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Poke Rafferty Mystery #6
For the Dead
In Bangkok, Thailand, an American travel journalist and his Thai family find themselves inadvertently entangled in a web of dirty cops and far-reaching corruption when their daughter’s ill-gotten cell phone displays photographs of some very crooked cops, all of them thoroughly dead.Poke Rafferty is happier than he's ever been. He's financially solvent, his family is about to grow larger, and his adopted Thai daughter, Miaow, seems to have settled in at junior high school. All that is endangered when Miaow and her boyfriend, Andrew, buy a stolen iPhone from a shady vendor and discover photographs of two dead police officers on it—disgraced officers, violently murdered to avenge the long-dead. Surrounding the murder investigation is a conspiracy that reaches the highest reaches of Bangkok law enforcement, and perhaps beyond. It soon becomes apparent that Miaow's discovery threatens the entire family—and if that's not enough, in order to survive, they may ultimately have to depend on someone who, in the past, has already betrayed them.
353 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2014
34 people are currently reading
231 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Hallinan
44 books453 followersI'm a thriller and mystery novelist with 22 published books in three series, all with major imprints. I divides my time between Los Angeles and Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand, where I've lived off and on for more than twenty years. As of now, My primary home is in Santa Monica, California.
I currently write two series, The Poke Rafferty Bangkok Thrillers, most recently FOOLS' RIVER, and the Junior Bender Mysteries, set in Los Angeles, Coming up this November is NIGHTTOWN. The main character of those books is a burglar who works as a private eye for crooks.
The first series I ever wrote featured an overeducated private eye named Simeon Grist. in 2017 I wrote PULPED, the first book in the series to be self-published, which was actually a lot of fun. I might do more of it.
I've been nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity, the Shamus, and the Left, and won the Lefty in 2015 (?) for the Junior Bender book HERBIE'S GAME. My work has frequently been included in Best Books of the Year roundups by major publications.
I currently write two series, The Poke Rafferty Bangkok Thrillers, most recently FOOLS' RIVER, and the Junior Bender Mysteries, set in Los Angeles, Coming up this November is NIGHTTOWN. The main character of those books is a burglar who works as a private eye for crooks.
The first series I ever wrote featured an overeducated private eye named Simeon Grist. in 2017 I wrote PULPED, the first book in the series to be self-published, which was actually a lot of fun. I might do more of it.
I've been nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity, the Shamus, and the Left, and won the Lefty in 2015 (?) for the Junior Bender book HERBIE'S GAME. My work has frequently been included in Best Books of the Year roundups by major publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
November 16, 2017
This novel isn't a good entry point for the Poke Rafferty series, but if you (like me) have read at least one other series entry, this is a perfectly adequate second novel to read. I started with The Hot Countries which was far stronger. I'm still a Hallinan fan and a Poke Rafferty fan, but put this one in the "just okay" category.
December 11, 2014
Timothy Hallinan’s literary gifts are many, but the one that might serve him best in his series novels is an ability to use the same characters and settings and still create something unlike any of the stories that came before. The sixth Poke Rafferty book, For the Dead, is a prime example.
For the Dead is, at its core, a thriller wrapped around a story of evolving family dynamics. Poke’s wife, Rose, is pregnant. Their “adopted” daughter, Miaow, is moving into adolescence and all that entails, with the added burden of feeling a need to keep her origins as a street child hidden from her schoolmates and teachers. When Miaow’s maybe boyfriend, Andrew (the son of a Vietnamese diplomat) loses his cell phone, Miaow leverages her street skills to find him what they hope is a suitable replacement, unwittingly picking up a phone used in an ongoing murder for hire plot.
The early part of the book is actually four stories. Four-and-a-half, really, as the murder plot also brings into focus the estrangement between Poke and his policeman friend, Arthit, still my favorite series sidekick. Each of the seemingly independent stories will fold into a larger whole, but it takes a little while. Fortunately, Hallinan makes each story interesting enough on its own to make it easy to keep reading. The process reminded me a little of William Goldman’s classic Marathon Man, where the reader has no idea the stories of Babe and Scylla are related until Scylla falls, bleeding, into Babe’s apartment. Hallinan’s reveal is not as abrupt, as the book’s momentum up as hints of where things are going start to emerge. It’s virtuoso stuff.
What struck me as the book’s greatest accomplishment of craft lies in how Hallinan, whose refusal to outline or plot anything in advance is well documented, is able to reach back into previous stories to pluck bits that make this story come together plausibly, when many writers—even those who outline—will allow the seams to show where they shoved the deus into their machinae. It’s like watching an artist take whatever he has lying around the studio to make a good piece great with bits no one else would have thought had anything to contribute to the project at hand.
At a more micro level, no one matches Hallinan’s ability to find ways to describe everyday things and thoughts. Andrew’s father has a tree up his ass. Poke finds Rose in “a sleep so deep [he] believes he could change the sheets and not wake her.” A man “who has no obvious shortage of self-regard.” Clever, never cute, descriptions that would slip into clichés in less expert hands.
As always, the characters rule. Regular readers already are well acquainted with Poke and Rose and Miaow and Arthit. For the Dead mixes in a few from previous books (Boo, Treasure, Anna); adds Andrew’s father, a diplomat who is more than meets the eye; and Thanom, Arthit’s boss, a/k/a “The Dancer” for his ability to navigate the political rapids of the Bangkok police force until he stumbles onto proof he’s been playing in The Show with AAA skills.
The characters’ full development isn’t just a box that Hallinan feels the need to check. All that work serves the larger purpose of all the Rafferty books, which is to display the redemptive power of love. Rafferty loves Miaow “with a love that seems to flow through him rather than from him, because, he thinks, he couldn’t possibly hold so much. He’d have run dry years ago.” The same could describe his feelings for Rose, who cannot likely love her impending baby any more than she has come to love Miaow. Even Andrew’s father, officious prick that he is, is driven to extraordinary action in aiding Rafferty because of his love for the boy. For the Dead, like all its predecessors, is about the lengths people will extend themselves for those they truly love, and the strength to be drawn from that undiminished reservoir. It’s not always pretty—Poke is not above retribution—but whatever action may be taken is sanctified by the pureness of the love that drove it.
