A late-night poker game in Bangkok nets American ex-pat writer Poke Rafferty the "opportunity" to write the biography of Khun Pan, a flamboyant, vulgar, self-made billionaire with a criminal past and far-reaching political ambitions. Within hours, Rafferty, his wife, Rose, their adopted daughter, Miaow, and Poke's best friend, honest Bangkok cop Arthit, have become disposable pawns in a brutal power struggle among some of Thailand's richest, most ruthless citizens. There are those who would go to any length to ensure the book is never written and others equally desperate to have Pan's darkest secrets exposed. Suddenly Rafferty is sinking deeper in a perilous sea of treachery and intrigue—and caught up in the inhuman machinations of an Asian babyselling ring—as he searches frantically for the only chance he may have to get everyone he loves out alive.
Industry Reviews
"Hallinan's prose will engage readers.... Never lags for intrigue as it interweaves the lives of Thai street children with a tale of political power gone bad."--Kirkus Reviews
"The dialogue crackles, the sense of one of the world's edgiest cities is sharp, and the plight of the poor, especially the children, is moving."--Booklist
"Another masterpiece of contemporary crime fiction. Hallinan takes us on a thrilling Tuk Tuk ride into a city seemingly always on the verge of chaos that somehow always manages to hold together-if you like tautly plotted, intelligent crime fiction do yourself a favor and jump on board."--Adrian McKinty, author of Dead I Well May Be and Fifty Grand
"BREATHING WATER crackles with the intrigue and danger of the streets and sanctums of modern-day Bangkok. Like a twenty-first century Maltese Falcon laced with Bangkok 8."--Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of The Blue Zone, The Dark Tide, and Don't Look Twice
"Cleverly crafted, masterfully written, characters and dialogue rooted in reality, BREATHING WATER offers fascinating insights into the dark side of crime in another culture. Written with the authority of one who knows life on the hard edge in southeast Asia. Another wonderful read from an author who knows his business."--Steve Martini, New York Times bestselling author of Shadow of Power and Compelling Evidence
"Humor and horror expertly play off one another in a rapid-fire story of political intrigue and murder. The plot is skillfully tangled and the sense of menace refreshingly relentless. Top form writing set in Bangkok, a great place for action and a backdrop Hallinan uses to superb advantage."--James Church, author of A Corpse in the Koryo
"The best thriller of the year. Smart, fast, exotic."--Larry Beinhart, author of SALVATION BOULEVARD and American Hero (AKA Wag the Dog)
