If there was any doubt us Tay fans wouldn't like Jake Needham's fifth in the series, then lets leave that thought behind.
If you have read the fifth book in the Jack Shepherd series, then you'll see the cross over. Military, dictatorship, Mongkok in Hong Kong, you get my drift. It's all there and so much more. Very few authors writing on Thailand dare go where Needham goes.
It's proof he hasn't sold his soul for the almighty dollar. He isn't looking for fake smiles and recognition, his work tackles the serious issues of our time. It's painful to remind ourselves that Thailand isn't a tropical paradise where the fun never ends.
The deniers will say otherwise.
There's always deniers.
They are the recipients of sabai sabai. It comes at a cost, though.
Rock the boat and watch those doors close.
Rest assured Jake never makes those compromises.
He writes on his own terms.
For that I'm grateful.
If I want to read fantasy-land-material, I'll pick up a glossy magazine.
But if I want dirt and grunge and the truth, it has to be a Jake Needham novel.
You won't find any mystical Buddha shit in Jake's narrative.
Make it clear, he isn't out to impress the Thais.
There's a good starting point when reading And Brother It's Starting to Rain.
