Thursday, March 03, 2016

Bangkok Tattoo


Bangkok Tattoo (2006) is the 2nd in the John Burdett Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep book series. I found this book used for $3, not having read the 1st in the series, but reading them in order doesn't seem to be a requirement. I'm not a fan and won't seek out others. The characters seem fairly flat to me. The plot is straightforward but not something I found myself anxious to pursue. I found myself not feeling like I was learning about other cultures so much as hearing generalizations and perhaps even stereotypes. On a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 = sentences-arranged-in-paragraph-form and 10 = deathless-prose, let's just say I found this book not getting a very high score. Can you tell I didn't like this book at all? In the end, I didn't finish it.

from the back of the book:
Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep of the Royal Thai Police returns in this riveting and smokily atmospheric new thriller.

A farang –a foreigner– has been murdered, his body horribly mutilated, at the Bangkok brothel co-owned by Sonchai’s mother and his boss. The dead man was a CIA agent. To make matters worse, the apparent culprit is sweet-natured Chanya, the brothel’s top earner and a woman whom the devoutly Buddhist sleuth has loved for several lifetimes.

How can Sonchai solve this crime without sending Chanya to prison? How can he engage in a cover-up without endangering his karma? And how will he ever get to the bottom of a case whose interested parties include American spooks, Muslim fundamentalists, and gangsters from three countries?

As addictive as opium, as hot as Sriracha chili sauce, and bursting with surprises, Bangkok Tattoo will leave its mark on you.
The Guardian has criticisms, but says, "Burdett uses the mood behind this uprising ["by Muslim militants against the government"] and the attendant paranoias of the post-September 11 world to drive his plot. It is here that the book works best." The NYT has a mixed review. Strange Horizons also has a mixed review.

Kirkus Reviews concludes, "Baroquely complicated, and a bit too preachy but, otherwise, a wry, wise and wonderful romp." Salon says if you don't like it, you're a "pussy" and too thin-skinned and should "lighten up". Entertainment Weekly gives it a B+ and says, "The first few ”ugly farang” jokes come off, but Burdett overworks them mercilessly in this otherwise smart and fascinating novel."

8 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review. Others seem to have liked it better than you did. I'm sticking with you though and giving it a pass

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    1. I may not have given it enough of a chance, but I found myself anxious to be done with it.

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  2. I will also give it a pass, because I am not fond of Sriracha sauce. Nor am I fond of hearing about Muslim fundamentalists. Muslims are just too easy to pick on right now, fundamentalist or not.

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    1. They just figure in the plot but aren't focused on to the exclusion of other elements. I didn't mind that part. It just didn't make for an interesting story for me.

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  3. I trust you on this. I guess the joy of finding a good enough detective series is enhanced by the awareness of the droves of bad ones out there. And from their backs, they are all riveting, fascinating and exciting. So much potential disappointment...

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    1. Yes, any series is worth trying. It's not like the back of the book is gonna say, "Them that likes it speaks well of it," or "good enough for a rainy November day." ;) We need an honest review version of the "honest trailer" videos lol.

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    2. We could start a Facebook page devoted to that...

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    3. lol I've looked on youtube for some such thing but never found anything but actual reviews, which didn't seem like nearly as much fun ;)

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