John Burdett - Bangkok Eight

review live on bookshow 11th October 2012, by Ro Bennett Having read the Carl Hiaasen book Lucky You which I reviewed last time, I decided to read a book by John Burdett who was suggested as a similar author. This is another book I have thoroughly enjoyed, so another series of books I can look forward to reading, so I am delighted. Here is a summary: When a US Marine is killed in Bangkok, the task of finding the murderer falls to Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep. Sonchai is the son of a Thai bar girl and an unknown American father but seemingly the only member of the Royal Thai Police Force whose idea of justice excludes the habitual bribe-taking practised by his fellow officers including his boss. This assignment is especially important to the devout detective because during the investigation of the murder scene where a marine was killed, the cobra snakes which bit him are stoked up with methamphetamine and also kill Sonchai's police partner, best friend and Buddhist soul-mate Pichai. The death of the marine brings with it the involvement of the U.S embassy, and Kimberley Jones, a female FBI agent comes over to liaise with Sonchai. His investigation takes Sonchai into the bars and brothels and to drug and jade smuggling rings run by ruthless and dangerous men. It’s an informative book for the reader, covering seedy aspects of Thailand - from its sex industry to the shocking poverty, wholesale corruption, traffic chaos, pollution and the widespread trade in yaa baa (which is methamphetamine), to intriguing facts about jade. The author, John Patrick Burdett was born July 24, 1951. He’s British and was formerly a lawyer. He lived and worked in Hong Kong for twelve years but eventually he decided to abandon law and pursue a career as a detective novelist. Burdett now splits his time between France and Bangkok and continues to research his novels in various locations in Thailand, so this is obviously why the book is so full of interesting local knowledge. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It has everything a lovable hero, humour, suspense, pathos, with a great insight into Thai culture and I like his writing style. I will certainly read the sequels.

Carl Hiaasen - Lucky You

review by Ro Bennett live on show 20th Sept 2012 When I was reviewing the last Colin Cotterill book, Linda mentioned a review which compared the humourous style to that of Carl Hiaasen. I was intrigued by this, and, always on the look out for new authors I can enjoy I bought his book titled Lucky You. This is the story line: JoLayne Lucks wins the Florida State Lotto lottery - and so do two rednecks. The total amount is $28 million and the two thugs are not satisfied with having to share their lotto money with anyone else, and so they set out to find the person holding the other ticket! The rednecks, Bode and Chub, find out where JoLayne lives, beat her up badly and steal her ticket. JoLayne desperately needs the money to purchase a beautiful wooded area which is being sold for development. She wants to keep it in it’s natural state to protect the habitat for the resident wild life and so that she and others can continue to enjoy it. Tom Krome, a reporter is sent to interview JoLayne in her home town of Grange, Florida, where several ripoff artists are fleecing the gullible and religious with a weeping fibreglass Madonna, a road-stain depicting the face of Jesus and a man with self inflicted stigmata. JoLayne and Tom set out in a frantic attempt to track these vicious and heavily armed perpetrators and retrieve the ticket before they can cash it in. It’s a long book and with small print which I usually avoid like the plague and I couldn’t get it on Kindle - but it was an excellent read, well written and it had everything - cunning plot, suspense, drama, romance, humour, excellent dialogue and several interwoven strands which all come together in the end. Probably my favourite book for this year.