What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mean Streets of Asia Crime Novels #4
Laundry Man
Librarian Note: This is an alternate cover edition for ASIN: B006H9KYPY.
433 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2002
1266 people are currently reading
1226 people want to read
About the author
Jake Needham
48 books395 followersJAKE NEEDHAM received the Barry Award at Bouchercon 2024, the world's largest convention of mystery readers, for BEST PAPERBACK MYSTERY OF 2024. He is a three-time Barry Award nominee, as well as a nominee for the International Thriller Writers' award for BEST PAPERBACK THRILLER OF THE YEAR.
Needham is an American screen and television writer who has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. He started writing crime novels when he realized he really didn't like movies and television all that much. Since then, he has published fifteen popular mysteries and thrillers in two different series — The Inspector Samuel Tay Novels, and the Jack Shepherd Novels — as well as the international bestseller, THE BIG MANGO.
"Jake Needham is Asia's most stylish and atmospheric writer of crime fiction," says the Singapore Straits Times. "Jake Needham is Michael Connelly with steamed rice," says the Bangkok Post.
Needham is an American screen and television writer who has lived in Thailand for over thirty years. He started writing crime novels when he realized he really didn't like movies and television all that much. Since then, he has published fifteen popular mysteries and thrillers in two different series — The Inspector Samuel Tay Novels, and the Jack Shepherd Novels — as well as the international bestseller, THE BIG MANGO.
"Jake Needham is Asia's most stylish and atmospheric writer of crime fiction," says the Singapore Straits Times. "Jake Needham is Michael Connelly with steamed rice," says the Bangkok Post.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
October 28, 2017
Definitely not for female readers and retired.
After reading about 50 pages almost stopped, I was as confused as Jack Shepherd. This character should know better but with slow and detailed descriptions keeps going on and on. Ending comes with big fizzle, like author got tired of writing.
After reading about 50 pages almost stopped, I was as confused as Jack Shepherd. This character should know better but with slow and detailed descriptions keeps going on and on. Ending comes with big fizzle, like author got tired of writing.
April 18, 2022
This book was very confusing at the beginning, with too many strange characters to remember and not enough links provided to joggle the memory. However, as they began to die off (no natural deaths) it became easier to place those remaining. This issue, btw, is a reminder to me in my own writing to always make it easy for the reader to follow the story and the characters. The second half of Laundry Man, all action, was terrific, enough to put #2 on my list. I also learned a great deal about the mechanics of money laundering, which may be featured in my novel-in-progress.
June 9, 2017
Not a long book, but it felt that way. It was tedious and filled with inconsequential details which added nothing to the story but only proved that the author knows something about Bangkok. There are more books in this series and I will surely not begin them as I was glad to finally finish this one. The story plods along and the plot is simply incongruous. Find something else to read - anything else to read.
January 9, 2017
Confusing
Still not sure if I understand the plot of the book. Cardboard characters, taken out of conspiracy movies, strung together with little dialogue or background. Will try the next book to give the series a fair chance.
Still not sure if I understand the plot of the book. Cardboard characters, taken out of conspiracy movies, strung together with little dialogue or background. Will try the next book to give the series a fair chance.
September 12, 2016
Book #1, in the Jack Shepherd crime novel series
The backdrop in this first installment is the vibrant city of Bangkok where we will follow Jack Shepherd who has given up a high-profile job in a DC law firm to take a post as a teacher at Chulalongkorn University. But life is not tranquil for Jack and takes a turn when an ex-colleague supposedly dead for some time calls in the middle of the night, scared out of his wits and desperately wanting to meet him….the laundry man is off and running and things soon gets interesting…..
I definitely was expecting that with a title like “Laundry Man” it should have been all about “cleaning” money, international finances, shady deals and nefarious sorts. I was not disappointed on this point.
Although, the story lacked suspense for a good part the novel as it centered on laundering money, bad banks and financial misdeeds, it did picked up a brisk pace as Jack bounced from lead to the next, from one red herring to another stumbling around exploring various contacts, some of them colourful characters, lots of them chichi type whose real occupations were unclear, and some of them turning up dead. ¾ into, the story shifted gears and became an exciting thriller with Jack changing from a banker/professor into a soft version of Jackie Chan…….unfortunately things petered out by the finale. Maybe once again the unsatisfying ending may be a ruse to lure us in pursuing with the series in order to see what is in store for the intrepid protagonist next. Definitely without any doubts and it is working my end……next “The Umbrella Man” is already on my TBR list.
