Ghost Story

Nobody does underbelly, let alone Bangkok underbelly, better than John Burdett, whose detective thriller Bangkok Haunts is set into motion by the unsolved mystery surrounding the victim of a snuff film. This is the third installment in Burdett's series, which stars Thai cop Sonchai Jitpleecheep and a corrupt cast of characters dredged up from Bangkok's Patpong bordellos, drug industry and beyond-crooked justice system. And once again, the first-person character of Jitpleecheep is a fully realized gem in the yarn: Wise, sophisticated, observant and possessed of a complex personal philosophy plumped up by his Buddhist beliefs, he walks a fascinating line between urban life and Thai folklore without flinching. If you read it for no other reason, Jitpleecheep himself is well worth the price of the book.

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More About

• Bangkok
• John Burdett
• Crime and Law
• Religion

Burdett will read from and sign copies of Bangkok Haunts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Tattered Cover, 2526 East Colfax Avenue; for information, call 303-322-7727 or visit www.tatteredcover.com.