The Godfather of Kathmandu [Deckle Edge] [Hardcover]

John Burdett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2010

Sonchai Jitpleecheep—John Burdett’s inimitable Royal Thai Police detective with the hard-bitten demeanor and the Buddhist soul—is summoned to the most shocking and intriguing crime scene of his career. Solving the murder could mean a promotion, but Sonchai, reeling from a personal tragedy, is more interested in Tietsin, an exiled Tibetan lama based in Kathmandu who has become his guru.

There are, however, obstacles in Sonchai’s path to nirvana. Police Colonel Vikorn has just named Sonchai his consigliere (he’s been studying The Godfather on DVD): to troubleshoot, babysit, defuse, procure, reconnoiter—do whatever needs to be done in Vikorn’s ongoing battle with Army General Zinna for control of Bangkok’s network of illegal enterprises. And though Tietsin is enlightened and (eerily) charismatic, he also has forty million dollars’ worth of heroin for sale. If Sonchai truly wants to be an initiate into Tietsin’s “apocalyptic Buddhism,” he has to pull off a deal that will bring Vikorn and Zinna to the same side of the table. Further complicating the challenge is Tara: a Tantric practitioner who captivates Sonchai with her remarkable otherworldly techniques.

Here is Sonchai put to the extreme test—as a cop, as a Buddhist, as an impossibly earthbound man—in John Burdett’s most wildly inventive, darkly comic, and wickedly entertaining novel yet.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The vivid portrait of 21st-century Thailand in part redeems the meandering plot of Burdett's fourth thriller to feature corrupt Bangkok police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep (after Bangkok Haunts). Jitpleecheep, a marijuana-smoking Buddhist whose marriage collapsed after his young son's death, investigates the peculiar murder of Frank Charles, a Hollywood director who regularly visited Thailand to sample the sexual delights offered by its young women. Someone disemboweled Charles, then cut his skull open and dined on his brains. Among the victim's books at the crime scene are The Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal. Too much musing on spiritual awakenings and Tibetan philosophy as well as commentary on mundane details of daily life distract from the search for Charles's killer and a related subplot involving the heroin-smuggling operation controlled by Jitpleecheep's boss, Colonel Vikorn. Hopefully, Burdett will regain his usual narrative snap next time. (Oct.)
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Review

“Pick up The Godfather of Kathmandu the day it hits the stands, and block out several hours to read it in one sitting. Once you start, you won’t get anything else done until you finish it . . . I pity any Mystery of the Month contender who has to go up against John Burdett; it is almost as if they should consider releasing their books in a different month . . . Burdett has both the chops and the history to be a strong contender every time he turns out a new book, and The Godfather of Kathmandu is no exception.”
—Bookpage (Mystery of the Month)
 
“Sonchai Jitlpleecheep has leapfrogged the field, vaulting from cult favorite to just possibly the most compelling crime-fiction hero in the genre. His fourth adventure, even more than its predecessors, is overstuffed with a dizzying array of multifaceted storylines, all of which exude both the moral ambiguity and the cognitive dissonance that have become this series’s hallmarks . . . Burdett juggles the various plots with great dexterity . . . A whirlwind of a novel.”
—Booklist (starred)
 
“A blissfully nutty caper that brings back fond memories of the late lamented Ross Thomas’s crazy-quilt crime fiction . . . Distinguishing crooks from good guys is only one of the pleasures [here] . . . Sonchai’s wry narrative voice (think: exotic Philip Marlowe) keeps us hooked.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred)

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Knopf; 1 edition (January 12, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307263193
• ISBN-13: 978-0307263193
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 1.2 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #236,967 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Burdett is the author of A Personal History of Thirst, The Last Six Million Seconds, Bangkok 8, and Bangkok Tattoo.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's About Murder, Not Enlightenment, January 31, 2010

By 

Ralph White (New England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Godfather of Kathmandu (Hardcover)