The prose is clean, evocative and is infused with a sense of place….maybe a bit too much. The author’s technical details of banking and money laundering is well explained and not overly done to be extremely boring. We have panoply of characters to keep track of, quite a challenge at times to picture who is who and where they fit in, eventually it becomes clear.
Overall, a pretty good story
The backdrop in this first installment is the vibrant city of Bangkok where we will follow Jack Shepherd who has given up a high-profile job in a DC law firm to take a post as a teacher at Chulalongkorn University. But life is not tranquil for Jack and takes a turn when an ex-colleague supposedly dead for some time calls in the middle of the night, scared out of his wits and desperately wanting to meet him….the laundry man is off and running and things soon gets interesting…..
I definitely was expecting that with a title like “Laundry Man” it should have been all about “cleaning” money, international finances, shady deals and nefarious sorts. I was not disappointed on this point.
Although, the story lacked suspense for a good part the novel as it centered on laundering money, bad banks and financial misdeeds, it did picked up a brisk pace as Jack bounced from lead to the next, from one red herring to another stumbling around exploring various contacts, some of them colourful characters, lots of them chichi type whose real occupations were unclear, and some of them turning up dead. ¾ into, the story shifted gears and became an exciting thriller with Jack changing from a banker/professor into a soft version of Jackie Chan…….unfortunately things petered out by the finale. Maybe once again the unsatisfying ending may be a ruse to lure us in pursuing with the series in order to see what is in store for the intrepid protagonist next. Definitely without any doubts and it is working my end……next “The Umbrella Man” is already on my TBR list.
The prose is clean, evocative and is infused with a sense of place….maybe a bit too much. The author’s technical details of banking and money laundering is well explained and not overly done to be extremely boring. We have panoply of characters to keep track of, quite a challenge at times to picture who is who and where they fit in, eventually it becomes clear.
Overall, a pretty good story
August 4, 2014
Laundry Man by Jake Needham 2.5/5
A phone call from a dead man starts Jake Shepherd on a treacherous course of death and deception that could lead to his own demise. Shepherd, a lawyer that doesn't practice any longer and teaches at a Bangkok University is drawn into an intrigue that he really isn't too interested in following up on. But when people start to die around him, leading him to believe he could easily be next he has to become more involved.
I wish I could say this was riveting. It wasn't. It could have been, all the makings were there. But I found Shepherd's naivety to be highly unbelievable given the experience he was supposed to possess. The moves of his enemies were so telegraphed that I could see them a mile off. Strangely, he walked into every trap laid for him. Characters fates were not followed up on, holes in the plot were not plugged.
Meh.
A phone call from a dead man starts Jake Shepherd on a treacherous course of death and deception that could lead to his own demise. Shepherd, a lawyer that doesn't practice any longer and teaches at a Bangkok University is drawn into an intrigue that he really isn't too interested in following up on. But when people start to die around him, leading him to believe he could easily be next he has to become more involved.
I wish I could say this was riveting. It wasn't. It could have been, all the makings were there. But I found Shepherd's naivety to be highly unbelievable given the experience he was supposed to possess. The moves of his enemies were so telegraphed that I could see them a mile off. Strangely, he walked into every trap laid for him. Characters fates were not followed up on, holes in the plot were not plugged.
Meh.
March 17, 2015
I enjoyed the story, it was a complicated financial plot set in Bangkok.
There was an absence of a good strong female character - Jack's girlfriend seemed to spend all her time at her studio or asleep.
There was an absence of a good strong female character - Jack's girlfriend seemed to spend all her time at her studio or asleep.
Want to read
October 23, 2017FREE on Amazon today (10/23/2017)!
January 18, 2012
I really enjoyed this, and read it in just 2 days - it was really exciting and each chapter left you really wanting to find out more.
I liked that the main character Jack was just a normal bloke, he wasn't changed in to a super human hero trying to catch the 'baddies' like what sometimes tends to happen in this kind of book.