All that and a great thriller plot. Hallinan holds a unique place in his niche, and there aren’t a lot of challengers.
For the Dead is, at its core, a thriller wrapped around a story of evolving family dynamics. Poke’s wife, Rose, is pregnant. Their “adopted” daughter, Miaow, is moving into adolescence and all that entails, with the added burden of feeling a need to keep her origins as a street child hidden from her schoolmates and teachers. When Miaow’s maybe boyfriend, Andrew (the son of a Vietnamese diplomat) loses his cell phone, Miaow leverages her street skills to find him what they hope is a suitable replacement, unwittingly picking up a phone used in an ongoing murder for hire plot.
The early part of the book is actually four stories. Four-and-a-half, really, as the murder plot also brings into focus the estrangement between Poke and his policeman friend, Arthit, still my favorite series sidekick. Each of the seemingly independent stories will fold into a larger whole, but it takes a little while. Fortunately, Hallinan makes each story interesting enough on its own to make it easy to keep reading. The process reminded me a little of William Goldman’s classic Marathon Man, where the reader has no idea the stories of Babe and Scylla are related until Scylla falls, bleeding, into Babe’s apartment. Hallinan’s reveal is not as abrupt, as the book’s momentum up as hints of where things are going start to emerge. It’s virtuoso stuff.
What struck me as the book’s greatest accomplishment of craft lies in how Hallinan, whose refusal to outline or plot anything in advance is well documented, is able to reach back into previous stories to pluck bits that make this story come together plausibly, when many writers—even those who outline—will allow the seams to show where they shoved the deus into their machinae. It’s like watching an artist take whatever he has lying around the studio to make a good piece great with bits no one else would have thought had anything to contribute to the project at hand.
At a more micro level, no one matches Hallinan’s ability to find ways to describe everyday things and thoughts. Andrew’s father has a tree up his ass. Poke finds Rose in “a sleep so deep [he] believes he could change the sheets and not wake her.” A man “who has no obvious shortage of self-regard.” Clever, never cute, descriptions that would slip into clichés in less expert hands.
As always, the characters rule. Regular readers already are well acquainted with Poke and Rose and Miaow and Arthit. For the Dead mixes in a few from previous books (Boo, Treasure, Anna); adds Andrew’s father, a diplomat who is more than meets the eye; and Thanom, Arthit’s boss, a/k/a “The Dancer” for his ability to navigate the political rapids of the Bangkok police force until he stumbles onto proof he’s been playing in The Show with AAA skills.
The characters’ full development isn’t just a box that Hallinan feels the need to check. All that work serves the larger purpose of all the Rafferty books, which is to display the redemptive power of love. Rafferty loves Miaow “with a love that seems to flow through him rather than from him, because, he thinks, he couldn’t possibly hold so much. He’d have run dry years ago.” The same could describe his feelings for Rose, who cannot likely love her impending baby any more than she has come to love Miaow. Even Andrew’s father, officious prick that he is, is driven to extraordinary action in aiding Rafferty because of his love for the boy. For the Dead, like all its predecessors, is about the lengths people will extend themselves for those they truly love, and the strength to be drawn from that undiminished reservoir. It’s not always pretty—Poke is not above retribution—but whatever action may be taken is sanctified by the pureness of the love that drove it.
All that and a great thriller plot. Hallinan holds a unique place in his niche, and there aren’t a lot of challengers.
January 17, 2016
I’ve said it before but it bears repeating, Timothy Hallinan can f****** write! Ok, maybe I haven’t said it exactly like that but you get my point.
This is one of very few book series I follow in which I’ve enjoyed every single book without reservation and I think what sets these apart from a lot of mystery/thrillers is the quality of the writing. There’s a level of detail that could easily bog things down but instead makes me feel like I’m right there watching or sitting in the room listening. Not a lot of over-dramatic dialogue, just real and honest exchanges.
I won’t rehash the plot but this story is really Miaow’s. She’s a teenager now, and not the most delightful of creatures, but there’s never a question of Poke and Rose’s love for her. She goes through some rough stuff in this book and Poke immediately goes on the offensive for her. You just know that there is nothing he would not do to protect her. And yes, he is a total bad-ass without really having to try.
Lastly, let me say this: read these books! They will take you away.
This is one of very few book series I follow in which I’ve enjoyed every single book without reservation and I think what sets these apart from a lot of mystery/thrillers is the quality of the writing. There’s a level of detail that could easily bog things down but instead makes me feel like I’m right there watching or sitting in the room listening. Not a lot of over-dramatic dialogue, just real and honest exchanges.
I won’t rehash the plot but this story is really Miaow’s. She’s a teenager now, and not the most delightful of creatures, but there’s never a question of Poke and Rose’s love for her. She goes through some rough stuff in this book and Poke immediately goes on the offensive for her. You just know that there is nothing he would not do to protect her. And yes, he is a total bad-ass without really having to try.
Lastly, let me say this: read these books! They will take you away.
December 17, 2014
I have only read one book in this series and it was book two. Although I have been wanting to read the rest of the books in this series. After reading the latest book in the series I just might have to bump these books up my list to read. This was a fast read. It was like I had never left that long ago from the second book. Mr. Hallinan has a really great knack for writing and infusing such life and charisma into his characters. I easily fell back into Poke's life with him, his wife, Rose and his daughter, Miaow. I like the way that Poke handles situations with a cool demeanor. Also, it was fun to see Miaow grown up and having a bigger part in the story. I now want to go visit Bangkok some day. Mr. Hallinan draws me into the set up of the storyline and then the delivery of how all of the clues and characters interlock with each other. The ending was a good one.
October 30, 2014
The trinity at the center of this series, Poke, Rose, and Miaow, has our allegiance. I prefer to think of them as a triumvirate because of their power. Poke has soul, Rose is sexy, and Miaow has knowledge of the streets that no child should ever have.
The Rafferty’s use their powers together in this latest installment of the Poke Rafferty series to bring down a corrupt power broker hiding in the police force. They had a little help (well, okay, a lot of help) from Andrew, Miaow’s best mate and school chum, and his contacts in the Vietnamese embassy. Hallinan keeps us riveted as Miaow escapes the nets laid for her and Andrew demonstrates his computer wizardry. They are teens, with all the confusion, angst, and drama of teens, and we ache for them…and their parents.
