A single man had been responsible for the string of high-profile assassinations that was occurring all over the world. The common signature in each attack lent credence to the single-gunman theory. Every killing had involved a sniper shooting from an elevated position at very long distance.
Once the belief in the existence of a single shooter began to spread, so many killings were blamed on him that the Director of the CIA wondered out loud if the mysterious assassin was just a figment of somebody's imagination. "We're making this guy into the Boogieman," the DCI snapped, and the name stuck.
That was when everybody started looking for the Boogieman.
Inspector Samuel Tay has no interest in any of this, of course. He may once have been a legendary homicide detective for the Singapore police, but now he's retired. He's out of the investigation game. Out of every game, really. Tay doesn't even bother to read the news anymore. He simply has no interest in it. And he has never heard of the Boogieman.
But when Colonel David of the Royal Thai Police appeals for his help, that abruptly changes. Tay and Colonel David established an interesting working relationship when Tay went to Bangkok for Interpol to assist with a complicated and sensitive homicide investigation. Now Tay even looks on Colonel David as something like a friend, and Tay doesn't have many friends.
It seems the Mossad station chief in Bangkok has whispered to Colonel David that they have intelligence the Boogieman is in Bangkok preparing for another assassination. With a major gathering of world leaders scheduled for the city soon, one that will be attended by the President of the United States, Colonel David realizes he has a major problem on his hands.
But what is it Colonel David thinks Tay can do to help him, exactly? There's been no crime. At least not yet. There's really nothing for Tay to investigate.
"You tag him, and we'll bag him," the Mossad station chief tells Tay. "Then it's goodbye, Mr. Boogie."
Tay has no difficulty figuring out what that means.
Fingering a man to be murdered by the Mossad, even if that man actually is a murderer himself, gives Tay pause, but he decides he'll worry about that later. The first problem is to help Colonel David find the Boogieman and stop him before he pulls off another high-profile assassination.
Actually, Tay realizes, that's the second problem.
The first problem is to figure out whether the Boogieman even exists. Or if the Mossad is running some kind of game that neither he nor Colonel David understand.
JAKE 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 twenty popular mysteries and thrillers in three different series — The Charlie Trust Legal Thrillers, 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.
A Chinese admiral is assassinated whilst out for his morning jog in Hong Kong. Every morning, he is taken by helicopter to the same scenic spot, so his morning itinerary is predictable. He was not killed up close though, he was hit by a sniper’s shot from over a kilometre away. That is no mean feat, he must be a highly skilled marksman, perhaps even the legendary Boogieman…
It started out as just another quiet, relaxing day of retirement for former Detective Samuel Tay of the Singapore police service, albeit his sixtieth birthday. A milestone that sees our hero in a reflective mood throughout this story. Returning home from a spot of shopping, he notices an attractive young woman loitering outside his home, surely, she isn’t waiting for him. She is though and it takes Tay a little while to recognise her out of uniform, its captain Suwan from the Special Branch of the Royal Thai Police, known by the affectionate nickname of ‘Beer’. Their paths had crossed only six months previous and now she had a big favour to ask from Colonel Khemkhaeng Jaturapattarapong, known to all as ‘David’. A touch of emotional blackmail, a lot of flattery and with accommodation booked and Beer arriving in her family plane, it is something of a fait accompli and what else would Tay be doing.
In Bangkok David has his hands full with an imminent meeting of foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN). Now he has a solid tip off from one of his intelligence service friends, Ari Klein Mossad’s chief of station in Bangkok. Ari spins them a yard about a legendary sniper known as ‘The Boogieman’, he moves around the world like a spectre, his identity unknown, there are some not certain even exists. Ari believes he is responsible for the hit on the Chinese admiral and is now in Bangkok with a new obvious target in sight, a high raking US official, possibly even the president, due to address the ASEAN attendees. So, Tay is asked to use his investigating brilliance to identify, locate and prevent a sniper from carrying out a hit, but that is assuming that he even exists. Once Tay locates him Mossad will take over and ‘deal with’ the matter, a thought that unsettles him.
Another story set in Thailand, a place the author knows well, something that shines through the story, be it in the locations or a flavour of what life is like there. The predominance of shopping malls and high-rise apartment buildings juxtaposed with the opulence of the ‘colonial period’ buildings (though never actually colonised) and the grand hotels. The grand old Oriental Hotel is prominent, quite fitting with its history of accommodating great literary figures of the past. A touch that discerning readers will appreciate.
