John Burdett is itself Englishman who has spent most of his adult life in the Far East and apparently owes some Thais (which he also at the beginning of the book especially thanks them) a deep insight into the Thai mentality.
He succeeds incredibly believable (for a Westerner like me, anyway), the reader through his protagonist -the police Sonchai Jitpleecheep- the Thai life from this completely unusual for us Westerners mentality out perceive that much with the spiritual content of Buddhism (Karma, rebirth, compassion ....) and as much to do with a completely different (pragmatic) access to issues such as corruption, violence, prostitution and homosexuality.
This clash of cultures personified John Burdett in the "cooperation" of the Thai police itself -the son of a Thai prostitute and a farang (foreigner) is - as with a US FBI agent in a case of violent death both an American also the partner Sonchais (was it a spiritual brother) to enlighten.
Thus the book is of course last but not least also an enormously exciting thriller.
The criminal case due to the brutality and occasional desolation (poverty, corruption, violence ...) holds an intoxicating sense of humor, the balance that results from the described cultures clash-as well as by the appearance of energetic mother Sonchais.
So a book that entertains in so many ways and still evident.
In this Hinscht perhaps a good preparation for Bangkok (though you should then the points quickly skipped over the sitting in Thai detention Germans prefer).
By the way, only we call tongue weak farangs the city "Bangkok", whose real name is:
Bangkok Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit
John Burdett: Bangkok Eight. The stories with the Bangkok police Sonchai be just as well continue with the book Bangkok Tattoo (Sonchai Jitpleecheep 2)
another author who writes excellent Bangkok-Thriller, Christopher G. Moore: The Risk of Infidelity Index (Vincent Calvino 1).
