John Burdett
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John Burdett (born 1954) is a British crime novelist. He is the bestselling author of Bangkok 8 and its sequel, Bangkok Tattoo.
[edit] Biography
Burdett is a former lawyer 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. However, more drawn to writing, Burdett decided to abandon law and pursue a career as a detective novelist. He is divorced and has one daughter.
The Bangkok novels center on the Thai Buddhist detective, Sonchai Jitleecheep. Sonchai's internal dialogues are a cross between Sherlock Holmes, Carl Jung, and the Buddha.
The Sonchai Jitleecheep novels are set in Bangkok's red light district and usually involve Thailand's international sex tourism industry. Sexual matters are often at the center of the narrative, but the sexual descriptions are never gratuitously salacious. Frequently, the novels contain bizarre crimes and cruel characters. Burdett now lives in Bangkok and spends a lot of time in the red light areas of Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza, researching.
Burdett's third Bangkok novel, Bangkok Haunts, will be published in June 2007.
[edit] 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
