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Poke Rafferty Mystery #2
The Fourth Watcher
The author of the Looking for Trouble travel book series, Poke Rafferty is ready to settle down in Bangkok with his fiancée, Rose, and his newly adopted daughter, Miaow. But trouble isn't ready to let him go; it's back in Poke's life with a vengeance, in the guise of his long-estranged father, Frank, the last person he ever wanted to see again. And Frank hasn't come empty-handed, arriving with a box of rubies, a wad of fraudulent identity papers, and one of the most dangerous gangsters in China in hot pursuit. With a rogue American Secret Service agent targeting Rose for her unwitting part in a North Korean counterfeiting operation, Poke can see trouble descending from everywhere to attack those he loves—and it will take every skill he possesses to keep them, and himself, alive.
310 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2008
55 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Timothy Hallinan
44 books454 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 99 reviews
April 4, 2025
I read the 1st volume in Poke Rafferty series about two years ago, when I was visiting Bangkok. I thought it was an excellent companion book to the city, as I was recognizing places I’ve seen or heard of. It took me too long to read the 2nd volume. Maybe I was afraid that I would not enjoy it as much as I did the first time, if I wasn’t in Thailand anymore. I needn’t have worried.
The Fourth Watcher is a reasonably fast paced thriller concerning an American writer of untraditional travel guides who manages to get into trouble with every breath he takes. It seemed that things were settling for Poke. He adopted Miau and his relationship with Rose was going very well. However, the serenity gets shattered when Peachy, Rose’s business partner, is arrested for possessing counterfeited money. Poke tries to help but it will prove harder than expected, due to the involvement of CIA. At the same time, his estranged father appears in Bangkok and it seems that he is trying to evade a serious tail.
Fast paced, funny and an informative. I now know that North Koreans are very proficient in the business of counterfeiting, for example.
The Fourth Watcher is a reasonably fast paced thriller concerning an American writer of untraditional travel guides who manages to get into trouble with every breath he takes. It seemed that things were settling for Poke. He adopted Miau and his relationship with Rose was going very well. However, the serenity gets shattered when Peachy, Rose’s business partner, is arrested for possessing counterfeited money. Poke tries to help but it will prove harder than expected, due to the involvement of CIA. At the same time, his estranged father appears in Bangkok and it seems that he is trying to evade a serious tail.
Fast paced, funny and an informative. I now know that North Koreans are very proficient in the business of counterfeiting, for example.
June 19, 2025
Hallinan returns us to Bangkok and the world he portrayed so impressively in A Nail Through The Heart. As is inevitable in any series after the first entry, the freshness of the new has faded. I enjoyed the book, but I did not feel the gush of satisfaction that I experienced with the prior work.
Timothy Hallinan - image from This Is Writing
Travel writer Poke Rafferty is mixed up with seriously unsavory types once again. But this time it is not the child sex trade that is at issue. Now Hallinan presents us with big league counterfeiting by the government of North Korea. When the domestics agency run by Rose and her partner, Peaches, makes a perfectly legitimate withdrawal of payroll cash from a local bank, they run afoul of the dark side when the money they receive turns out to have been bogus. The Secret Service, local police of the straight and corrupt persuasions, the very scary Mister Chu and a long lost relation bring color to this tale of Bangkok. The humor is consistent and, for me at least, entertaining. Family issues are on display as well, as Poke is faced with having to save his new family while coping with his old one.
It is most definitely possible that my appreciation of the book was tainted by the fact that most nights in which I was reading it, I was very tired, struggling to remain awake. Perhaps had I read it when more alert I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I did like the book. But found it maybe a tick below the first book in the series.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Hallinan has written plenty more since the Poke Rafferty series. He can be found at his site, and on FB and Twitter
A lovely interview with Hallinan - Author Interviews: Timothy Hallinan and King Maybe (A Junior Bender Mystery) by Scott Mullins
My reviews of other books in the series
-----#1 - 2007 - A Nail Through the Heart
-----#3 - 2009 - Breathing Water
-----#4 - 2011 - The Queen of Patpong
There are nine books in the Poke Rafferty series. Hallinan moved on to other projects after that.
