The Amok Runners

Jimm Juree #0

by Colin Cotterill

A detective crime novel set in Thailand featuring Jimm Juree, Colin Cotterill's fictional detective. For followers of Colin Cotterill's Jimm Juree mystery series, here is new novel for your enjoyment. It is a prequel to the three published books with our intrepid lady journalist and her rather unique family still living in Chiang Mai. Becoming an extra along with her two brothers, Arny and Sissy, on an American movie with Hollywood stars being shot in the north of Thailand, she stumbles upon murder and mayhem while at the same time being part of an ancient treasure hunt. As usual it would be wrong for the bad guys to underestimate Jimm.

Genres: Mystery, Asia, Fiction, Asian Literature

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 14, 2016

About the author

Colin Cotterill was born in London and trained as a teacher and set off on a world tour that didn't ever come to an end. He worked as a Physical Education instructor in Israel, a primary school teacher in Australia, a counselor for educationally handicapped adults in the US, and a university lecturer in Japan. But the greater part of his latter years has been spent in Southeast Asia. Colin has taught and trained teachers in Thailand and on the Burmese border. He spent several years in Laos, initially with UNESCO and wrote and produced a forty-programme language teaching series; English By Accident, for Thai national television.

Ten years ago, Colin became involved in child protection in the region and set up an NGO in Phuket which he ran for the first two years. After two more years of study in child abuse issues, and one more stint in Phuket, he moved on to ECPAT, an international organization combating child prostitution and pornography. He established their training program for caregivers.

All the while, Colin continued with his two other passions; cartooning and writing. He contributed regular columns for the Bangkok Post but had little time to write. It wasn't until his work with trafficked children that he found himself sufficiently stimulated to put together his first novel, The Night Bastard (Suk's Editions. 2000).

The reaction to that first attempt was so positive that Colin decided to take time off and write full-time. Since October 2001 he has written nine more novels. Two of these are child-protection based: Evil in the Land Without (Asia Books December 03), and Pool and Its Role in Asian Communism (Asia Books, Dec 05). These were followed by The Coroner’s Lunch (Soho Press. Dec 04), Thirty Three Teeth (Aug 05), Disco for the Departed (Aug 06), Anarchy and Old Dogs (Aug 07), and Curse of the Pogo Stick (Aug 08), The Merry Misogynist (Aug 09), Love Songs from a Shallow Grave (Aug 10) these last seven are set in Laos in the 1970’s.

On June 15, 2009 Colin Cotterill received the Crime Writers' Association Dagger in the Library award for being "the author of crime fiction whose work is currently giving the greatest enjoyment to library users".

When the Lao books gained in popularity, Cotterill set up a project to send books to Lao children and sponsor trainee teachers. The Books for Laos programme elicits support from fans of the books and is administered purely on a voluntary basis.

Since 1990, Colin has been a regular cartoonist for national publications. A Thai language translation of his cartoon scrapbook, Ethel and Joan Go to Phuket (Matichon May 04) and weekly social cartoons in the Nation newspaper, set him back onto the cartoon trail in 2004. On 4 April 2004, an illustrated bilingual column ‘cycle logical’ was launched in Matichon’s popular weekly news magazine. These have been published in book form.

Colin is married and lives in a fishing community on the Gulf of Siam with his wife, Kyoko, and ever-expanding pack of very annoying dogs.

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Foreword. I'm a New Zealander now living on the tropical island of Pilar in the Philippines. I am interested in stories set in Asia)

I was first introduced to the author Colin Cotterill through his Dr Siri Paiboun series set in Laos (I will be reviewing these books soon).

So when I saw that he had also written stories based in Thailand I was happy to begin new adventures.

I enjoyed "The Amok Runners" as it gave me the view of Thailand as the locals see it. The characters were a fat girl, a bodybuilder, a transsexual and a Burmese, which seemed to be a good cross section of the good guys. The local police at first acted efficiently, but later turned out to be absolute criminals. Who do you tell when a crime has been committed by the police? Certainly NOT the police!

I'm looking forward to reading the rest of his Thailand series especially as the author has lived in South East Asia for many years and is currently in Thailand.

