--- product_id: 10973116 title: "Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel (1)" price: "€ 25.26" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 8 url: https://www.desertcart.hr/products/10973116-bangkok-8-a-royal-thai-detective-novel-1 store_origin: HR region: Croatia --- # Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel (1) **Price:** € 25.26 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel (1) - **How much does it cost?** € 25.26 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.hr](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/10973116-bangkok-8-a-royal-thai-detective-novel-1) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description desertcart.com: Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel (1): 9781400032907: Burdett, John: Books Review: A HODGEPODGE OF INGENUITY! - Forget about whether or not this book accurately depicts Bangkok life, or is slanted by the misconstrued vision of the author. After all, it is not a travelogue, it is a work of fiction first and foremost. And it is a work of fiction of extreme ingenuity. The writer is highly talented. He is also highly complex, and so is his story. And he is funny as all get out. I can't count the many times this book got a laugh out of me, either for its outright humor, or its subtle, more hidden ironic meanings. Yes, I agree with some other reviewers that there is a tendency to bash "farangs" in black and white terms. They are facilely pigeonholed. Although this view is seen through the eyes of his fascinating main character (fascinating because it is impossible to guess what he is going to say or do next - the unexpected is always forthcoming), the reader senses (correctly or incorrectly) that the main character expresses the views of his creator. Only Mr. Burdett himself can confirm or deny the truth of this impression. This book is about divides and contradictions; finding, losing and searching again. Confusion? Yes. But always in the cloak of ingenuity. The only weakness that I can point out is that the male characters are drawn very three dimensionally, while the female characters always remain somewhat in the mist. None are clearly wholly defined. They don't come out into the sunlight as do the males. In fact, one can almost say they are drawn stereotypically. Almost, but not quite. As the writer is exceptionally gifted, he has created an exceptional book. Its uniqueness ensures that this novel has no predecessor, and it is not likely there will ever be another one even resembling it. For its complexity, its genius, and for just a plain old-fashioned fascinating read, I would highly recommend it. It is full of contradictions that have yet to be resolved. And it leaves it's reader (and perhaps the author as well) with the responsibility of doing so. Review: Solid Summer Thriller - I'm a sucker for crime fiction set in unusual locales, so it was with great anticipation that I dove into this Bangkok-set debut novel. Burdett does a magnificent job in bringing Bangkok to life-from the neon-lit sex industry to shocking poverty, endemic corruption, widespread yaa baa (methamphetamine) trade, ever-present Bhuddism, and the lingering effects of the Vietnam war. Things kick off with straight-arrow cops Sonchai and Pichai tailing an American marine-allowing Burdett to give Bangkok's legendary traffic a cameo. However, in the middle of their task, the marine is killed by poisonous snakes, one of whom also kills Pichai when he tries to rescue the marine. From here on out Sonchai is a man on a mission, dedicated to solving the marine's (and thus by extension his partner's) murder. The death of the marine brings with it the involvement of the U.S embassy, and a female FBI agent comes over to liase with Sonchai. The plot is a typically convoluted thriller effort, involving international jade smuggling, a powerful American with White House connections, extreme S&M, Khmer thugs, Chui Chow Chinese gangsters and more. Actually, the story itself if the weakest part of the book, succumbing to stereotypical thriller elements and scenes. And it has to be said-the ending is really, really lame. Still, there's lots to recommend the book. This is a thriller with many shades of gray to delight in. For example, on the one hand, Sonchai is an arhat (kind of a Bhuddist living saint), the one clean cop in the district, and yet he's clear that the only justice he intends to bring his partner's killer to is that found in the barrel of his gun. Similarly, his boss is totally corrupt, but Sonchai respects and reveres him. Most interesting is the portrayal of the sex industry, which is much less condemnatory than one might expect. (Although whether or not it accurately represents Thai attitudes to sex is not for me to judge.) The straightforward story also veers into the supernatural, with Sonchai able to see the past lives of people he encounters. Others love this aspect of his character, but it struck me as an unnecessary gimmick that detracts from the book's excellent portrayal of Bhuddism. Sonchai is a wonderfully laconic character, and all the more surprising for having come from the pen of a Westerner. On the whole, this is a very enjoyable thriller with a wonderful protagonist and great insight into Thai culture and Bangkok, however don't approach it with overly high expectations or you'll be disappointed-it is still of the airplane/beach read genre. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #387,863 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #1,507 in Hard-Boiled Mystery #1,640 in Murder Thrillers #19,188 in Suspense Thrillers | | Book 1 of 6 | Sonchai Jitpleecheep | | Customer Reviews | 4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars (1,366) | | Dimensions | 5.19 x 0.76 x 8 inches | | Edition | Reprint | | ISBN-10 | 1400032903 | | ISBN-13 | 978-1400032907 | | Item Weight | 2.31 pounds | | Language | English | | Print length | 317 pages | | Publication date | July 13, 2004 | | Publisher | Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | ## Images ![Bangkok 8: A Royal Thai Detective Novel (1) - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61iiXHr1JQL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A HODGEPODGE OF INGENUITY! *by E***L on June 26, 2008* Forget about whether or not this book accurately depicts Bangkok life, or is slanted by the misconstrued vision of