Hallinan may be unsurpassed in character creation. Miaow, Poke’s adopted daughter from the streets, is brought into clear focus when we listen to her confidence when confronting the hitmen who chase her. She learned too early how to escape the traps of bad men. The personality quirks of Rose and Poke, and their patter together, have the comforting tension of two distinct, discerning individuals who nonetheless respect and love one another. It is a pleasure to see what Hallinan will choose to highlight in his novels, because there is always a ring of truth.
A powerful cop is setting up kills that benefit him financially and “solving” the cases with the help of coerced police lower in the hierarchy. Things start to unravel when Miaow and Andrew buy an iPhone 5 on the black market. In pursuing the aggressor, Poke is mainly impotent except for his rage…but he has intelligent friends with mythic powers, and as a team, they each use their special skills to resolve the issue satisfactorily. Moments of finely-calibrated tension are seeded throughout the novel impelling the reader to the nail-biting finish.
Hallinan introduces us to two unforgettable characters. One is a cop in a backwater precinct who is brought to Bangkok to work on this case because of her extraordinary computer skills. Her name is Kwai Clemente, part Filipino, and she has eyes that people cannot help but comment upon. Though she barely says a word except “yes, sir” in this story, but one cannot help but want to see her again. Writers, take a look at how Hallinan did this. Hallinan creates characters that actually think, breathe, and bleed so that we feel some kind of connection with them.
The second person we cannot forget is the Western bank manager who refers to Thais as “these people” and who, after ordering only for himself at a luncheon, strongly suggests to his dining companions what they should order. “Pink-faced and closely shaven,” James Kalmenson is “a finger-snapper and finger-pointer,” “indulges in…imperious post-colonial behavior,” and “has no obvious shortage of self-regard.” We don’t long to see Kalmenson again because his type is easy to find, alas.
One reviewer calls this series a literary thriller, and I agree with that characterization, though I would put the emphasis on literary. I admit to a short attention span for thrillers as a genre because the characters often seem like cut-outs whose purpose is to propel the action. Hallinan’s thrillers are the opposite. There is riveting action, but it is the characters we come to see.
Poke is a hapless sort. The one time he could have done some damage to a bad guy he didn’t have his gun. But we’re riveted anyway because—and this is another of Hallinan’s tone-perfect choices--women and children might be victims, and that we couldn’t bear.
If you haven’t read Hallinan yet, you do not have to start at the beginning, though you may wish to go back later to sop up every delicious drop of this mystery series. The Fear Artist (Poke Rafferty #5), for instance, won all kinds of praise among taste-makers for its white-knuckled swerve into international espionage. Hallinan does it all.
But you can start here. What you need to know is that Poke Rafferty is a writer who occasionally sidelines as a private investigator, Rose is a former Bangkok prostitute who has happily retired, and Miaow is a now-teenaged former street kid the two have adopted. This odd threesome has the love and joy and anguish of all the world within their encircling arms.
The Rafferty’s use their powers together in this latest installment of the Poke Rafferty series to bring down a corrupt power broker hiding in the police force. They had a little help (well, okay, a lot of help) from Andrew, Miaow’s best mate and school chum, and his contacts in the Vietnamese embassy. Hallinan keeps us riveted as Miaow escapes the nets laid for her and Andrew demonstrates his computer wizardry. They are teens, with all the confusion, angst, and drama of teens, and we ache for them…and their parents.
Hallinan may be unsurpassed in character creation. Miaow, Poke’s adopted daughter from the streets, is brought into clear focus when we listen to her confidence when confronting the hitmen who chase her. She learned too early how to escape the traps of bad men. The personality quirks of Rose and Poke, and their patter together, have the comforting tension of two distinct, discerning individuals who nonetheless respect and love one another. It is a pleasure to see what Hallinan will choose to highlight in his novels, because there is always a ring of truth.
A powerful cop is setting up kills that benefit him financially and “solving” the cases with the help of coerced police lower in the hierarchy. Things start to unravel when Miaow and Andrew buy an iPhone 5 on the black market. In pursuing the aggressor, Poke is mainly impotent except for his rage…but he has intelligent friends with mythic powers, and as a team, they each use their special skills to resolve the issue satisfactorily. Moments of finely-calibrated tension are seeded throughout the novel impelling the reader to the nail-biting finish.
Hallinan introduces us to two unforgettable characters. One is a cop in a backwater precinct who is brought to Bangkok to work on this case because of her extraordinary computer skills. Her name is Kwai Clemente, part Filipino, and she has eyes that people cannot help but comment upon. Though she barely says a word except “yes, sir” in this story, but one cannot help but want to see her again. Writers, take a look at how Hallinan did this. Hallinan creates characters that actually think, breathe, and bleed so that we feel some kind of connection with them.
The second person we cannot forget is the Western bank manager who refers to Thais as “these people” and who, after ordering only for himself at a luncheon, strongly suggests to his dining companions what they should order. “Pink-faced and closely shaven,” James Kalmenson is “a finger-snapper and finger-pointer,” “indulges in…imperious post-colonial behavior,” and “has no obvious shortage of self-regard.” We don’t long to see Kalmenson again because his type is easy to find, alas.
One reviewer calls this series a literary thriller, and I agree with that characterization, though I would put the emphasis on literary. I admit to a short attention span for thrillers as a genre because the characters often seem like cut-outs whose purpose is to propel the action. Hallinan’s thrillers are the opposite. There is riveting action, but it is the characters we come to see.
Poke is a hapless sort. The one time he could have done some damage to a bad guy he didn’t have his gun. But we’re riveted anyway because—and this is another of Hallinan’s tone-perfect choices--women and children might be victims, and that we couldn’t bear.
If you haven’t read Hallinan yet, you do not have to start at the beginning, though you may wish to go back later to sop up every delicious drop of this mystery series. The Fear Artist (Poke Rafferty #5), for instance, won all kinds of praise among taste-makers for its white-knuckled swerve into international espionage. Hallinan does it all.
