โ Scribed by Burdett, John
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
The vivid portrait of 21st-century Thailand in part redeems the meandering plot of Burdett's fourth thriller to feature corrupt Bangkok police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (after Bangkok Haunts). Jitpleecheep, a marijuana-smoking Buddhist whose marriage collapsed after his young son's death, investigates the peculiar murder of Frank Charles, a Hollywood director who regularly visited Thailand to sample the sexual delights offered by its young women. Someone disemboweled Charles, then cut his skull open and dined on his brains. Among the victim's books at the crime scene are The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Too much musing on spiritual awakenings and Tibetan philosophy as well as commentary on mundane details of daily life distract from the search for Charles's killer and a related subplot involving the heroin-smuggling operation controlled by Jitpleecheep's boss, Colonel Vikorn. Hopefully, Burdett will regain his usual narrative snap next time. (Oct.)
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"Burdett's fever-dream mysteries recast the police procedural as psychedelic peep show."--The New Yorker
"John Burdett is writing the most exciting set of crime novels in the world."--The Oregonian
"Godfather is written with Burdett's characteristic zest, serving up pungent slices of Bangkok's bazaars and waterways."--The Boston Globe
"A Thai tale of corruption, mayhem and intrigue."--San Francisco Chronicle
โIt is the mordant wit of his exhaustively observant โmonk manquรฉโ hero that fuels this blissful and dexterous book.โโ Houston Chronicle
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โThis is a novel brimming with observations and arguments, with absurdity and jokes . . . Witty, learned, and wild.โโ The Washington Post Book World
โThe spiciest yet of Burdettโs exotic dishes.โโ The Times(London)
โBurdettโs latest mystery is delightfully ambiguous, like life itself.โโ St. Louis Post-Dispatch
โBlock out several hours to read it in one sitting. Once you start, you wonโt get anything else done until you finish it.โโ Bookpage(Mystery of the Month)
โA dizzying array of multifaceted storylines. . . . Burdett juggles the various plots with great dexterity . . . A whirlwind of a novel.โโ Booklist(starred)
โA blissfully nutty caper that brings back fond memories of the late lamented Ross Thomasโs crazy-quilt crime fiction . . . Distinguishing crooks from good guys is only one of the pleasures [here] . . . Sonchaiโs wry narrative voice (think: exotic Philip Marlowe) keeps us hooked.โโ Kirkus Reviews(starred)
๐ SIMILAR VOLUMES
SUMMARY: Sonchai JitpleecheepJohn Burdetts inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soulis summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, i
### From Publishers Weekly The vivid portrait of 21st-century Thailand in part redeems the meandering plot of Burdett's fourth thriller to feature corrupt Bangkok police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (after *Bangkok Haunts*). Jitpleecheep, a marijuana-smoking Buddhist whose marriage collapsed afte
SUMMARY: Sonchai JitpleecheepJohn Burdetts inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soulis summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, i
Sonchai Jitpleecheep--John Burdett's inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soul--is summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, is more
SUMMARY: Sonchai JitpleecheepโJohn Burdettโs inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soulโis summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy
Sonchai JitpleecheepโJohn Burdettโs inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soulโis summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, is more i