Sixth in the saga of Southeast Asian Luong finds Superintendent Bamsam Kiet en route to Seattle to recover his national budget--which has been successfully pilfered by an American computer nerd. Kiet's assistant, Captain Binh, had apprehended the nerd, then lost him in a stopover at Disneyland, necessitating Kiet's trip. Worrying constantly about the classic tourist complaint (yes, diarrhea) and loathing all things American- -shopping malls, fast food, etc.--Kiet confronts, confounds, and eventually triumphs over a Luongan Çmigre now ensconced as a trendy Seattle restauranteur; a fast-talking, double-dealing TV huckster; and an unscrupulous real-estate saleswoman--all in a plot that has very little to do. The emphasis on Binh rather than Kiet, and the flight from Luong, the funny-bone of the world, mark this as a lesser effort, though Alexander still gets off a few well-aimed zingers at Americanisms.