I loved all the descriptions of Bangkok, you can really build up a good picture in your head throughout the whole. Some of the descriptions of people and places are quite funny and did make me laugh.
My only fault, i did have to read the last page again as it confused me slightly - this is a book I would recommend
I liked that the main character Jack was just a normal bloke, he wasn't changed in to a super human hero trying to catch the 'baddies' like what sometimes tends to happen in this kind of book.
I loved all the descriptions of Bangkok, you can really build up a good picture in your head throughout the whole. Some of the descriptions of people and places are quite funny and did make me laugh.
My only fault, i did have to read the last page again as it confused me slightly - this is a book I would recommend
June 21, 2017
I enjoyed protagonist Jack Shepherd's first person descriptions of life in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Phuket, all of which were spot on. The author Jake Needham knows international banking well enough to write authoritatively about money laundering. Needham also writes well and the action kept coming. I put the book into the border area of "can't put it down," perhaps one step below at "sneak reading a few pages in whenever you can" category.
I gave it 4-stars instead of five, however, on two counts. Quibbles include a plot where things (e.g. approaches by strange people) happened to our hero way more often than his actions made them happen. This is partly the result of a central story line where the protagonist finds himself at the center of everyone else’s attention without actually knowing why, but that wasn’t all of it. The ending also was also less believable than I was hoping for. Still well worth reading and I will certainly pick up another Jake Needham novel in the near future.
I gave it 4-stars instead of five, however, on two counts. Quibbles include a plot where things (e.g. approaches by strange people) happened to our hero way more often than his actions made them happen. This is partly the result of a central story line where the protagonist finds himself at the center of everyone else’s attention without actually knowing why, but that wasn’t all of it. The ending also was also less believable than I was hoping for. Still well worth reading and I will certainly pick up another Jake Needham novel in the near future.
July 23, 2020
A worthwhile read.
Took some time to get going but Jack Shepherd is an interesting character. Looking forward to reading more adventures in the future.
Took some time to get going but Jack Shepherd is an interesting character. Looking forward to reading more adventures in the future.
January 13, 2012
A book that takes place in Thailand, but isn't even tangentially about the sex trade? Sign me up!
This is a pretty good story about money laundering. The supporting cast blends together, and the protagonist makes some bizarre choices to further the plot, but it's competently executed. Good atmosphere, pretty good dialog.
Definitely up my alley, and a series I'll continue with.
This is a pretty good story about money laundering. The supporting cast blends together, and the protagonist makes some bizarre choices to further the plot, but it's competently executed. Good atmosphere, pretty good dialog.
Definitely up my alley, and a series I'll continue with.
December 6, 2016
A good mediocre job
June 29, 2019
I enjoyed this book and the setting in Thailand and the character Jack Shepherd. Girlfriend Anita for one year —- well-known European artist. I had to learn a little about money laundering, and had trouble understanding many off-shore accounts transactions that we’re discussed. Jack is a lawyer turned college professor teaching International Finance in Thailand. He had hated the lawyer-world and switched when the offer came up. Old lawyer friend (Barry Gale) set him up in a scam that would have killed him if he didn’t figure it out soon. Barry stole $50 million in a bank scam, but what he didn’t know was that it was the American CIA that was behind the money he stole. Barry ends up dead (killed by CIA) and Jack is saved when he tells supposed CIA people where Barry had the $$$ hidden. Only then he told a White House special counsel ( old college roommate) all about it and the scam, and the CIA involvement in several murders. He supposedly tells the POTUS and
Jack then says that where he told the CIA the money was was just fake and that the money was really lost.
I want to read the next Jack Shepherd book to see if I really like this author, despite the confusing banking maneuvers in this one. The plot was pretty involved and you were kept wondering the whole time. So I’ll try another Jake Needham.
Jack then says that where he told the CIA the money was was just fake and that the money was really lost.
I want to read the next Jack Shepherd book to see if I really like this author, despite the confusing banking maneuvers in this one. The plot was pretty involved and you were kept wondering the whole time. So I’ll try another Jake Needham.
