. And that’s what makes this book a single work, much deeper than what can be expected to begin reading.” (Unwalkers)
“The story is fast-paced and entertaining. Even outside of his Bangkok comfort zone, Moore shows he is one of the best chroniclers of the expat diaspora.” (The Daily Yomiuri)

Disappointing and predictable

What would have made Zero Hour in Phonm Penh better?

More description, more history, better characters and better writing

What could Christopher G. Moore have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Re-write it several time

What three words best describe Dan Russell’s performance?

Mediocre

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

No

Any additional comments?

I really did not enjoy this book. I read it just prior to a trip to Cambodia hoping it would add some insight into Phnom Penh after the Vietnamese Army left the country and the UN came in to try and re-establish some semblance of order. I found the novel flat with unconvincing characters, predictable (and just plain boring) plot points, pallid descriptions and the occasional historical inaccuracy thrown in just to really irritate me.