20 Great International Mysteries, February 2012

Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheap of the Royal Thai Police is assigned to investigate  a crime ring trafficking body parts in Thailand. The Police Chief who assigns Sonchai to the case is more interested in promoting his political career than bringing the traffickers to justice. Sonchai is a Buddhist monk who from time to time uses drugs when life becomes too overwhelming. Sonchai’s investigation takes him from Thailand to Hong Kong, Dubai, Monte Carlo and Shanghai and leads him to deal with an assortment of seedy underworld of villains and good guys.  At the center of the crime are two Chinese sisters, identical twins with strange proclivities trafficking in body parts is just one of many. Beautifully atmospheric and evocative of Thailand you can almost smell Bangkok and hear the din on the streets.