April 29, 2023
Former high-flyer with a Washington law firm, Jack Shepherd has taken a job teaching international finance in Bangkok, where he expects life to roll along with no possibility of excitement or thrills. But when a former colleague calls him out of the blue, it’s a bit of a surprise – particularly as the man is supposed to be dead. When he begins poking his nose in, Jack soon discovers links with the CIA and the FBI. And more importantly, fifty million dollars of stolen cash.
Having already read book 6 in the Jack Shepherd series, I though it was about time I went back to the beginning. As with all of Jake Needham’s books there’s plenty of detail that give the story a realistic feel, in this case mostly to do with financial shenanigans. Though some of those details went over my head, the story kept me interested with its gradually increasing tension as our hero uncovers ever-more threatening facts. He also must deal with the downward spiralling status of his relationship with his girlfriend, who, quite naturally, doesn’t want Jack getting himself into a situation that might pose a threat to his life. Though I enjoyed laundry Man, it didn’t seem to have the same zing to it that the author’s Samuel Tay series has. However, it’s still a great read and I’ll be moving on to book 2 in the series soon.
A great read with a complex and intriguing plot.
Having already read book 6 in the Jack Shepherd series, I though it was about time I went back to the beginning. As with all of Jake Needham’s books there’s plenty of detail that give the story a realistic feel, in this case mostly to do with financial shenanigans. Though some of those details went over my head, the story kept me interested with its gradually increasing tension as our hero uncovers ever-more threatening facts. He also must deal with the downward spiralling status of his relationship with his girlfriend, who, quite naturally, doesn’t want Jack getting himself into a situation that might pose a threat to his life. Though I enjoyed laundry Man, it didn’t seem to have the same zing to it that the author’s Samuel Tay series has. However, it’s still a great read and I’ll be moving on to book 2 in the series soon.
A great read with a complex and intriguing plot.
November 26, 2018
I loved Needham's Inspector Tay series. And a respected friend suggested the Jack Shephard series as well. So I decided to give it a try.
Just as the Tay series gives a real feel for life in Singapore, this book gives a feel for Thailand. That's a plus for me because I enjoy books set in locations that I have never visited.
But I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the story. While there is a lot going on, Shephard is working very to hard to understand what it's all about. People keep telling him to mind his own business and I found myself continually asking myself why he didn't heed their advice. For most of the book Shephard had no skin in the game.
Needham's writing is a sharp as ever and the characters are interesting. But I wish the story were a bit more engaging.
I can give this a soft recommendation for Needham fans. I'm sure I will try another book in the series at some point.
Just as the Tay series gives a real feel for life in Singapore, this book gives a feel for Thailand. That's a plus for me because I enjoy books set in locations that I have never visited.
But I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the story. While there is a lot going on, Shephard is working very to hard to understand what it's all about. People keep telling him to mind his own business and I found myself continually asking myself why he didn't heed their advice. For most of the book Shephard had no skin in the game.
Needham's writing is a sharp as ever and the characters are interesting. But I wish the story were a bit more engaging.
I can give this a soft recommendation for Needham fans. I'm sure I will try another book in the series at some point.
Read
May 25, 2024First Jack Shepherd book. Lawyer turned lecturer Jack Shepherd had traded the US for Thailand and lectures in international corporate law at A University in Bangkok. His students are interested in making money.
Shepherd isn't looking for trouble but it finds him. It's easy to set up a bank and someone who's done that has been skimming money, a lot of money. Now the crooks he was working for want it back but the money has gone. Can Jack find out what happened?
Against his better judgement Jack starts to investigate the ABC bank. It seems there are people who want him to stop. But by now he's curious about all the things that don't add up and the shady forces behind the bank might not be gangsters after all.
Quiye a lot of legal stuff in this story which for me, could be a bit much at times. Shepherd's wise cracking offers some light relief.
Shepherd isn't looking for trouble but it finds him. It's easy to set up a bank and someone who's done that has been skimming money, a lot of money. Now the crooks he was working for want it back but the money has gone. Can Jack find out what happened?
Against his better judgement Jack starts to investigate the ABC bank. It seems there are people who want him to stop. But by now he's curious about all the things that don't add up and the shady forces behind the bank might not be gangsters after all.
Quiye a lot of legal stuff in this story which for me, could be a bit much at times. Shepherd's wise cracking offers some light relief.
