(Drivebycuriosity) - I just finished "Bangkok Tattoo" by John Burdett, the second volume in a series following Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (amazon ). This time he investigates a murder case in Bangkok´s red light district. The victim is an American, a CIA agent, the suspect is a prostitute, a friend of Jitpleecheep (this is a spoiler freeblog).
The complex plot - told in first person by Jitpleecheep - touches many issues: Prostitution in Thailand & Southern US, Buddhism, differences between Western & Thai culture, radical Islamists, drug trafficking, tattoo culture, corruption and many more.
I found the plot a bit tedious because there were too many topics employed for my taste but I enjoyed the witty musings of the narrator. The leading character is a smart and philosophical guy, the son of a Thai prostitute and of one of her "Johns", an anonymous American. He grew up in company of his mothers international clientele which gave him a well diversified world view blended with Buddhist thinking.
I found the frequent funny references to karma & reincarnation entertaining even though they are full of clichés and remind to "Buddhism for Dummies". The recurring sexual innuendos are the icing on the cake. But this volume satisfied my appetite for Jitpleecheep´s tales and I will not continue this series.
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