Timothy Hallinan - image from This Is Writing
Travel writer Poke Rafferty is mixed up with seriously unsavory types once again. But this time it is not the child sex trade that is at issue. Now Hallinan presents us with big league counterfeiting by the government of North Korea. When the domestics agency run by Rose and her partner, Peaches, makes a perfectly legitimate withdrawal of payroll cash from a local bank, they run afoul of the dark side when the money they receive turns out to have been bogus. The Secret Service, local police of the straight and corrupt persuasions, the very scary Mister Chu and a long lost relation bring color to this tale of Bangkok. The humor is consistent and, for me at least, entertaining. Family issues are on display as well, as Poke is faced with having to save his new family while coping with his old one.
It is most definitely possible that my appreciation of the book was tainted by the fact that most nights in which I was reading it, I was very tired, struggling to remain awake. Perhaps had I read it when more alert I would have enjoyed it more. That said, I did like the book. But found it maybe a tick below the first book in the series.
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Hallinan has written plenty more since the Poke Rafferty series. He can be found at his site, and on FB and Twitter
A lovely interview with Hallinan - Author Interviews: Timothy Hallinan and King Maybe (A Junior Bender Mystery) by Scott Mullins
My reviews of other books in the series
-----#1 - 2007 - A Nail Through the Heart
-----#3 - 2009 - Breathing Water
-----#4 - 2011 - The Queen of Patpong
There are nine books in the Poke Rafferty series. Hallinan moved on to other projects after that.
February 22, 2014
The first book in this series, A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART, was flat-out awesome. This entry is a bit of a letdown in that it's just really good. The writing is pitch-perfect, but the story often feels bumpy and contrived. The first third of the novel seems more like a Hallmark family drama than a thriller, but, once the plot kicks into high gear, things get plenty intense. The characters aren't as likable or two-dimensional as they were in NAIL, but Hallinan always takes full advantage of his Bangkok setting.
April 26, 2015
Poke Rafferty is a half Filipino, half Anglo American living in Bangkok. He is a writer, author of a series of travel books with the title Looking for Trouble in... wherever. This is the second book in Timothy Hallinan's series featuring this character.
Poke has put together a family of himself, his fiancee Rose, who is a former go-go dancer, and his newly adopted daughter Miaow, a former street kid. They live together in his apartment and he is looking forward to marrying Rose and living happily ever after.
His idyllic life in interrupted when the cleaning service co-owned by Rose and another woman becomes involved, through no fault of their own, in a counterfeit money scheme. The women find themselves under investigation by local police and a Secret Service Agent who is there because some of the counterfeit money is American. Poke, of course, jumps in to try to help them and gets on the wrong side of the Secret Service Agent.
So far, the plot seemed pretty straightforward, but then it took a radical twist when the long-estranged father whom he thought was dead turns up and contacts Rafferty. Poke has good reason to hate his father and tries to avoid becoming involved with him. But he is kidnapped and brought to meet the man and finds that involvement is impossible to avoid.
The father, Frank Rafferty, has a box full of rubies and fraudulent identity papers, which it turns out that he stole from one of the most dangerous criminals in China. He also has a daughter Ming-Li, Poke's half sister whom he didn't know he had. Soon we learn that that dangerous criminal is hot on Frank's trail. When a man who was a former C.I.A. asset and an acquaintance of Poke's turns up dead, having been gruesomely murdered, it is clear that the gangster will spare no effort to find and recover the items stolen from him and if that means a few more people have to die along the way, he's okay with that.
The plot gets more and more complicated as we learn that the counterfeit money is coming from an operation in North Korea. The repressive regime that runs that country like a Soprano's family business is utterly ruthless in pushing its main export of counterfeit bills.
The Chinese gangster, meanwhile, is determined to get Frank Rafferty and, in pursuit of that aim, he kidnaps Rose, Miaow, and Poke's friend Arthit's wife, Noi. In order to try to recover them, Poke and Arthit, a Bangkok policeman, must use every skill and every asset available to them.