October 15, 2024
Jack Shepherd dropped his job as attorney in high finance on USA and moved to Bangkok to have a more relaxed life as a teacher on that amazing Thai city (I can relate with that!). But a big conspiracy involving a secret Asian bank and lots of gangsters and politicians soon drags him to the dark corridors of modern corrupt capitalism...
This was boring, with incredibly slow pace. The main character failed to get my sympathy, the other characters (and there's a lot of them in this book, some useless that fortunately die soon) are a bit flat with almost no backstory and the amount of descriptions is almost unbearable. The ending seemed rushed.
Downloaded it because it's set in Bangkok, where I am right now, but it was really disappointing (hard to understand so many 5 star reviews... Laundered money to web bots, maybe?)
This was boring, with incredibly slow pace. The main character failed to get my sympathy, the other characters (and there's a lot of them in this book, some useless that fortunately die soon) are a bit flat with almost no backstory and the amount of descriptions is almost unbearable. The ending seemed rushed.
Downloaded it because it's set in Bangkok, where I am right now, but it was really disappointing (hard to understand so many 5 star reviews... Laundered money to web bots, maybe?)
March 8, 2022
There was so much potential. The premise, the location, there was so much. Great writing… but it was the misogyny and subtle (not so subtle) homophobia for me.
“By the time I finished eating, Q Bar was jammed with the late-night crowd and I had already become bored with watching the beautiful people preen for each other. All the women were too dazzling and blasé for me and all the men were too gay. Or maybe it was the other way around. I couldn't decide for sure.”
This was the second time he main character grossed me out so yeah, I stopped there. And I’m glad I did cause the other reviews saved me 143 pages of what has been described over and over as well written nonsense with a dash of boredom.
“By the time I finished eating, Q Bar was jammed with the late-night crowd and I had already become bored with watching the beautiful people preen for each other. All the women were too dazzling and blasé for me and all the men were too gay. Or maybe it was the other way around. I couldn't decide for sure.”
This was the second time he main character grossed me out so yeah, I stopped there. And I’m glad I did cause the other reviews saved me 143 pages of what has been described over and over as well written nonsense with a dash of boredom.
December 29, 2017
I really enjoyed this book. What has Jack got himself involved in? After leaving Washington where he was a high flying international lawyer, for a relatively quiet life working as a professor in a university in Bangkok, he now finds himself trying to help a former law partner who is in trouble.
We follow Jack as he attempts to unravel problems in the sinister world of money laundering, corruption, not to mention murder. Will he be able to find the answers to the many questions? There is much going on with plenty of twists and turns. This is a fascinating insight into a world most of us know nothing about.
With a nice touch of humour too, this is a very good read.
We follow Jack as he attempts to unravel problems in the sinister world of money laundering, corruption, not to mention murder. Will he be able to find the answers to the many questions? There is much going on with plenty of twists and turns. This is a fascinating insight into a world most of us know nothing about.
With a nice touch of humour too, this is a very good read.
March 18, 2021
The draw of this book is the author's intimate knowledge of Thai customs and locations. Jack Shepherd, a retired American attorney living in Bangkok, becomes involved in a deadly affair which is frankly somewhat confusing. Russian mobsters, Chinese government officials, and US spy agencies apparently collide and it's not til the end that things become clearer (though not completely clear). The settings feel authentic and interesting, and the story is ok. The narrative is erratic in quality, excellent in certain places and not so much in others, but generally pretty good, with nice pacing. The dialogue could be better.
November 14, 2017
This had the premise of being great. It’s along the ‘John Grisham’ wavelength but replace law with finance. If you’re a finance expert or study economics then I’m sure you’ll love it. I am neither and I just couldn’t wade through the long winded glossary-esque financial info. The story, coming in as a second thought to the financial diatribe would have been brilliant. Relatively fast paced with well built characters but I just couldn’t get past the wall of finance that left this book feeling more like a university textbook.
April 17, 2018
Laundry Man was not an easy read to get into. Jack Shepherd the main character describes Bangkok at length. At times it feels as if you are reading a tour guide’s impression of the city. Reading the book on my Kindle, 30% into the story, I was ready to abandon ship. However, I gave the author and his hard work the benefit of the doubt and pushed on, finally about halfway through it picked up momentum and things started to get interesting. The second half of the read was action-packed and enjoyable, the ending a bit of a letdown.
