Rating: 
Summary: Bangkok Gr8 !
Review: This thriller has original characters, colorful settings, lots of action and suspense, hilarious moments, and a little Buddhist philosophy. It's a page-turner, and the main character, Sonchai, is very engaging. He's a good guy in a wild city, where bad things happen, as he tries to solve a case as well as avenge his soul-brother's murder. It's a good novel, with interesting twists and turns. You can almost feel Bangkok's heartbeat while you're reading, and you can't wait to see what will happen next. While reading this book, I just HAD to go out and get some pad thai, it's that absorbing. I agree with another reviewer who mentioned that the ending is weak. I think the loose ends were too neatly tied up. But with so many sub-plots and layers of the story, I think finishing the book would be disappointing no matter what. I hope Sonchai, and his mom, appear in a sequel.
Rating:
Summary: Not A Masterpiece, But An Enjoyable Yarn
Review: I recently devoured Bangkok 8 in a couple of days. It is a compelling mystery with excellent use of local culture and customs to add color to the novel. It is literally overflowing with lurid and accurate details of Bangkok. He also manages to convey a lot about Buddhism. I liked how he used a radio call in talk show with a sociologist host to make observations and analysis about Thai culture and societal problems, rather than giving long speeches to characters. I like the fact that he made the main character half Thai and half Caucasian (or double if you prefer). This dual status gives him access and insight into Thai culture and western culture. Furthermore, it makes him an outsider in both cultures as well. He is also well steeped in the world of prostitution since his mother used to earn her living via the trade. In addition, his Buddhism and personal knowledge of the street makes him a pure cop, who doesn't take a bribe, but is tolerated for his ability to speak English, which can come in handy for the police department. The ending is somewhat anti-climatic, but somehow appropriate to the tone of the story.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I just finished reading it, and couldn't put it down. Very suspenseful and also poignant, as the main character is the son of a Thai prostitute and a white American soldier. He gives a moving picture of life in the ... trade, life as a half caste in Thailand, and life as a Thai Buddhist. This last was fascinating and a big part of why I recommend this book. It's a page turner of a murder mystery, starting with a dead marine and a beautiful suspect, but the best part is following what we have come to think of as a standard story through the viewpoint of a Buddhist cop working in a corrupt, if "compassionate" culture. It's hilarious at times, and at times heartbreaking, and if you happen to guess who the murderer is, you'll still never guess why. To people who say the ending is a letdown, well, that is one of the drawbacks of this type of book. It's always a letdown to solve a tantalizing case and end a compelling read. This book was definitely worth it, and I've already bought another of his books to read asap.
Rating:
Summary: Great Murder Mystery
Review: I read lots of mysteries, but this is one is so unique that I'm doing a rare review. Between the interesting detective, the insights into Thailand, the insights into the sex trade, and frequent insights from Buddhism, this gets my highest recommendation. Of course, I am a Buddhist so it is nice to have a Buddhist detective for a change but the book should be a fun and educational read for anyone who isn't into one of the fundamentalist religions of the Middle-east. It's definitely more a "guy book" than for women, but my wife did also enjoy it, more for the twisted ending than for all stuff about the sex trade.
Rating:
Summary: Horrific dual killing opens this book
Review: John Burdett's 3rd novel sets a detective story in contemporary Bangkok with a surprisingly seductive and engaging local protagonist, the Thai partner of a dead Bangkok cop who diet during a horrific dual killing with which the book opens. The most unusual aspect of the book, which is otherwise just a really good cop story, is the Buddhist spirituality of Sonchai Jitpleecheep (the detective). It adds a welcome 4th dimension. Good stuff here.
Rating:
Summary: Exotic
Review: Very different. Very interesting. Is the oriental mind that different? A tale much like and unlike what you have read before. Snakes, sex, money and Buddha.
Rating:
Summary: Somewhat Dark, Somewhat Seductive
Review: Bangkok 8 certainly has an interesting plot that will keep you in suspense until the climax. But it's the glimpse and the earthy feel of the Thai flesh trade sub-culture that will keep you intrigued and riveted to the book. In his endeavors to solve a bizarre murder case Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, a devout Buddhist and son of a prostitute, takes an all too familiar search through the bars and brothels of Bangkok and through the Asian underworld. Author John Burdett gives the reader some fascinating insights into Thai culture and into the Buddhist soul. Well written and well worth taking a shot to read.
Rating:
Summary: Best in a long time
Review: I haven't read such a unique novel in what seems like decades. The characters are intriguing and they bring the book to life. It is a genuine page-turner.
Rating: 
Summary: Sonchai saves the book.
Review: I read this book on the recommendation of a Russian writer Victor Pelevin, himself a Buddhist. Now, after finishing the book, I realize that if not for Sonchai, monk turned cop, this book will fall apart under the weight of bizarre tiresome convoluted plot, many unrealized characters, cliches, cultural truisms and propaganda like anti americanism. Sonchai, the Buddhist cop, endlessly self doubting romantic, vulnerable, and smart, saves this mediocre book.
Rating: 
Summary: Great start, head-scratching finish.
Review: ...I did not hate this book. The first few chapters - which are short and manageable throughout the book - had me hooked. Burdett establishes Sonchai as an understandable protagonist, even for those unfamiliar with Bangkok and Thai culture. Over the first half of the book, Burdett builds an excellent storyline - albeit a bit too close to Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park (quite possibly the best of this genre) - in one of the most stylistic narrative styles I have encountered. Unfortunately, the book becomes rather convoluted. Burdett establishes too many subplots, and seems intent on mashing them all together. The end product is a conclusion that makes about as much sense as a David Lynch film or Doors lyrics.
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