Breathing Water

Poke Rafferty Mystery #3

by Timothy Hallinan

A late-night poker game in Bangkok nets American ex-pat writer Poke Rafferty the "opportunity" to write the biography of Khun Pan, a flamboyant, vulgar, self-made billionaire with a criminal past and far-reaching political ambitions. Within hours, Rafferty, his wife, Rose, their adopted daughter, Miaow, and Poke's best friend, honest Bangkok cop Arthit, have become disposable pawns in a brutal power struggle among some of Thailand's richest, most ruthless citizens. There are those who would go to any length to ensure the book is never written and others equally desperate to have Pan's darkest secrets exposed. Suddenly Rafferty is sinking deeper in a perilous sea of treachery and intrigue—and caught up in the inhuman machinations of an Asian babyselling ring—as he searches frantically for the only chance he may have to get everyone he loves out alive.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Thriller, Crime, Asia, Suspense, Noir

341 pages, Hardcover

First published August 18, 2009

About the author

I'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.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hallinan returns us to the Bangkok of his hero, writer Poke Rafferty. This will be familiar territory for readers of A Nail Through the Heart and The Fourth Watcher, the prior two novels in this series. And if you have not yet read those, do so. In BW, Poke is up against not only one of the bigger bad guys on the local scene but the entire ruling class. We see both intentionally grotesque opulence with its accompanying violent edge and the lowest forms of child exploitation. Da is a young girl who is little more than a slave to the sociopaths who park her and hundreds like her on the streets of the city to beg. These are Fagins with no charm or scruples at all.

If the second book in the series was quite not up to the very high standard set by the first, Hallinan is back at the top of his form here. Fast-paced, riveting, the sort of book you hate to put down, Breathing Water adds considerable payload about Thai politics, mores, socioeconomic realities, and life. You will learn a fair bit and be thrillingly entertained.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

When my GR friend, Will Byrnes, suggested that Breathing Water might appeal to me, it was only a short trip across the river from Laos where I had been spending a lot of time. This is my first Poke Rafferty, though it is not the first of Hallinan’s series of thrillers. But it certainly can be read as a single novel. And, yes, I found the trip worthwhile.

When I finished, I realized how many things Hallinan had packed into this novel of almost non-stop action: They include:

A story of rich versus poor that links quite well with what I have been reading about Laos;

Some examples of the political games that are played in contemporary Thailand;

A poker game for high stakes;

The Bangkok locale full of tourists, ordinary people and feral children;

Bangkok’s infamous sex trade;

The intermeshing of local crime, Chinese-influenced “investments” and the Japanese Yakuza;

The very domestic issues of Poke, his wife and adopted daughter;

The complex demands of friendship between Poke and his cop friend, Arthit;

Tales of love and death;

The gradations of corruption in the Bangkok police;

The effects of Western demand for adopting babies;

What happens when criminals want to become legitimate.

The main plot involves a biography of Khun Pan that Poke is going to write. Pan was a rural boy who made it big in Bangkok. This isn’t easy in a city where the establishment is almost entirely made-up of Chinese ancestry players who resent any others. Pan uses his wealth in part to help “his people” and also to embarrass his enemies. Poke Rafferty finds himself threatened by those who want him to only praise Pan and those who want to assure that the biography will find ways to “take him down.” Poke has to walk a narrow path while separating truth from convenient fiction. This is all complicated when a clock starts ticking that could result in Poke’s death or the death of his wife and daughter.

Maybe deserving a little less than 4 stars but I’m willing to round up give how easily Hallinan moved the action along and kept me guessing.


Victor Bevine did a fine job of reading the audio version that I listened to.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poke Rafferty is an American author who writes travel books. He is living in Thailand with his wife Thai wife Rose and Miaow a street child that Poke and Rose adopted. This book is as much about family and love as it is intrigue. I have come to care for Poke, Rose, Miaow and Arthit who is Poke's best friend. Arthit is a Thai policeman. I was happy to see that Boo/Superman, a savvy street child leader, was in this book. He was featured in book one but not book 2. I hope he is in future books as would like to follow his actions as he matures. This book showed a somewhat more mature youth who is developing his leadership skills and honing even more his street smarts. He is an intuitive smart kid.