February 23, 2023
Money makes the world go-around
This new character, Jack Shepherd, is a mild mannered collage professor who teaches global finance dealing with both sides of international law at a university in the South Pacific. When one of his old friends calls to track down $50 million dollars, the fun begins. With rumors of the Russian Mob, crooked Chinese military officers, and others in the mix, Jack tries to help but then is dragged into the web of money transfers and life threatening encounters. He almost fails. The ending will surprise you.
This new character, Jack Shepherd, is a mild mannered collage professor who teaches global finance dealing with both sides of international law at a university in the South Pacific. When one of his old friends calls to track down $50 million dollars, the fun begins. With rumors of the Russian Mob, crooked Chinese military officers, and others in the mix, Jack tries to help but then is dragged into the web of money transfers and life threatening encounters. He almost fails. The ending will surprise you.
May 11, 2025
This was another good one by Jake Needham in the Jack Shephed series. Nothing stood out spectacularly for me but I like Needham's writing with regards to Jack (I don't know if he's written anything else). He's clear, concise, reminding me of Lee Child's style, with detail where it's needed. He doesn't write with a lot of fat and the plot carries through accordingly. I usually get this from people who have worked in fields where accuracy is paramount and it carries through to their fictional works.
November 15, 2025
This is the first in a series, but I don't think I will continue. Jack Shepherd is an American lawyer who used to specialise in banking. He is now a university lecturer in Bangkok. When a former colleague that he believed to be dead turns up unexpectedly Jack is dragged into a situation that he wants no part of, but of which he cannot help digging around in.
There is a lot of talk on money laundering (hence the title) and rogue banking practices. The story was relatively fast paced, but I didn't find it overly engaging. The finance focus really wore thin after a while.
There is a lot of talk on money laundering (hence the title) and rogue banking practices. The story was relatively fast paced, but I didn't find it overly engaging. The finance focus really wore thin after a while.
January 30, 2020
Laundry Man
Has an intricate plot involving international financial crimes with multiple players with differing agendas and a central character who is searching to find out how he has become involved in the scenario. Excellent description of life in Asian culture from the perspective of a foreign transplant. Interesting read.
Has an intricate plot involving international financial crimes with multiple players with differing agendas and a central character who is searching to find out how he has become involved in the scenario. Excellent description of life in Asian culture from the perspective of a foreign transplant. Interesting read.
March 14, 2021
A slow start
I have read a number of Jake Needham books and this one had the longest lead into the plot. A couple of times, I sighed. Then, just after the halfway mark the characters finally got to their allotted points on the stage, and boom! Off we went with Jack Shepherd getting into as much trouble as possible with little effort. Worth the wait.
I have read a number of Jake Needham books and this one had the longest lead into the plot. A couple of times, I sighed. Then, just after the halfway mark the characters finally got to their allotted points on the stage, and boom! Off we went with Jack Shepherd getting into as much trouble as possible with little effort. Worth the wait.
February 5, 2022
Intrigue In Phuket
Jake Needham is the best crime writer of this generation. Each of the books in his MEAN STREETS OF ASIA Series is a page turner that can keep you up all night. Jack Shepherd is his most interesting character and I’m really looking forward to Jack’s further adventures when The Nineteen is released this April ,(2022)
Jake Needham is the best crime writer of this generation. Each of the books in his MEAN STREETS OF ASIA Series is a page turner that can keep you up all night. Jack Shepherd is his most interesting character and I’m really looking forward to Jack’s further adventures when The Nineteen is released this April ,(2022)
July 17, 2022
Laundryless
Intrigued with the system of world banking and ways to try hiding money from one bank account to another. Most of it was very confusing to follow from one lie to the next. Jack ended up conning them all. Himself included. I'm gonna try theft story just to see if I'll continue with the series. Thanks for all the entertainment.
Intrigued with the system of world banking and ways to try hiding money from one bank account to another. Most of it was very confusing to follow from one lie to the next. Jack ended up conning them all. Himself included. I'm gonna try theft story just to see if I'll continue with the series. Thanks for all the entertainment.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews