Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangkok 8 | 2003 | John Burdett | Buy |
| 2 | Bangkok Tattoo | 2005 | John Burdett | Buy |
| 3 | Bangkok Haunts | 2007 | John Burdett | Buy |
| 4 | The Godfather of Kathmandu | 2009 | John Burdett | Buy |
| 5 | Vulture Peak | 2011 | John Burdett | Buy |
| 6 | The Bangkok Asset | 2015 | John Burdett | Buy |
The Sonchai Jitpleecheep series by John Burdett begins with Bangkok 8 in 2003 and follows a Buddhist homicide detective through six novels set in Thailand’s capital. Sonchai is half Thai and half American, raised by his mother in Bangkok, and his cases take him through the city’s temples, markets, and criminal networks.
Each novel works as a standalone mystery while building on Sonchai’s character and his relationships with recurring figures including his mother, his boss Colonel Vikorn, and the various criminals and monks who populate his world. The series ran through 2015 with The Bangkok Asset, and the books are as much about Bangkok itself as about the crimes Sonchai investigates.