But you can start here. What you need to know is that Poke Rafferty is a writer who occasionally sidelines as a private investigator, Rose is a former Bangkok prostitute who has happily retired, and Miaow is a now-teenaged former street kid the two have adopted. This odd threesome has the love and joy and anguish of all the world within their encircling arms.
January 7, 2019
Poke Rafferty is happy, for once. He has a lot of money, that really doesn't belong to him and life with Rose and Miaow is going well, except for the part where Miaow is a teenager and really, really annoying. Miaow's best friend, Andrew Nguyen, loses his cell phone and so Miaow and Andrew skip school in order to find a new phone before Andrew's very strict father finds out about the loss. They find a phone and buy it, but unfortunately, when they open up the pictures, they discover pictures of two police officers who have been murdered for their part in a murder-for-hire scheme. The next day, Miaow and Andrew go back to return the phone but discover the store has been destroyed by someone looking for the missing phone. Now, Miaow and Andrew are on the run from bad, bad men. Poke is scared for Miaow and he and Andrew's father go on the hunt for the men who appear to be willing to kidnap the two children. The hunt is on. As always, the plot twists are remarkable and all the characters are well-defined. I do not know how I missed reading this book in the series since I adore Tim Hallinan and all his characters.
November 17, 2018
A little over the top, but I loved it.
Hallinan's characters are wonderful.
The plot's more graphic novel than not, but so well-written -- it has all the best words (sly smile accompanying).
Hallinan's characters are wonderful.
The plot's more graphic novel than not, but so well-written -- it has all the best words (sly smile accompanying).
November 4, 2014
I can remember being blown away by the first book in this series, A Nail Through the Heart, and each successive book gets even stronger. If the fourth book in the series, The Queen of Patpong, can be considered Rose's book, then For the Dead is Miaow's. Hallinan does a superlative job at portraying an extremely vulnerable teenage girl, filled with self-loathing, who has her carefully invented persona ripped from her. And when she believes that Poke and Rose are keeping an important, life-changing secret from her, where is she going to go? What is she going to do? I literally feared for Miaow as the story progressed. The men who are looking for her will stop at nothing. They will kill as many people as it takes to get the result they want.
At the beginning for the safety of the two children, Poke has to rely primarily on two sources: one trusted, the other new and unknown. Thai police officer Arthit helps him as much as he can-- as he always does. When asked how he can put up with the widespread corruption on the Thai police force, Arthit says that it's because, once in a while, he's allowed to do the right thing. Just the type of person you want when you're in a tight spot, especially when you're dealing with a murder-for-hire ring that had been operating inside police headquarters. The other source Poke must rely on is young Andrew's father, and I enjoyed how this man's character was revealed as the story progressed.
One of the strengths of this book (and the entire series) is its honest portrayal of Thailand, both from Poke Rafferty's outsider's point of view and from Thais like Rose, Miaow, and Arthit. Thai culture is ancient and highly stratified, and Hallinan is very adept at showing it in its depths of ugliness and in its overwhelming beauty.
Even though there are repeat characters from previous books in the series, For the Dead can easily be read as a standalone for those of you who don't want to get involved with an entire series. For those who love rich characters and settings as I do, don't be surprised if you read this one and immediately start looking for the others.
This is one of the finest crime fiction series going right now, and For the Dead is the best one yet. Two scenes linger on in my mind: the confrontation between Rose and Miaow is so emotionally powerful that it brought tears to my eyes. Rose's humor and wisdom are sublime-- and Miaow is every bit as special as Rose. The second scene? The one in which Poke sits in a room in their apartment and listens to two women laughing. What a simple scene that conveys so many layers of emotion!
Tim Hallinan, thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating these characters. They are, quite simply, wonderful.
At the beginning for the safety of the two children, Poke has to rely primarily on two sources: one trusted, the other new and unknown. Thai police officer Arthit helps him as much as he can-- as he always does. When asked how he can put up with the widespread corruption on the Thai police force, Arthit says that it's because, once in a while, he's allowed to do the right thing. Just the type of person you want when you're in a tight spot, especially when you're dealing with a murder-for-hire ring that had been operating inside police headquarters. The other source Poke must rely on is young Andrew's father, and I enjoyed how this man's character was revealed as the story progressed.
One of the strengths of this book (and the entire series) is its honest portrayal of Thailand, both from Poke Rafferty's outsider's point of view and from Thais like Rose, Miaow, and Arthit. Thai culture is ancient and highly stratified, and Hallinan is very adept at showing it in its depths of ugliness and in its overwhelming beauty.
Even though there are repeat characters from previous books in the series, For the Dead can easily be read as a standalone for those of you who don't want to get involved with an entire series. For those who love rich characters and settings as I do, don't be surprised if you read this one and immediately start looking for the others.
This is one of the finest crime fiction series going right now, and For the Dead is the best one yet. Two scenes linger on in my mind: the confrontation between Rose and Miaow is so emotionally powerful that it brought tears to my eyes. Rose's humor and wisdom are sublime-- and Miaow is every bit as special as Rose. The second scene? The one in which Poke sits in a room in their apartment and listens to two women laughing. What a simple scene that conveys so many layers of emotion!
Tim Hallinan, thank you from the bottom of my heart for creating these characters. They are, quite simply, wonderful.
January 12, 2016
Poke, Rose, and Miaow are back, stronger and better than ever. I love this family; I love how they're not perfect, but their love is. This book is Miaow's story, and even as a teen aged brat the reader loves her as fiercely as Poke and Rose.
The story is clear, action packed, and brings the reader to tears on more than one occasion. Poke and Arthit are talking again, Arthit is beginning to breathe and perhaps entertain a new normal. Miaow learns how to open up about her past to someone, and a character from the last book is given new life. And of course, all the joy is held in check by a choking blanket of evil corruption.
I highly recommend these books for anyone who loves a good crime thriller. And I strongly recommend you read them in order, to fully appreciate the character development. This is not a rounded up five star book; this one is five stars plus.
The story is clear, action packed, and brings the reader to tears on more than one occasion. Poke and Arthit are talking again, Arthit is beginning to breathe and perhaps entertain a new normal. Miaow learns how to open up about her past to someone, and a character from the last book is given new life. And of course, all the joy is held in check by a choking blanket of evil corruption.
