—Booklist Starred Review: Thomas Gaughan
* Kirkus Starred Review: (A star is assigned to books of unusual merit, determined by the editors of Kirkus Reviews.)
“Hallinan (Breathing Water, 2009, etc.) takes his Poke Rafferty series to the next level with this taut, offbeat and fast-moving thriller that focuses on Bangkok’s red-light district and sex trade.
Travel writer Poke has finally persuaded his live-in love Rose, a statuesque former bar girl in Bangkok’s Patpong district, to marry him. The couple and their adopted daughter Miaow are happy. Miaow, a former street urchin, is doing well in school and preparing for her part in an upcoming version of The Tempest; Rose’s cleaning service, which hires former bar workers, is successful; and Poke’s latest book is doing well. But as anyone familiar with Hallinan’s previous entries in this series knows, that much serendipity means Poke’s trouble meter is running. This time the trouble centers around Rose, who finds her past flooding back to haunt her in the worst possible form—a man she thought was dead pops up with the clear intention of not only disrupting her life, but taking it, along with the lives of the other people who matter to her. Poke is well aware of Rose’s past—he met her in a bar—but he had no clue as to what she endured at the hands of this man, or the detailed story of her journey from village girl to prostitute. In the second part of the novel, Rose poignantly tells her story, and this is where Hallinan’s writing really shines: Readers can feel the grime and poverty of village life, smell the streets of Bangkok, taste the fear when Rose—previously known as “Kwan”—fights for her life in her own, private version of The Tempest. Stalked by a resourceful killer dedicated to wiping out his family, Poke and his loyal and incorruptible friend, police officer Arthit, still mourning the loss of his wife, put together a plan to bring the hunter into the kill zone, hoping they can end the nightmare that began years ago in a Bangkok club.
Hallinan’s unlikely hero shines in this sometimes funny, always engrossing and undeniably authentic story that explores a dark and fascinating side of Thailand.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Kwan is a bright, young teenager from the poor northeastern province of Thailand who is promised a scholarship to college by her teacher. How does she land up as a dancer in the red light district of Patpong Road, becoming the Queen of Patpong?
Fast forward to Bangkok many years later and to the beginning of the novel. Kwan has changed her name to Rose, is happily married to travel writer Poke Rafferty and is the mother of their adopted daughter, Miaow. Rose's settled and contented life is shattered by the re-appearance of a threatening man with a military bearing, an American who promises to shatter her life. Rose tells her story to Poke and Miaow, how she became the Queen of Patpong, and how she believed she had escaped her past, which has now come back to haunt and threaten her.
My comments: The story of the Queen of Patpong, from her life in the village to dancing in the bars of Bangkok, to her escape from the stranger who now has returned, is the riveting story that had my heart pounding and my eyes glued to the pages of the book. A literary novel and a thriller rolled into one. The Queen of Patpong: A Poke Rafferty Thriller has some of the most suspenseful scenes I've ever read in a thriller, and the sociological aspects of the story are heartrending. Hallinan has excellent descriptive power and knows his subjects and their environment well. I gave this novel five stars.”
—Book Bird Dog - www.bookbirddog.blogspot.com
“… Rose had another life, long before Poke knew her, and the secrets she has kept must come forward if they’re to survive.
Rose will have to tell her tale quickly, though. For her devil has come back to Patpong, and desires to complete her long-overdue murder…
The latest chapter in Poke Rafferty’s life is as searing a beauty as its three predecessors, and is expertly balanced between horror, humor, and hope. Long-time fans of the series will be justly rewarded by the lengthy revelations of Rose’s past, and first time readers will have the joy of watching Poke make up plans on the run – sometimes surprising his foes, and sometimes himself. Poke and his family are just quiet and decent people trying to get by in the best worst city in the world, and Hallinan takes care to present both the good and bad sides of a country that, while dangerous, has a very human heart beating in its dingy, breakneck streets.
Thriller fans who want something more than just another “stacked odds” rundown in an exotic location should pick up The Queen of Patpong. All three previous books in the series (A Nail Through the Heart, The Fourth Watcher, and Breathing Water) are also available, and also excellent.”
—Jim Tremlett, Eastwood, Schulerbooks
ORDER The Queen of Patpong in Hardcover now by clicking here.
BUY The Queen of Patpong on Kindle by clicking here.
* * *
The Junior Bender Series
Crashed (Junior Bender #1)
Crashed, the new series from the author of the Simeon Grist Mysteries and the Poke Rafferty Bangkok Thrillers, introduces Junior Bender, a top-of-the-line burglar who also works as a private eye – for crooks. When a crook gets ripped off by a crook, Junior is the guy who gets hired. In his first outing, Crashed, Junior finds himself on the wrong side of his own already paper-thin moral code, being forced to prevent sabotage against a multi-million dollar porn film starring exactly the kind of person he'd normally want to protect. At the age of 23, Thistle Downing is broke, strung-out, semi-suicidal, and on the verge of obscurity. But between the ages of eight and fifteen, she was the biggest television star in the world, a brilliant natural comedian until her talent slowly began to desert her. Now desperate, she's facing the ultimate humiliation… and she's so wasted she doesn't even know that someone's been trying to kill her. And in between her and all that, there's no one – except Junior.
PRAISE FOR CRASHED AND TIMOTHY HALLINAN
“Tim Hallinan has done it again. He's created a must-read series that you will find hard to put down! Junior Bender is all you could ever want in a hero/thief: smart and funny, with a penchant of finding himself in situations he'd much rather avoid. Do not miss any of these books. A must read in my house.”
—Brett Battles, author of the award winning Jonathan Quinn Series
“Crashed is funny, thrilling, and even sad — a great beginning for a great new series. Timothy Hallinan is one of my favorite writers, and this is Hallinan at the top of his game. It's laugh-out-loud funny without ever losing any of its mystery. It's a whole new style and I love it. Junior Bender — a crook with a heart of gold — is one of Hallinan's most appealing heroes, rich with invention, and brimming with classic wit. I can't recommend it highly enough.”
—Shadoe Stevens, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
“Hallinan is one of the master storytellers of our generation. Crashed is pure rapture.”
—CJ West author of The End of Marking Time
“Hallinan is a stunning talent.”
—Gregg Hurwitz, author of They're Watching
“Hallinan has a genuine ability to write effective prose, engaging repartee, sharp and witty characterizations.”
—Washington Post Book World
“A modern-day successor to Raymond Chandler.”
—Los Angeles Daily News
BUY Crashed on Kindle by clicking here.
Praise
Title Page Copyright Page
Acknowledgements
Preface
Dedication
Incinerator IGNITION First Spark
Annabelle
Al the Red
Fame
The Brotherhood of the Pumpkin
COMBUSTION Starting Over
Aged Ladies
The Radicchio Patrol
Mirrors and Hindsight
The Doopermart
Solo
CONFLAGRATION Live and in Color
Aftermath
The Empire of the Sun
Reverse Field
Hera
The Rabbi
> INFERNO Happiness Hills
Waiting for Wilton
Knight in Armor
Eddie's Ride
Mother's Hour
Last Spark
Ashes by Now
About the Author Other Books by Timothy Hallinan
Incinerator Page 30
