Bookstore and blog for fans of international mysteries and thrillers
Welcome to the bookstore!
What you will find in this store are mysteries and thrillers (mostly in series) that I like—a lot. I hope you will find something that you like too.I started this store because I am a fan of a certain kind of mystery: well-written, witty, with quirky, vibrant characters, intriguing stories and a special spirit of place. The sights, sounds, smells, customs, and history of a specific location enrich and enliven these books. A New Yorker myself, I generally prefer mysteries set outside of the U.S.When I was a kid, I read all the Nancy Drews, all the Hardy Boys, all the Tintins. My taste for mystery series continues unabated. When I fall in love with a character, which is what happens when I really enjoy a mystery, I want to find out what happens to the character over a long period of time.You are on the front page of the store, where I post "Themes of the Crimes," short reviews of books, series and books with shared themes, that I hope will help you find something you want to read. Follow the links to get more information and to purchase. There are three types of links on the front page: —Author links (e.g. John Burdett) take you to a page with biographical and bibliographical information. —Title links (e.g. A Trick of the Light or <More about the book>) take you to a page about the book that includes my opinion (embellished by my silhouette), excerpts from other reviews, plot summary and purchase options. Orders are fulfilled by Amazon and Google.—Series links (e.g. The Poke Rafferty Thriller Series or <More about the books in this series>) take you to a page that lists all the books in the series, with a short plot summary, my opinion and purchase options for each book. Orders are fulfilled by Amazon and Google.You can also use the search box (top and bottom right), the index menu (top left), or click on the images scrolling at the bottom of the page.Happy reading,
Janet Coleman
Curator
Cliffhangers Crime Fiction
Spooky Spirit Doc Catches Killers in Laos
Fabulous characters...Ferocious villains...Nosy neighbors...Political farce...Exotic setting
VIENTIANE, Laos, 1975 - The Pathet Lao have just won their long-fought revolution. Paris-educated Dr. Siri Paiboun comes to town from the jungle after 22 years of patching up wounded soldiers, hoping to retire. Instead, he is appointed national (and only) coroner of Laos, a job for which he has no training.
Fortunately, the endlessly resourceful Dr. Siri has a sly wit, a sharp tongue, two charming assistants, and a helpful, if disconcerting, ability to communicate with the dead.Highly recommended to those looking for a laugh-out-loud funny mystery in an exotic setting.Walk on the Wild Side with Bangkok's Only Honest Cop
by John Burdett
Funny...Thought-provoking...Possibly profound...Something to offend everyone
BANGKOK, Thailand - Royal Thai Police Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the son of an enterprising Thai prostitute and a deadbeat U.S. GI, is one of the most entertaining detectives I've met in years.
With some help from illicit substances, Sonchai embraces the complexity of life; he has no choice--he's an honest cop who must somehow serve the cause of justice without losing the patronage of his corrupt crime-lord boss, police chief Colonel Vikorn, all the while staying on the Buddhist path to nirvana. Highly recommended to those looking for an offbeat, raucous romp, great writing, unforgettable characters.Exiled Ex-Investigator Hits Bottom on Roof of World
Stunning storytelling...Miraculous characters...Breathtaking scenery and cultural detail
TIBET, China - Perhaps the most astonishing investigator in contemporary crime fiction: ex-cop Shan Tao Yun has survived the Chinese gulag and found a new life as a crime-solving outlaw on the run with a band of renegade monks in rural Tibet.
Shan got into trouble because he was too good at his job—too good to survive in Beijing's bureaucracy, that is. When Shan got evidence against a high ranking government minister, the minister simply sent Shan off to serve an indefinite sentence in the Chinese gulag. Eventually, a battered, brutalized and barely breathing Shan lands in a lao gai camp in Tibet where his fellow prisoners—Buddhist monks—bring him back to some semblance of life. In return, Shan uses his investigator's savvy and his understanding of the Chinese bureaucracy to help the Tibetans however he can. These extraordinary mysteries take you to today's Tibet, a country in conflict: Tibetans vs Han, Buddhist vs atheists, soldiers with guns vs monks with rosary beads, indigenous peoples vs colonial peoples, free citizens vs slave laborers.Pattison weaves significant social and political themes into the plots of each novel. Indeed, as soon as the books were released they became popular black market items in China for the way they highlight issues long hidden by Beijing.Highly recommended, especially to those interested in great writing, heros who face overwhelming odds, Buddhism, indigenous peoples, and stories of personal redemption.Light in Dark Places
Mysteries Set in Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia - Hunting murderers is hard work—physically, mentally, and emotionally—and most detectives are exceptionally persistent: they never, ever give up. Many are driven by the idea that they are securing justice for the dead. So how does a detective keep going when she's working in an environment that places little value on human life: war or even genocide?
Three fine mysteries set in Cambodia, a country with as dark a recent history as any on earth, throw their heroes into this predicament:—A Deadly Cambodian Crime Spree by Shamini Flint takes place during the recent trials of Khmer Rouge leaders.—Love Songs from a Shallow Grave by Colin Cotterill takes place in the mid-seventies during the genocide.—Zero Hour in Phnom Penh by Christopher G. Moore takes place in the nineties, when Cambodia is crawling back from decades of war, occupation, and genocide.Highly recommended to those who like thought-provoking books and who have the guts to think about terrible things like genocideFinally! Fictional Thai Female Not Prostitute
Silly...Sardonic...Satisfying...Traditional mystery in an exotic setting...Warm-hearted and wonderful
CHUMPHONG, Thailand - Jimm Juree, the almost award-winning journalist, is happily climbing the career ladder at a big-city newspaper in Chiang Mai when her mother buys a decrepit motel on the beach in Southern Thailand and moves the family there to run the place. Jimm, her near-mute Grandfather, her obsessive body builder brother and her mother, who may be suffering from dementia, occupy the Gulf Bay Lovely Resort and Restaurant and try to make the best of it. Jimm thinks her life is over, until the bodies start showing up.
