Down and Out in Kathmandu (Zelda Richardson Mystery #0) in Navigating Indieworld Discussing All Things Indie

Jan 11, 2017 J.B. Richards rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Jennifer S. Alderson’s extensive travel experiences shine through in her novel, “Down and Out in Kathmandu”. Her descriptive passages effectively paint contrasting images of posh hotels, gourmet restaurants, and exotic tourist destinations against a backdrop of substandard hostels, seedy bars, and drug dens as we travel through Nepal with each of her main protagonists.

The story is set in Kathmandu, of course, where a volunteer teacher named Zelda—our primary protagonist—has come to teach Englis Jennifer S. Alderson’s extensive travel experiences shine through in her novel, “Down and Out in Kathmandu”. Her descriptive passages effectively paint contrasting images of posh hotels, gourmet restaurants, and exotic tourist destinations against a backdrop of substandard hostels, seedy bars, and drug dens as we travel through Nepal with each of her main protagonists.

The story is set in Kathmandu, of course, where a volunteer teacher named Zelda—our primary protagonist—has come to teach English to a group of Nepalese students who, for all intents and purposes, speak only their native language. Zelda, who does not speak a word of the local language or have any experience teaching a language course, has been boarded with a host family who she assumes will be spending some of their time giving her basic language prompts and helping her acclimate to the local culture. But she soon discovers that, between the family’s hectic work and school schedule, she has basically been left to her own devices. On her first night in her new surroundings, Zelda meets Ian, a ne’er-do-well Australian, who hopes for nothing better in life than to travel the open road looking for a Nepalese nirvana where he can spend his days, weeks, and perhaps months languishing in a blissful drug-induced haze. With Ian bored as he tries to find what he needs to keep himself properly entertained, and Zelda thus far disillusioned by her volunteer experience, the two connect and forge a loose friendship that causes them to reunite sometime later when Ian finds himself the victim of a diamond smuggling deal gone bad. The couple is pursued by a professional diamond smuggler who is as ruthless as they come, and we follow Zelda and Ian as they attempt to escape what will surely be a grisly end!

Alderson is a master at weaving this tale, providing the reader with a hundred and one “Gasps!” as her characters dodge nefarious gangsters and run for their lives. This is an edge-of-your-seat thriller that whets one’s taste for exotic travel locations, international intrigue, and mystery. Alderson’s plotline drives this story along in a way that takes the reader through such a wild series of unexpected twists and turns, anyone would surely be left breathless and wondering, “What just happened?!”

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Dec 22, 2015 Jennifer S. Alderson added it · (Review from the author)

Shelves: travel-fiction, adventure-travel, women-s-fiction, contemporary, travel, mystery, amateur-sleuth, nepal, nepal-fiction, backpacker

Loosely based on my own experiences traveling around Southeast Asia, Down and Out in Kathmandu is meant to be a somewhat silly, slightly cynical, travel adventure story. It offers a peek into the backpacker culture of Nepal and Thailand, and insight into what life can be like for a Westerner volunteering in a developing country. What do you think, did I succeed?

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Dec 06, 2016 Melissa Burovac rated it really liked it · review of another edition

What I initially took to be a story about a traveler teaching English in Nepal turned out to be a thriller with a gang of diamond smugglers and intrigue.
I loved the detail of Kathmandu and Thailand, the main characters, the families and the villains. I would have liked to hear more about the children she taught, but I could feel her humiliation as a teacher.
Full of confidence as she began her trip, Zelda goes back and forth between that and complete self-doubt, depending on what situation she f ...more

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Aug 21, 2017 Lucia Davis rated it really liked it

Zelda leaves Seattle for Nepal...and that's where it starts. This books pulls you in slowly, but keeps a good hold. Nepal's descriptions are fascinating, and definitely go far beyond the experiences of the casual visitor. Zelda seems a bit naive as a traveler, especially in the beginning, but it made me admire her courage even more, to experience a country like Nepal by immersing herself in the Nepalese culture, teaching English, and learning Nepali. The book doesn't shy away from the misunderst ...more

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Dec 14, 2017 Dora Ilieva rated it it was amazing

Down and Out in Kathmandu: a Backpacker Mystery by Jennifer S. Alderson is the funny and exciting story of Zelda Richardson, a young American who, fed up with her all-consuming Seattle job, signs up as a volunteer teacher in Nepal. With empathy and realism, the author describes the daily struggles and frequent disappointments of the naïve, pure-hearted young woman. The book offers vivid descriptions of the Nepalese capital and intriguing insights into the culture and customs of the local populat ...more

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Aug 28, 2018 Aliya DalRae rated it it was amazing

Colorful descriptions made me feel like I was there

Down and Out in Kathmandu is an exciting journey following three main characters, Zelda, Ian and Tommy. The characters and their journeys couldn’t be any more diverse. While they are each on a path toward “finding themselves”, one wonders how their worlds could possibly collide, and yet Alderson brings them together in a manner that will have your heart racing. However, the thing I enjoyed most about this book were the descriptions. Told in such ...more

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Aug 14, 2018 P.J. Lazos rated it liked it

There were parts of this book that I really enjoyed such as the glimpses into Nepalese life, but I felt a bit let down in the character development department. The main characters were a bit two-dimensional, their main concerns somewhat repetitive, and their evolution didn't have the big arc that makes a story pop for me. ...more

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