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Evil in the Land Without
by Colin Cotterill
Evil in the Land Without was Colin Cotterill's second novel published in 2003 by Asia Books.
A thrilling chase for a child abuser and murderer that spans three continents, Europe, Africa and Asia. The English detective's own family is at risk as he attempts to find a most evil man.
John Jessel is an English Child Protection Unit detective working on paedophile cases in Surrey. He's good at his job but is on a downhill slide as booze slowly takes over his deteriorating body and his lonely life. His recent case has got out of control. Postcards signed 'The Paw' have taken credit for the murders of several children. But The Paw also seems to know too much about John and his family. There are threats against his sister Susan, her son Eddo, and their mother. John is forced to hide them while he follows the scarce clues in the case.
Dr. Shirley Heigh is a Karen intern returning from the States to work on the Burmese border. But her intentions are not wholly ethical. There is a great wrong from her past that she has to right before she can be content to die. The evil that haunts Shirley's past is the same evil that is haunting John's present. It is an evil that began in the Karen homeland of Kawthoolei and has spread through Africa before finally homing in on the Jessel family.
Burmese general Bohmu Din, has a sexual liking for young children, he also has good reason for seeing the Jessels dead. He has dedicated over twenty years to finding, and eliminating them. But the reason for his hatred is buried deep in British government files, and in order for John to uncover it, he needs to get his mind and body in shape. His search takes him to Kenya, to Thailand and to Burma.
While he is away, Bohmu Din slowly breaks down the barriers of secrecy that protect Susan and Eddo. Heading in the same direction, looking for the same thing, it's only a matter of time before the paths of Dr. Shirley Heigh and John Jessel cross. Together, they are able to piece together some missing parts of the puzzle. Yet understanding doesn't simplify their search. They are fighting a foe who orchestrates their every move. To Bohmu Din it is a game he can win whenever he pleases.
Jasmine Nights by S. P. Somtow
At twelve years old, Little Frog has a richly fantastic and sustaining inner life. It is 1963, his parents have disappeared, and he lives with his maiden aunts, known affectionately as the Three Fates, on a family estate in Bangkok. But, fed by a steam of books and accompanied by his pet chameleon, Little Frog refuses to accept that he is Thai; eats English food; speaks only English; and answers to the name Justin.
Into Justin's eclectically fashioned, whirling fantasy world steps Virgil, a black American boy, and together they embark on a glorious spree of magic and growing up, in which sex, adult confusions, comedy, farce, politics, and the voices of the East and West are fused into a voyage of exhilarating discovery.
"Entertaining, irresistible, gleefully absurd. How encouraging that a literary novel can be so much fun." The Washington Post
PostScript: Forgotten But Not Gone
by Roger Crutchley
PostScript: Forgotten But Not Gone. For many years Roger was the sports editor of the Bangkok Post and still has a regular Sunday column called Post Script.
After his last book, PostScript, many thought Crutch would do the decent thing and consent to being put out to pasture without little more than a whimper. But you can't keep an old dog down and he kept on and on and on with his Sunday column in the Outlook section of the Bangkok Post. Well, it does good paper bag material after all.
There was some talk of him being dispatched to the knacker's yard, but the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Aging Hacks reportedly intervened so he is still with us.
Unlike his first book which was thought by some as "too frivolous" in "PostScript: Forgotten But Not Gone" Crutch discusses matters of substance such as rogue potholes, squashed lizards, naked teachers and dancing policemen. And we must not forget Ms Yasothon's eating habits.
You have been warned.
The Vampire of Siam by Jim Newport
Wealthy expat Martin Larue has made Bangkok his home. Jaded and bored, he dabbles in journalism. After his editor sends him on a “ride along” with the police, Martin uncovers evidence of a serial killer in the City of Angels. His subsequent article is front-page news, and leads to a visit from the murderer himself, a 150 year old charming vampire – Ramonne Delacroix.
Ramonne is sophisticated and worldly. In Martin he finds a kindred spirit, and an unlikely bond is formed. Intoxicated by the vampire's powers, Martin is on the verge of crossing to the dark side himself. Ultimately he learns a lesson in the preciousness of life's every moment - from a most unlikely source – a vampire.
"A blood curling tale loaded with humor and first-hand insights mining the hidden crypts of Bangkok." Christopher G. Moore, author of the award winning Thailand crime series: The Land of Smiles trilogy.
Boat People by James Eckardt
Boat People is a panoramic novel of greed and compassion, violence and family love, desperation and hope. It is September 1981, the high tide of boat people flight from Vietnam. From the Mekong Delta port of Rach Gia, one boat, crammed with fishermen, farmers, political refugees, and urban hustlers, runs a 300-mile gauntlet of pirates and storms for the safe haven of Songkhla Refugee Camp. Here the survivors meet the West in the form of religious idealists and burnt-out aid workers. Some boat people are drawn to black market gangs; others to public service or official corruption. Factions plot against each other and grapple for advantage.
Covering the refugee beat for the American Consulate, Dan Swartz is torn between being a cynical observer and a reluctant participant in the drama of the camp. Nguyen Xuan Tong is torn too, between loyalty to his gang and his love for Le Thuy Linh. Her protector, the beautiful Huynh Thuc Quan, plays her would-be lover Fred Butterworth against gang leader Huyan Anh.
As tensions in the camp flash into violence, both Dan Swartz and Nguyen Xuan Tong are forced to make a painful moral choice: in a snake's nest of deception and counterplot, where do they stand?
What’s Your Name I’m Fine Thank You
by Roger Beaumont
I found the entrance by mistake. That could well have been the intention because, although the arrangement seemed secure, the address was decidedly vague - hidden, as it was, amid a dark labyrinth of back sois that gurgled with mischief and neon glitz. Nevertheless, I was greeted by a smiling dwarf with a metal leg. Venue? Bangkok snooker club. Time? About 9.30 p.m.. Temperature? Rising. Corruption? About 80%.
These finely-crafted stories and articles were originally published in Bangkok Metro magazine and The Nation newspaper. Written between 1994 and 1998, they appeared in Metro under the column title "Mugged by Reality" and in The Nation as "Slightly Out of Focus". Factually sweetened, slightly surreal, occasionally critical, but always biting and hilarious, they are guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Take a trip inside for further enlightenment on life in Bangkok and life in general...
"Roger Beaumont is one of a rare breed of writers who can make you laugh and cry at the same time. He takes delight at the absurd things in life and shares them with us in his unique style. A thoroughly entertaining read." Roger Crutchley, Bangkok Post