Everything gets very complicated at this point - a little too complicated, actually. Hallinan seems to be straining a bit to keep all of these balls in the air. Perhaps if he could have brought himself to pare down some of the elements, he would have had a better structured, cleaner story.
Still, Hallinan is very good at creating an atmosphere and he brings to life the streets of Bangkok in a very believable way. I've never been there, unfortunately, but he gives us a real feel for the city and its people and especially its climate of frequent rain and hot and humid weather. One can almost feel the rain running down one's back.
Poke has put together a family of himself, his fiancee Rose, who is a former go-go dancer, and his newly adopted daughter Miaow, a former street kid. They live together in his apartment and he is looking forward to marrying Rose and living happily ever after.
His idyllic life in interrupted when the cleaning service co-owned by Rose and another woman becomes involved, through no fault of their own, in a counterfeit money scheme. The women find themselves under investigation by local police and a Secret Service Agent who is there because some of the counterfeit money is American. Poke, of course, jumps in to try to help them and gets on the wrong side of the Secret Service Agent.
So far, the plot seemed pretty straightforward, but then it took a radical twist when the long-estranged father whom he thought was dead turns up and contacts Rafferty. Poke has good reason to hate his father and tries to avoid becoming involved with him. But he is kidnapped and brought to meet the man and finds that involvement is impossible to avoid.
The father, Frank Rafferty, has a box full of rubies and fraudulent identity papers, which it turns out that he stole from one of the most dangerous criminals in China. He also has a daughter Ming-Li, Poke's half sister whom he didn't know he had. Soon we learn that that dangerous criminal is hot on Frank's trail. When a man who was a former C.I.A. asset and an acquaintance of Poke's turns up dead, having been gruesomely murdered, it is clear that the gangster will spare no effort to find and recover the items stolen from him and if that means a few more people have to die along the way, he's okay with that.
The plot gets more and more complicated as we learn that the counterfeit money is coming from an operation in North Korea. The repressive regime that runs that country like a Soprano's family business is utterly ruthless in pushing its main export of counterfeit bills.
The Chinese gangster, meanwhile, is determined to get Frank Rafferty and, in pursuit of that aim, he kidnaps Rose, Miaow, and Poke's friend Arthit's wife, Noi. In order to try to recover them, Poke and Arthit, a Bangkok policeman, must use every skill and every asset available to them.
Everything gets very complicated at this point - a little too complicated, actually. Hallinan seems to be straining a bit to keep all of these balls in the air. Perhaps if he could have brought himself to pare down some of the elements, he would have had a better structured, cleaner story.
Still, Hallinan is very good at creating an atmosphere and he brings to life the streets of Bangkok in a very believable way. I've never been there, unfortunately, but he gives us a real feel for the city and its people and especially its climate of frequent rain and hot and humid weather. One can almost feel the rain running down one's back.
June 27, 2008
Poke Rafferty is probably the first mystery hero is also a travel writer. Following A Nail Through the Heart, Timothy Hallinan's the Fourth Watcher continues the adventures of the Bangkok based Asian-American. Poke who has succeeded in building a family finds himself in trouble with the Secret Service and unknown forces of the Bangkok underworld. Lucky for him, as part of research for a book he has been getting training from a former CIA operative in how to navigate the dark and secret corners of the town.
As you might imagine, things are more complicated that is immediately apparent. Turns out that multiple people are watching Rafferty and some have ties to people from nastier places than Bangkok. And some of them are after Rafferty for reasons about which he is unaware. The situation escalates and Rafferty ends up in a cat and mouse game with some unpleasant characters.
The obvious comparison of this series is to the Bangkok novels of John Burdett. While both are set in Bangkok, there is an important difference. Burdett's main character is Thai and the Thai viewpoint plays heavily in those book. Rafferty, as his daughter argues, is an American who wants to be Thai. That tension is a key part of his character as the various elements of his personality lead him in one direction or the other.
This book reminds me of the early Robicheaux books by James Lee Burke. Both feature a good hearted character who goes out of his way to help the weak, while making improbable threatening statements to very bad people. There is also clearly a focus on long term character development with a range of idiosyncratic personalities for Hallinan to grow before the reader's eyes.
