This was an excellent story that led up to a great finish. Tim Hallinan provides a sense of Thailand, and leads you to feel like you know Bangkok intimately. The story lines in this series have been fantastic.
I have to admit that I didn't care for the first books in this series - I thought they were sort of a lighter version of John Burdett but I have to admit that they've grown on me. Hallinan has a good sense of humor. Admittedly it is better showcased in the Junior Bender series but it still is good here and the plot and characters are pretty good.