Below the whimsical and irreverent surface of John Burdett's new novel lies the very lifelike real world of a Thai cop. We have met his protagonist, Sonchai, before and if you liked him in his last incarnations, you will love him in this one. We see Sonchai at street level, bereaved over the death of his son, whacked out on pot, and trying to get his boss, Colonel Vikorn, to make this last huge heroin shipment the last one so his spirit can find peace. Sonchai sees himself as his boss' consigliore, the counterpart to Hagen in the Godfather films. But where Don Corleone stopped short of dealing drugs on principle, Colonel Vikorn sees it as a competitive necessity. For womenfolk we have the usual slutty detritus of Soi Nana, to which Burdett adds Rosie, the Australian mule. We might as well add Sonchai's transsexual partner, Lek, to the female dramatis personae. This latest version of the Sonchai chronicles veers slightly off the path of the earlier versions with the addition of the Tibetian freedom-fighting, drug kingpin Tietsin.

Burdett's depiction of the seamy Thai underworld is spot on, as is his description of the street scene in Kathmandu. He has Norman Mailer's knack of understanding what's truly happening amidst the bustle of normal daily life, and he has Joseph Wambaugh's capacity to capture the humor amidst the violence. Some armchair Buddhists will find Burdett's irreverence grating, but the life of a cop in a freak show like Bangkok is not about achieving higher levels of understanding. It's about finding out who cut the fat Hollywood mogul's stomach open, leaving his guts spilling out over his hotel sheets. And you must be patient, Farang, to give the story time to unfold.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another complex Bangkok Sonchai Jitpleecheep of the Royal Thai Police mystery, January 19, 2010

By 

Deborah Verlen "Deborah" (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Godfather of Kathmandu (Hardcover)

Having spent considerable time in Bangkok in 2008, I became an instant fan of John Burdett's Sonchai Jitpleecheep mysteries due to their intricate plots, fascinating characters, and references to buildings, landmarks, streets, and parks in Bangkok, Thailand. Reading his books makes me feel as though I'm back on the crowded, bustling streets that make up this city.

In this book, Sonchai is involved in a murder concerning a famous Hollywood director who would come to Bangkok to partake in the the "delights" of the young women of the street. His death was somewhat patterned after the book The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lector) which happens to also be in possession.

Sonchai Jitpleecheep is a complex indivdual who has a hard bitten approach to his job, but is also inside a gentle follower of Buddha. He is the half-caste son of a prostitute and an American GI. His boss on the force is Colonel Vikorn who is also a drug dealer. In Bangkok, where everything is for sale, Sonchai tracks the killer, navigates his promotion by Col. Vikorn to his consigliere (the Colonel has been studying the Godfather DVD's), and does what he needs to do with Colonel Vikorn's ongoing battle with General Zinna over who heads the illegal trades.

If you have read the prior three books, Bangkok 8: A Novel, Bangkok Tattoo, and Bangkok Haunts, you will enjoy once again being immersed into the conflicted world of Sonchai Jitpleecheep as he tries to please Vikorn, his mother, his wife, his Buddhist leanings and do his job. If you haven't read the prior three books, this book is fine as a stand alone!

Although this is first and foremost a mystery, if you have been to Bangkok or are planning to go, you will find the book rich with the details that separates an author who researches through books versus an author who actually has walked the walk. The book is laced heavily with humor as well as a realistic look at the culture. Reading them, as I said in the first paragraph, takes me back to the streets of Bangkok!

15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Too Much Author, March 20, 2010

By 

James Speck "bookish" (Chiang Mai, Thailand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Godfather of Kathmandu (Kindle Edition)

I've been more than favorably impressed with Burdetts' previous three books. They were rich in everything I seek in a detective thriller. I'd give five stars to all of them, recommended them to friends and purchased gift copies. This one has too many arch comment 4th wall breakins, a wandering plot, unexciting characters and an uninspired, barely believable finish. It feels like the outline of what could have been an interesting and exciting story.