(Possible Spoiler)I'm not positive about this, but I believe the title of the book is allusion to Carol Reed and Graham Greene's The Third Man. In both cases the identity of the person is of great interest to the characters
As you might imagine, things are more complicated that is immediately apparent. Turns out that multiple people are watching Rafferty and some have ties to people from nastier places than Bangkok. And some of them are after Rafferty for reasons about which he is unaware. The situation escalates and Rafferty ends up in a cat and mouse game with some unpleasant characters.
The obvious comparison of this series is to the Bangkok novels of John Burdett. While both are set in Bangkok, there is an important difference. Burdett's main character is Thai and the Thai viewpoint plays heavily in those book. Rafferty, as his daughter argues, is an American who wants to be Thai. That tension is a key part of his character as the various elements of his personality lead him in one direction or the other.
This book reminds me of the early Robicheaux books by James Lee Burke. Both feature a good hearted character who goes out of his way to help the weak, while making improbable threatening statements to very bad people. There is also clearly a focus on long term character development with a range of idiosyncratic personalities for Hallinan to grow before the reader's eyes.
(Possible Spoiler)I'm not positive about this, but I believe the title of the book is allusion to Carol Reed and Graham Greene's The Third Man. In both cases the identity of the person is of great interest to the characters
August 28, 2009
I like to be teleported when I read and Hallinan's Rafferty books, set in Bangkok, certainly deliver. Having never been there personally, I appreciate the sense of place he gives, not to mention the unique family dynamic he writes for his main character Poke Rafferty. The Fourth Watcher has a dark tone, which I enjoy, with brief points of comic relief. This book introduced two new, well-developed characters into Rafferty's already convoluted personal life. I'm interested to see whether they'll be back for his newest release, Breathing Water. Finally, The Fourth Watcher takes a hard look at corruption in North Korea, exploring counterfeit fraud extensively. In his Author's Note, Hallinan explains that this angle of the story is factual. Scary. All considered, an entertaining read with well developed characters and the potential to educate many of us.
November 22, 2010
4.5 stars
Very exciting story! Great continuation of the characters. I appreciated the way Poke let go of his anger toward his father--I thought it was reasonably and realistically done. Rose has worked hard on his evolution as a Buddhist!
The only reason I don't give it a solid 5 stars is the set up in the beginning--I just felt the book he's researching was a bit far-fetched, and really just a contrivance to get critical elements worked into the story. Other than that, it was a good story and I can't wait to read the next one!
Very exciting story! Great continuation of the characters. I appreciated the way Poke let go of his anger toward his father--I thought it was reasonably and realistically done. Rose has worked hard on his evolution as a Buddhist!
The only reason I don't give it a solid 5 stars is the set up in the beginning--I just felt the book he's researching was a bit far-fetched, and really just a contrivance to get critical elements worked into the story. Other than that, it was a good story and I can't wait to read the next one!
September 13, 2015
Still enjoying this series. Again, I learned a lot about a subject I wasn't as familiar with. This time the counterfeiting and other "mafia" practices of the NK regime.
Onward.
Onward.
May 30, 2016
An excellent thriller that mixes the well described Bangkok setting and strong characters with a tension filled plot that never falters.
October 18, 2020
Excellent writing style made this an enjoyable read. Dialogue and description deserve extra praise. But where it kind of fell apart was the internal logic of the character. This is my first encounter with the MC, Poke, and my first encounter with Mr. Hallinan, so maybe reading previous works would make a difference. However... The MC is a writer and is researching spy-skills at the hands of a retired expate spy who actually isn't very good at his craft. Nonetheless, the MC is bested and suffers the indignity of being sprayed with cheap perfume. He then encounters some REAL underworld espionage and his emotional reactions are very believable for a non-spy type person: confusion, fear, concern, disbelief. But THEN??!!! Suddenly, he's the kind of guy who smart-asses his way through conversations with toughs who you think would elicit silence rather than the goading of insults and sarcasm. And THEN, the MC is the kind of guy who knows how to fire a gun and knowingly utilize the art of ricochet to fend off three goons bent on mayhem in a stairwell! And suddenly he's superb at all the things that a savvy denizen of the underworld needs to stay ahead of the game.