[Mark Bahnisch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of Jimm Juree and her eccentric family, a veritable postmodern Famous Five of Thailand. I was delighted to happen across The Amok Runners at my local Council library. Unanticipated Christmas holiday reading!

The new book is a prequel so Jimm's mum has yet to uproot the family from Chiang Mai. Jimm is on assignment from her newspaper as an extra on a film, a big bucks Hollywood production allegedly representing Thai history, but with anachronistic American leads. Sissy and Arnie are along for the ride.

Joining the Jurees on their filmic adventures is Burmese academic historian Khin, a fabulous character I hope we meet again. She leads the trio on a parallel quest for King Mangrai's hidden treasure when they're not investigating murder, a mysterious cast of extras from Myanmar and other shenanigans along with occasional Hollywood sidekicks.

While I was a little disappointed not much of the action took place in Chiang Mai, the sense of place in the languid surrounds of Fang is such as to evoke dreams of another Lanna destination.

Fast paced, fun and with lots of humour, The Amok Runners is a fantastic addition to the Jimm Juree series. Recommended!

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as the Doctor Siri series or even as the Jimm Juree series. Still, there's some humour and it's quite fun despite the boring treasure hunt

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘We were on the veranda, stoned.’

For those who’ve read any of Colin Cotterill’s previous Jimm Juree mysteries, this is a prequel to the series. Jimm’s mother has not yet bought her rundown resort on the Gulf of Siam, so that aspect of the setting isn’t featured. In this novel, Jimm, Sissy and Arnie are all on a movie set. Jimm is a journalist and has got her editor’s agreement to a story about a day in the life of a movie extra. The movie is supposed to take place in Siam in 1650, and will be the latest movie to star Dan Jensen, a toothy American superstar. Yes, it is intended to be a realistic portrayal of 17th century Siam, but (of course) the movie won’t sell without an America star. Sissy has managed to get Arnie and Jimm roles as extras in the movie. Extras? Yes, there are extras playing soldiers running amok and being killed. It’s dead easy.

And because it’s dead easy, the trio have extra time to help their pink-skirt- wearing Burmese historian friend Khin Tein Aye look for the lost treasure of the 13th century King Mangrai. So Jimm is perfectly placed to investigate when things start going wrong on the movie set.

Like all of Colin Cotterill’s novels, this is full of humour and quirky characters. There’s a film star who falls in love with one of the trio, and plenty of action. It’s fun, too, to get some more of the Jimm Juree backstory. While I much prefer the Dr Siri series to Jimm Juree (sorry, Jimm), Jimm and her family and their adventures are starting to grow on me.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Glen U · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Amok Runners" is the fourth book in Colin Cotterill's Jimm Juree series. Up until this book, I much preferred Cotterill's other protagonist, Dr. Siri Paiboun, but with "The Amok Runners", Jimm Juree lives up to her Laotian predecessor. Not only are we treated to Cotterill's special brand of humor and crime, we are given a small lesson in Southeast Asian politics and history. Jimm and her two siblings, Sissy, her post operation "sister", Arny, her weightlifting brother and Khin, a Burmese history professor, all share in this well paced and imaginative plot. Cotterill brings to the pages a wonderful story and does for Southeast Asia what Tim Dorsey and Carl Hiaasen do for Florida-expose it, explore it and make the reader want to experience the atmosphere that is introduced to us in their books. A very good read and what I hope is only the beginning to another Cotterill series.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is somewhat disconcerting to see this book referred to as a “prequel,” since in her opening email to Clint Eastwood (which is hilarious), Jimm Juree refers to the tidal wave that carried off their lovely resort at the end of the last book. It is because of that disaster that she is now living with her sister/brother and suggesting a scenario with her weightlifting brother and scholarly Burmese friend Khin, working on an American film as extras whose role generally involves natives running amok. The murder mystery plot is intriguing only insofar as it reveals the creativity of corruption in the Thai bureaucracy. The more interesting plot involve Khin’s hunt for a lost treasure. The real delight of the story, however, is the dynamics between the four amok runners.

