Salty: A Novel [Paperback]

Mark Haskell Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2007

From the author ofMoist and Deliciouscomes a raucous comic thriller where anything goes. Turk Henry, an overweight, unemployed rock star married to a supermodel, has discovered that Thailand is probably the last place a recovering sex addict should go on vacation, yet here he is, surrounded by topless groupies and haunted by the stares of hundreds of luscious bar girls. Turk’s struggles with monogamy, however, pale beside a greater challenge when his wife is abducted by a group of renegade, shipless Thai pirates. As Turk, his life skills limited to playing bass and partying, navigates the back alleys of Bangkok and the deadly jungles of Southeast Asia to save his wife,Saltyheats up and sweats bullets. Featuring skinflint American tourists, topless beaches, a hypochondriac U.S. government agent, suitcases loaded with cash, an overeager full-service personal assistant, a horny Australian commando, inventive prostitutes, and an urbane pirate with a fetish for alabaster skin, this is a hilariously entertaining, thoroughly debauched caper novel — with a happy finish.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Staking out uncomfortable territory between gonzo humor and something far more serious, this thrill-packed romp from novelist (Moist; Delicious) and screenwriter Smith is set primarily in Thailand. While vacationing, unemployed rock star Turk Henry, a recovering sex addict, tries to avoid the temptations of his many fans, a predicament sent up beautifully by Smith. Meanwhile, Turk's wife, Sheila, takes a group tour elephant ride—only to have her party kidnapped by Captain Somporn and his violent band of former narcotics policemen. The novel alternates between explicit sex scenes involving Turk and the fairly severe acts of violence against Sheila and her fellow tourists. As the situation turns deadly, Turk has to rouse himself to save his wife, a challenge that Smith manages to make more meaningful than just one man's waking from a cosseted cocoon. Humor and suspense rub up against each other uneasily throughout, but Smith's writing is sharp, and Turk makes a blundering, contradictory and very compelling lead. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

In Carl Hiaasen-like fashion, Smith exuberantly spins out a busy plot loaded with over-the-top characters while taking a few well-aimed potshots at cultural expectations. Tuck Henry, bassist for a wildly popular but recently disbanded heavy-metal group, finds himself vacationing in Thailand at the urging of his wife. They met in rehab; she was there for cocaine, while he was there for sex addiction. Turk has already decided he is in what his therapist terms a "catalytic environment," surrounded by topless, sun-loving tourists on the one side and a bustling Thai sex trade on the other. As he struggles to control himself, he gets word that Sheila has been taken hostage by a pirate, who is asking for $1 million in ransom. Suddenly, Turk is forced to deal with a crisis without benefit of his once numerous handlers. Powered by a sort of all-purpose hedonism, Smith turns his appraising eye on the spicy Thai food and multihued architecture with the same high energy he brings to the numerous debauched sex scenes. Absurd, grotesque, and plain fun reading. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Paperback: 313 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press, Black Cat; First Edition edition (June 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080217034X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802170347
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,294,164 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Mark Haskell Smith is a writer who lives in Los Angeles. He's spent the last two years in transit, trying to find the meaning of the word "dank".

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Carl Hiassen meets Bangkok 8, May 11, 2007

By 

Bruce Critchley (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Salty: A Novel (Paperback)

I bought my favorite book of all time, "Boy Wonder" by James Robert Baker because someone described it as "Citizen Kane meets Blue Velvet." I'm a sucker for the one-line Hollywood pitch, and bought this book because of the quote on the cover: "Graham Greene meets the Marx Brothers." I was not disappointed, although, having just read it, I might say: "Carl Hiassen meets Bangkok 8."

As in a Hiassen novel, I loved the quirky characters. Turk Henry, the second-fiddle bass player in a wildly successful, recently defunct heavy-metal band fumbles through a mid-life crisis on the beaches of Thailand, determined to rescue his super-model wife from the clutches of kidnappers. His wife finds the kidnapping a perfect opportunity to deal with some of her own issues.

As in Bangkok 8, we are treated to a wonderful portrayal of the sensuality of Thailand, from the stunning food and smells to the rich depths and variety of the sex industry. Graham Greene is brought to mind by expatriate government agents acting on their own behalf, and actually trying to undermine the rescue effort. As for the Marx Brothers, well, I suppose they ate some Duck Soup, among the many mouth-watering meals.

I had a great time with this book, and put it down with a big smile on my face. I am certainly looking forward to reading Smith's previous books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another well spun tale by Mark Haskell Smith, June 25, 2010

By 

Adam E. Shanley (Dunkirk, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Salty: A Novel (Paperback)

Another fantastic read by Mark Haskell Smith. Similar in style to Moist and Delicious, but more refined. Where Delicious and Moist are character driven Salty is somewhat less so.

Pardon me if this doesn't make complete sense. What I mean is that the story doesn't take as many crazy turns as Smith's previous two novels. The plot is fairly simple: Kidnapping for ransom. The story is spiced up a bit with some interesting characters, but they don't really turn things on their head as much as in Delicious. The chapters are still divided into several small episodes, as if reading a movie transcript and Smith does a terrific job of creating a fantastic picture of the seedy side of Thailand with sarcastic glances by way of an American tourist. I have enjoyed his sense of humor across all of his books. I was quite nervous about this book when I read the description that the fact that the main character, Turk, is the bass player for a heavy metal band. I was nervous because I hoped that it would not turn out to be some cheesy, over the top and stereotypical look at a bass player, from someone that doesn't really get the scene but Smith has definitely done his research and never goes over the top with the music references.

To sum up this somewhat incoherent review: I enjoyed this book quite a bit. More than Delicious and a little bit less than Moist. I can not wait until his next novel, Baked, is released in August. Also, apparently Salty, is going to be made into a movie, so I will look forward to that as well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read It!, January 21, 2008

By 

DayWoman (Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Salty: A Novel (Paperback)

I hadn't enjoyed a book this much in a really long time. It may sound trite, but I couldn't put it down. It was hilarious and as soon as I finished it I went online to see what other books by this author were available. Like others have mentioned, it reminded me of a Carl Hiaasen novel and maybe a little of Maarten Troost thrown in.