BANGKOK 8 John Burdett Transworld £10 hbk Rel July 2003 Reviewed by Ali Karim

Books that make you stop and look at the world from a different angle are scarce - Bangkok 8 is one of those rare beasts. The book opens with a US Marine getting murdered by drugged snakes. Two cops arrive and the snakes leave one alive, Buddhist Cop Sonchai Jitpleecheep. Sonchai and his partner were the only two non-corrupt cops in the whole city. With his partner dead, Sonchai engages upon a revenge mission and maneuvers through the illicit world of drugs and prostitution, which are a way of life for many in the police district that gives this book its title. Sonchai’s mother was a prostitute while his father was a US serviceman, so he understands the neon world better than most. As the original murder concerned a US Marine, the FBI arrive in the guise of Agent Kimberley Jones. Soon they not only work the case together, but Kimberley tries to unravel Sonchai from his clothes and beliefs. The two become embroiled in a peculiar case of jade smuggling and they begin to understand the riddle of the drugged snakes.

The mystery however is over-shadowed by the philosophical subtext that layers this book like the smoke trail from an incense taper. The book is almost a primer in Buddhism, as I felt like I had converted religion by the end. It is no surprise that its author has lived in the Far-East for many years and understands the rituals and customs of the Bangkok. What is surprising is that John Burdett is English by birth, and was a lawyer who lived in Southampton but left the UK to practice law in Hong Kong. This led to him being offered a partnership which he held until he was 42, when he reverted to full-time writing. Burdett has, in Bangkok 8, created a really deep-seated sense of place, one that becomes almost hypnotic. It does really make you take a long-deep breath - as its story is so fresh.

Highly recommended