A NAIL THROUGH THE HEART, by Timothy Hallinan

1/Poke Rafferty series. Hang on to your hair, my friend, for you're in for a wild, rough ride in this first-of-a-series tale. Settling down in contemporary Bangkok, "rough travel" writer Poke Rafferty's trying to attain a normal life. He has a girlfriend he's trying to marry: ex-Patpong stripper Rose, whose Thai sensibilities are a million miles from Rafferty's California vibe. And he's trying to adopt former street child Miao, an eight year-going-on-forty year old prodigy.  Click below for more...
Two men bribe a guard to dig on the grounds of a private estate. then one peeks at the loot and everything changes. At the same time, Superman, one of Miao's old street urchin friends surfaces. Poke has no idea of their connection, but he senses its far deeper than Miao's connection to him. Then a body turns up in an alley and Poke's friend Arthit, Bangkok police detective, seeks him out. A complicated plot, often brutal, partly focusing on the Khmer Rouge of Cambodia, will keep you enthralled. It's a 5. This guy is a great writer. I wondered why a cable channel hadn't optioned it until I realized it's too rough even for them. But if you love gritty, this writer is for you.
Find the author at www.timothyhallinan.com
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