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Vulture peak
Burdett, John.
Adult Fiction BURDETT
From Publishers' Weekly:
Burdett's fifth Bangkok novel (after 2010's The Godfather of Kathmandu) opens with a memorable tableau-three corpses, laid neatly on a bed in a Phuket mansion and missing all commercially viable body parts, including their faces. It's clearly a case for the quirky, pot-smoking police detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, whose investigations are often stymied by the double whammy of his country's corruption and his own personal problems. When Jitpleecheep is on task, he's doggedly pursuing traffickers in human organs, led by a beautiful but ruthless set of twins, Lilly and Polly Yip. The criminal ring uses as its source material executed Chinese prisoners, while its customers are wealthy Westerners whose internal organs have worn out. All too often, though, the story veers off into side issues concerning drug use, Jitpleecheep's marital difficulties, and gender change. Burdett's writing remains fresh, humorous, and full of insights into Thailand, but readers who prefer focus and suspense should look elsewhere. Author tour. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
From Library Journal:
A ghoulish triple homicide brings Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep to the hilltop compound known as Vulture Peak. Three bodies, laid neatly on a bed, are missing eyes, kidneys, livers, and genitals. The ever-corrupt, opportunistic Colonel Vikorn, Sonchai's boss, wants to know what's going on. And, incidentally, he wants to be the new governor of Bangkok. As in the last four novels in Burdett's series, Sonchai is maneuvering in a nearly bewildering stew of greed, ambition, sex, drugs, and sheer criminal insanity. While the tale does not meander as much as its predecessor, The Godfather of Kathmandu, there are sinuous twists as our detective tries to make sense of the international machinations of the Yip sisters and Vikorn's arch rival, General Zinna. VERDICT There are some truly stomach-turning scenes, and even a hardened reader of thrillers will blanch. Burdett, as usual, can't resist his tendency to lecture farangs (Thai slang for Westerners) on materialism and the myriad weaknesses of the Western mind. While these lectures are getting tiresome, Sonchai and his gritty adventures as philosopher-cop will have fans looking for the next installment. [See Prepub Alert, 7/18/11.]-Sally Harrison, Ocean Cty. Lib., Waretown, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Burdett, John.
Adult Fiction BURDETT
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From Publishers' Weekly:
Burdett's fifth Bangkok novel (after 2010's The Godfather of Kathmandu) opens with a memorable tableau-three corpses, laid neatly on a bed in a Phuket mansion and missing all commercially viable body parts, including their faces. It's clearly a case for the quirky, pot-smoking police detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, whose investigations are often stymied by the double whammy of his country's corruption and his own personal problems. When Jitpleecheep is on task, he's doggedly pursuing traffickers in human organs, led by a beautiful but ruthless set of twins, Lilly and Polly Yip. The criminal ring uses as its source material executed Chinese prisoners, while its customers are wealthy Westerners whose internal organs have worn out. All too often, though, the story veers off into side issues concerning drug use, Jitpleecheep's marital difficulties, and gender change. Burdett's writing remains fresh, humorous, and full of insights into Thailand, but readers who prefer focus and suspense should look elsewhere. Author tour. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
From Library Journal:
A ghoulish triple homicide brings Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep to the hilltop compound known as Vulture Peak. Three bodies, laid neatly on a bed, are missing eyes, kidneys, livers, and genitals. The ever-corrupt, opportunistic Colonel Vikorn, Sonchai's boss, wants to know what's going on. And, incidentally, he wants to be the new governor of Bangkok. As in the last four novels in Burdett's series, Sonchai is maneuvering in a nearly bewildering stew of greed, ambition, sex, drugs, and sheer criminal insanity. While the tale does not meander as much as its predecessor, The Godfather of Kathmandu, there are sinuous twists as our detective tries to make sense of the international machinations of the Yip sisters and Vikorn's arch rival, General Zinna. VERDICT There are some truly stomach-turning scenes, and even a hardened reader of thrillers will blanch. Burdett, as usual, can't resist his tendency to lecture farangs (Thai slang for Westerners) on materialism and the myriad weaknesses of the Western mind. While these lectures are getting tiresome, Sonchai and his gritty adventures as philosopher-cop will have fans looking for the next installment. [See Prepub Alert, 7/18/11.]-Sally Harrison, Ocean Cty. Lib., Waretown, NJ (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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