the author. After all, it is not a travelogue, it is a work of fiction first and foremost. And it is a work of fiction of extreme ingenuity. The writer is highly talented. He is also highly complex, and so is his story. And he is funny as all get out. I can't count the many times this book got a laugh out of me, either for its outright humor, or its subtle, more hidden ironic meanings. Yes, I agree with some other reviewers that there is a tendency to bash "farangs" in black and white terms. They are facilely pigeonholed. Although this view is seen through the eyes of his fascinating main character (fascinating because it is impossible to guess what he is going to say or do next - the unexpected is always forthcoming), the reader senses (correctly or incorrectly) that the main character expresses the views of his creator. Only Mr. Burdett himself can confirm or deny the truth of this impression. This book is about divides and contradictions; finding, losing and searching again. Confusion? Yes. But always in the cloak of ingenuity. The only weakness that I can point out is that the male characters are drawn very three dimensionally, while the female characters always remain somewhat in the mist. None are clearly wholly defined. They don't come out into the sunlight as do the males. In fact, one can almost say they are drawn stereotypically. Almost, but not quite. As the writer is exceptionally gifted, he has created an exceptional book. Its uniqueness ensures that this novel has no predecessor, and it is not likely there will ever be another one even resembling it. For its complexity, its genius, and for just a plain old-fashioned fascinating read, I would highly recommend it. It is full of contradictions that have yet to be resolved. And it leaves it's reader (and perhaps the author as well) with the responsibility of doing so. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Solid Summer Thriller *by A***S on September 2, 2003* I'm a sucker for crime fiction set in unusual locales, so it was with great anticipation that I dove into this Bangkok-set debut novel. Burdett does a magnificent job in bringing Bangkok to life-from the neon-lit sex industry to shocking poverty, endemic corruption, widespread yaa baa (methamphetamine) trade, ever-present Bhuddism, and the lingering effects of the Vietnam war. Things kick off with straight-arrow cops Sonchai and Pichai tailing an American marine-allowing Burdett to give Bangkok's legendary traffic a cameo. However, in the middle of their task, the marine is killed by poisonous snakes, one of whom also kills Pichai when he tries to rescue the marine. From here on out Sonchai is a man on a mission, dedicated to solving the marine's (and thus by extension his partner's) murder. The death of the marine brings with it the involvement of the U.S embassy, and a female FBI agent comes over to liase with Sonchai. The plot is a typically convoluted thriller effort, involving international jade smuggling, a powerful American with White House connections, extreme S&M, Khmer thugs, Chui Chow Chinese gangsters and more. Actually, the story itself if the weakest part of the book, succumbing to stereotypical thriller elements and scenes. And it has to be said-the ending is really, really lame. Still, there's lots to recommend the book. This is a thriller with many shades of gray to delight in. For example, on the one hand, Sonchai is an arhat (kind of a Bhuddist living saint), the one clean cop in the district, and yet he's clear that the only justice he intends to bring his partner's killer to is that found in the barrel of his gun. Similarly, his boss is totally corrupt, but Sonchai respects and reveres him. Most interesting is the portrayal of the sex industry, which is much less condemnatory than one might expect. (Although whether or not it accurately represents Thai attitudes to sex is not for me to judge.) The straightforward story also veers into the supernatural, with Sonchai able to see the past lives of people he encounters. Others love this aspect of his character, but it struck me as an unnecessary gimmick that detracts from the book's excellent portrayal of Bhuddism. Sonchai is a wonderfully laconic character, and all the more surprising for having come from the pen of a Westerner. On the whole, this is a very enjoyable thriller with a wonderful protagonist and great insight into Thai culture and Bangkok, however don't approach it with overly high expectations or you'll be disappointed-it is still of the airplane/beach read genre. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Buddhism and the FBI *by B***M on September 4, 2004* Sonchai is an honest police detective in the totally corrupt police department of Bangkok. But, hey, that's the way things work there. People pay the police, things get done, and everybody is happy. Sonchai is not cheered by his present situation, however. His best friend and partner has just been killed in a bizarre event following a murder. His prostitute mother is going to open a bar, and an assertive blonde lady FBI agent has been assigned to help him solve his case. Her American personality and flirtatious manner is somewhat unsettling to his placid Buddhist nature, but they work together somewhat efficiently. Gems, snakes, and an American evildoer make up the plot. The murdered man was a marine who was living with a statuesque Thai woman, and seems to have been involved in the jade trade. Sonchai has some difficulty in pursuing the case because he begins to bump into some of those police payoff areas. The unlikely investigating couple continue their work, however, and it leads to a few choice surprises. This book flows smoothly, and is well written. The characters are well developed, and the reader is happily immersed in Thai culture. Well, Thai culture as it applies to the police, prostitution and drugs that is. This novel is for readers who want something different than the normal mystery novels written by authors who seem unacquainted with descriptive adjectives, and the human personalities and cultural contexts of their stories. --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.hr/products/10973116-bangkok-8-a-royal-thai-detective-novel-1](https://www.desertcart.hr/products/10973116-bangkok-8-a-royal-thai-detective-novel-1) --- *Product available on Desertcart Croatia* *Store origin: HR* *Last updated: 2026-05-16*