Elmore Leonard in Bangkok

[Matt Rees]

Christopher G. Moore was good enough to send me an advance copy of his 10th Vincent Calvino novel "Paying Back Jack" which will be out in October (December in the UK). I love the Calvino series for the way it leads the reader into the underbelly of Bangkok in the company of its Italian-Jewish New Yorker private eye. PBJ gives us that and much more. Moore creates a cast of vibrant characters worthy of the best Elmore Leonard caper for this hard-edged, stylish mystery. With the story of snarling Special Ops hitmen and smiling Thai hookers, Moore skewers the simplistic logic of the "war on terror," lays bare its worldwide destructive power, and shows the price it makes people pay. His Vincent Calvino is at once in the finest tradition of the lone private detective and a complete original. Until PBJ hits bookshops, try "Spirit House," my favorite of the earlier Calvino novels. You can also read my interview with Moore from a little over a month ago.