I highly recommend these books for anyone who loves a good crime thriller. And I strongly recommend you read them in order, to fully appreciate the character development. This is not a rounded up five star book; this one is five stars plus.
December 6, 2014
I love the characters in this series so much that I'm always sad when the book is over. A whole year to wait for more news. I'm going to give in and read a different Timothy Hallinan series in the meantime.
February 24, 2015
I love Tim Hallinan's books but they scare me. I care so much about Poke, Rose and Miaow and I worry about anything terrible happening to them. I think that's the mark of a great writer! The books also have beautiful, lyrical writing and great descriptions of Thailand.
January 18, 2016
I LOVED this book in the Poke Series.
This book gets to be in the rare club of my bookshelf Favorites!
This book gets to be in the rare club of my bookshelf Favorites!
July 4, 2017
Sixth verse, pretty much same as the first.
Except the first had a freshness to it.
This is an above-average crime thriller; if you're coming in cold, without having read the rest of the series, it's fine--it''s been a while since I read any of the Poke Rafferty books, and I felt mostly caught up even without remembering details from the earlier stories--but, obviously, there's more depth to the characters if you've been following from day one.
The stories are set in Thailand and feature Poke Rafferty, an American writer who has settled in Bangkok, and his make-shift family: his wife, an ex-prostitute, and their adopted daughter, Miaow. Most of the previous books have focused on Rafferty, except for "Breathing Water." This book focuses more on Miaow. She falls into some trouble, and has to extract herself from what--with help from the usual extended cast of characters--all while negotiating on-coming adolescence.
The characters feel real, and their reactions genuine. But they're starting to face the "Murder, She Wrote" problem: how come these bad things keep happening to this little family. Readers understand why cops and soldiers and the like might keep confronting dangerous criminals out to destroy them, but a writer--even a clever, improvising writer--and his family in one giant city? Rafferty notes that this is the second time in a short stretch he's had to move his family out of their apartment for safe-keeping, which is an obvious set-up for the next book, but really should encourage some deeper soul searching.
(I know, I know: Rafferty is not the soul-searching type.)
The entire world is starting to feel way too cramped; there was some intimations that Hallinan was not ready to flesh out the world when Rafferty's horrible dad showed up in book two. (That's usually later on.) The obvious comparison here is John Burdett's series--let's ignore Colin Thiburon's Thailand stories--and while Burdett makes some weird choices (and also relies on the absent-father shtick), that world keeps expanding. Hallinan's Bangkok is curling in on itself--a city of millions that is crowded out by four or five characters in the book who keep intersecting Bangkok's evils.
The book takes its time setting up, which is not, as far as I remember, unusual for the series--it's part of wha sets it apart from standard thrillers, Hallinan's attention to character--before reaching an end that is classic noir. Hallinan seems to be stretching for a more literary approach in this book, with a lyricism that I only remember from "Breathing Water," though. to be honest, the lyricism often feels clunky.
Still, these are characters the reader should care about, in dangerous situations, and that's enough to keep the story moving.
Except the first had a freshness to it.
This is an above-average crime thriller; if you're coming in cold, without having read the rest of the series, it's fine--it''s been a while since I read any of the Poke Rafferty books, and I felt mostly caught up even without remembering details from the earlier stories--but, obviously, there's more depth to the characters if you've been following from day one.
The stories are set in Thailand and feature Poke Rafferty, an American writer who has settled in Bangkok, and his make-shift family: his wife, an ex-prostitute, and their adopted daughter, Miaow. Most of the previous books have focused on Rafferty, except for "Breathing Water." This book focuses more on Miaow. She falls into some trouble, and has to extract herself from what--with help from the usual extended cast of characters--all while negotiating on-coming adolescence.
The characters feel real, and their reactions genuine. But they're starting to face the "Murder, She Wrote" problem: how come these bad things keep happening to this little family. Readers understand why cops and soldiers and the like might keep confronting dangerous criminals out to destroy them, but a writer--even a clever, improvising writer--and his family in one giant city? Rafferty notes that this is the second time in a short stretch he's had to move his family out of their apartment for safe-keeping, which is an obvious set-up for the next book, but really should encourage some deeper soul searching.
(I know, I know: Rafferty is not the soul-searching type.)
The entire world is starting to feel way too cramped; there was some intimations that Hallinan was not ready to flesh out the world when Rafferty's horrible dad showed up in book two. (That's usually later on.) The obvious comparison here is John Burdett's series--let's ignore Colin Thiburon's Thailand stories--and while Burdett makes some weird choices (and also relies on the absent-father shtick), that world keeps expanding. Hallinan's Bangkok is curling in on itself--a city of millions that is crowded out by four or five characters in the book who keep intersecting Bangkok's evils.
The book takes its time setting up, which is not, as far as I remember, unusual for the series--it's part of wha sets it apart from standard thrillers, Hallinan's attention to character--before reaching an end that is classic noir. Hallinan seems to be stretching for a more literary approach in this book, with a lyricism that I only remember from "Breathing Water," though. to be honest, the lyricism often feels clunky.
Still, these are characters the reader should care about, in dangerous situations, and that's enough to keep the story moving.
April 12, 2018
Heat up your cold winter evenings with this red hot thriller. IF you are familiar with and a fan of this series…you are in for an early Christmas treat – if you’ve never read a Poke Rafferty novel, you’ll be hooked after reading “For The Dead.”
The first novel, A Nail Through the Heart, made me an instant fan of this series. Timothy Hallinan is one of the best, most creative writers of our generation. The lead character, Poke Rafferty rates right up there with other beloved protagonists (Alex Cross, Detective Pendergast, Jack Reacher, and Harry Bosch). A travel writer, living in Bangkok he’s put together a happy family over the past six novels. He married Rose, a beautiful former patpong dancer, who now runs her own cleaning business, helping other women, like herself, escape the sex trade industry. Together they adopted Miaow, a street kid, much older than her tender age of thirteen. His family is the axis upon which Poke Rafferty’s world turns –and it gets turned upside down in this book.
