Author: John Burdett
Series: Sonchai Jitpleecheep 6
Genres: Mystery, Crime
Publisher: Knoph
Release: August 4th 2015
Source: ebook
Pages: 307
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BLURB:
Sonchai Jitpleecheep, John Burdett's tortured Buddhist detective of the Royal Thai Police Force, has thrilled and charmed readers through the author's five previous Bangkok novels. Now Sonchai's back, struggling to come to grips with the latest horrifying technological innovation to make its way to the streets of Bangkok. It's a conspiracy so big that everyone wants in on the action, not the least Sonchai's corrupt boss Vikorn.
In his latest case, Sonchai is paired with young, female inspector Krom. Like him, she's an outsider on the police force, but she is socially savyy and a technological prodigy. In the midst of a typhoon they witness a deadly demonstration of super-human strength from a man who is seemingly controlled by a CIA operative. Could the Americans really have figured out a way to create some sort of super-soldier who is both physically and psychologically enhanced? Are they testing it, or him, on Thai soil? And why is everyone, from the Bangkok police to the international community, so eager to turn a blind eye?
The case will take Sonchai to a hidden Cambodian jungle compound for aging American vets where he will discover exactly how far a government will go to protect its very worst secrets--both past and present. It is also a case that will shake Sonchai's world to its very foundation and may finally force him to confront his lost father.
EXPECTATIONS: Long since have I figured it is best to take these Sonchai Jitpleecheep books with no expectations. You'll get something entirely else anyway, and every case will be directly connected to Sonchai, and no one will ever mind, and every woman ever will swoon over him, and he'll kindly refuse them all, all while smoking weed to dull out the world.
THE WORLD: In the world as we know it is Asia who still feels and knows of presence of the occult the most. Thus, no wonder, when a woman's head is torn right off her shoulders by seemingly brute force - it happens out here. But secrets of this murder are scattered across, and Sonchai's relentless need to both find his father, and find the murderers, will lead him up the country. For the killer, I dare say, yet again, left his name written in blood. "I know who <smudge> father is" it said, shaking the man to the core. It's time to get some answers. And all I can say is: can y'all stop killing to get Sonchai's attention? I'm sure man got an email and a phone!
CHARACTERS: To aid in the case a Chinese inspector Krom is set to partner with Sonchai. She's a lesbian, and through the book she gets referred to as "dyke", which makes me cringe, and wonder the hell did author think to believe it's alright to reduce a person to a label, no, even, to SUCH a label. She herself is an interesting character, but dulled down very hardcore up until she becomes merely a sex-driven something. Yes, something. She hands Sonchai a video of herself with some women, suggesting he watch it with his wife. She pursues Sonchai's wife. She gloats how, avoiding spoilers, let's call it sex liberation, was the first thing she demanded when she got where she got. This author, John Burdett, does not know how to write a woman character for his life. For the american detective did her best to become "one of the boys" up until she disappeared and everyone in the books forgot about her. Chanya, Sonchai's wife, slowly but surely became more liberated, a strong smart feminist, and therefor - a lamp in the plot, there to boost Sonchai's ego. And the only other woman, other than his own mother whom he only talks to to ask about his father, is a transgender woman who doesn't dare to go with the transition, and is also soon forgotten, after a lavish stereotypical gay acts she put on for Sonchai, which he hated, apparently. Men, in the meantime, are players, hustlers, superhuman people, super smart, super spiritual, superior in every sense, merely because they are indeed written in there, spewing long tomes to aid Sonchai in the case.
ROMANCE: Well, Chanya and Sonchai are indeed still unofficially married.
GOOD: This book was very meta in story. In a sense, it spoke of Second Coming, the Apocalypse, or the end of the world as we know it. It all depends on the point of view. From one point, you see Mammon, a Money God, the Antichrist, our new religion led by how much cash you got, and how much you can spend, what's your worth. On the other hand, you see the new religion period. You see new Jesus Christ, an enhanced human who wants the best for everyone, a man who merely found a way to gain better traction that won't land him on the cross. And then there's Sonchai. Craig Christ (points for knowing the reference!), or Judas Iscariot? The other side of Lucifer? Anyway, it was really interesting to sit there and think about it.
BAD: Characters from previous books just disappeared and no one ever again mentioned them, or remembered them. Every single case is directly connected to Sonchai, and that's why he gets those cases. Every crazy murderer wants to get to know Sonchai, so they kill in hopes that Senpai will notice them.
OVERALL: It wasn't horrible. I liked the main plot a lot. I just hated how characters were written, how they got discarded, how dull Sonchai became. All in all, I am happy I'm done with the series. I'm also happy that I've read them, aka I don't feel like it was a waste of time, no matter if I hated a book or loved another.
What do you think about THE BANGKOK ASSET?
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