[Liz V. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jimm and her siblings are extras in a Hollywood epic and befriend the local director. His murder starts them on an investigation that will expose enslavement of Burmese nationals and police corruption.

[Rona · Rating 5 out of 5]

Danger. Intrigue. Starlets.

I enjoyed this prequel look into Jimm Juree's quirky family. As extras on a big budget film, the Jurees root out corruption, almost find love, almost find treasure and escape death. Fun.

[Meredith Sessions · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful! Right up my alley. Love to get to see more of Sissy this time. This series isn't for everyone, but I always savor them. Decent mystery, fun characters, interesting setting, good writing.

[Joseph Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

FUN READ

Treasures in human relations pitted against ruthless criminal behavior lead to conflict and a treasure hunt that slowly threads its way in the work creates a framework for resolution.

[Mary Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not as good as I remembered from the other books in the series. Convoluted story of corruption and treasure hunting and movie making in Thailand

[Susan E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read from Cotterill

Another great book in the series from Cotterill. I hope the series continues and we get to enjoy more of these adventures.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Amok Runners” (Jimm Juree #4) by Colin Cotterill. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Cozy mystery. Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand and surrounding area. Time: Present, taking into account this is a prequel to the other books in the series.-
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In this prequel, Jimm Juree is still an aspiring crime reporter in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Her body builder younger brother Arne is at loose ends. Her transsexual sister Sissy has moved on from being a glamour girl to starting a career as an internet hacker. And they have taken on some responsibility for Khin, a very eccentric Burmese researcher.
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While Khin is off searching for ancient hidden treasure, the 3 siblings get jobs as extras on a US movie set filming north of Chiang Mai. They have a jolly old time partying with cast, crew, and directors. But murder seem to follow Jimm wherever she goes. Soon movie staff are dying, and Jimm and her siblings are attacked for unknown reasons.
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I loved, loved, loved the first 2 books in this series. Then book 3 came along and it was ok. Now there is this prequel. I rated it 3 stars because:-
1. The author portrayed Kuro, the Japanese film actor, by using stereotypical language: “One of my derights,’ he told us, ‘is to rearn about different culture…it is my legret that I cannot communicate with the soldiers on the shoot..They do not speak any ranguage we can discover.”-
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2. Khin’s historical background discourses were long and confusing, even to the other characters. 3. Brother Arny’s character was quite erudite, very different from the other books in the series. 4. The revelation of why Jimm and family were targeted was underwhelming.-
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I appreciate the author’s realistic writing about Northern Thailand with no sugarcoating. I also appreciate the diverse characters in Jimm’s family and among her friends. I still love Jimm, but it’s 3 stars from me. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳”

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love both of Colin Cotterill's series which feature ex-journalist Jimm Juree and Dr. Siri Paiboun. He has a wonderful sense of humor, and I've learned so much about the people and culture of Thailand and Laos. Unfortunately, The Amok Runners is a bit of a hot mess. Let me explain after a short digression.

When I was growing up "running amok" was a frequently used phrase. (It means to behave in a frenzied, out-of-control, or unrestrained manner.) I liked the sound of it and always said that I'd like to run amok at least once in my life, so when I saw the title of this book, it made me smile. Jimm and her brothers Arny and Sissy get to run amok as extras in the crowd scenes being filmed in the movie. Since the crowd scenes involve attacking armies and innocent bystanders, they get to do a lot of uncontrolled screaming and running. I enjoyed those "insider" scenes during filming. I also liked the two mysteries of the treasure hunt and the murders. I love how quick Jimm's mind is at putting together disparate clues. Now for the hot mess.

The synopsis on the back of the book says The Amok Runners is a prequel to the previous three Jimm Juree mysteries, all of which I've read and enjoyed. However, Prologue 2-- which is Jimm's letter to Clint Eastwood, a running joke in the series-- mentions events that happen much later in the series. This is such a glaring oversight that I had to go back and reread the first pages of the book to make sure my brain hadn't slipped a cog. It hadn't. I'm still wondering how this could come through the entire writing/editing/publishing process without being caught.

