CSI: Madison - Bangkok 8

Bangkok 8 by John Burdett
Rating: 8.7
The narrator, a Buddhist cop named Sonchai Jitplecheep, finds himself plunged into a dangerous investigation of the deaths by snakebite of his partner Pichai Apiradee and U.S. Embassy Sgt. William Bradley. Sonchai is an unusual character on several levels, from the mysteries of his violent past to his conversations with the ghost of Pichai. His ambiguous feelings toward Kimberley Jones, an American FBI agent brought in to work the case, reflect his upbringing as the child of a Thai mother and an unknown American father. Part mystery, part thriller and part exploration of Thai attitudes toward sex, this accomplished first novel by Burdett delivers both entertainment and depth. (Publisher's Weekly)