John Burdett
Encyclopedia
John Patrick Burdett is a British
crime novelist. He is the bestselling author of Bangkok 8 and its sequels, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts
and The Godfather of Kathmandu. His next novel, Vulture Peak, is to be released in the UK in January 2012
who lived and worked in Hong Kong
for twelve years. For a time, he was employed by the Hong Kong Government. He later worked in private practice. Eventually, Burdett decided to abandon law and pursue a career as a detective novelist.
Burdett now splits his time between France
and Bangkok
and continues to research his novels in various locations in Thailand. He is divorced and has one daughter.
smuggling plot that threatens to force outright war between Britain and China is uncovered.
; they consist of 4 books so far: Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts, The Godfather of Kathmandu and the forthcoming Vulture Peak. They centre on the philosophical Thai Buddhist
detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, and his meditative internal dialogues. Sonchai is a "leuk krung
" or half-caste. He is the son of a former "rented-wife" (a type of prostitute) and a "farang
." His father, a U.S. military officer, he has never known. Sonchai has spent much of his childhood in Europe and USA, and has acquired cultural insights. A born "outsider," he is also seemingly unbribeable, which only increases his alienation from his colleagues.
The novels involve Thailand's
sex industry
and the red-light districts of Bangkok
. Sexual matters are part of the narrative, including the juxtaposition of often conflicting Thai and Western norms
and mores
.
They contain larger-than-life characters interwined with a wry sense of humour, and bizarre crimes. The crimes include execution by the release of a container full of cobra
snakes, into a car where the driver is forcibly prevented from escaping (Bangkok 8), the theft of valuable tattoos (and their associated human skin) off the backs' of murder victims (Bangkok Tattoo), and homicide related to the production of a snuff
video (Bangkok Haunts). Juxtaposed is the investigative nonchalance and Buddhist acceptance of an "arhat" detective who can earnestly meditate even in a Bangkok traffic-jam. Many popular shamanistic superstitions that have carried over into Buddhism
in Thailand are explored. Past lives (reincarnation
) and hungry ghosts also contribute to the atmosphere and texture. The novels are in some ways flawed, since Sonchai is given some clues through supernatural means.
Burdett has expressed interest in moving beyond the crime/detective genre once his Bangkok series is complete.
, the director of "V for Vendetta
", had been hired to direct, but production looks to have been cancelled.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
crime novelist. He is the bestselling author of Bangkok 8 and its sequels, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts
Bangkok Haunts
Bangkok Haunts is a novel by John Burdett, first published in 2007.-Plot:Detective Sonchai, of the Royal Thai Police, is a former accessory to murder, and a former Buddhist monk. A video is mailed to him anonymously.It is a snuff film of Damrong, a woman he once loved obsessively...
and The Godfather of Kathmandu. His next novel, Vulture Peak, is to be released in the UK in January 2012
Biography
Burdett is a former lawyerLawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
who lived and worked in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
for twelve years. For a time, he was employed by the Hong Kong Government. He later worked in private practice. Eventually, Burdett decided to abandon law and pursue a career as a detective novelist.
Burdett now splits his time between France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
and continues to research his novels in various locations in Thailand. He is divorced and has one daughter.
The Last Six Million Seconds
Set in Hong Kong in April and May of 1997, just before the British turnover of the territory to mainland China, this novel deals with a horrific murder investigation. Three severed heads are found in a floating garbage bag on the maritime border between Hong Kong territory and China. Fortunately, they match the three DNA profiles found in a vat of minced human meat that had been abandoned in a warehouse. Political implications of the crime may complicate the turnover, and political pressure is brought both to halt the investigation and to hurry it. The detective, a half-Chinese half-Irish HK resident, finds himself threatened by both sides -- all the more so when a WMDWMD
WMD may refer to:* Weapon of mass destruction, a term used to describe munitions with the capacity to kill large numbers of human beings indiscriminately* Weighted mean difference, a measure in statistical meta-analysis...
smuggling plot that threatens to force outright war between Britain and China is uncovered.
