Bangkok 8
by:
John Burdett (author)
A thriller with attitude to spare, Bangkok 8 is a sexy, razor-edged, often darkly hilarious novel set in one of the world’s most exotic cities.Witnessed by a throng of gaping spectators, a charismatic Marine sergeant is murdered under a Bangkok bridge inside a bolted-shut Mercedes Benz. Among the...
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A thriller with attitude to spare, Bangkok 8 is a sexy, razor-edged, often darkly hilarious novel set in one of the world’s most exotic cities.Witnessed by a throng of gaping spectators, a charismatic Marine sergeant is murdered under a Bangkok bridge inside a bolted-shut Mercedes Benz. Among the witnesses are the only two cops in the city not on the take, but within moments one is murdered and his partner, Sonchai Jitpleecheep—a devout Buddhist and the son of a Thai bar girl and a long-gone Vietnam War G.I.—is hell-bent on wreaking revenge. On a vigilante mission to capture his partner’s murderer, Sonchai is begrudgingly paired with a beautiful FBI agent named Jones and captures her heart in the process. In a city fueled by illicit drugs and infinite corruption, prostitution and priceless art, Sonchai’s quest for vengeance takes him into a world much more sinister than he could have ever imagined.
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Format: paperback
ISBN:
9781400032907 (1400032903)
ASIN: 1400032903
Publish date: July 13th 2004
Publisher: Vintage
Pages no: 317
Edition language: English
Series: Sonchai Jitpleecheep (#1)
This story was interesting, not from the locked room aspect (a US marine is killed in a locked mercedes by a group of crazed snakes) but from the point of view of the investigating officer whose soul brother was killed in the same incident. He's one of the few non-corrupt members of the Bangkok pol...
Couldn't finish this because the author's portrayal of Thai people, language and culture seems off to me. I would be interested to hear from another Thai speaking person who have read this book.
I'm more of a British murder mystery-type fan than one of crime novels, but this was a lot of fun. Sonchai Jitpleecheep is an interesting character, the setting was intriguing, and the story was well-sustained. I'll be reading more in this series.
This noir detective story set in Bangkok took me to a far away place and messed with my head with its touches of magical realism. It was fun and surprising - even though the ending was weird and goofy. The narrator was fine, though a bit strained on the female parts.