It put me off-balance for the entire book, which is a shame because there is a lot to like in The Amok Runners. All you Jimm Juree fans beware and be prepared. For all of you readers who are new to Jimm, chances are you won't notice a thing. Just sit back and read. From the chill-down-the-spine Prologue 1 to the end, you'll get to watch the most eccentric trio of siblings in crime fiction solve not one but two mysteries.

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a prequel to mystery novels featuring Jimm Juree, a journalist and sleuth, that readers like me have discovered. This tale takes place in northern Thailand where Jimm is on assignment as an extra on a Hollywood movie set. Accompanied by her brothers, Sissy and Arny, and a Burmese friend, Khin, a history professor, the four find themselves involved in a mystery surrounding the movie. One reviewer described the siblings as “a fat girl, a bodybuilder, and a transsexual.”

While it hilarious in places, a director is murdered, much seems to go wrong on the set, and the four have someone shooting at them. Sissy, Jimm and Arny become acquainted with Hollywood stars and Khin gets them to help look for treasure buried by King Mangral seven hundred years earlier. It’s delightfully humorous even as the four duck bullets and avoid the police who always seem to appear when anything goes wrong. The police seem efficient, but nothing really gets solved. How do they seem to know that they are needed?

How can a mystery be so entertaining? Read this one and see for yourself. This is the second humorous mystery that I’ve read in the past few weeks. Great fun.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the strongest 3 stars I can give, close to 4. I have to confess that while I am a big fan of Cotterill's Siri Paiboun series, I read Killed at the Whim of a Hat a while ago, and did not really want to read any more about Jimm Juree. But this prequel, apparently, to the other Jimm Juree books is almost a requirement to get a sense of the wacky family dynamics between Jimm and the other "brothers" and friends, and also to get a great feel for the hilarious moments that Cotterill is able to develop. I was laughing out loud at a lot of these moments, and juxtaposing the Hollywood cinema machine to the Thailand dysfunction of various sorts is a brilliant move.

[Dick Harding · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book the most in this series. It was cohesive and as usual had a lot of good humour and the plot kept me guessing. There was a good deal of Thai and Burmese history included. It is so enjoyable to see Thailand on display.

[Cybercrone · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really enjoy the Dr Siri series, but this was just a snore.

And so many mistakes in English! Is this what we accept for publishing now, and worse as an English teacher? Just scary!

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colin Cotterill is so entertaining, I'd happily read his shopping lists.

[Sreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book with crazy characters set around Chiang Mai/ Chiang Rai where we are. Also about the ancient temples where we have been visiting so a great fit.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun Jimm Jurree novel. I’d say this one begins better than it ends —the plot tends to overtake Jimm’s wit—but it is enjoyable throughout.

[Laura J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as his other books.

[Ana Menendez-tuckman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to force myself to finish. Too little plot and too much trying to be funny.

[Carlene Cayenne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If only Colin would write many many many more Jim Juree books I would be happy person. I don’t know where he gets his ideas from but you’re always really good and I find that any of his books that I’ve read always leave me with that aha moment like “oh my god how did you get that idea”.

He also has a another series of books that he’s written which I just started reading they are a different line of book bit more serious but still has that humour that he writes with.

It doesn’t seem like his books are well-known or in the main stream but they really should because they have such a good story ideas and he’s such a really good author. He needs more recognition and I hope this gives it to him

[Gerry Connolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Cotterill has written a new series of mysteries. Set in Thailand our protagonist is a female journalist who is joined in her exploits by her bodybuilder brother, Army, her transsexual brother Sissy and their Burmese archeologist friend Khin. The foursome are hired as extras on a movie shoot that is sabotaged by corrupt local police. Murders and sniping occur until our chief investigator, Jimm Juree , figures it out. Meanwhile a treasure hunt for 14th c jewels hidden by King Migrai leads to further misadventure. Cotterill seems to be figuring this new cast of characters and setting with some hesitancy.

[Gary Van Cott · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite authors. I spent a year in Thailand and it is always enjoyable to visit in a book.

This book is mislabeled in Goodreads. It is NOT a prequel (it takes place after the previous books) and is a full length book. It should be numbered as #4.