Sonchai Jitpleecheep is the protagonist of John Burdett’s Bangkok crime series. He is a Royal Thai Police homicide detective, half Thai and half American, raised in Bangkok by his mother. His Buddhist faith and his work in one of the city’s most violent divisions pull him in opposite directions across six novels.
What sets Sonchai apart from other fictional detectives is his perspective. He narrates his cases with a Buddhist awareness of suffering and impermanence that sits uneasily alongside the corruption and brutality of Bangkok’s criminal world. He is not cynical in the way of Western noir detectives — he is genuinely troubled by the moral weight of what he sees. The Sonchai Jitpleecheep series follows his investigations from Bangkok 8 through The Bangkok Asset.
Reading Order#
See the complete Sonchai Jitpleecheep reading order for all books in the series.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Sonchai Jitpleecheep?
Sonchai Jitpleecheep is a Royal Thai Police detective, the son of a Thai mother and an absent American father. He is a devout Buddhist working homicide in Bangkok, and his spiritual practice creates a constant tension with the violence and corruption of his cases.
How many books feature Sonchai Jitpleecheep?
Sonchai appears in six novels: Bangkok 8 (2003), Bangkok Tattoo (2005), Bangkok Haunts (2007), The Godfather of Kathmandu (2009), Vulture Peak (2011), and The Bangkok Asset (2015).
What makes Sonchai Jitpleecheep unusual as a detective character?
Sonchai is a practicing Buddhist who meditates, visits monks, and reflects on karma while investigating murders in one of the world’s most chaotic cities. His narration filters noir crime fiction through a Buddhist worldview, giving the series a voice unlike any other detective series.