It just didn't ring true.
Then we bounce from the suddenly super-spy craft of our writer MC back to the emotional response of his mild-mannered persona when a friend is shot. Then it's back to the insouciant repartee. And to top it all off, the loose ends that include decades of ill will toward a really awful father are all tied up in a cheerfully lame bow.
It felt as though I was reading two different books that somehow fell into the same binding. Something very schizoid about the character development. But...I did enjoy the writing style.
It just didn't ring true.
Then we bounce from the suddenly super-spy craft of our writer MC back to the emotional response of his mild-mannered persona when a friend is shot. Then it's back to the insouciant repartee. And to top it all off, the loose ends that include decades of ill will toward a really awful father are all tied up in a cheerfully lame bow.
It felt as though I was reading two different books that somehow fell into the same binding. Something very schizoid about the character development. But...I did enjoy the writing style.
September 26, 2008
Started out interesting, but went downhill.....
May 7, 2018
AUTHOR Hallinan, Timothy
TITLE The Fourth Watcher
DATE READ 04/07
RATING 4.5/B+
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Crime Fiction/2008/Harper Collins/310 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #2 Poke Rafferty
FIRST LINES: Poke Rafferty had been on the sidewalk less than 5 minutes when he spots the tail.
CHARACTERS Pole Rafferty/travel writer
TIME/PLACE 2008/Bangkok
COMMENTS Poke is establishing more permanent family ties with Rose; she has agreed to marry him. His absent father, who has not seen for many years arrives on the scen with his half sister. Great series!
TITLE The Fourth Watcher
DATE READ 04/07
RATING 4.5/B+
GENRE/ PUB DATE/PUBLISHER / # OF Crime Fiction/2008/Harper Collins/310 pgs
SERIES/STAND-ALONE #2 Poke Rafferty
FIRST LINES: Poke Rafferty had been on the sidewalk less than 5 minutes when he spots the tail.
CHARACTERS Pole Rafferty/travel writer
TIME/PLACE 2008/Bangkok
COMMENTS Poke is establishing more permanent family ties with Rose; she has agreed to marry him. His absent father, who has not seen for many years arrives on the scen with his half sister. Great series!
January 3, 2019
This is a terrific series, and the star of it is Bangkok itself rather than Poke Rafferty. But Rafferty is a fine literary character and the story moves along well.
The upside for me is very good writing. I am struck by hiw characters have individual voices, and the conversations, say, between Rise and Noi are entirely different than those between Arthith and Poke.
The latter are frequently laugh out loud funny.
The plot is a bit more complicated than would be ideal; it sort of lost me at the end, but I was grateful that the full-on brutality of the first book in the series has been reduced.
Anyway, Hallinan is talented, the series is good and these books are fun to read.
The upside for me is very good writing. I am struck by hiw characters have individual voices, and the conversations, say, between Rise and Noi are entirely different than those between Arthith and Poke.
The latter are frequently laugh out loud funny.
The plot is a bit more complicated than would be ideal; it sort of lost me at the end, but I was grateful that the full-on brutality of the first book in the series has been reduced.
Anyway, Hallinan is talented, the series is good and these books are fun to read.
February 24, 2019
I’m currently up to date with the Junior Bender series. I thought- it simply couldn’t be topped. This one is equally great! I’ve spent time- not like the author- but two month long trips where I visited with Thai people I had connections with and so experienced Thailand in a different way than I may have as a tourist only. I spent time of course in Bangkok- staying in backpackers hostels adjacent to the Pappong district and again in Chinatown. I’ve also stayed in temples. I’ve traveled by tuk tuk of course and by train. The many descriptions of gestures, philosophies, mannerisms, weather. So very accurate.
I’m highlighting treatises on human interaction-
This is great stuff.
