THE GODFATHER OF KATHMANDU

This funny and compelling continuation of BANGKOK 8 finds Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep balancing his Buddhist beliefs, specifically his hope of cleansing his soul, with the duties of his new job as “consigliere” to his crooked boss. Stephen Hogan doesn't skip a beat or miss a syllable as he weaves through Thai politics and corruption and Nepalese religions and mountains. Hogan’s pitch-perfect sensitivity to each scene makes the listener feel a part of the book, experiencing the heat, the fear, and the sensuality as our own. Any mystery that starts with a gigantic corpse having its brain removed and eaten with a plastic spoon is bound to please a listener's sense of macabre. A great listen for a summer vacation while swigging lots of lemon sweet tea along with our hero. B.H.B. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2010]