Product Description

Bangkok, rich in history and spirituality, crowded with temples, markets and canals, is also a city shrouded in shadows. Polluted, corrupt, infamous as the sex capital of the world, it is a place where wealth, poverty and unimaginable evil walk hand in hand. In District 8, the underbelly of Bangkok's crime world, a dramatically mutilated body is found in a hotel bedroom. It looks bad: the corpse - who's been flayed - is CIA. And it gets worse when the self-confessed murderer is the beautiful Chanya - the best 'working girl' at The Old Man's Club, a brothel owned jointly by Sonchai's mother and his boss, Police Colonel Vikorn. Alerted by Sonchai, Vikorn quickly concocts a cover-up that involves an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell, located in a southern Thai border-town where, since 9/11, the CIA has also had a covert presence. So far so good: but the truth will be harder to come by, and it will require Sonchai to find an ever more delicate balance, between his ambition (western) and his Buddhism (eastern), while he runs the gamut of Bangkok's drug-dealers, prostitutes, bad cops, even worse military generals, and the pitfalls of his own melting heart. Crowded with astonishing characters, redolent with the authentic, hallucinogenic atmosphere of Bangkok, with needle-sharp observations about the clash of cultures when East meets West, this is a literary thriller like no other.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31933 in Books
• Published on: 2006-07-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 448 pages

BOOKLIST
‘Time for a trip to District 8 in the heart of Bangkok’s sex district ... outrageous yet bizarrely tender.’

The Times
'... A cracking exotic read.'

From the Inside Flap
In District 8, the underbelly of Bangkok’s crime world, a dramatically mutilated body is found in a hotel bedroom.

It looks bad: the corpse – which has been flayed – is CIA.And it gets worse for Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep when the murderer appears to be the most successful ‘working girl’ at The Old Man’s Club, a brothel owned jointly by Sonchai’s mother and his boss, Police Colonel Vikorn.

Alerted by Sonchai, Vikorn quickly concocts a cover-up that involves an Al Qaeda terrorist cell – a ploy he believes will prove irresistible to the American spy agency.

The bizarre truth that is eventually uncovered with a little help from the dead may be too challenging even for the wily colonel, as Sonchai is forced to run the gamut of Bangkok’s drug-dealers, prostitutes, bad cops, corrupt military generals, and the pitfalls of his own melting heart.

Crowded with astonishing characters, redolent with the authentic, hallucinogenic atmosphere of Bangkok, with needle-sharp observations about the clash of cultures when East meets West, Bangkok Tattoo is a literary thriller like no other.

Customer Reviews

Loved it
First, I'm no great crime novel/thriller reader. However, for me the plot frankly was a minor attraction, I very much enjoyed this book for all sorts of other reasons.

The characters are interesting, unique in my experience. The picture of Thai life & culture, & of Buddhist belief, is (particularly to someone previously largely ignorant of these things) fascinating.

Does the book deal in stereotypes? No, I don't think so. Some of the characters appear stereotypical when you first meet them, yes, particularly the "tormented US spy", but, they don't conform for long, they have their own subtleties. Most are complicated, if not downright strange.

As to its authenticity, it certainly appeared very true to life to me. I've never visited Thailand, & others have offered opinions on how close to reality it is. For my part I'll say that nowhere did anything strike me as unbelievable, or false, quite the contrary.

This is my first & probably only review by the way, so I'll finish by saying it is shocking in places, amusing in others, informative, & overall quite wonderful.

Bangkok Revisited
Having read and enjoyed the authors first novel "Bangkok 8" was a little disappointed by this follow up book as it didn't seem to live up to "Bangkok 8".

I have lived in Bankgok for over four years I can confirm that the authors knowledge of the city and it's people are sound in comparison with my own. This book like "8" serves as a good introduction into some of the strangness that is Thai society.

However this is a crime novel and as such should revolve around plot and plot development leading to a satisfactory conclusion. Tattoo manages this, but only just. I have a feeling the book may have been slightly rushed.

I found the plot at times to wander off in directions, needless apart from being a way in which the author can describe the city which, as in the first book, is the strongest charactor.

The prose in Bangkok Tattoo is very strong throughout and is far better than any other expat author currently writing about the city with the exception of perhaps David Young.

I found where the first book seemed neat and precise leaving no real questions asked this book leaves a few question marks and doesn't really satisfy the reader on the whole in a crime book sense. Although does this novel really fit into the crime genre? You can see the influence of Grame Green's "Quite American" a bit too obviously in some parts suggesting that this is more of a charactor novel?

On the whole I enjoyed reading this and hope that the author follows on with another book to resolve some of the loose ends and keep somchai fighting crime in his unique style.

One Night in Bangkok!
Picked Bangkok 8 and Tattoo up before a recent three day weekend getaway and am I glad I did! What great Irony, cynicism, mystery, all wrapped up in the twisted world of Bangkok's District 8. This book is the sequel to Bangkok 8 so read that first.

Royal Thai police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is investigating the murder of a CIA operative found gutted and mutilated. the number one suspect is a hot little number Chanya who works the local saloon--and Sanchai thinks he is in love love Chanya, or is it lust? The murder of course turns out to be more complicated then it first appears. Sanchi must deal with the rages of his hard nose police captain Vikorn, as he trys to unravel the case, with Chanya slowly giving out her secrets. Mix in CIA agents, Thia army generals, Thai gangsters, Muslim terrorests, all against the funky world of district 8 in Bagkok and you have a wonderful stew of a story!

What I really enjoyed about this Burdetts writting were his characterazation, you can tell he knows Bangkok and its people, at leaste the seamy side of Bangkok. The Dialog is bitting and witty, and the author adds his own great commentary. For a good thriller read in an exotic Local you can't go wrong here or with "Bangkok 8." I also higly recommend "A Tourist in the Yucatan" for another cool thriller in an exotic location.