The story starts out with Poke at a poker game where the police are helping casinos find out the "tricks" the shysters use to win at their casinos. An unexpected player arrives who changes the course of Poke's life. Pan, the guest, grew up in poverty but has become a very wealthy person with immense power. He is beloved by the poor people and likes to thumb his nose at the wealthy in power. He is a very colorful character. A final bet is made between Poke and Pan at the end of the game so Pan can save face. This bet changes everything and Poke probably wishes that he had not been at the game. Poke and his family lives become threatened by two groups.

The book is very strong in characterization and family. Bankok is described very well and the reader can see the busy streets and hear the sounds.The action is ongoing and as a reader I wondered how Poke could possibly get out of this situation alive. The book was well written. Will continue on with the series. The series should be read in order to best understand the character development and history. I should mention that there is humor in the book too.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poke is given the opportunity to write the biography of a Thai Robin Hood, a poor man made very wealthy who gives back to the people of his province. But Poke and his family are threatened with death if he does write it, and threatened with death if he doesn't.

I don't know what I am most impressed with in Hallinan's books: the overall quality of the writing that brings Bangkok with all it's sights and smells so vividly to life, or the fact that he can write children better than anyone I have ever read. There is nothing cloying or cutesy, or for that matter, superhuman, about Miaow and Boo and Da. They have been to hell and back but they are still real kids. I cannot say enough about these books.

[Maddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

PROTAGONIST: Poke Rafferty, travel reporter
SETTING: Bangkok, Thailand
SERIES: 3 of 3
RATING: 5.0

One thing I really love about crime fiction is that in addition to standalone individual books, a large number of authors also write continuing series. What's great about that is if you like a character or premise, you know there will be more to come as you finish each book. Each succeeding entry becomes like a visit with a friend that you are growing closer and closer to, almost like building a relationship with someone that you don't see often.

A series that I have liked since the very first book was published in 2007 (A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART) is the Poke Rafferty series by Timothy Hallinan. The protagonist is an American living in Bangkok with his Thai wife, Rose, and their adopted daughter, Miaow, who was once a street child. In my opinion, the series just keeps getting better and better. BREATHING WATER is truly an excellent book—I don't know how Hallinan can get any better—he has set the bar pretty high for himself!

As the book opens, Poke is engaged in a card game with an extremely powerful man by the name of Pan. In an effort to save face, the last hand is very high stakes. If Pan wins, then Poke must leave Thailand. If he loses, then Poke will be awarded with the opportunity to write Pan's biography, something which he has steadfastly refused to condone in the past. As it turns out, Poke wins—or does he? There is a contingent who is intent on making sure the book gets written, and another that is intent on making sure that it does not. As a result, Poke and his family are in danger. Poke is extremely resourceful when it comes to protecting them and is helped by his closest friend, Arthit, who is a police detective, along with one of his trusted colleagues.

Pan is an interesting character. On the one hand, he is enormously rich and powerful and possibly looking for a political career. Born in one of Thailand's poorest regions, he likes to rub high society's noses in their excesses. For example, he throws a lavish charity event at his home and makes sure not to muck out the pig pens, going so far as to set up fans to make sure the offensive odor pervades the atmosphere. On the other hand, he performs some heart-touching acts of kindness to help those who are less fortunate. As a result, the poor citizens idolize him. Truly, he's a man of many contradictions.

A secondary plot in the book focuses on a baby-selling ring. A group of beggars are managed by an organized crime group who forces them to turn over their earnings at the end of the day. To earn more sympathy (and, therefore, more money), the group provides the female beggars with a baby to hold as they work the streets. A new recruit, Da, is assigned to a baby boy who she names Peek. She soon finds out that the babies are only with the women for a short while; it is only a matter of time before Peek will be taken from her and sold to a wealthy family. One of the leaders of the streets, a teenager named Boo, helps Da and Peek escape that fate. Readers of previous books in the series will remember Boo as "Superman", a friend of Miaow's. Boo and Poke had a serious confrontation; it's interesting to see how they work through that in this situation.