Life in Bangkok is more chaotic than usual with a series of political demonstrations taking place. This allows for some wry observations on the political statis in Thailand, the frequency of military dictatorship taking over and the corruption of some of the political class.
The plot appears to be straightforward, but Tay is working in the world of ‘spooks’ so nothing is as it appears to be. A world of deceit and treachery, an anathema to a man like Tay who believes in the supremacy of law and has a keen sense of justice. As he negotiates this journey Tay learns that nobody can be trusted. Here the author injects a sense of what life in the espionage world is like, one where the result is everything. Dark and disturbing events that appear to be just a game to them. The conclusion is surprising and has a degree of moral ambiguity, which is fitting for the storyline.
The style of the writing has elements of the great hardboiled fiction of the mid twentieth century woven into a thoroughly modern story, as Tay and Beer work the streets in search for answers. The dialogue avoids the tough guy quips, instead there is the more subtle dry wit of a world-weary man, with just a touch of the innocent abroad. He is a man who rejects the world of modernity and celebrity, avoiding TV, radio, newspapers, gossip and computers for the sake of his sanity (a mantra copied from Henry Miller). This brings a touch of the old fashioned to the story, he even receives a fax!
The highlight is the wonderful chemistry between Beer and Tay as they work together. Each learns more about the other’s life and for all their many differences discover common ground on the subjects that matter. Sam may be sixty and never a success with the ladies, but even he can’t fail to notice how attractive Beer is, and how very young barely half his age. Still a man can daydream as Beer cheekily toys with him, bringing a mischievous crackle to their scenes. There is also a lot of playful humour between them, as the quiet, reserved Tay has new experiences, like a visit to a real tailor not a chain store. He may have a paunch; it’s their job to cover it. This is a wonderful example of an odd couple pairing that is an absolute joy.
An intricate and atmospheric modern espionage tale with a laid-back protagonist.
Nicknamed the Boogieman, an assassin responsible for a string of high-profile murders, comes to the attention of a colonel in the Royal Thai Police. Keen to stop the man before he notches up another killing, the colonel needs someone to track the killer down. Meanwhile, former Detective Inspector Samuel Tay is enjoying his retirement, even if he does admit to being a little dull at times. But when an old friend turns up on his doorstep with a proposition, Sam plays against type and agrees to do the job. The only trouble is, no crime has been committed so Sam doesn’t have much to go on. Knowing that the President of the United States is due to attend an important meeting, Sam needs to find out if this Boogieman even exists, and if he does, work out how to stop him.
This is book 9 in the Sam Tay series and it’s another cracker. This time we find the canny cop dragged into tracking down a killer who may or may not be real. With the help of Special Branch Captain Beer – who also happens to be very attractive – Sam embarks on a difficult task. As always with Mr Needham’s books, there’s a humorous layer running alongside the more serious aspects of the story, and Sam (as usual) is conflicted about everything – disinclined to make small talk, scared of women (Beer in particular), and unwilling to make decisions that don’t involve sitting around the house smoking Marlboros.
An exciting read that kept me riveted from the first page to the last.
This is the 9th (and final?) Inspector Sam Tay book. I enjoyed reading them almost back to back. As a student of the Enneagram this guy is clearly a Type 5 with a 6 wing. I know the type; I live with one.
I appreciated getting to know the geography and a sense of the cultures of Singapore and surrounding countries. I almost never figured out “who done it” and I wish there were more books. I read about places I have not been and do it with iPhone maps and search the Internet for current and historical photos of buildings and places described in the books. For example, The Oriental Hotel in Bangkok is a gorgeous place on the Chao Phraya River and costs around 25,000 bhat or $800 per night. And the American Embassy is not an attractive building from the outside. (I looked it up on the street view)
These books got me through the first month of the US Government shut down in September and October of 2025. Inspector Tay has his faults but he is ethical to a fault and I find that very appealing.
I recommend all the books. The first was a slow start. I found myself hiding out with the other 8. I will miss him.
