Stage IV: Healing in Thailand Can Also Be Murder

by Erich R. Sysak

American Lawson Banks is terminally ill with stage IV cancer and wants to spend the last days of his life on a beach in Thailand. Where does he get the money? Viatication, also known as death futures. He sells his life insurance benefit to the highest bidder. An investor is waiting for him to die, but thanks to the pleasures of Thailand he lives longer than expected and someone tries to kill him.

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2010

About the author

Erich R. Sysak is originally from New Orleans and wandered the Southern United States most of his adult life. After grad school he flew to Bangkok to start a new life as an English language instructor and expat extraordinaire. He never looked back. His 2 novels, Dog Catcher and Stage IV, were published in print by Monsoon Books long ago.

All of the ebooks about expat life in Thailand, including Water Heart, are now available at Amazon and have been chugging along for almost 10 years.

For the past decade I have developed a permaculture farm in the NE of Thailand that grows a wide variety of plants and trees, focusing mainly on fish, guava and rice. We spend part of the year in the NE of Thailand at the farm and the other part back in the states.

I answer questions on my blog (or here) about the delicacies and intricacies of Expat Life. Ask away because you want the truth.

Reviews

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story about a man with stage IV cancer who sells his life insurance and moves to Thailand to die. Problem is... he won't die. With his girl Benz and a host of shady characters, someone tries to ensure his death will not be further delayed.

Sprinkled throughout the book are interesting insights into the 'farang' (white foreigner) lifestyles, problems, issues and pitfalls.

Thanks Erich for teaching me a thing or two about living in Thailand. I certainly wouldn't want to learn some of this firsthand.

Erich... Read some Pira Canning Sudham. His book 'People of Esarn' (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23...) is pretty good. He is the only Thai writer I know that writes in English. I'll be getting some of his other books soon.

[Barkelby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot fast paced and credible if a little dark (but it is a murder mystery). Characters somewhat one dimensional— all the women are dark skinned and beautiful with inscrutable motives. Cancer ridden sad sack of a hero not terribly appealing; he could use a sense of humor. I had some trouble following the many minor charactered numerous flashbacks. It was fun though to be back in the alternate reality of the sex tourist areas of Thailand, which to the extent of my experience as a staid middle aged female expat in Hua Hin and Pattaya, he seems to have captured accurately.

[Erich Sysak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hey, I wrote it.

[Ian McHugh · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a perfect book to read on a sun lounger. If you're looking for a simplistic story with huge plot holes but decent character development this is it. I chose to read the story as it's set in Hua Hin and Pattaya so if that sun lounger is on Thailand this may very well be the book to choose.