Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
Bangkok 8 has been on my to-read list for a while, and I finally got around to picking up the audio from the library. Let's be honest, it was an obvious choice for me. It's a mystery in an exotic locale and the detective has a philosophical streak.
The murder itself was unique - the snakes in a locked car- and although it's a shame that Sonchai's partner was killed too, it was the only reason the crime was actually investigated thoroughly. The cops in Bangkok are mostly corrupt and add in that the US government would really rather at least one of the suspects not be looked at too closely, they likely would have let it drop. Sonchai can't though and his search for the truth leads us across the city and has us meet drug dealers, prostitutes, and business owners from a variety of backgrounds with a variety of vices and interests.
Sonchai is a complicated man. He's the son of a prostitute and American...