The Sonchai Jitpleecheep Series
A series of crime novels, mainly set in BangkokBangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
; they consist of 4 books so far: Bangkok 8, Bangkok Tattoo, Bangkok Haunts, The Godfather of Kathmandu and the forthcoming Vulture Peak. They centre on the philosophical Thai Buddhist
Buddhism in Thailand
Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school. Nearly 95% of Thailand's population is Buddhist of the Theravada school, though Buddhism in this country has become integrated with folk beliefs as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai-Chinese population.Buddhist temples in Thailand...
detective, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, and his meditative internal dialogues. Sonchai is a "leuk krung
Luk kreung
A luk kreung , literally "child half", although understood as "half [a] child", is a colloquial reference in the Thai language to a person who is of mixed Thai and European origins....
" or half-caste. He is the son of a former "rented-wife" (a type of prostitute) and a "farang
Farang
Farang , also spelled falang, is the generic Thai word for a Westerner. A general term for foreigners is khon tang prathet . There is no expressly negative or positive implication in the word itself. However when it is used along with other words, it can bring a negative meaning depending on...
." His father, a U.S. military officer, he has never known. Sonchai has spent much of his childhood in Europe and USA, and has acquired cultural insights. A born "outsider," he is also seemingly unbribeable, which only increases his alienation from his colleagues.
The novels involve Thailand's
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
sex industry
Sex industry
The sex industry consists of businesses which either directly or indirectly provide sex-related products and services or adult entertainment...
and the red-light districts of Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. Sexual matters are part of the narrative, including the juxtaposition of often conflicting Thai and Western norms
Norm (sociology)
Social norms are the accepted behaviors within a society or group. This sociological and social psychological term has been defined as "the rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. These rules may be explicit or implicit...
and mores
Mores
Mores, in sociology, are any given society's particular norms, virtues, or values. The word mores is a plurale tantum term borrowed from Latin, which has been used in the English language since the 1890s....
.
They contain larger-than-life characters interwined with a wry sense of humour, and bizarre crimes. The crimes include execution by the release of a container full of cobra
Naja siamensis
Naja siamensis or the Indo-Chinese Cobra is a species of spitting cobra found in Southeast Asia. It is one of the six spitting cobras found in Asia.-Description:...
snakes, into a car where the driver is forcibly prevented from escaping (Bangkok 8), the theft of valuable tattoos (and their associated human skin) off the backs' of murder victims (Bangkok Tattoo), and homicide related to the production of a snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...
video (Bangkok Haunts). Juxtaposed is the investigative nonchalance and Buddhist acceptance of an "arhat" detective who can earnestly meditate even in a Bangkok traffic-jam. Many popular shamanistic superstitions that have carried over into Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in Thailand are explored. Past lives (reincarnation
Reincarnation
Reincarnation best describes the concept where the soul or spirit, after the death of the body, is believed to return to live in a new human body, or, in some traditions, either as a human being, animal or plant...
) and hungry ghosts also contribute to the atmosphere and texture. The novels are in some ways flawed, since Sonchai is given some clues through supernatural means.
Burdett has expressed interest in moving beyond the crime/detective genre once his Bangkok series is complete.
Film
Bangkok 8 was optioned by Millennium Films, which produced the fourth movie in the "Rambo" series in Thailand, and is serious about making the film according to Burdett. Producer John Thompson scouted locations in Bangkok, and James McTeigueJames McTeigue
James McTeigue is an Australian film director. He has been an assistant director on many films, including No Escape , the Matrix trilogy and Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones , and made his directorial debut in the 2006 film V for Vendetta.Born on Sydney's North Shore, he grew up in...
, the director of "V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
", had been hired to direct, but production looks to have been cancelled.
Published works
- A Personal History of Thirst, William Morrow & Co (February 1996), ISBN 0-688-14399-7
- The Last Six Million Seconds, Hodder & Stoughton (January 2, 1997), ISBN 0-340-68904-8
- Bangkok 8: A Novel, Alfred A. Knopf (2003) ISBN 0-9657525-3-4
- Bangkok Tattoo, Vintage Reprint edition (July 11, 2006) ISBN 1-4000-3291-1
- Bangkok Haunts, Alfred A. Knopf (2007) ISBN 0307263185
- The Godfather of Kathmandu, Alfred A. Knopf (2010) ISBN 9780307263193
External links
- John-Burdett.com Official Website
- New York Times interview of John Burdett
- A Thai's Winning Ways, a review of Bangkok Haunts