First, foremost and always, Mark and Valerie, Mum and Dad. Your sense of courage and adventure is my inspiration.

Thank you for reading my first novel. The completion of this book is the dream of many years.

The story of the lamb and the restaurant has been going around in my mind for a long time. So long, in fact, that I can’t remember how I first came across it. But it wasn’t until I visited Kathmandu that I put the two together, along with our nervous investigator, Leo.

As may come across in my writing, traveling, exploring and seeing the world is so important to me, as is coming home to my family and friends.

I visited Kathmandu in 2016 and found it such an interesting place that it inspired this book.

During the Hippy Trail of the 60s and 70s, Kathmandu was a popular destination for young travelers seeking spiritual enlightenment and an escape from the conventional life. The overland route from Europe to India and Nepal saw thousands of adventurous souls making their way through countries like Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India before finally reaching Kathmandu.

The city’s laid-back atmosphere, coupled with the availability of cheap accommodation and relaxed drug laws, made it an attractive place for these “hippies” to gather. Many were drawn to the exotic culture, the stunning natural beauty of the Himalayas, and the promise of spiritual awakening.

Freak Street, once the heart of the hippie community in Kathmandu, was lined with guesthouses, cafes, and shops catering to the needs of free-spirited travelers. It was a place where East met West—the scent of incense mingling with the sound of rock music.

The influx of hippies had a significant impact on the local culture and economy, with many Nepalese adapting to cater to the tastes and needs of these visitors. However, the Hippy Trail came to an end in the late 1970s due to political instability in the region and the increasing availability of cheap air travel.

Today, Kathmandu continues to be a popular destination for travelers, although the nature of tourism has changed since the days of the Hippy Trail. While some visitors still come seeking spiritual experiences, many are drawn to the city’s rich cultural heritage, vibrant festivals, and opportunities for adventure sports like trekking, mountain biking, and white-water rafting in the nearby mountains.

I also touch upon the struggles of the some of the local people in this book. Whilst visiting, I learned of the shockingly common practice of women and girls being taken to city with the promise of jobs and opportunities which end up in domestic slavery or prostitution. There are now several charities dedicated to this cause, should you want to learn more.

Strangely enough, the idea of the backstreet restaurant came to me during a previous trip to Bangkok, Thailand. One evening a friend and I visited a nightclub on the recommendation of a pair of fellow travelers. We had a great evening, dancing the night away, drinking Chang Beer and meeting people from all around the world. In the morning, discussing the night before, we both remembered the name of the nightclub, but not its location. Ultimately, we turned to our guidebook for the answer. The guidebook said something like:

The nightclub seems to only exist during the hours of darkness. The only people who know exactly where it is are the taxi and tuktuk drivers. A Bangkok must do, if you can find it. 

As such, the idea of the backstreet restaurant—although mine was a lot more sinister—was born.

As the first that I wrote and published, this book was far from perfect in its initial incarnation. I have re-edited it and re-published it since then, tightening up the story to make it closer to the “thriller” style books I now love to read and write. I think this is quite common with new writers—we set out with the aim of “writing something” without really knowing what we want that thing to be. 

My re-edit of the book in 2023, four years after its publication, was generally met with kind comments from readers. Some, however, were so keen on the original version that they didn’t want it to change. Should you be interested in the original version, I have made it available here: www.lukerichardsonauthor.com/kathmanduoriginal

Of course, I am still immensely proud of this book and hope you enjoy it too. Although the words here are my own, the characters, experiences and some of the events described are wholly inspired by the people I’ve traveled beside.

If we ever shared noodles from a street-food vendor, visited a temple together, played cards on a creaking overnight train, or had a beer in a back-street restaurant, you are forever in this book, and for that, I thank you!

It is the intention of my writing to show that although the world is big and the unknown can be unsettling, there is so much good in it. Although the men in the restaurant and people traffickers are bad, evil people, I think they are vastly outnumbered by the honesty, purity and kindness of the other characters. You don’t have to look far to see this in the real world. I know that whenever I’m on the road, it’s the kindness of the people that I remember, almost more than the place itself.

Whether you’re an experienced traveler, or you prefer your home turf, I hope this story has taken you somewhere new and exciting—even if you’ve been to Kathmandu and found the backstreet restaurant.

Again, thank you for coming on the adventure with me. I hope to see you again.

Luke

(March 2019 and rewritten in April 2023)