Teenagers are moody, make poor choices and keep secrets – and Miaow is no exception. She helps her boyfriend, Andrew, get a new phone on the sly and discovers photographs of two murdered police officers stored in the memory. Now, someone wants the pictures, phone and anyone who knows about it erased…permanently. What follows is an emotional roller coaster for readers – happy, sad, angry, shocked, frightened…there’s nothing missing here. Timothy Hallinan lives part of the year in Southeast Asia – he has a genuine love of the culture and for the people of Bangkok. He takes you behind the glossy brochure covers, revealing a nation struggling to find its way on the worlds stage. For centuries rural farming was the economic backbone of Thailand. But today, kids are kidnapped, sent by desperate families or simply run away, only to find themselves trapped in the vicious circle of the sex trade industry. Hallinan weaves conspiracies, corruption and murders with a devoted, loving man determined to save his beloved Miaow, his wife and their unborn baby.
If you enjoy a truly good book, with plenty of spills and thrills, twists and turns – but, is believable, then For the Dead is definitely for you!
Happy Reading,
RJ
The first novel, A Nail Through the Heart, made me an instant fan of this series. Timothy Hallinan is one of the best, most creative writers of our generation. The lead character, Poke Rafferty rates right up there with other beloved protagonists (Alex Cross, Detective Pendergast, Jack Reacher, and Harry Bosch). A travel writer, living in Bangkok he’s put together a happy family over the past six novels. He married Rose, a beautiful former patpong dancer, who now runs her own cleaning business, helping other women, like herself, escape the sex trade industry. Together they adopted Miaow, a street kid, much older than her tender age of thirteen. His family is the axis upon which Poke Rafferty’s world turns –and it gets turned upside down in this book.
Teenagers are moody, make poor choices and keep secrets – and Miaow is no exception. She helps her boyfriend, Andrew, get a new phone on the sly and discovers photographs of two murdered police officers stored in the memory. Now, someone wants the pictures, phone and anyone who knows about it erased…permanently. What follows is an emotional roller coaster for readers – happy, sad, angry, shocked, frightened…there’s nothing missing here. Timothy Hallinan lives part of the year in Southeast Asia – he has a genuine love of the culture and for the people of Bangkok. He takes you behind the glossy brochure covers, revealing a nation struggling to find its way on the worlds stage. For centuries rural farming was the economic backbone of Thailand. But today, kids are kidnapped, sent by desperate families or simply run away, only to find themselves trapped in the vicious circle of the sex trade industry. Hallinan weaves conspiracies, corruption and murders with a devoted, loving man determined to save his beloved Miaow, his wife and their unborn baby.
If you enjoy a truly good book, with plenty of spills and thrills, twists and turns – but, is believable, then For the Dead is definitely for you!
Happy Reading,
RJ
July 2, 2017
As far as I was concerned, this was pretty near the perfect Poke Rafferty book. It feels less a standalone novel than a continuation of The Fear Artist (the fifth book in the series), picking up approximately eight weeks after that book concludes. It develops a dangling thread from that book in what I thought was a pretty satisfying manner.
The plotting relies on two coincidences that, if you step back and look at them, are each massively improbable. Taken together, in a city of 10 million plus, the combination is--IMHO--completely impossible. Frankly, I don't care that much, because the enjoyment of the books comes from the familiar characters and their interactions, and this entry into the series hit all the right notes.
The plotting relies on two coincidences that, if you step back and look at them, are each massively improbable. Taken together, in a city of 10 million plus, the combination is--IMHO--completely impossible. Frankly, I don't care that much, because the enjoyment of the books comes from the familiar characters and their interactions, and this entry into the series hit all the right notes.
May 17, 2022
Following hard on the heels of "The Fear Artist" Hallinan produced the present thriller. Not a 'mystery' as the title promises, since there is little if anything to figure out from clues and so forth. And come to that, calling this a Poke Rafferty story is a bit of a stretch. The real focus, the people who get into your gut and keep you hanging on, are the women. And the kids. Poke is okay, and we need him, but as he is aware, it is the others who drive the life of these books.
As usual, the ride starts slowly, with the meat and toughness building page by page.
Recommended
As usual, the ride starts slowly, with the meat and toughness building page by page.
Recommended
March 25, 2018
Poke lives on the edge again in Bangkok.
Oh the corrupt police.
Oh the corrupt police.
October 9, 2018
just gets better and better
March 5, 2022
fabulous!
One of the best thrillers ever! Smart, scary, and ver very moving. This is a really wonderful novel. Do not miss this one!
One of the best thrillers ever! Smart, scary, and ver very moving. This is a really wonderful novel. Do not miss this one!
April 3, 2022
These are such great books....as much about a family as they are adventure and suspense
Read
March 16, 2023Did not read more than 20% started River Woman River Demon and never looked back
October 19, 2023
An intricate e-ticket ride, as always.
December 1, 2025
Great stuff.
March 7, 2017
Another amazing entry in the series--one more to go unless he writes more. It's such a joy to discover a writer with a body of work you can just binge-read week after week instead of waiting a year or more for the next installment. One standout feature of this series is how Hallinan well articulates Rafferty's love for Rose and Miaow. You just don't expect that level of emotional resonance in genre fiction, but it's a cut above, like everything else about these novels.
November 4, 2014
For the Dead (Poke Rafferty Thriller #6) by Timothy Hallinan (SoHo Crime, November 2014, 353 pages, $26.95/12.99) is the sixth entry in Hallinan's popular Poke Rafferty series, continuing to develop the adventures of the expatriate travel writer living in Bangkok. I was first introduced to Hallinan when I read Herbie's Game from the also successful Junior Benson series, featuring detective Junior Benson, who also happens to be a thief. I loved Herbie's Game and I loved For the Dead, too, different as they are in setting, tone, and theme. The only element joining the two books, and so, presumably, the series themselves, is Hallinan's exceptional skill in developing believable, likable, precocious young adolescents and his preoccupation with the idea of family. While I would rather get into a series on the ground floor, reading it from episode one, this has rarely happened for me. Thus, one of my criteria for enjoying my first foray into a series book is whether I can enjoy it without the benefit of familiarity with the back story. In For the Dead, I found the forward propulsion of the current story so compelling that I had little or no need for Hallinan to provide me with lots of prior information. He skillfully fills in along the way as this very engrossing thriller grabbed me and drove me through its 350 pages with remarkable speed. This is a good one!