BREATHING WATER was a wonderful book in every way. The characterization is incredible, from the complex persona of Pan, to the still-evolving relationships in Poke's family and his continuing acculturation into Thai life, to the poignant love of Arthit and Noi, and the return of the unusual Boo. The plot is very complex; there are many things going on but the sequencing and flow keeps it comprehensible. I do confess to getting a little bit lost in some of the political maneuverings of some of the characters. Hallinan sprinkles perfectly wrought phrases throughout the narrative, like gems falling on to the pages, never failing to delight. His observations on Thai life are fascinating and informative. As much as I liked the book, I did find an imperfection—the final denouement and showdown scene felt rushed to me after the careful development that had preceded it.

In some ways, it's harder to write a review for a book that you love than for one for which you have mixed feelings. The tendency is to want to put out all sorts of superlatives, to gush with adjectives. Please indulge me for just a moment: the book is extraordinary, magnificent, exceptional, heart-shaking, heart-breaking, brilliant. As I read this book, I laughed, I cried, I gasped—but I never, ever yawned. BREATHING WATER is a great book. Period.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathing Water – 5 Stars
Timothy Hallinan
William Morrow, 2009, 352 Pages
ISBN No. 978-0061672231


Hallinan has outdone himself with Breathing Water. The previous Bangkok Thrillers are outstanding books but Breathing Water is even better. The plot is intriguing and the setting exotic. The author gives the reader an excellent visual image of each character.

Poke Rafferty joins in a poker game set up by his friend, Arthit, who is a police officer and Kosit, another police officer. There are seven men in the game and three are rich. Two of the players are cops and one is a career criminal. The game was set up to help casino owners find ways to spot the dodges that the criminal was going to demonstrate during the game. However, no one expected Kuhn Pan, a very rich and powerful man in Bangkok. When all was said and done and the game ended, Pan lost and Poke, who is a writer, won the right to write Pan’s biography without interference.

It seems as though the story might end there but it is only the beginning. Poke immediately finds himself in a no win situation. Poke is threatened and soon realizes that it not only his life on the line but that of his wife, Rose, and daughter, Miaow.

Pan is a hero to many of the people of Bangkok and a threat to others. Digging into Pan’s past is a danger but Poke feels he must do what he can do to uncover some fact that will help him protect himself and his family.

Arthit can’t be of much help to him because he is dealing with his own problems. Arthit’s wife, Noi, who is suffering from a serious medical condition, is becoming increasingly worse and Arthit fears for her life.

Boo a/k/a Superman, who played a big part in the first Bangkok thriller, is back in the picture. Boo contacts Poke seeking his help for a young girl who is involved in a baby-selling ring. Poke does not need another problem to solve but will not turn his back on Boo.

There are a few laugh aloud scenes in the book but there is tragedy there as well. Breathing Water keeps the reader on edge until the very satisfying conclusion.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that Hallinan brought Superman back in this book, and allowed us to see how he's grown--and what an amazing kid he is. This book is gut-wrenching and heart-wrenching, and you'll remember the story long after you put it down.

Some things that go on in this world are more than the mind can deal with. . . are we better off knowing or not knowing? Next time you see a story of someone adopting an asian baby, you'll worry and wonder.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

From ISawLightningFall.com

The thriller gets a bad rap in the larger literary world. Scattered at every supermarket checkout lane, filled with bad guys and bullets, and typically read at a pace faster than a runaway Ferrari, such pulpy offerings are often viewed as the consummate guilty pleasure, something with which to fritter away an afternoon at the beach and toss when you're through. Only horror ranks lower in popular genre pantheon, but it has Stoker and Shelley to prop up its pedigree. It's a shame, because a number of authors have used the humble thriller not only to excite audiences but also to address big themes and do so with fine prose. Consider, for example, Timothy Hallinan's Breathing Water.