I’m highlighting treatises on human interaction-
This is great stuff.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2017
Gritty and realistic, this second entry in the Poke Rafferty series has a bit more of the wit and charm that I enjoy so much in the Junior Bender series. Nice inter-weaving of story threads into a suspenseful plot. The last 100 pages kept me up into the wee hours. Suspense and characters aside, I like how these novels open a window into Thai/Asian culture.
June 5, 2017
Excellent. More of Poke's backstory here, and excellent plotting in the dual storylines. So far, nothing negative to say about this series: I'll be continuing on to the next book after a brief non-fiction stopover (just for a change).
January 25, 2018
Poke Rafferty continues to entertain.
A great novel about corruption in Bangkok, caused by North Korea printing billions of fake currency bills.
In addition, father son relations.
Edge of the seat!!
A great novel about corruption in Bangkok, caused by North Korea printing billions of fake currency bills.
In addition, father son relations.
Edge of the seat!!
August 13, 2019
I think the author may have been a little distracted by his background music in this one.
The story had many of what should have been tense moments/scenes/predicaments that simply didn't click with me.
Not a waste of time, but unfortunately not very engaging either.
The story had many of what should have been tense moments/scenes/predicaments that simply didn't click with me.
Not a waste of time, but unfortunately not very engaging either.
January 10, 2021
Hallinan's Poke Rafferty #2 is as good as the first and maybe even better. Pacing is swift and so is justice, but tempered with control and compassion. The relationships are deeper, and so is the fear as more unknowns and uncertainties arise.
February 2, 2021
One of the things that I like about this series is the believable portrayal of life in Bangkok. I feel as if I have visited there as a result of reading this series, something I'm unlikely to do in my lifetime.
April 27, 2023
Not as good the first one because Poke shows some morally questionable thinking and the author’s politics bleed unnecessarily through his characters soiling a compelling story but tense and fast moving nonetheless. Once you get past that, enjoyable.
January 23, 2018
Second book in the character series and I certainly enjoyed it.
March 22, 2018
Interesting view of Bangkok, and the stuff about counterfeiting money in North Korea is based in reality. Whew!
June 19, 2018
A good story with a fair amount of factual information about the global counterfeiting "industry" included.
May 1, 2019
Really loved it!!
August 27, 2021
An unexpectedly tense and exciting thriller. International crime, kidnapping, smuggling and a fractured family result in a complex and delightful adventure.
January 24, 2023
One of those books where I have to peek forward to the end to make sure that all the characters I care about survive. Fleshing out Poke's world a little more.
December 29, 2020
Bangkok still stars in this series, but I found the story line of this book somewhat plodding and the ending to be, well, never-ending.
July 26, 2008
Poke Rafferty is a writer living in Bangkok, Thailand, with his fiance, Rose, and his adopted daughter, Miaow. Poke writes travels books with a unique twist - travel books that focus on the criminal aspects of locations. But he's ready to give up the danger associated with these books to have a life with his two special women.
Enter trouble! And not just trouble, but trouble in spades. Chu, a Chinese gangster is after Poke's father, Frank. He figures to reach Frank through Poke, even though Poke hasn't seen his father since he was 16. At the same time, Rose and her business partner, Peachy, innocently wind up caught in a counterfeiting ring. Throw in some crooked cops and an American Secret Service Agent, and you may think you have the makings of chaos. But quite the contrary. You have the makings of an incredible, suspenseful crime fiction novel.
Hallinan's rain descriptions set the stage for the monsoon of trouble that is about to rain down on Poke and those around him. The foreshadowing is brilliant, and the rain continues to set the tone of the book throughout the course of events.
The imagery in this book is absolutely mesmerizing. I especially liked Poke's comment to Rose when he explains to her, "Women are flowers, men are root vegetables. You wouldn't make a bouquet of turnips." This line came in the chapter entitled "Women Are The Only People Who Look Good Naked." I don't see chapter titles in crime fiction very often these days, and that brought an added uniqueness to The Fourth Watcher. Half the fun was getting to the next chapter to see what it was titled!
Rafferty says that "'English is polyglot tongue...A linguistic hybrid enriched by grafts from many branches of the world's verbal tree.'" Hallinan was plucking from that tree constantly in this book.