The novel opens with a couple of what look like mysterious gang murders carried off with professional precision. Fast cut to two street children, Challee and Dok, who discover an emaciated, almost dead, person wrapped in a too large coat. They bring the nearly dead girl to Father Bill's school where street children are being rehabilitated. Cut to Miaow, the thirteen year old adopted daughter of Poke Rafferty and his beautiful wife, Rose, a former stripper and prostitute. Miaow attends a fine private school with her friend Andrew, the dorky son of a Vietnamese diplomat. Andrew, in fear of his father after having lost his second cell phone in two weeks, allows Miaow to take him through her former haunts to a street shop selling cheap used, and probably stolen cell phones. It soon becomes clear that powerful forces are seeking Andrew's new cell phone, and the rescued street child wants to see Poke. All the children involved, except Andrew, as well as Rose, are people whose lives have been uprooted and nearly destroyed by the destruction of rural Thailand's agriculture and the burgeoning sex trade leading to children's being sent to the city as either sex workers or to exist on their wits in urban squalor. The setup for this story is complex, involving obvious corruption to the highest levels of the Thai government, and direst poverty at the lowest levels, all interconnected and hidden. The remainder of my review can be found on my blog (www.tedlehmann.blogspot.com) as well as a portal if you wish to purchase it on Amazon.
The novel opens with a couple of what look like mysterious gang murders carried off with professional precision. Fast cut to two street children, Challee and Dok, who discover an emaciated, almost dead, person wrapped in a too large coat. They bring the nearly dead girl to Father Bill's school where street children are being rehabilitated. Cut to Miaow, the thirteen year old adopted daughter of Poke Rafferty and his beautiful wife, Rose, a former stripper and prostitute. Miaow attends a fine private school with her friend Andrew, the dorky son of a Vietnamese diplomat. Andrew, in fear of his father after having lost his second cell phone in two weeks, allows Miaow to take him through her former haunts to a street shop selling cheap used, and probably stolen cell phones. It soon becomes clear that powerful forces are seeking Andrew's new cell phone, and the rescued street child wants to see Poke. All the children involved, except Andrew, as well as Rose, are people whose lives have been uprooted and nearly destroyed by the destruction of rural Thailand's agriculture and the burgeoning sex trade leading to children's being sent to the city as either sex workers or to exist on their wits in urban squalor. The setup for this story is complex, involving obvious corruption to the highest levels of the Thai government, and direst poverty at the lowest levels, all interconnected and hidden. The remainder of my review can be found on my blog (www.tedlehmann.blogspot.com) as well as a portal if you wish to purchase it on Amazon.
November 19, 2014
My favorite genre is not mystery or noir or thriller or Southern Gothic ... or any of the things that it probably should seem to be, based on my own writings and any list of favorite novels I would ever make. My favorite genre is too specific to even be a genre. I like smart, gritty mystery novels with a poetic sense of purpose. Yeah, it's rare. But with Timothy Hallinan's Poke Rafferty series, I have found it yet again. The latest in the series, For the Dead, was released earlier this month from Soho Crime. While I strongly recommend going back to the beginning (A Nail Through the Heart), Hallinan does a masterful job of driving the plot without the need for backstory. And, even more impressive, he manages to draw an uninitiated reader into the characters and develop those characters within the confines of this one book. So the story works both narratively and thematically. Poke Rafferty has a long line of the dead in his life, but we need not know the names to understand his choice not to live for them.
The action of For the Dead takes place in Bangkok, when American travel writer Poke Rafferty has been living there for seven years. He has settled into a normal life (normal for Poke, anyway) with his ex-stripper wife, Rose, and their adopted-from-the-streets daughter, Miaow. But, when Miaow turns to her old street-wise ways to secure a stolen iPhone for her boyfriend, normal becomes a few fleeting chapters lost somewhere in the beginning of an avalanche of a book. Miaow's stolen phone contains the photos of a couple of dead cops. And the mystery of their murders contains a conspiracy reaching deep into Bangkok's past. Although the "big bad" and the ending fell ever-so-slightly contrived (by Hallinan standards), the feeling of closure and redemption will make the reader quickly forget any feelings of disappointment. And the novel reads so beautifully, plot is always a distant second anyway.
Although the easy comparison to make with Poke Rafferty novels is John Burdett, I see another, more apt comparison for Timothy Hallinan's writing. Reed Farrel Coleman has been called the "hard-boiled poet" for his striking narratives of crime and loss and suspense. Hallinan is right there with him. There is poetry on every page. There is thought in the choice of each word, whether it is the description of a river in a dream or the description of a brutal murder. Hallinan is operating on a level with few other crime writers.
The action of For the Dead takes place in Bangkok, when American travel writer Poke Rafferty has been living there for seven years. He has settled into a normal life (normal for Poke, anyway) with his ex-stripper wife, Rose, and their adopted-from-the-streets daughter, Miaow. But, when Miaow turns to her old street-wise ways to secure a stolen iPhone for her boyfriend, normal becomes a few fleeting chapters lost somewhere in the beginning of an avalanche of a book. Miaow's stolen phone contains the photos of a couple of dead cops. And the mystery of their murders contains a conspiracy reaching deep into Bangkok's past. Although the "big bad" and the ending fell ever-so-slightly contrived (by Hallinan standards), the feeling of closure and redemption will make the reader quickly forget any feelings of disappointment. And the novel reads so beautifully, plot is always a distant second anyway.
Although the easy comparison to make with Poke Rafferty novels is John Burdett, I see another, more apt comparison for Timothy Hallinan's writing. Reed Farrel Coleman has been called the "hard-boiled poet" for his striking narratives of crime and loss and suspense. Hallinan is right there with him. There is poetry on every page. There is thought in the choice of each word, whether it is the description of a river in a dream or the description of a brutal murder. Hallinan is operating on a level with few other crime writers.