Poke Rafferty doesn't do danger for his day job. Sure, he lives in Bangkok, not exactly the safest city in the world. But he writes tour books and the occasional topical tome. Which is how he came to be sitting in this poker game with his police friend Arthit, a conman named Tip and a rigged hand of cards. It's all supposed to be fodder for his latest book: Bilk a few unsuspecting businessmen, return their cash when it's over and net an interesting premise. Only no one expected thuggish billionaire Khun Pan to join the game. Outraged over the deception, Pan challenges Poke to a private game with higher stakes. If Poke loses, he'll get run out of the county; if Pan does, he'll let him pen his biography, an honor denied to scores of other writers. Guess who ends up with the winning hand and a killer book deal? Not long after that, though, the phone calls start, unidentified people threatening Poke's family if he finishes the project -- and if he doesn't. Now Poke has to discover what secret elevated a one-time crook like Pan into the pantheon Thailand's elite.

Breathing Water contains all of the requite genre nods, such as imminent danger at every turn and a plot twistier than a Kansas tornado. But it plumbs depths by naturally melding Poke's peril with commentary on Thai politics and ethnic tensions. Also, Hallinan can turn a phrase until it spins like a top, employing unexpected similes and tongue-in-cheek humor. Awakened at an ungodly hour, Poke "wraps himself in his robe as though it were a grievance." One of Pan's associates snaps at the writer "in a voice like a pair of tin snips." And when Poke expresses incredulity at a chortling gang of thugs ("Did somebody teach all you guys to chuckle?"), the ringleader replies, "The chuckle is a perfectly acceptable form of laughter." Hard-edged and humorous, fierce and finely written, Water is refreshingly good.

[John Mchugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great stuff

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the third installment of Timothy Hallinan's Bangkok Thriller series, BREATHING WATER finds Poke Rafferty trapped in a peculiar predicament. During a poker game, he won the right to author Khun Pan's biography. People have clamored for this biography because Pan has done what virtually no one else has in Thailand, risen from the ranks of dirt poor to grotesquely wealthy. Despite demand, this biography has not been written, and Poke quickly discerns the probable reason why. Poke has been threatened: if he writes the biography, one side has threatened to kill his family; if he doesn't write the biography, another side has threatened to kill his family. And both sides will be watching him to see that he's doing exactly what they dictate. He's literally stuck in a catch-22. Poke needs to hold off both sides until he can figure out just exactly what it is he WILL do.

BREATHING WATER is the quintessential story of the haves versus the have nots. The most obvious level of this theme is found in the rich versus the poor. But Hallinan takes the theme to multiple levels with Poke's family, his friend Arthit's family, and the illegal baby trade, illustrating to the reader that money is not the only factor creating divisions between the haves and have nots.

Hallinan never fails to ignite his plots with plenty of twists and turns; BREATHING WATER is no exception. One of his strongest plot building devices is unquestionably character development. He builds strong, rich characters whose depth and interactions with each other work to intensify the plot.

Hallinan makes use of every word, every sentence, every paragraph. BREATHING WATER is definitely a tight, fluff-less plot that rewards its readers with an adventurous ride through the darkness of Bangkok.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathing Water is labeled as “A Bangkok Thriller,” and therein lay the problem for me. Perhaps I should say “within me.” It wasn’t a problem with the writing. Hallinan is definitely a good writer and he clearly knows the ins and outs of Bangkok, both the landscape and the politics. He has an interesting way with words and will inspire you to pay attention to your own words when you write.

This paragraph from the inside cover will give you an inkling as to why I hesitated to read and why it took me a while to finish:

Set in the Thailand of today’s headlines -- a nation of unrest, political uncertainty, corruption, and tradition, where the future looks dangerously precarious -- Breathing Water is the story of a deadly game in which the stakes are enormous and life is literally cheap.

I read that and put down the book, thinking, I don’t want to go there. I picked it back up, though, and began to read. Unless you’ve been to Thailand or lived there (I haven’t), I dare say this will plunge you into a dark world with strange traditions and scary situations. It will also introduce you to survivors and heroes. And, until the end, you will be wondering who will live, who will die, and who will be lost to the streets and corruption.

If you like thrillers that take you to dark places and into situations that make your stomach hurt, give Breathing Water a try.

[Harvee Lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Behind every great fortune is a great crime..."is the premise on which this thriller is based.

