Poke Rafferty, the hero of last year's A Nail through the Heart, is back and making a home for himself in Bangkok. He's set to propose to his Thai girlfriend Rose, a former bar girl turned entrepreneur, and ready to create a family with her and his adopted daughter, Miaow. He's even going to give up his popular, but edgy "Looking for Trouble" travel guides to the seedier side of Asian cities in favor of mainstream journalism.
A Father ReturnsThe problem is that those seedy elements are not as keen on giving up on Poke as he is on letting them go. The matter is complicated by the army of people that are following Poke around Bangkok, each with their own agenda. One of these followers turns out to be Poke's father, a man who abandoned him and his mother in California when Poke was a teenager to return to an old flame in China...the same man who repeatedly rejected Poke's attempts to reconnect. Now the man is in Bangkok. What could he possibly want?
Counterfeiting, the CIA, and North Korea
To complicate the situation, Rose and her cleaning business partner are unwittingly implicated in a counterfeiting scheme, a scheme that has the CIA interested because of its ties to North Korea. At this point, Poke is wondering whether they'll ever be able to sort through the layers of messes and be able to get married.
The Fourth Watcher, like A Nail through the Heart before it, is a rich multi-faceted novel that exudes the exotic and enticing flavor of Southeast Asia. That Hallinan has spent a great deal of time living in Thailand and getting to know the nuances of the Thai culture is evident throughout the novel. If you are fascinated with that part of the world, or if you just enjoy a well-written and non-formula mystery novel, be sure to pick up a copy of Timothy Hallinan's latest effort.
About Timothy Hallinan
Timothy Hallinan is the author of nine novels as well as a songwriter, and a former college writing instructor. Hallinan is married and divides his time among his homes in California, Thailand, and Cambodia. He describes the writing and publishing process with refreshing (and amusing) candor in this blog.
Reviews of Other Recommended Mystery Novels
- A Nail through the Heart by Timothy Hallinan
- Christine Falls by Benjamin Black (John Banville)
- Exile by Richard North Patterson
- The Watchman by Robert Crais
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