Synopses & Reviews
Sonchai Jitpleecheep — John Burdett's inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soul — is summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, is more interested in Tietsin, an exiled Tibetan lama based in Kathmandu who has become his guru.
There are, however, obstacles in Sonchai's path to nirvana. Police Colonel Vikorn has just named Sonchai his consigliere (he's been studying The Godfather on DVD): to troubleshoot, babysit, defuse, procure, reconnoiter — do whatever needs to be done in Vikorn's ongoing battle with Army General Zinna for control of Bangkok's network of illegal enterprises. And though Tietsin is enlightened and (eerily) charismatic, he also has forty million dollars' worth of heroin for sale. If Sonchai truly wants to be an initiate into Tietsin's apocalyptic Buddhism, he has to pull off a deal that will bring Vikorn and Zinna to the same side of the table. Further complicating the challenge is Tara: a Tantric practitioner who captivates Sonchai with her remarkable otherworldly techniques.
Here is Sonchai put to the extreme test — as a cop, as a Buddhist, as an impossibly earthbound man — in John Burdett's most wildly inventive, darkly comic, and wickedly entertaining novel yet.
Review
"Pick up The Godfather of Kathmandu the day it hits the stands...Once you start, you won't get anything else done until you finish it....Burdett has both the chops and the history to be a strong contender every time he turns out a new book, and The Godfather of Kathmandu is no exception." Bookpage
Review
"Sonchai Jitlpleecheep has leapfrogged the field, vaulting from cult favorite to just possibly the most compelling crime-fiction hero in the genre. ...Burdett juggles the various plots with great dexterity...A whirlwind of a novel." Booklist (starred review)
Review
"A blissfully nutty caper that brings back fond memories of the late lamented Ross Thomas's crazy-quilt crime fiction...Distinguishing crooks from good guys is only one of the pleasures [here]...Sonchai's wry narrative voice (think: exotic Philip Marlowe) keeps us hooked." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"'I need the vastness of dharma, so I'm sitting on the back of a motorbike taxi on the way to Wat Rachananda,' Jitpleecheep says in a typical juxtaposition that opens another chapter. The beauty of Burdett's fiction is that he can have both, the dharma and the motorbike, and so can you, farang." Jeff Baker, The Oregonian (read the entire
Synopsis
Sonchai Jitpleecheep — Burdett's inimitable Thai police detective — is summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Sonchai is more interested in finding Nirvana than in solving murders, in Burdett's most inventive, darkly comic novel yet.
Video
About the Author
John Burdett is a nonpracticing lawyer who worked in Hong Kong for a British firm until he found his true vocation as a writer. He has also lived in France, Spain, and Thailand. He is the author of A Personal History of Thirst, The Last Six Million Seconds, Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo and Bangkok Haunts.