I'm a sucker for crime fiction set in unusual locales, so it was with great anticipation that I dove into this Bangkok-set debut novel. Burdett does a magnificent job in bringing Bangkok to life—from the neon-lit sex industry to shocking poverty, endemic corruption, widespread yaa baa (methamphetamine) trade, ever-present Bhuddism, and the lingering effects of the Vietnam war. Things kick off with straight-arrow cops Sonchai and Pichai tailing an American marine—allowing Burdett to give Bangkok's legendary traffic a cameo. However, in the middle of their task, the marine is killed by poisonous snakes, one of whom also kills Pichai when he tries to rescue the marine. From here on out Sonchai is a man on a mission, dedicated to solving the marine's (and thus by extension his partner's) murder. The death of the marine brings with it the involvement of the U.S embassy, and a female FBI agent comes over to liase with Sonchai. The plot is a typically convoluted thriller effort, involving international jade smuggling, a powerful American with White House connections, extreme S&M, Khmer thugs, Chui Chow Chinese gangsters and more. Actually, the story itself if the weakest part of the book, succumbing to stereotypical thriller elements and scenes. And it has to be said—the ending is really, really lame.
Still, there's lots to recommend the book. This is a thriller with many shades of gray to delight in. For example, on the one hand, Sonchai is an arhat (kind of a Bhuddist living saint), the one clean cop in the district, and yet he's clear that the only justice he intends to bring his partner's killer to is that found in the barrel of his gun. Similarly, his boss is totally corrupt, but Sonchai respects and reveres him. Most interesting is the portrayal of the sex industry, which is much less condemnatory than one might expect. (Although whether or not it accurately represents Thai attitudes to sex is not for me to judge.) The straightforward story also veers into the supernatural, with Sonchai able to see the past lives of people he encounters. Others love this aspect of his character, but it struck me as an unnecessary gimmick that detracts from the book's excellent portrayal of Bhuddism. Sonchai is a wonderfully laconic character, and all the more surprising for having come from the pen of a Westerner. On the whole, this is a very enjoyable thriller with a wonderful protagonist and great insight into Thai culture and Bangkok, however don't approach it with overly high expectations or you'll be disappointed—it is still of the airplane/beach read genre.
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