{"id":1161,"date":"2009-05-30T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2009-05-30T17:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/?p=1161"},"modified":"2021-06-03T15:34:01","modified_gmt":"2021-06-03T19:34:01","slug":"bangkok-haunts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/1161","title":{"rendered":"Bangkok Haunts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bangkok Haunts<\/a><\/em> (2007) John Burdett<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Once again we return to Bangkok where Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is investigating another murder. A stuff film has appeared in Bagkok, and as the body of the prostitute has also appeared, it is apparent this is truly a film of her death. Sonchai is investigating–even against the orders of Colenol Vikorn–because the woman who was killed had worked for his mother several years previously.<\/p>\n

Chanya is concerned about Sonchai and so has called Kimberly Jones, an FBI agent with whom Sonchai has developed a friendship.<\/p>\n

First and foremost, for those who have not read about Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep previously, he’s half Thai and half American, and his education is thanks to the fact his mother was an expensive prostitute when he was growing up. Prostitution and sex are important themes. Though the descriptions are quite graphic, they’re almost clinical in the description of what is happening (which is fitting since many of the descriptions are of the snuff film).<\/p>\n

Second, Bangkok is a strange place, and as with previous books, Sonchai sees and relates to the spirits of the recent dead. (This doesn’t go over well with Kimberly, but she still does not understand Thailand and Bangkok, so Sonchai was expecting this.)<\/p>\n

I’m bothered by the former rather than the later, but from reading the reviews on Amazon, others found the spiritualism to be the disturbing element that was “out of place in a police procedural.” I think both are part and parcel of who Sonchai and the world in which he lives–a world that is corrupt yet strangely alive.<\/p>\n

The book refers to events in previous book, but you do not have to have read those books to follow the events in this story. However, I’m always a big proponent of reading stories in order, so my recommendation–if you think this is a book you’d like–is to read Bangkok 8 first, and then see how you feel about Sonchai. Personally, I can’t wait for the next Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep book to come out.
\nRating: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bangkok Haunts (2007) John Burdett Once again we return to Bangkok where Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep is investigating another murder. A stuff film has appeared in Bagkok, and as the body of the prostitute has also appeared, it is apparent this is truly a film of her death. Sonchai is investigating–even against the orders of Colenol […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31,8,291,42],"tags":[100,101],"class_list":["post-1161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-asian","category-mystery","category-paper","category-police","tag-john-burdett","tag-sonchai-jitpleecheep"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/piQkW-iJ","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5345,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/5345","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":0},"title":"Bangkok 8, Audio Edition","author":"Michelle","date":"August 16, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Bangkok 8 (2003\/2011) John Burdett narrated by Paul Boehmer This series has always fascinated me. Sonchai Jitpleecheep is a Buddhist ahrat and a Thai detective--a rare uncorrupt detective--and the son of a Thai prostitute and an unknown American GI. All of these things make him a man who is incredibly\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8.5\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8.5\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-5-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"bangkok-8","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/bangkok-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":486,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/486","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":1},"title":"Bangkok 8","author":"Michelle","date":"December 23, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Bangkok 8 (2003) John Burdett Sonchai and his life-long friend and now partner in the Bangkok police force, Pichai, are following an American Marine through Bangkok, on the orders of the Colonel, the head of the police department in his sector. When the Marine is murdered and the woman he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "9\/10"","block_context":{"text":"9\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/9-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/12\/Bangkok-8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2363,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/2363","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":2},"title":"The Godfather of Kathmandu","author":"Michelle","date":"May 5, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"The Godfather of Kathmandu (2010) John Burdett Several years ago I feel in love with Bangkok 8. Sonchai is a fascinating complex character and the city in which he lives is a character in the book as complex as he is. So I was happy to see The Godfather of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Asian"","block_context":{"text":"Asian","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/asian"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/05\/Godfather-Kathmandu.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3156,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/3156","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":3},"title":"Vulture Peak","author":"Michelle","date":"September 8, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Vulture Peak (2012) John Burdett Sonchai is in over his head now. Colonel Vikorn has decided (was ordered?) to run for governor of Bangkok. Because General Zinna controls the local trade in body parts, Vikorn has decided that wiping out selling of illegal body parts is the way to make\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "8\/10"","block_context":{"text":"8\/10","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/8-10"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Vulture-Peak.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2659,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/2659","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":4},"title":"Bangkok Tattoo","author":"Michelle","date":"November 22, 2011","format":false,"excerpt":"Bangkok Tattoo (2005) John Burdett After rereading Bangkok 8, I felt the need to reread Bangkok Tattoo. It's not as good as Bangkok 8, which I love. But it's still good. Previous review.","rel":"","context":"In "Asian"","block_context":{"text":"Asian","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/asian"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Bangkok-Tattoo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":496,"url":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/496","url_meta":{"origin":1161,"position":5},"title":"Bangkok Tattoo","author":"Michelle","date":"January 4, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Bangkok Tattoo (2005) John Burdett The sequel to Bangkok 8 returns us to Krung Thep, where Sonchai is now part owner of the Old Mans Club, in addition to remaining a detective in the Royal Thai Police Force. It is because they are in Bangkok that a devout Buddhist and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Asian"","block_context":{"text":"Asian","link":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/archives\/category\/asian"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Bangkok-Tattoo.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/klishis.com\/reading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}