The book is set in the Bangkok of today and filled with the complications from real life - a shaky political situation, great poverty and great wealth, street children and those who prey on them, love and death. This all makes for a great setting for a thriller, plus a good plot that pulls all the complexities of the city together.

A great read for those who love reading mystery/thriller novels.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

As usual, Hallinan does a good job developing believable, complex characters...especially the bad guys who, in this book are not evil incarnate but more, well...pretty typical south-east Asians. And therein lies the problem in this installment -- I found the story to be predictable and somewhat boring. Perhaps this was because I have lived in that part of the world and my review should be therefore taken with a requisite grain of salt.

[Jack Laschenski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, we are immersed in the power structure of Thailand.

The arrogance of the elites.

Their contempt for Isan.

And the lives of street kids.

Terrific!!!!

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Breathing Water”(Poke Rafferty #3) by Timothy Hallinan ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: action mystery. Setting: Bangkok, Thailand. Time: present-
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Poke Rafferty lives in Bangkok with his wife Rose (former bar girl) and adopted daughter Miaow (former street kid). He writes travel articles for a living, but mostly he gets unintentionally tangled up in complicated evil schemes. This book is no different, except this time I really could not imagine how he could get out of trouble and keep his family safe.-
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In this book, Poke wins a high stakes poker game - he wins the right to write a biography about Pan, another poker player who was born in the poor countryside and moved to Bangkok to make dirty millions. The problem is everyone doesn’t want Poke to write the book the same way. Pan decides Poke can write it if it’s complimentary. Ton decides Poke can write it if it exposes all of Pan’s faults. And a 3rd group doesn’t want Poke to write it at all. Each group hires thugs who attack Poke and threaten his wife and daughter’s lives.-
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In the middle of all this, Poke stumbles across an organization stealing Asian babies to sell to wealthy farangs (foreigners). The book is a wild ride through the slums and wealthy districts of Bangkok, with Poke helped as usual by his two honest police officer friends and a bunch of clever and fast street kids. Rose and Miaow are also involved in pulling off a switch designed to keep everyone safe. This is the 3rd book in a series. It could be read on its own, but I suggest starting with book 1 in order to learn the background stories of Rose and Miaow. 🌵📚👩🏼‍🦳”

[Bryan Thomas Schmidt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallinan does know how to write suspense, but unfortunately, his formula is becoming not only obvious but implausible. Poke Rafferty gets involved in something stupid and reckless, and his family is threatened. That’s pretty much the plot of every book and how many times are people gonna put up with his stupidity before they say enough let’s get out of here and find a safer place to live, and a safer line of work? To me it doesn’t make sense. The other major flaw with this book was there was a death of a major characters wife that is very emotional and very powerful but underplayed because there’s too much action and other things going on at that point that we don’t have time to sit there and just let it soak in. I thought that was a really lost moment that has huge emotional impact for all the characters, and it got downplayed because they were in the middle of the dénouement. It’s still got lots of action and character interaction and plot and world building. That is what a lot of people are coming to these books for. But I thought it a little too predictable because of the formula and a little disappointing, because some of the stronger subplots weren’t allowed to Blossom the way they could have.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first Hallinan, and it was so engrossing that I read it in two days. Could not put it down.
It's obviously very reminiscent of John Burdett's Bangkok series, but Hallinan does it better. The characters are more developed and the writing is both crisp and often laugh out loud funny.

There are an awful lot of characters and a very complex plot, but I kept most of it straight and enjoyed how things sorted themselves out in the end. I was also struck with how much I liked the characters on the side of good (Arthit, Rose, Da, Boo and others). Oddly, Poke Rafferty, the central figure, is a bit less novel (he kept reminding me of Jack Parlabane in the Christopher Brookmyre series) though he is consistent in producing one-liners which are memorable.

The reader learns a lot about Thai politics, which is worthwhile, though having been to Bangkok a couple of times, I did not see the city as coming through a clearly as it could. Hallinan does mention in his end note that he has omitted the amazingly bad traffic so that the story could move along better).

Anyway, truly an enjoyable read, and I will return for more Hallinan for sure.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just … implausible. Felt like a video game, including the shallow treatment of most of the characters.

