Michael Walters

Michael Walters is the author of the Nergui novels — a series of crime thrillers set in modern-day Mongolia described by Maxim Jakubowski in The Guardian as "a worthy new series in the making."

From a Q & A at his publisher's website:

1) Your main character Nergui is quite fascinating. Is he based on someone you know?

That would be telling... But, really, there’s no single person, though elements of Nergui’s personality draw on people that I’ve met over the years, as well as my own imagination. My impression of Nergui is that he’s a survivor who manages to adapt to whatever the world might throw at him while still remaining true to his own moral code — although it’s not always clear to others what that code is. He’s a man with a lot of history and some secrets, which I’m gradually uncovering as I write more about him...

2) Tell us about Doripalam, Nergui’s replacement as head of the Serious Crime Team? What would you say makes him tick?

I was very keen that Doripalam shouldn’t simply be a side-kick to Nergui. He’s a very capable policeman — perhaps more capable in some ways than Nergui — but he’s relatively young and inexperienced in his current role. So he’s learning as he goes, and his insecurities sometimes lead him to over-react or to misjudge situations. He sees Nergui as a mentor, but...[read on]

Read an excerpt from The Adversary and learn more about the book and author at Michael Walters's website and blog.

The Independent described The Shadow Walker, the first book in the Nergui series, as "compulsive reading...[and] the descriptions of Mongolia are richly enjoyable."

The Page 69 Test: The Adversary.

--Marshal Zeringue