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Summary: Learn About Bangkok
Review: I just want to say two things (1) I had no problems with the end of the book, in fact I liked it.(2) Most mysteries I like take place in an unusual or historical setting, that way you not only get a mystery but you learn something as well. I knew little about Bangkok and was therefore intrigued by the concept. The author is a very good writer and this book deserves a wide audience, it is the best book I've read since The Da Vinci Code.
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Summary: Hard-to-put-down Mystery in an Exotic Locale
Review: This book has it all: a Buddhist detective who depends on his intuition to solve a ghastly murder; corrupt cops; the American FBI; lots of prostitutes; and, an on-the-ground look at a Third World City's chaos. You'll get a glimpse of Thai culture, a critique of the West and more than a few laughs. A well-plotted mystery that is hard to put down. I recommend it if you're interested in foreign cultures and excellent writing.
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Summary: An Exotic Banquet of a Book
Review: John Burdett's BANGKOK 8 is an exotic murder mystery wrapped in what amounts to a detailed and riveting character study of a city at the intersection of the old world and the new. Burdett's Bangkok is a place where Thai culture and American culture meet like two rivers in a great, chaotic swirl.The title refers to a police district in the teeming city, the territory of police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep. Sonchai is the son of an unidentified American GI and a Bangkok [street walker]. As the story opens, Sonchai and Pichai Apiradee, his childhood friend and police partner, are assigned without explanation to follow William Bradley, an American Marine sergeant. They lose track of Bradley's Mercedes, but pick up the trail not long after, only to find him dead in the back seat, wrapped in the deadly embrace of a seventeen-foot python. When Pichai opens the car door to investigate, he is attacked by one of several dozen small but highly venomous cobras, and dies on the spot. In the aftermath, the grieving Sonchai quietly and serenely swears vengeance on those responsible for his friend's death. Sonchai is as fascinating a character as you are likely to find in fiction. A gentle and devout Buddhist, he lives in near poverty. But as a youth, thanks to his mother's talent and business savvy as a prostitute, a series of wealthy and sophisticated European johns provided Sonchai with an education in Western culture --- as experienced by those with great wealth and great connections. Sonchai's Buddhist beliefs and essential Thai mindset keep his Western influences --- particularly a fondness for Italian clothing designers --- in check. Sonchai has James Bond's sophistication, but a pauper's budget. As protagonist in this remarkably rich and detailed story, Sonchai serves as the personification of the modern day city of Bangkok. The story is told from Sonchai's distinctly Thai perspective, a technique that works to great effect in portraying the American characters, particularly FBI agent Kimberly Jones, as fish out of water, struggling to understand the complexities, contradictions, and ironies of Thai culture. Sonchai steadfastly refuses to take part in the [crime]and influence peddling that define Burdett's Bangkok. But this [crime]has evolved as a solution to the city's many social and economic woes. Police [crime] is seen simply as the status quo, a system that has practical benefits: the cops on the take never complain about miniscule salaries, which in turn makes tax increases unnecessary. The upper echelon officers of the police department --- the big money guys --- regularly donate a portion of their take to charities and are also careful to distribute their wealth on the street to build networks of popular support. Where the Thais accept [crime] and bribery as a fact of life, the Americans in this story (and let's face it, in real life) say one thing and do another. They profess astonishment at the level and sheer visibility of the [crime] in Bangkok, while telling Sonchai that his investigation of the murders of Bradley and Pichai must steer clear of a wealthy and well-connected American businessman with an interest in jade and a taste for [criminal] violence. Burdett weaves flashbacks of Sonchai's youth into a powerful narrative that delivers the sensual and meteorological heat of Bangkok at a measured yet unrelenting pace. It is a place of mystery and mysticism, of [physical contact] and spirituality, of life and death, and of revenge and rebirth. Burdett's prose is rich in metaphor, sly wit and insight, and he has written an exotic banquet of a book. If your midsummer travel plans extend no further than your patio, porch, fire escape or sofa, you'll do well to venture into the pages of BANGKOK 8. It ain't Kansas, Toto, and you may not want to send your mother the snapshots, but you're going to have a very good time. --- Reviewed by Bob Rhubart
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Summary: Great setting, great main character, great world
Review: Actually, there are worlds within worlds in this mystery-thriller: Thailand, and inside that Bangkok, and inside that the skin trade, and then there is the Royal Thai Police Force and the Buddhist philosophy. All this is brought to bear on a killing that is over-the-top unbelievable. The Thai Buddhist take on the American psyche is the most memorable thing. The characters are intriguing and well fleshed out. Overall, it is fascinating and a good ride. But the writing is clunky and the syntax strained at times. And the ending is way too convoluted and very unsatisfying. A near miss. Almost a great thriller. Worth a look, though.
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Summary: Jonathan Yardley is right on about about Bangkok 8 !!
Review: Mr. Yardley, book critic for the Washington Post, does not often review books that I might have any interest in - and when he does the review is rarely a positive one. So I was surprised and delighted to see a very favorable review for John Burdett's novel, Bangkok 8. The title comes from the name of a police district in which our hero works. While drugs and sex and some very good plot twists are major ingredients of the story, what sets this book apart are the characters, Buddhism, Bangkok, a murder that I had to reread at least three times, and some sex that doesn't happen. What has stayed with me a week after I have read this book is Bangkok itself, a city I have never visited, but one that now both fascinates me and feels familiar to me. Perhaps with a different ending I would have rated this a "5", but it did not detract significantly from the pleasure this book gave me. One tip to potential readers who may be on the fence - read the first chapter (2 pages) - it gives an excellent flavor of what is to come, and I expect that most will be hooked, as I was.
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Summary: Spot on the three pillars of Asia!
Review: Wow! I just finished B-Eight and loved it. I live in the Philippines and saw Asia in almost every page. The boy has lived here and knows what's going on. The three pillars, of course, are drugs, prostitution, and corruption. I thought his insights were quite clever, and he's researched Jade, transexual surgery, and Buddhism quite deeply as well. I marked off one star because the story became a "stretch" toward the end (I'm a doctor) and some of this characters just couldn't speak the way they did in the story. But, hey, write up some more John-boy, I'm one of your fans!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I picked this up b/c it was on the Wall Street Journal's list of summer books to read. I was not disappointed. I was a little weary of the whole murder-mystery in Thailand angle, but it turned out to be excellent. The author sprinkles little factoid about Thai society throughout the book; they are interesting, educational, and never overwhelm the story. There are lots of twists and turns, which you would expect in a mystery, but they are never trite or far-fetched. I tore through this book very quickly - it's an excellent summer read.
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Summary: Really great book!
Review: Wow! A really great book. Burdett knows his subject well. Not only a great detective mystery but a real education on Thai and Buddhist ways. Brings you right up the the edge, makes you look over the abyss, and then leaves a smile on your face after such sordid carryings on. What a book! I got a big laugh out of the ending. Well worth the read!!!!
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Summary: Alluring plot in great locale..anti usa bias too heavy!
Review: I enjoyed this book for about 200 pages then soured on it's endless anti usa theme. To blame all the worlds ills on the usa is just to simple and ignores the worlds complexities. This guy blasts the usa but will take our money for this book? What a joker. I buy a book for entertainment not moral lambasting..If I want that I go to church (which I never do).
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Summary: Really liked this one.
Review: I would have to number this book among my favorite mystery reads for the year. It was cleverly written,had interesting insites into the Thai culture, and an unusual plot line. I will be looking out for this author for his next release. Would not be surprised if it made the New York Times best sellers list soon.
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