Stephen Shaiken

In Bangkok, everyone gets the chance to start over. Few questions are asked. When American criminal defense lawyer Glenn Murray Cohen took a bundle of cash from a murdered client and moved to Thailand and a new life, he thought his troubles were over. For seven years, Glenn enjoys the life of a wealthy expat, forms friendships and seeks love, spending much of his time at the mysterious NJA Club where he pursues the beautiful Noi. This pleasant life is turned upside down when American agents come calling, pressuring him to kidnap a Russian gangster, a dangerous task for which he is woefully unprepared. Glenn recruits his close friends from the NJA Club to help him, all of whom reveal useful talents as they are drawn into an underbelly of corruption, criminal activity and international intrigue hidden in the shadows of Bangkok. Bangkok is a constant presence, creating a mood that is both exotic and noir.

The author was a criminal lawyer in San Francisco for over thirty years and lived in Bangkok for several years after retiring. This novel shows you the Big Mango as rarely seen by foreigners.