Hallinan's talent for imagery swept this reader away to a foreign land, but his knack for character development held my hand and helped me walk right into the lives of these people.
When I taught high school English, I hammered home the multitude of ways an author could develop a character. One of the hardest elements for students to grasp was how a character was developed through his/her interactions with other characters. This book is a text on how to effectively achieve that development. Poke's interaction with Rose and Miaow obviously builds one layer of his character. His relationship with his friend Arthit adds another. But what makes Poke most interesting is his connection to characters like his half-sister, Ming Li.
All of the characters were extremely rich and added so much to the overall book.
The plot comes across at first as being all over the place. If you read the book jacket, you know that Poke is the main character. However, this main character walks himself right into the barrel of a gun and is shot in the face in the first chapter. So how in the world is he going to do anything for the rest of the book, right? Especially since the plot takes place over the course of three DAYS, and no, it isn't a flashback! Now THERE is a hook. And then you add in the counterfeiting ring, the American Secret Service Agent, Elson, the Chinese gangster and all his thugs, stolen rubies...just where is all this going? The way that Hallinan weaves all these independent elements together is phenomenally intriguing and it keeps the pace of the book quick.
The tone of the book could have gotten very dark and dreary, but Hallinan's wit lightens the heaviness.
I highly recommend this novel!
Enter trouble! And not just trouble, but trouble in spades. Chu, a Chinese gangster is after Poke's father, Frank. He figures to reach Frank through Poke, even though Poke hasn't seen his father since he was 16. At the same time, Rose and her business partner, Peachy, innocently wind up caught in a counterfeiting ring. Throw in some crooked cops and an American Secret Service Agent, and you may think you have the makings of chaos. But quite the contrary. You have the makings of an incredible, suspenseful crime fiction novel.
Hallinan's rain descriptions set the stage for the monsoon of trouble that is about to rain down on Poke and those around him. The foreshadowing is brilliant, and the rain continues to set the tone of the book throughout the course of events.
The imagery in this book is absolutely mesmerizing. I especially liked Poke's comment to Rose when he explains to her, "Women are flowers, men are root vegetables. You wouldn't make a bouquet of turnips." This line came in the chapter entitled "Women Are The Only People Who Look Good Naked." I don't see chapter titles in crime fiction very often these days, and that brought an added uniqueness to The Fourth Watcher. Half the fun was getting to the next chapter to see what it was titled!
Rafferty says that "'English is polyglot tongue...A linguistic hybrid enriched by grafts from many branches of the world's verbal tree.'" Hallinan was plucking from that tree constantly in this book.
Hallinan's talent for imagery swept this reader away to a foreign land, but his knack for character development held my hand and helped me walk right into the lives of these people.
When I taught high school English, I hammered home the multitude of ways an author could develop a character. One of the hardest elements for students to grasp was how a character was developed through his/her interactions with other characters. This book is a text on how to effectively achieve that development. Poke's interaction with Rose and Miaow obviously builds one layer of his character. His relationship with his friend Arthit adds another. But what makes Poke most interesting is his connection to characters like his half-sister, Ming Li.
All of the characters were extremely rich and added so much to the overall book.
The plot comes across at first as being all over the place. If you read the book jacket, you know that Poke is the main character. However, this main character walks himself right into the barrel of a gun and is shot in the face in the first chapter. So how in the world is he going to do anything for the rest of the book, right? Especially since the plot takes place over the course of three DAYS, and no, it isn't a flashback! Now THERE is a hook. And then you add in the counterfeiting ring, the American Secret Service Agent, Elson, the Chinese gangster and all his thugs, stolen rubies...just where is all this going? The way that Hallinan weaves all these independent elements together is phenomenally intriguing and it keeps the pace of the book quick.
The tone of the book could have gotten very dark and dreary, but Hallinan's wit lightens the heaviness.
I highly recommend this novel!