Retired Inspector Sam Tay reluctantly becomes a "consultant" again. This time in Bangkok for the Thai police. There's a big international event coming up in the city that everyone is aware of plus an infamous and very successful sniper, known as the Boogieman that few people know about. Some of those who have heard of him don't believe he exists and that the dramatic hits over the years are the work of several snipers. Sam's friend in the Thai police wants Tay to work secretly with him and his colleague, known by her nickname Beer, operating out of Tay's hotel room. Sam is unsure what he's supposed to do as there is very little info and a looming deadline of the international conference. So he starts asking questions and the trouble with that is that he always keeps asking even when people want him to stop. An enjoyable read even though with experience of how Needham's other books go, it's soon clear where this might be heading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I love Inspector Samuel Tay. Have read all Mr. Needham’s books about him, and can’t wait for more. Inspector Tay is a curmudgeon, retired from the Singapore Police, and wanting very little more than to enjoy his home, garden and Marlboro cigarettes. When Beer, a former female operative, shows up at his door with an offer to head to Bangkok, Tay is less than thrilled. But Beer is attractive, intelligent and his life has been a bit boring. Together with David, another former cohort, they struggle to identify the Boogieman, a crack sniper responsible for impossibly long distance kills of people who probably deserved it. The pacing is brisk, the characters well-drawn, and I’ve already pictured the actor to play Tay in a series. What a great series it would be - start selling it, Jake.
I envy anyone who hasn't read any of Jake Needham's Asian novels. Yet. Definitely get Goodbye, Mr. Boogie, but when you finish it, get the Ambassador's Wife. And the other Samuel Tay books . And the other books as well. Some of the characters from Tay's stories show up in those books. These books are a trip into another world: the Asia that Jake knows well, and to the world of espionage and politics that reading about is a safe way to get a peek at... hopefully.
Sam Tay is brought out of his quiet retirement by the Thai police. Searching for a deadly assassin who may also be an urban myth. Lots going on in Bangkok with protesters and a big political gathering an assassin’s playground. Sam works with David and Beer to try to make sense of the limited information and track down their target, or non-target. The story moves quickly, lots of good dialogue and a clever ending. Read to the final page, it’s worth it for lovers of our hero Sam Tay.
All the Inspector Tay novels have me stuck reading till the end. I find them entertaining and enjoyable. Only complaint is they are too short. I would like each novel to have at least five hundred more pages. In fact I wish the first book never ended. One of those never ending books, that if it does end, it takes a couple of decades to read. Thank you Mr Needham for providing such an enjoyable read.
This is of of the best in the Samuel Tay novels by Jake Needham. The story evolves slowly but in captivating detail. The interaction between the characters is carefully woven. It's an unexpected ending and leaves the reader feeling that it has a realistic conclusion. If you have not read the previous books in the Samuel Tay series this will inspire you read the others.
Jake Needham's Sam Tay series is unique. Sam lives like a hermit. No phone, TV, internet, or newspapers. He has very few friends, and those he has are not seen often.
Sam Tay draws you in right from the start. He takes you on a delightful ride. He will exasperate you, make you laugh, and solve the puzzle for you piece by piece. This is one of the best.
All of the Sam Tay novels are good but this one is exceptional. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough and I didn't want it to end because I was enjoying the story so much. This is a really well written book! If you haven't started the Sam Tay series, you need to!
I got to read an early release of this latest Inspector Tay novel and thought it was quite strong. The plot was well conceived and the main characters are likable and interesting. The ending was quite a surprise.
This book held my interest from page 1. A likely unsolvable mystery that Samuel and Beer manage to break open. Having said that, I miss John August and Claire working with Tay.
Too many authors these days rely on action instead of dialogue. Jake Needham does a wonderful job on character development. Inspector Samuel Tay and his Thai Special Police counterparts all come alive and there is a good story.
I enjoyed this most recent Jake Needham Inspector Samuel Tay novel. I liked learning about Bangkok and wished the story was a little longer. This is a fun read and Inspector Tay is an interesting fellow. Can't wait for the next novel to come out. Thank. you Jake Needham.
I have read all the Samuel Tay books and Needham writes better and better with each one. His characters are more detailed, the Locales more interesting, and the politics more intriguing.
I love the Sam Tay books and this was one of the best. Characters, dialog, and pace keep you reading. Interesting plot with some surprise twists mean you'll have to read "just one more" chapter. More Mr Needham more
Jake Needham never fails. Always a great read. I have read every one of Jakes books and have enjoyed than all. Great story lines, believable character s. Brilliant