I loved The Queen of Patpong, which followed this in sequence, I think. It could be said that QoP was as far-fetched as this in many ways. But it didn���t hinge on a ridiculous “decision” by the main character, Poke: in this case, to take part in a phony card game sting operation. Poke is not a cop, but a writer - and he has a wife and daughter who have had very traumatic lives prior to their coming together as a family. The fallout from this unnecessary, dangerous operation starts the unrolling of the hair-raising, cliff-dangling, blood-letting, death-daring events of the book (all tongue in cheek adjectives are intentional). More poor decisions are to follow.

On the other hand, in QoP, the initial situation that catalyzed the rest of the plot was a matter of chance; Poke was unluckily the nearest person to a fatal incident in the marketplace, an event that embroiled him in the subsequent events of the book. Big difference.

[JDK1962 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it only slightly less than the first two in the series. Very much appreciated the reappearance of Boo (Superman), but Poke spends virtually the entire book in jeopardy--so less time for any deeper character development--and the plot felt VERY convoluted. It's still a terrific series, though: I started with #4, came back and read the first three, now I'm on to #5 (The Fear Artist).

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read so much that there have been a LOT of books in-between the previous Poke Rafferty book and this one, so I don't remember the previous book but I know I read it. Or them (this one is vol #3). But that really didn't prevent me from enjoying this story. A fast-paced thriller about an exotic place (I never want to actually go TO Bangkok). Poke is an interesting character, and I'll read the next one.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really enjoying this Bangkok series- well drawn characters, intriguing storyline with mystery that’s never obvious but spun out with fast paced intrigue.
The theme of politics and power is timeless. I’m also engaged with the lives of the street kids, the issues of human trafficking and the simple idea of loss and grief. Friendship, and the many forms that love and resilience takes on. Well done!!!!

[Paul Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much as I like Hallinan’s other characters, burglar Junior Bender in one series and private eye Simeon Grist in the other, I just can’t seem to warm to his main man, writer Poke Rafferty. Or maybe it’s the awfulness of the Bangkok setting, an unreleaved urban jungle with its constant supply of poor women and abandoned feral kids to feed the male adult predators. An honest depiction I’m sure and probably no fiction can match the awfulness of the real city, a place I don’t want to spent much time, whether in the real world or this one.

[wally · Rating 3 out of 5]

finished 19th november 2022 good read three stars i liked it kindle library loaner and apparently i've read other stories from hallinan though i do not remember them. thailand, good, bad, ugly, an entertaining read, interesting characters, the demise of one seems uncharacteristic though it moves the plot along. i'd think considering the summit that others would have been present. ain't that the way they say it goes...oh let's forget all that...and gimme the number if you can find it.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are not easy reads since life in Bangkok is overwhelming.

This is a thriller and Poke, Rose and Miaow are in constant danger.

It all starts at a poker game and the repercussions vibrate until the last page.

Poke uses his resources to keep danger at bay and bring some justice to this corner of the world. But it is not easy and it is brutally honest.

I borrowed a copy from the public library.

[Joshua Buhs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Apparently, I started reading this book a while ago and stopped--because about two-thirds of it was familiar. That I stopped a thriller a third of the way from being done and mostly forgot about it tells well enough how thrilling the book is. But it is solid.

I started reading Hallinan when I was going through my SouthEast Asia crime book phase. I know! There is such a genre, at least a developing one. I was excited. Southeast Asia fascinates me, and I like crime stories--so a good combination. For a while, there were several series: John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep series, Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri series, Cotterill's Jimm Juree series, Eliot Pattison's Shan Tao Yun series, Angela Savage's Jayne Keeney series, Christopher G. Moore's Vincent Calvino series, and Hallinan's Poke Rafferty Series. (NB: I haven't read Savage of Moore). Burdett's remains the class of the bunch. Cotterill's Dr. Siri series started out excellent before losing its way about four books in, and his Juree series started off poorly. Pattison is hard for me to get into. Hallinan is consistent--not flashy, but solid, and improving.