Highly recommended to anyone looking for a funny traditional mystery in an exotic setting.Picture-Perfect Quebecois Village Mecca for Murderers
by Louise Penny
Beautifully rendered small-town atmosphere...Complex characters...Funny dialogue...Intellectually interesting
THREE PINES, Quebec, Canada - Each book in this insightful series is wittier, wiser, and more wonderful than the last. The latest book, A Trick of the Light, is no exception.
Anyone fortunate enough to stop for a few days leisure in Three Pines, the fictional village in Quebec, Canada that is the setting for the Inspector Gamache series, has no doubt discovered the truth of the old saying "the brightest light casts the darkest shadow."The visitor to tiny Three Pines quickly learns that this picture-perfect place, which has everything necessary for the well-lived life—natural beauty, great food, caring, if cranky, neighbors, historic homes, a good book store—is also a magnet for murderers. A Trick of the Light brings Chief Inspector Gamache and his crack team of investigators to Three Pines for the seventh time when artist Clara Morrow finds a corpse in her back garden.Like most fictional investigators, Gamache has a philosophy of murder: he believes that murders happen when emotions curdle and turn into poison within the human spirit. So, as he interviews suspects, Gamache probes for emotional truth as well as for facts. What emerges is a rich world of complex characters: brave, funny, loving and, every so often, lethal. Gamache may be the most compassionate investigator plying his trade in the pages of contemporary fiction.NOTE: Dog lovers will find much to appreciate here.Fans of the series will find out:—Has Clara's life-long dream come true?—Has Peter cracked yet?—Has Olivier forgiven Gamache?—Has Rosa returned?—Has Agent Nichol found a good dry cleaner?—Has Gamache discovered Brebeuf's true feelings?—Has Ruth brained Jean Guy with her cane yet?Highly recommended for a world-class detective, a new spin on the traditional village mystery, and more than a few great bistro meals.
Sneaker-Shod Sikh Seeking Suspects in SE Asia Stops
Only for Curry, Cigarettes, Beer, Maybe Short Nap
Funny...Culturally astute...Tremendously likeable detective...Quirky supporting characters
SE ASIA - Singapore's Inspector Singh knows what he likes—curry, cold beer, cigarettes, white sneakers, his wife's cooking—and what he doesn't like: his bosses, exercise, the dentist, his wife's relatives.
But what he loves, what he lives for, is catching killers.Neither his wife nor his bosses in the police department understand (or respect) his passion for putting killers away. After all, they think, murder is messy and the rich and righteous are rarely victims. Singh, something of a mess himself, marches on, undeterred. So far, Singh has investigated murders in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia. (His bosses take every opportunity to get him out of town.) One of the great charms of this series is that the reader gets to watch Singh learn about each new country—a process which is enlightening and amusing. Singh is one of those characters who is blessed with the ability to laugh at himself and at the absurdities life regularly throws in his path.In each locale he has a different assistant and I find that the chemistry between Singh and his sidekick has a lot to do with how much I enjoy the story. So far my favorite sidekicks are Chhean in Cambodian Crime Spree and the Aussie cop in Bali Conspiracy.Highly recommended to anyone looking for a witty police procedural.Sam Spade Reincarnated as Bangkok-Based PI
Vinnie rocks!... Suspenseful stories...Beautiful portrayal of Thai culture...Bangkok is exceptionally well- rendered.
BANGKOK, Thailand - The South East Asian expat community loves this mystery series, which is now available in its entirety in the US. The hard-living Vincent Calvino, with his big heart and his Brooklyn bravado, brings the big mysteries of Bangkok to life—how to drive, wai, and die like a Thai—while he hunts murderers among Thailand's endlessly corrupt and entitled power brokers.
When this series begins, forty-year old disbarred lawyer Vincent Calvino is down on his luck: jobs are few and far between. He is spending more time drinking than working and has the epic nightmares and hangovers to prove it. His cleaner has started telling him she expects him to expire from a heart attack any day now. Bangkok, she believes, kills all farangs (Westerners) before their time: some combination of Thai hot weather, Bangkok air pollution, Mekhong whiskey, and non-stop nightlife does them in.Highly recommended, especially to those who like to see the powerful get a taste of their own medicine.A great gift for someone who is heading to Bangkok for the first time or for someone who has fallen in love with Asia.
Favorite First Lines
"'Killing customers just isn't good for business.'
"My mother Nong's tone reflects the disappointment we all feel when a star employee starts to go wrong. Is there nothing to be done? Will we have to let dear Chanya go? The question can only be decided by Police Colonel Vikorn, who owns most of the shares in the Old Man's Club and who is on his way in his Bentley.""Miss Jane Neal met her maker in the early morning mist of Thanksgiving Sunday. It was pretty much a surprise all round. Miss Neal's was not a natural death, unless you're of the belief that everything happens as it's supposed to."
"No sound but the wind, and in the stingy half-light before day, nothing to see but crumbling highway cutting straight through empty countryside. Laid out straight on a map thirty years ago, straight was how it was to be built."
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