Synopses & Reviews
A thief, found dead in an alley.
A man, disappeared from a city that never knew he existed.
A boy, grievously hurt, who everyone called Superman.
Bangkok, the glittering center of a country full of ghosts.
Travel writer Poke Rafferty is good at looking for trouble—so good he makes his living writing offbeat travel guides for the young and terminally bored. His Looking for Trouble series is for travelers obsessed with the unusual: how to beat official foreign-exchange rates; how to spot fake amber or counterfeit money; how much to bribe a cop; how to identify a transvestite before it's too late; and how to know, within an hour of arriving in a strange city, where to find the best bars, the best clubs, the best food, the best clothes, and the dodgiest entertainment at the best prices.
Then Rafferty falls in love with Rose, an exPatpong Road bar girl, and he badly wants to be a part of her new life. Both Rose and Bangkok itself have stolen his heart. To complete his new family, Rafferty is in the process of adopting a wary eight-year-old street orphan when trouble comes looking for him.
First he takes in another orphan, a troubled and terrifying street urchin nicknamed Superman. Then he agrees to find a distraught woman's missing uncle, a task that seems simple enough given the uncle's predilections for just the kind of shadowy places Rafferty knows well. Finally, in a moment of weakness, he accepts an old woman's generous payment in exchange for locating a blackmailing thief. Soon, these three seemingly disparate events begin to overlap, pulling Rafferty deeper into dark, unfamiliar terrain, and he begins to realize that some people guard unspeakable secrets that don't always show on their faces—and that all this time he's been gliding across the surface of a culture he doesn't understand.
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“A haunting novel...Its fast, bold, disturbing and beautifully written. Hallinan is terrific.” T. Jefferson Parker
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“Terrific...this series has the potential to captivate readers for a long time to come.” Mysterious News
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“Vibrant, deftly drawn characters...well-crafted...and ultimately entertaining.” Kirkus Reviews
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“Exhilarating.” Bookcrossing.com
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“Excellent. The rich depictions of Bangkoks seedy side recall John Burdetts visceral mysteries.” Publishers Weekly
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“(A) tale of blackmail, extortion and revenge...spinning along at a speedy clip.” Washington Post
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“A well-written, fast paced, beautifully drawn thriller.” I Love A Mystery newsletter
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“Excellent. This is a twisted story. You can read and read. And never imagine the end.” Contra Costa Times
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“Dark and captivating. Sure to keep you guessing--and itll leave you wanting to read more from this talented author.” Nightsandweekends.com
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“A page turner. Dark, thrilling and unforgettable, A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART is a journey you wont soon forget.” Popsyndicate.com
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“A page-turner.” Bookgasm.com
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“Well constructed, lively...full of misdirection, surprises, humor. A well-paced thriller. Popmatters.com
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“Timothy Hallinan is a tremendous writing talent. An entertaining read.” Bestsellersworld.com
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“Brilliantly conceived and beautifully rendered...Artful, compelling and entertaining. Kudos to Hallinan for an exceptional story.” Perfecttext.com
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“Rich with detail and sympathetic characters. From a very talented writer.” The Brown Bookloft
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“Definitely worth a visit. Will keep you on the edge of your seat and clamoring for Hallinans next book.” Montgomery Advertiser
Synopsis
Travel writer Poke Rafferty was good at looking for trouble—so good that he made a little money writing a few offbeat travel guides for the young and terminally bored. But that was before Bangkok stole his heart. Now the expat American is happily playing family with Rose, the former go-go dancer he wants to marry, and with Miaow, the wary street child he wants to adopt. Yet just when everything is beginning to work out, trouble comes looking for Poke in the guise of good intentions. First he takes in Miaow's friend, a troubled and terrifying street urchin named Superman. Then he agrees to find a distraught Aussie woman's missing uncle—and accept an old woman's generous payment to find a blackmailing theif. Soon, these three seemingly disparate events begin to overlap, pulling Poke deeper into dark, unfamiliar terrain. Gradually he realizes that he's been gliding across the surface of a culture he really doesn't understand—and that what he doesn't know is about to hurt him and everyone he loves.
Beautifully crafted, relentlessly paced, A Nail Through the Heart is an exciting and enticing read that will leave readers hungry for more from the gifted Timothy Hallinan.
About the Author
Timothy Hallinan divides his time between Los Angeles and Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand, where he has lived off and on for more than twenty years. As a principal in one of America's top television-based public-relations firms, he represented programs sponsored by many Fortune 500 companies and pioneered new methods of making television programming accessible to teachers. He also taught writing for many years.