Brevity of Life Part 1: Down From The Mountain

A Serial Novel: Part 1 of 8 'The Brevity of Life' is a fast paced political thriller which paints a lush and vivid portrayal of modern day Thailand and Burma.

Peter Dunn is a middle aged reporter for the Times who has become bitter after the repeal of his Pulitzer Prize.

Floundering in New York, he is offered a last chance opportunity to return to Asia.

The journey back coincides with New Year celebrations for much of South-East Asia and the world soon learns that the 'Free Burmese Union' has chosen this time to launch a surprise uprising against the country's military junta.

Rebels seize the vast properties of multinationals invested there while the Burmese born former head of the U.N. leads last ditch peace negotiations in an effort to head off more violence.

But with the multinationals standing to lose billions of dollars, a dark plan is set into motion to hand Burma back to its military masters.

Peter heads into Burma to cover the story as it breaks.

Along the way he falls in with Zau Tu, the charismatic leader of an ethnic Kachin rebel faction and together they uncover the sinister plot.

To redeem himself for past sins Peter must make a starkly painful choice between those he holds most dear and the fate of the country which threatens to slip back into brutal repression.