November 5, 2018
To say that Timothy Hallinan’s second installment in the Bangkok series starts off with a bang is…well, exactly what it does…from that initial blast to the closing words you are immersed in the chaotic world of Poke Rafferty. Whether you’re an international traveler, well versed in Asian cultures or a homebody like me, The Fourth Watcher brings Bangkok to life. The vivid, lush imagery, believable characters, and high stakes plotline will keep you turning pages. Hallinan utilizes every tool at his disposal to deliver a complete reading experience. Even the chapter titles add flavor to this remarkable read!
Poke is an ever-so- likable character you simply can‘t help but cheer for! He‘s quick-witted and absolutely devoted to his fiancee’ Rose and their eight-year-old, adopted daughter Miaow. Determined to provide a better life for his two best girls, he decides to write an espionage thriller. Realizing he needs to be familiar with the topic in order to be authentic, he hires Ex-CIA Agent Arnold Prettyman to assist him with his research. Stumbling upon information concerning a recent flood of counterfeit money from North Korea puts Poke and Rose in the Secret Service’s crosshairs. However, the plot thickens when Rose is accused of passing the fake bills through her cleaning business.
If this weren’t enough to complicate their lives, Frank, Poke’s estranged Father re-enters the picture after years of silence…and he isn’t alone. Poke is apprehensive, but Rose encourages him to give his father a second chance. As usual, where Frank is concerned, trouble is not far behind and this time his connections to the underworld have endangered Poke’s family too.
Throughout the novel, Miaow is nothing short of a subtle hero. The adorable, streetwise Miaow displays a degree of maturity that is far beyond her tender years. This child’s ability to rise above all the tough, lonely times she endured is amazing, but to do so without becoming jaded is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the healing power of love. The Fourth Watcher is masterfully written, highlighting Hallinan’s knowledge of the culture and his genuine affection for its people. Rich, alluring details draw the reader in, providing a deeply satisfying read. The characters have been assembled with the care of a loving parent and the scenic imagery is worthy of a spot in Louve. I recommend this book to all who enjoy an intriguing story with memorable characters, some easy to love, others, very easy to despise. And with the third book in the series releasing this summer, now is the ideal time to get to know Timothy Hallinan’s, Poke Rafferty.
Happy Reading!
~ RJ
In a nutshell the title of chapter 14 says it best, “It’s not coming from the direction you expect.”
Poke is an ever-so- likable character you simply can‘t help but cheer for! He‘s quick-witted and absolutely devoted to his fiancee’ Rose and their eight-year-old, adopted daughter Miaow. Determined to provide a better life for his two best girls, he decides to write an espionage thriller. Realizing he needs to be familiar with the topic in order to be authentic, he hires Ex-CIA Agent Arnold Prettyman to assist him with his research. Stumbling upon information concerning a recent flood of counterfeit money from North Korea puts Poke and Rose in the Secret Service’s crosshairs. However, the plot thickens when Rose is accused of passing the fake bills through her cleaning business.
If this weren’t enough to complicate their lives, Frank, Poke’s estranged Father re-enters the picture after years of silence…and he isn’t alone. Poke is apprehensive, but Rose encourages him to give his father a second chance. As usual, where Frank is concerned, trouble is not far behind and this time his connections to the underworld have endangered Poke’s family too.
Throughout the novel, Miaow is nothing short of a subtle hero. The adorable, streetwise Miaow displays a degree of maturity that is far beyond her tender years. This child’s ability to rise above all the tough, lonely times she endured is amazing, but to do so without becoming jaded is a testament to the power of the human spirit and the healing power of love. The Fourth Watcher is masterfully written, highlighting Hallinan’s knowledge of the culture and his genuine affection for its people. Rich, alluring details draw the reader in, providing a deeply satisfying read. The characters have been assembled with the care of a loving parent and the scenic imagery is worthy of a spot in Louve. I recommend this book to all who enjoy an intriguing story with memorable characters, some easy to love, others, very easy to despise. And with the third book in the series releasing this summer, now is the ideal time to get to know Timothy Hallinan’s, Poke Rafferty.
Happy Reading!
~ RJ
In a nutshell the title of chapter 14 says it best, “It’s not coming from the direction you expect.”
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