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Published in USA
Jan 2010
320 pages
Genre: Mysteries
Publication Information
Sonchai Jitpleecheep—John Burdett's inimitable Thai police detective—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 interested in Tietsin, an exiled Tibetan lama based in Kathmandu who has become his guru.
There are, however, obstacles in Sonchai's path to nirvana. Police Colonel Vikorn has just named Sonchai his consigliere (he’s been studying The Godfather on DVD) in his ongoing battle with Army General Zinna for control of Bangkok's network of illegal enterprises. And though Tietsin is enlightened and (eerily) charismatic, he also has forty million dollars of heroin for sale. If Sonchai truly wants to be an initiate into Tietsin's "apocalyptic Buddhism," he has to pull off a deal that will bring Vikorn and Zinna to the same side of the table. The challenge is further complicated when he meets Tara, a Tantric practitioner who captivates him with her otherworldly techniques.
Here is Sonchai put to the extreme test—as a cop, as a Buddhist, as an impossibly earthbound man—in John Burdett’s most wildly inventive, darkly comic, and wickedly entertaining novel yet.
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"A blissfully nutty caper that brings back fond memories of the late lamented Ross Thomas' crazy-quilt crime fiction." - Kirkus Reviews
"...this is not your typical police procedural, but it will reward mystery readers ready for something unusual." - Library Journal
"Hopefully, Burdett will regain his usual narrative snap next time." - Publishers Weekly
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John Burdett is a nonpracticing lawyer who worked in Hong Kong for a British firm until he found his true vocation as a writer. Since then, he has lived in France and Spain, and Thailand and is now back in Hong Kong. His novels include Bangkok 8, A Personal History of Thirst, The Last Six Million Seconds, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts, The Godfather of Kathmandu, Vulture Peak, and The Bangkok Asset (2015).
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