February 2, 2015
One of the things I like best about this series is the continuing characters - Poke, Rose, Miaow and Arthit, Poke's cop friend. Miaow is the central figure in this story - her nerdy Vietnamese boyfriend Andrew loses his brand new iPhone - for the second time - so Miaow takes him to the street market where she buys him a replacement so that his stern, disapproving father won't find out. The problem is, the new phone has photos on it related to the recent murder of a couple of crooked policemen, so the kids, and anyone who tries to help them are suddenly in real danger.
Miaow is both fearless and riddled with teenage angst (she's too short, not pretty, hiding her background as a street kid). She's moody, impulsive, resourceful and loyal - quite a package.
The killers of the cops are cops themselves, with protection from the highest levels of the department, so everywhere and everyone presents a danger to the two young people.
There are a number of great secondary characters - Andrew's father Nguyen, who turns out to be a sort of spy and can offer the Vietnamese embassy and a refuge, Boo, the protector of lost street kids from and earlier book, Treasure, the horrendously abused child from The Fear Artist, Anna, the deaf woman who has become Arthit's new lover.
The setting is exceptionally well done and critically important to the story - the colorful and chaotic street life, the endemic corruption and inequality, the wretched conditions of the street children and the heroic efforts made by some to help and protect them. It's a terrific story, well told.
Miaow is both fearless and riddled with teenage angst (she's too short, not pretty, hiding her background as a street kid). She's moody, impulsive, resourceful and loyal - quite a package.
The killers of the cops are cops themselves, with protection from the highest levels of the department, so everywhere and everyone presents a danger to the two young people.
There are a number of great secondary characters - Andrew's father Nguyen, who turns out to be a sort of spy and can offer the Vietnamese embassy and a refuge, Boo, the protector of lost street kids from and earlier book, Treasure, the horrendously abused child from The Fear Artist, Anna, the deaf woman who has become Arthit's new lover.
The setting is exceptionally well done and critically important to the story - the colorful and chaotic street life, the endemic corruption and inequality, the wretched conditions of the street children and the heroic efforts made by some to help and protect them. It's a terrific story, well told.
June 19, 2015
In an Afterward, the author notes this novel has as its protagonist Miaow, the young street girl adopted by Poke Rafferty and his wife, Rose. Inasmuch as a great deal of descriptive material is devoted to her actions and the “attitude” inherent in a 12-year-old (or is it 13?) developing personality, as well as her role in helping purchase a cellular phone with incriminating pictures, that is true.
However, as in prior entries in the Poke Rafferty series, it is up to him to solve the mystery, which begins with the murder of two “retired” police officers who ran a murder-for-hire operation for years out of the department. And Poke finds that the deaths are related to the reason for their retirement, which was a cover-up of the acts to shield the department. And now, the “investigation” again is attempting to prevent daylight from exposing the higher-ups in the department from exposure.
As in past novels in the series, Poke is resourceful and Rose is, well, Rose. Miaow is depicted as a typical teenager. What seems a little different this time is the lack of the atmosphere of Bangkok and Thailand, the tastes and sounds which usually are so real. In a sense, introduction of Bo (the boy who originally found Miaow and saved her from the streets) and his “home” for street children fulfills this customary element, and the rest is not essential for the story.
Recommended.
However, as in prior entries in the Poke Rafferty series, it is up to him to solve the mystery, which begins with the murder of two “retired” police officers who ran a murder-for-hire operation for years out of the department. And Poke finds that the deaths are related to the reason for their retirement, which was a cover-up of the acts to shield the department. And now, the “investigation” again is attempting to prevent daylight from exposing the higher-ups in the department from exposure.
As in past novels in the series, Poke is resourceful and Rose is, well, Rose. Miaow is depicted as a typical teenager. What seems a little different this time is the lack of the atmosphere of Bangkok and Thailand, the tastes and sounds which usually are so real. In a sense, introduction of Bo (the boy who originally found Miaow and saved her from the streets) and his “home” for street children fulfills this customary element, and the rest is not essential for the story.
Recommended.
January 28, 2017
I've read all the Poke Rafferty books, in order (which you have to do because Mia/Miaow grows up) and this latest book was as fun and interesting as all of the others in the series. This series will be years in the making since only a few months had passed since the previous book. A very slow slog but one I enjoyed.
I do wonder though how in the world Poke Rafferty is supporting his family. Poke is supposed to be a travel writer but he never seems to have much "in progress" work or anything actually published. I'd like to see Poke actually working as a travel guide reader.
Note: Poke's estranged relationship with his mother is finally revealed in this book. I've been wondering about Mom, Poke will refer to her occasionally but we have never heard about her so I was interested in the very brief account of Poke's visit to his Mom but disappointed that he doesn't have any interest in her. Poke is much more interested in the Dad that abandoned him and his half-sister.....kind of stereotyped.
I do wonder though how in the world Poke Rafferty is supporting his family. Poke is supposed to be a travel writer but he never seems to have much "in progress" work or anything actually published. I'd like to see Poke actually working as a travel guide reader.
Note: Poke's estranged relationship with his mother is finally revealed in this book. I've been wondering about Mom, Poke will refer to her occasionally but we have never heard about her so I was interested in the very brief account of Poke's visit to his Mom but disappointed that he doesn't have any interest in her. Poke is much more interested in the Dad that abandoned him and his half-sister.....kind of stereotyped.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2015
Another strong entry in this excellent series. Yes, there is political intrigue, action, the constant threat of violence. But what is most special about the Poke Rafferty books is the characters. Especially the trio of Poke, his wife Rose, and their adopted daughter Miaow, as complex and touching and delightful a family as any to be found in fiction. Sometimes Hallinan's plots get a little complicated for me, and sometimes his description of scenes or situations leave me unclear so that I have to reread passages to try to understand better. But just as often, I am rereading sections just because I like the way he has said something. For example, this coffee reference:
"....so he can slip down the hall, fill a cup with the corrosive brew from the little kitchen, a brew that manages, even as it drips, to smell and taste half a day old, ancient and burned, with most of the water long evaporated. The way it should taste."
"....so he can slip down the hall, fill a cup with the corrosive brew from the little kitchen, a brew that manages, even as it drips, to smell and taste half a day old, ancient and burned, with most of the water long evaporated. The way it should taste."
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