Koko - Peter Straub

A group of guys who served together in Vietnam band together a decade later to try and find another member of their group they suspect is committing brutal murders in Southeast Asia.

All of them seem to be doing this as an escape from their current lives. Harry Beevers wants the fame of capturing a burgeoning serial killer. Conor has nothing better to do. Michael seems to be using it to flee a rapidly disintegrating marriage, plus dissatisfaction with a pediatric practice in the suburbs, where he treats the colds of rich kids. The only one who doesn't go is Timo, and that's because he has a restaurant he's trying to save, plus a young lady he's hung up on. He's not doing great at managing the life he's created since the war, but he's trying harder to keep it than any of the others are, even if it's like clutching at sand.

The book has strong parts and weak parts. It's longer than it needs to be - the epilogue, where one character theorizes what happened to their comrade after the final confrontation - feels unnecessary. The scenes written from the killer's perspective are a sort of muddle of things that clearly hold meaning to the killer, but aren't written in an engaging enough manner to make me care. It feels like reading gibberish for a page or two.

There's a lengthy detour in the back third of the book where Michael and a couple of other characters visit Milwaukee, hoping to learn something about their friend to help find him. The information is important in certain regards, but it didn't need nearly as many pages, since most of the trip is them sitting uncomfortably in people's living rooms having awkward conversations that aren't a great read. I would have been satisfied with Straub sending the characters off for a few chapters, and have them summarize their findings when they return (which they end up doing anyway.)

The parts where they're actively trying to find the killer, or have the feeling someone is following them, those parts were tense and interesting. Timo trying to keep his life together, but unable to stay out of the search entirely helped build a connection between him and the reader. Maggie's kind of a fun character, offering an outsider perspective while not trying to simply ignore the war and its effects that, say, Michael's wife does. That said, there were times I wondered if there's an equivalent term to the old "Mystical Negro." "Spiritually Enlightened Asian"? Maggie always seems to know exactly what's wrong with Timo or the other guys emotionally or mentally. Quite why or how she has this remarkable insight, I don't know.

Anyway, a leaner, more focused book would have made for a better read.

'Beevers turned to them with an unblinking gaze. "Some day I'll want you to remember who first said we could all see a lot of money out of this. If we handle it right. Mucho dinero."

"Hallelujah," Conor said. "The Lost Boss is gonna make us rich."'