BANGKOK 8

Sonchai, the only honest cop in Bangkok, vows to avenge the murder of his partner and soul mate. From that resolve our hero, a devout Buddhist and son of a prostitute, delves into the seamy streets of Thailand's decadent, exotic capital. He partners with a female FBI agent, and the two develop a mutual sexual attraction-repulsion. Tough-cop "noir" clichés abound, cleverly and arrestingly “Asianized” by the author, a Brit who has lived in Bangkok and knows it intimately. BD Wong made a sensation in his Broadway debut in M. BUTTERFLY. In this excellent abridgment, he demonstrates his expertise with characters, accents, and narrative twists. Yet, somehow he fails to deliver the text's thick atmosphere and sense of danger. Y.R. 2004 Audie Award Finalist © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 03/JAN 04]