To Hunt a Holy Man by Michael Fletcher is a historical novel set briefly in Vietnam and then switching back to Thailand. The Vietnam War factors into the scene setting and from where two of the main characters are situated at first. The “holy man” is a Christian chaplain stationed in Vietnam named Father Mordechai. In a search for meaning in the chaos, Mordechai goes AWOL. First Lieutenant Coltrane, or Cole as he is known, is charged with hunting him down. Cole has a more personal tie to wanting Mordechai found. Due to language barriers and the propensity of the American military to ruin all hope of help from locals, and because of geographical challenges, Cole is partnered with a Thai officer named Pip, with whom he forms a romantic attachment.

To Hunt a Holy Man by Michael Fletcher is, at first glance, a hard-boiled plot-driven story. It turns out that it is totally character-driven and the hunter, Cole, is unknowingly on the path in his search to discover far more than Mordechai's person. Cole starts off as a man of his time. He is an alpha who views Southeast Asian women as casually as a piece of furniture in a bar. His M.O. is booze, women, sleep, and guns in no particular order. Change number one comes from Pip, spending time with her, her kin, and her country. She is intelligent and capable and shows that one can be respectful, courteous, and kind without compromising their strength. The peace Cole finds clears his mind for transformative visions and to touch the metaphysical which brings him to the place he is supposed to go; not because he is the hunter of a man, but because it is where he is destined to be. Very highly recommended.

In To Hunt a Holy Man by Michael Fletcher, in Vietnam, Lieutenant Cole searches for a deserting chaplain, Father Mordechai, under suspicion of a priest's death, with the help of a local police officer named Pip. Cole and Pip journey to find the chaplain in Thailand, facing challenges in their travels and a multitude of cultural differences. Their relationship transitions from colleagues of wildly differing personalities and views into something more intimate. The novel shifts points of view from Cole and Pip to the movements and motivations of Father Mordechai, and even to the Americas to a woman closely connected to Cole and the transformative journeys that impact all characters to its climax.

While technically To Hunt a Holy Man by Michael Fletcher could be placed in the military fiction genre, given that Cole is on a mission to find Mordechai, the book is really a philosophical exploration of spirituality and the many ways it will touch and bring together the most seemingly disparate people. The Southeast Asian settings that are not limited to a single location, or even country, are beautifully described and the landscape becomes as much of a character as all those who traverse it. Fletcher is able to weave in romance and a mystery that ties the plot together, and who the antagonist really is provides an unexpected twist. Readers will go into the novel certain of a few things, and walk away having been shown that not everything we think, feel, are told -- and even things we are convinced of -- comprise the full picture when we are fully tested, and all is put into perspective.

This is a tense adventure played out in exotic SouthEast Asia. It explores a romantic relationship between people from different cultures and backgrounds as well as examining theological issues in a fictional arena where speculation on these issues takes place.
The stark realism of the story is both "noir" and purposefully unsettling with a strong anti-hero, lone wolf protagonist, Cole. There are strong shades of Conrad and Greene throughout. It's a great story and an excellent exploration of Thailand and Thai culture.
I'm already looking forward to Mr Fletcher's next offering