Koko

Earlier this year I asked my partner to recommend 5 of her favourite books for me to try reading. I am largely a Sci-Fi/Fantasy reader and she is largely a horror reader. The second book of that set of recommendations was Koko.

Koko is an intriguing read, playing heavily on the PTSD and psychological trauma inflicted during the Vietnam war on those who served there. We start with a reunion of 4 members of a platoon who served together there for a memorial to the war in Washington DC. Gradually we learn of some mysterious goings on - a couple of their colleagues who died or went MIA and some not fully referenced atrocity committed by them which led to a court martial. The main association here was the use of the word Koko as a calling card during this atrocity.

Over the years since, the Koko calling card has been left on a series of murders in the far east. The platoon members suspect a former colleague and decide to investigate. It turns out the killer has them in his sights already. This leads to a game of cat and mouse across Asia and the USA as they try to track down the killer before he gets to them.

This is a deeply psychological thriller style story, the horror of war and the atrocities committed providing the background to the creeping dread of being stalked. It walks the boundaries between the thriller and horror genres in an intriguing way. The start was a little difficult, with names, places and important references thrown at you with little reference, but once you work into the story it draws you in effectively. The believability of the scenarios and the stakes give an excellent tension. The twists are interesting and well hidden. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this!