This is the third in his Poke Rafferty series, after the very good opener Nail in the Heart and the decent follow-up The Fourth Watcher. (It was a bad sign that we had only gotten to the second book, and Hallinan was already dragging in Rafferty's father. On the other hand, we got that out of the way quickly.) Rafferty is a slightly different animal than the stars of the other series, in that he is not an investigator or police officer. He's a writer, albeit a writer who is interested in the seedier side of life. (He writes a book about how to get into trouble in Bangkok.) Hallinan has to scramble, therefore, to get Rafferty into predicaments, and it will be interesting to see just how long he can keep this up before it becomes ridiculous. He loaded the deck a little, and any reader is going to have to take a bit on faith at the beginning: that the American Rafferty is best friends with a Thai policeman, married to a former bar girl, and father to an adopted street urchin. In the first book, it was his daughter's Miaow's background that was the cause of Rafferty's trouble; in the second his father; in the upcoming book his wife's. In this he wins in a poker game the right to pen the biography of a notorious industrialist, Pan, who had risen from the rank of petty criminal to the brink of taking on a political position.

Rafferty's trouble is that there are two shadowy groups interested in his work, one which wants him to write a paean, one an expose that explains how Pan made the jump from criminal to industrialist.

The story has a strong narrative drive, and the dialogue is sharp. None of the characters are drawn particularly deeply--Poke's recurrent characteristics are a quick temper and a love for his family; his wife Rose is known mostly for her beauty; and Miaow for a preteen sullenness. There are two other subplots interwoven, and this is the first of the books (as far as I can recall) to change perspective away from Poke. We get the story of Da, an Isaan farm girl who comes to Bangkok co make money; rather than working in the bas, she chooses--as much as she can choose--to become a beggar, though in this case begging is much like prostitution in that she has a pimp. The pimp provides her with a baby so she can make even more money. Eventually, she is rescued from her condition by Boo, the boy who earlier had saved Miaow, and brought in contact with Poke. The second story involves Rafferty's police friend, Arthit, whose wife, suffering from multiple sclerosis, commits suicide, and his fall from grace.

The set up allows Hallinan to explore Thailand's politics--he is pushing himself to write on bigger themes, here. Pan represents the poor people of Thailand, and his political ambitions threaten the elite; thus it seems it is his opponents who want the expose written, while Pan's people don't. [SPOILER] It turns out, though, that the two sides working against Rafferty are actually the same side. Pan had actually made a pact with the elite that if he were to run for office, he would stay on their side--and in the process keep himself from being assassinated, or the military from revolting. Rafferty was a kind of forced opposition research: if he could find the bad thing in Pan's past, then anyone else could, and Pan was spoiled goods; if not, then he could run just fine.

There are some obvious plot holes here--how did Rafferty go from winning a bet to being a necessary part of a political strategy? Why would anyone think a hack American writer was in the best position to ferret out Pan's past? And why the extreme measures--Rafferty's family was under constant surveillance, threatened with death, and he was beat quite handily?

The set up also gives Rafferty a chance to stand on a soap box and berate Pan for betraying the true cause of Thailand, which doesn't really seem to fit with his character--it is true that Rose worships Pan, and that might influence Rafferty, but Poke is also cynical, too cynical to believe in anything like a proletarian revolution. [End SPOILER].

But these are minor peccadillos. The book is involving, fast-paced, painted against a colorful locale, and pungent. Each particular scene is well drawn, and the book builds to a satisfying conclusion with efficiency.

[Diogenes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tense and complex thriller. From Bangkok's lowest criminals to to the highest placed and richest, with corruption rife. Very little of the levity of the earlier Poke Rafferty tales, but with action and human interest throughout. The characters are well fleshed out and interesting, whether heroic or villainous.

[Julian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, a good read.

One thing bothered me, Boo and Poke are friends again, Did I miss something in The Fourth Watcher?
The split in Book one was pretty serious and their reunion seems to be a bit casual.

[Jean Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I am going to get the first one. Someone gave me this book. But he is really a good writer. The plot is just unbelievable. I really didn’t want the book to end. Really good read.

[Cybercrone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced, good read.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I like