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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"Common structure, uncommon setting. I enjoyed it immensely and have to agree with Publisher's Weekly: "Readers expecting a traditional mystery structure would be advised to look elsewhere, but those who want something new will find Burdett's novel an intriguing, fresh take on noir." "
— Ed (4 out of 5 stars)
" For some reason, I couldn't really get behind this book. There were a number of things that I enjoyed about it, but ultimately, it left a bad taste in my mouth. Not sure I can pinpoint it any better than that. "
— Matt, 2/14/2014" three and a half. Interesting story. Good characterization. Different take on prostitution. The East really is different. "
— Joan, 2/12/2014" Good book that gives a good picture of Thailand and cultures. Creepy ending though. "
— Sherry, 2/8/2014" Great read. Great look into Thai culture, Thai cops, American Thai relations, and all the other reasons would love Thailand. I'd read a sequel is a second. "
— David, 1/29/2014" Excellent, sort of a murder mystery, there IS a murder mystery in it, but it is also about Bangkok, Buddhism, colonialism, gender, prostitution. "
— Kate, 1/29/2014" Fun, quick mystery read, with several surprises and twists along the way and at the end. As a bonus, enjoyed reading about/remembering Bangkok, but left me longing for authentic Thai food... "
— Katie, 1/16/2014" murder and mayhem based in Thailand "
— Beth, 1/16/2014" A good mystery set in Bangkok...a bit on the sensational side, but good. "
— Marty, 12/30/2013" This book had/has a huge buzz. Hmmmm. Sure, compared to most of what is out there, it is well written, unusual, and full of great characters. But I found the plot rather thin, and I don't even know what to make of its weird racial politics. "
— Rachel, 12/20/2013" Crazy, delightful book. As close to being in Bangkok as you can get. "
— Ozzie, 12/4/2013" This mystery takes a while before it becomes difficult to put down. A little Buddist philosophy mixed in while the main character, a Thai cop with a gringo (or farang as they say in Thailand) dad solves the mystery. There are some gruesome parts, but I could read it without feeling woozy. "
— Jasna, 12/3/2013" Exotic location and crime with interesting and engaging characters along with some humor thrown in. What's not to like? "
— Kim, 11/25/2013" great murder thriller.. after you have read this book, you feel like you know a what it feels like to live, or at least visit, bangkok. "
— Djamila, 9/13/2013" This murder/detective story about a Bangkok cop on a quest to avenge the death of his partner who was killed on the job has a cool Buddhist/Thai vibe and lots of fun plot twists. A great vacation read! "
— Alison, 9/13/2013" I love Burdett's Buddhist mystic-cop Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep. The book is brutal, but fascinating. "
— Heather, 7/2/2013" I love John Burdett's stuff. I love his take on Buddhism. See other reviews. "
— Seisen, 5/6/2013" am venturing into the second book to figure whether the writing and story is quality or just several interesting musings on how the West and East differ. this just felt like an introduction, for better for worse. "
— Robb, 4/3/2013" This book reminded me a lot of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Interesting premise, good characters, but just sort of odd and not particularly fulfilling. I will probably read the second book in the series and see whether that one is more pleasing. "
— Crystal, 3/6/2013" A really unusual, interesting narrative voice. you kind of want to take him home and feed him chicken soup til he gets better. ending stumbles a bit but it's a wild ride getting there. This book stayed with me for days afterwards. "
— Amy, 1/12/2013" Interesting and disturbing look inside the gritty underbelly of prostitution and corruption in Bangkok. The author's style was not one that I easily meshed with and hindered me from appreciating a good whodunnit story. "
— Kristin, 12/19/2012" Colourful, interesting characters, great sense of place, but too many rambling plotlines and (for me) the ending did not make sense. "
— Caroline, 10/26/2012" A wild ride through a wild city....... "
— Jeanne, 10/6/2012" A fun, if stretched, adventure through the streets, and sub-cultures, of Bangkok. "
— Julian, 9/12/2012" Very entertaining. Great in-flight reading. "
— Susannah, 7/5/2012" Really enjoyed this book - very graphic detective story set in Bangkok - I craved Thai food the entire time I read the book and would eat it three to four times a week - No one describes Bangkok's traffic better than this author - Not for everyone - Detective investigates sex crimes - "
— Sioux-z, 6/20/2012" While I liked the Buddhist overlay to the traditional whodunnit perhaps a little unnecessarily sexsational. Still good plane/travel reading. "
— Eleanor, 4/7/2012" Burdett has a sly way of showing how bizarre American society is by showing us how naturally strange Thai society can be. "
— Marketingguy, 2/25/2012" great crime tale and makes you really want to head over there. Great commentary on the sex trade as well Thailand in general. "
— David, 12/9/2011" This book (and the rest of the series) are just plain fun. If you love mystery novels and/or Bangkok, this is a great beach or plane read. "
— Helki, 12/5/2011" I adore every book in this series. Weird, witty and original. "
— Mskarla, 11/4/2011" Read on the way to and in Bangkok. A GREAT travel companion. Perhaps not everyone wants to learn the details of transsexual surgery, but I found it fascinating. And the Buddhist detectivwe whose mother owns a brothel - funny and well drawn characters. "
— Clementine, 9/19/2011" This book creates an enveloping world of Bangkok. The narrator has one of those voices that would stick in my head for a half hour after a reading session. Excellent! "
— Ray, 9/7/2011" Couldn't finish this because the author's portrayal of Thai people, language and culture seems <em>off</em> to me. I would be interested to hear from another Thai speaking person who have read this book. "
— Apatt, 8/30/2011" This was an interesting read. The main character is a Thai police man. The novel starts with the death of a US marine, killed by cobras in his car. What makes this novel different is the setting in Thailand and the emphasis on Budhism. I now ant the read the other books in the series. "
— Mary, 8/26/2011" Excellent and well written book about Bangkok and it's main industry. <br/>The story a murder mystery, but is informative and I am looking forward to reading the next book. "
— Marty, 8/17/2011" This book makes me want to visit Bangkok. "
— Kate, 8/10/2011" This book was a lot of fun, a lot of twists and turns. I read it a few years ago, and now I'm reading the sequel to it. "
— Marty, 8/4/2011John Burdett is a former lawyer who worked in London and Hong Kong for fourteen years. He is the author of the bestselling Bangkok 8 and its sequels, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts, and The Godfather of Kathmandu. His other works include Freedom Angel, The Last 6 Million Seconds, and Vulture Peak, the latest installment in the Bangkok series. Burdett splits his time between France and Bangkok.
Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.
Paul Boehmer is an American actor best known for his numerous appearances in the Star Trek universe, in addition to Frasier, Judging Amy, Guiding Light, and All My Children. He is a 1992 Masters of Fine Arts graduate of the Professional Theater Training Program at the University of Delaware. As a narrator, Paul has won several AudioFile Earphones Awards as well as an Audie Award.