At last, a jolly good read

After quite a few years where I could easily point to really great books for those "best of the year" lists (The Time Traveler's Wife, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Vernon God Little), 2006 has been mostly barren. I suspect that the publishing world hasn't dropped the quality ball, slippery as it may be - I just haven't picked up the right tome.

This book is not the chosen one either, just a really good thriller, such as I have not read since, oh, The Long Firm.

Bangkok 8 - take the style of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels, transport from New Jesey to Bangkok, make funnier, sexier and more gritty, and toss in some Buddhism. A gripping thriller, with wry views on the Thai character, sex industry and police corruption. Not a great ending, unfortunately, but enthralling all the same.