Minor Wife

Vincent Calvino #7

by Christopher G. Moore

Heaven Lake Press, Trade paperback edition (2002)

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

297 pages, Paperback

First published October 11, 2004

About the author

Christopher G. Moore is a Canadian author who has lived in Thailand since 1988. Formerly a law professor at the University of British Columbia and a practicing lawyer, Moore has become a public figure in Southeast Asia, known for his novels and essays that have captured the spirit and social transformation of Southeast Asia over the past three decades.

Moore has written over 30 fiction and non-fiction books, including the Vincent Calvino novels which have won including the Shamus Award and German Critics Award and have been translated to over a dozen languages. Moore’s books and essays are a study of human nature, culture, power, justice, technological change and its implications on society and human rights.

Starting in 2017, the London-based Christopher G. Moore Foundation awards an annual literary prize to books advancing awareness on human rights. He’s also the founder of Changing Climate, Changing Lives Film Festival 2020.

Reviews

[Paul Cornelius · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was almost there. I thought that finally Moore had put out the perfect Calvino novel. A sharp story about a mia noi, or minor wife, of a rich American in Bangkok. Not much meandering. Very focused. It was enjoyable. Not only that but Moore mixed in just the right quantities of private eye Calvino's friends and allies. Col. Pratt, his long time supporter in the Thai police pitched in just the right amount of quotes from Shakespeare and doesn't begin playing the saxophone until the end. Calvino's secretary, Ratana, has an even heavier role and is embroiled with one of the murder suspects. And then there is Calvino's barstool buddy, McPhail, who has gone into the cockfighting business. It's an ensemble "cast" that works perfectly. Too, I like it that we're getting the junkyard version of Calvino, not the wealthy inheritor of paintings who comes in subsequent volumes. Added bonus: we don't need to hear Calvino whine about a girlfriend in this book.

Like I say, almost perfect. Then came the last two chapters. And this clever, intricate murder puzzle disintegrated into an attempt at metafiction that becomes utterly annoying. The last chapter closes things with one of the most forced list of resolved plot strings imaginable. It's okay to be ambiguous at times. It even makes a work stronger, when it integrates with its themes of corruption, deception, and selfishness. This last chapter over-tidies the story. And, lastly, Moore has Calvino come out and preach morality again. The novel didn't need editorializing. It weakened things.

[Susan Bergna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually like Christopher Moore's books but this one was so poorly edited I couldn't wait to finish it. The story line is fine but sentence structure was not. Maybe I got a bad copy of the book but it was awful.

[Adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting story but got overly long and a bit repetitive. Shame could have been better