I'm listening to the unabridged audiobook of the third entry, Bangkok Haunts. Pretty good so far, though, I don't think it'll surpass the previous entry, Bangkok Tattoo -- probably because that's the first book I read by him. I love Burdett's writing voice! Anybody else love him, hate him, indifferent? (I have heard some people are turned off by his Bangkok books because they read like travelogues.)

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Fairly indifferent, but I dislike supernatural elements in murder mysteries. I also thought there were some grammar problems.
I loved Bangkok 8! Particularly for the voice. Also for the glimpse in to the exotic locale, but "travelogue" is quite a stretch, IMO, it's all perfectly integrated. Haven't tried Tattoo yet.
Hi -

I love Burdett's work and if you are interested, Burdett was interviewed by Rick Keffel at the Agony Column - to listen via Real Player :-

http://trashotron.com/agony/audio/john_burdett.ra

Or you can download as an MP3 podcast from Ricks archives [has a load of great interviews and podcast] here :-

http://trashotron.com/agony/indexes/audio_interview_index.htm

You'll need to scroll down a little - as Rick has plenty of downloads, tend to be more Horror / SF

Best

Ali
I really liked Bangkok 8. I don't mind grammar problems (that's funny if you know me ;) but I'm not interested in supernatural stuff, so I gave Bangkon Haunts a pass. Maybe I should check it out.
I loved Bangkok Tattoo, and liked Bangkok Haunts a lot, though not as much. Burdett's fun to read, and his - or should I say Sontchai's - perspective is just off-kilter enough to keep things interesting, no matter what the subject matter. I don't care much for supernatural mysteries, either, but I attributed much of the supernatural in Haunts to Thai superstition, and that's what the book is largely about.

As for the grammar, the narrator is not a native English speaker. The narration, including the grammar, is part of Sontchai's character.

Travelogue? I think Burdett makes Bangkok, and, in Haunts, much of Thailand, as much a character as any of his fictional people. I highly recommend him.
Nah. I'm referring the authorial glitches. :) Not many, but they turned me off. But then, I get bent out of shape at the confusion of "lay" and "lie" and the incorrect use of "who" clauses. :)
I understand that. I can't stand it when people write "alright" instead of "all right", especially when it's from a news source.
Bangkok 8 is really good. bangkok Tattoo is okay, but not near as good as Bangkok 8.

Timothy Hallinan has a book out set in Bangkok, A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART. I haven't read it yet, so I can't say whether it's good or not, but I've heard good things.
Hallinan's book is excellent. Completely different from Burdett's books, but at least as good. Highly recommended.
Love his voice. The first time I read a page, it was a little too highly flavored for me, a little too eccentric and elaborate. But I picked it up again and it worked. That rarely happens to me.

I also liked Hallinan's Nail Through the Heart a lot. Excellent writing. Burdett, I think, is a bit more original in his subjects and his insight into a non-western perspective.

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