I bought this book because I had done a two-week job in Samoa many years ago (early 90s). I was only in Pago Pago for parts of two days; the rest of the time was in Western Samoa over on the next island. There are some significant cultural differences between the two countries.
Nevertheless, a mystery set in Samoa was a fascinating read for me. I enjoyed this book. The things I think I learned about Samoan culture were reaffirmed by what I read here. (It makes me wonder, however, if the author's take on the culture and mine are both just a Palangi's interpretation of what it really is.... I know that outsiders who try to explain my Utah Mormon culture NEVER ever get it right. The ascribe their own reasons to the things they see and just don't get it.)
Uh, excuse me. Back to the book at hand. I always have a bit of difficulty with main characters who are morally a bit loose. The policeman who is the viewpoint character here has a loose idea of what's right, but does work to make things right in the end.
It has been several months since I read this, and I don't remember all the details. The above is the major impression I recall from my reading of the book.
This one book took care of my need to explore Samoa a bit more. I don't think I'll be getting the next one in the series.
Nevertheless, a mystery set in Samoa was a fascinating read for me. I enjoyed this book. The things I think I learned about Samoan culture were reaffirmed by what I read here. (It makes me wonder, however, if the author's take on the culture and mine are both just a Palangi's interpretation of what it really is.... I know that outsiders who try to explain my Utah Mormon culture NEVER ever get it right. The ascribe their own reasons to the things they see and just don't get it.)
Uh, excuse me. Back to the book at hand. I always have a bit of difficulty with main characters who are morally a bit loose. The policeman who is the viewpoint character here has a loose idea of what's right, but does work to make things right in the end.
It has been several months since I read this, and I don't remember all the details. The above is the major impression I recall from my reading of the book.
This one book took care of my need to explore Samoa a bit more. I don't think I'll be getting the next one in the series.
First Line: Once upon a time this had been a road.
Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua was born on an island in American Samoa, and when he was a child, his father moved the family to the mainland where, as an adult, Apelu joined the San Francisco Police Department. After seven years on the force, he moved his own family back to Samoa to take care of his ailing father. His wife works for a shipping company, Apelu is a detective sergeant on the island police force, and they have four children.
Apelu's background makes him very familiar with the differences between the two cultures that co-exist on the islands. He needs every bit of that knowledge with a case he's determined to solve. He is called to the home of a white family in Pago Pago. They've been burglarized, and after speaking with the wife, Apelu goes to the canning factory to meet with the husband, who gives him a list of the stolen items. At first, it seems like an open-and-shut case, but as the detective starts gathering evidence and piecing together clues, he realizes that it's anything but a clear-cut case of breaking and entering.
As Apelu investigates, it becomes very clear that living on a small island where everyone knows everyone else has its advantages. He has to navigate a twisted track between the Samoan and American cultures, finding mystifying codes, dead bodies, and plenty of lies along the way.
Although the real villain's insertion into the plot was a bit too transparent for me, I really enjoyed this book. It's perfect for any armchair traveling mystery lover. Enright's descriptions of the Samoan landscape-- where the frigate birds are as much a part of the sky as the clouds-- are vivid and poetic. He shares a great deal of information about Samoan culture and the effects that Western civilization has had on the islands. All these insights may seem like so many interesting sidetrips in the narrative, but they aren't; they are vital to understanding how Apelu approaches the investigation.
I was so engrossed in this book that I finished it much too soon. Now I have to wait in hopes of another investigation with the intriguing Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua. I highly recommend Pago Pago Tango to any crime fiction lovers who like strong stories, intriguing characters, vivid, exotic settings, and learning about other cultures.
Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua was born on an island in American Samoa, and when he was a child, his father moved the family to the mainland where, as an adult, Apelu joined the San Francisco Police Department. After seven years on the force, he moved his own family back to Samoa to take care of his ailing father. His wife works for a shipping company, Apelu is a detective sergeant on the island police force, and they have four children.
Apelu's background makes him very familiar with the differences between the two cultures that co-exist on the islands. He needs every bit of that knowledge with a case he's determined to solve. He is called to the home of a white family in Pago Pago. They've been burglarized, and after speaking with the wife, Apelu goes to the canning factory to meet with the husband, who gives him a list of the stolen items. At first, it seems like an open-and-shut case, but as the detective starts gathering evidence and piecing together clues, he realizes that it's anything but a clear-cut case of breaking and entering.
As Apelu investigates, it becomes very clear that living on a small island where everyone knows everyone else has its advantages. He has to navigate a twisted track between the Samoan and American cultures, finding mystifying codes, dead bodies, and plenty of lies along the way.
Although the real villain's insertion into the plot was a bit too transparent for me, I really enjoyed this book. It's perfect for any armchair traveling mystery lover. Enright's descriptions of the Samoan landscape-- where the frigate birds are as much a part of the sky as the clouds-- are vivid and poetic. He shares a great deal of information about Samoan culture and the effects that Western civilization has had on the islands. All these insights may seem like so many interesting sidetrips in the narrative, but they aren't; they are vital to understanding how Apelu approaches the investigation.
I was so engrossed in this book that I finished it much too soon. Now I have to wait in hopes of another investigation with the intriguing Detective Sergeant Apelu Soifua. I highly recommend Pago Pago Tango to any crime fiction lovers who like strong stories, intriguing characters, vivid, exotic settings, and learning about other cultures.
Andrew K. (kuligowskiandrewt) -
John Enright's "Pago Pago Tango" introduces readers to Samoan detective Apelu Soifua, returned to the Island after serving on the San Francisco Police Department. Soifua's department has his hands full with a spate of murders except, Soifua has been assigned dealing with a robbery in a paalangi (outsider, in this and most cases, American) community. Mystery readers will, of course, realize that a detective of Soifua's ability (and the protagonist of the story) won't be kept on the sidelines for long.
Mr. Enright has written 4 tales in this series. I've enjoyed the first two, and hope that other readers discover him and his prized character Detective Soifua. With a few more readers, I'm sure we can be treated to a 5th (and beyond) book in the series.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars., upgraded to 5 stars where 1/2 stars are not acknowledged.
Mr. Enright has written 4 tales in this series. I've enjoyed the first two, and hope that other readers discover him and his prized character Detective Soifua. With a few more readers, I'm sure we can be treated to a 5th (and beyond) book in the series.
RATING: 4 1/2 stars., upgraded to 5 stars where 1/2 stars are not acknowledged.
