“Burdett’s first two Sonchai Jitpleecheep novels heralded the arrival of a distinctive new voice in crime fiction. His third effort goes further, building on the exquisite moral ambiguity implicit in both setting and hero with tighter plotting and, if possible, an even more potent mix of underworld seaminess, startling tenderness, and Buddhist wisdom...Burdett’s Bangkok may be the most vibrant landscape of any in current crime fiction, and Sonchai - an improbable mix of West and East, the fact-seeking investigator meets the tranquil Buddhist, at ease with contrary realities - –is certainly the genre’s most intriguing sleuth." (Booklist, starred)

“Not for your Agatha Christie-loving maiden aunt, but good grisly fun for those who like their noir rated NC-17...Vice spins the wheels of this third gritty procedural...Burdett conduct[s] another mordant whirlwind tour of Bangkok’s darkest places...The story, narrated in Sonchai’s urbane voice is filled with intriguing nuggets of Buddhist wisdom and custom and graced by brief but telling appearances of recurring characters...Burdett holds our attention throughout a breezy tale reminiscent of the late, great Ross Thomas’s byzantine Asian-inflected capers.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“At the start of Burdett’s superb third mystery-thriller to feature Thai police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, Jitpleecheep shows old friend Kimberley Jones, an American FBI agent, a vicious snuff film he’s received depicting the murder of an ex-lover of his named Damrong...Expertly juggling elements that in lesser hands would become confused or hackneyed, Burdett has created a haunting, powerful story that transcends genre.” (Publishers Weekly, starred)