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Bangkok Tattoo

Author: John Burdett
Publisher: Black Swan
Category: Book

Buy New: Ł3.99

New (9) Used (8) from Ł1.66

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

8 reviews
Sales Rank: 695231

Media: Paperback
Edition: Export Ed
Pages: 442
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.3

ISBN: 0552154717
EAN: 9780552154710
ASIN: 0552154717

Publication Date: July 3, 2006
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available

Also Available In:

•	Paperback - Bangkok Tattoo
•	Hardcover - Bangkok Tattoo
•	Paperback - Bangkok Tattoo
•	Hardcover - Bangkok Tattoo
•	Hardcover - Bangkok Tatoo
•	Paperback - Bangkok Tattoo

Similar Items:

•	Bangkok Eight
•	Bangkok Haunts
•	Bangkok 8
•	Kingdom of Make-Believe: A Novel of Thailand
•	Bangkok Haunts

Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...

4 out of 5 stars

A sequel which works, just June 30, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

I was so looking forward to reading this sequel, and as I write I have ordered the third book and pant for its arrival. I was wondering how the author would manage the extraordinary characters and keep the steam going. Again I did not much put the book down and appreciated the flights away from the plot as the engaging characters had their sub stories told. The book remained sensuous and must surely make a fabulous film. I enjoyed the book but it did not have the magic clout of 'Eight'. I hope there is a fourth in due course.

1 out of 5 stars

Big Disapointment - Don't Buy It! January 28, 2007
0 out of 4 found this review helpful

"Bangkok 8" was quite good, but had a weak ending. I liked the character of the Thai cop. Therefore, I was looking forward to the 2nd book. The first 40 pages were not bad, and I was enjoying being back with the Thai cop. Unfortunatly, the author then literally "lost the plot". I had to endure a 50 page extract from the diary of a Thai prostitute living in the U.S. The rest of the book was mostly about her, a demented American C.I.A. man, and a very odd Japanise tattoo artist. Against my better judgement I continued to read through the book, but I gave up caring about what happened in the end. Such a pitty John Burdett went down such a blind alley in his plot construction.

5 out of 5 stars

Loved it January 1, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

First, I'm no great crime novel/thriller reader. However, for me the plot frankly was a minor attraction, I very much enjoyed this book for all sorts of other reasons.

The characters are interesting, unique in my experience. The picture of Thai life & culture, & of Buddhist belief, is (particularly to someone previously largely ignorant of these things) fascinating.

Does the book deal in stereotypes? No, I don't think so. Some of the characters appear stereotypical when you first meet them, yes, particularly the "tormented US spy", but, they don't conform for long, they have their own subtleties. Most are complicated, if not downright strange.

As to its authenticity, it certainly appeared very true to life to me. I've never visited Thailand, & others have offered opinions on how close to reality it is. For my part I'll say that nowhere did anything strike me as unbelievable, or false, quite the contrary.

This is my first & probably only review by the way, so I'll finish by saying it is shocking in places, amusing in others, informative, & overall quite wonderful.

2 out of 5 stars

So rubbish it's almost worth reading December 15, 2006
1 out of 6 found this review helpful

The sleeve of this book is laden with reviews from respectable newspapers that heap praise and critical acclaim upon Bangkok Tattoo. These reviews exhibit a mastery of fiction-writing that the author fails to match.

The story is centered on a corrupt cop who owns a brothel and who uses his Buddhist powers (?) to help solve crime. His effeminate partner wants to become a transsexual.

Sounds great except it is one of the laughably awful books I have ever read. I'm laughing as I type except I don't think it was supposed to be funny.

A theme of the book is how little westerners understand the Thai culture. Apparently Thai culture is all about corrupt cops, prostitutes and ladyboys. Not cliched then!

In fact the cop lives and works in a brothel, his mother is a former prostitute, his partner is a ladyboy and the other main character is also a prostitute. When the plot leaves Bangkok for the south of the country the author paints the typical scene of the quieter south by describing streets full of prostitutes vying for trade.

Now, just what kind of research did the author do for this book?

This book is so staggeringly bad that it's actually worth taking a look.

3 out of 5 stars

literary but flawed December 3, 2005
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Beautfully written, but the story is unbelievable, and as a frequent visitor to Thailand I can see that Burdett has not done his research. Bangkok Eight was better.