Evil in the Land Without

Evil in the Land Without was Colin Cotterill's second novel published in 2003 by Asia Books. 


John Jessel is an English Child Protection Unit detective working on paedophile cases in Surrey. He's good at his job but is on a downhill slide as booze slowly takes over his deteriorating body and his lonely life. His recent case has got out of control. Postcards signed 'The Paw' have taken credit for the murders of several children. But The Paw also seems to know too much about John and his family. There are threats against his sister Susan, her son Eddo, and their mother. John is forced to hide them while he follows the scarce clues in the case.


Dr. Shirley Heigh is a Karen intern returning from the States to work on the Burmese border. But her intentions are not wholly ethical. There is a great wrong from her past that she has to right before she can be content to die. The evil that haunts Shirley's past is the same evil that is haunting John's present. It is an evil that began in the Karen homeland of Kawthoolei and has spread through Africa before finally homing in on the Jessel family. 


Burmese general Bohmu Din, has a sexual liking for young children, he also has good reason for seeing the Jessels dead. He has dedicated over twenty years to finding, and eliminating them. But the reason for his hatred is buried deep in British government files, and in order for John to uncover it, he needs to get his mind and body in shape. His search takes him to Kenya, to Thailand and to Burma. 


While he is away, Bohmu Din slowly breaks down the barriers of secrecy that protect Susan and Eddo. Heading in the same direction, looking for the same thing, it's only a matter of time before the paths of Dr. Shirley Heigh and John Jessel cross. Together, they are able to piece together some missing parts of the puzzle. Yet understanding doesn't simplify their search. They are fighting a foe who orchestrates their every move. To Bohmu Din it is a game he can win whenever he pleases.