Review of LAUNDRY MAN by Jake Needham

(The Jack Shepherd International Crime Novels Book 1)

Mystery / Thriller

Date Published: January 16, 2014

“LAUNDRY MAN is in the tough-talking tradition of Elmore Leonard and Ed McBain and deeply infused with a sense of place. Jake Needham gets things right.” -- Asia Review of Books

Once a high-flying international lawyer, a member of the innermost circles of government power, Jack Shepherd has abandoned the savage politics of Washington for the lethargic backwater of Bangkok, where he is now just an unremarkable professor at an unimportant university in an insignificant city.

Or is he?

A secretive Asian bank collapses under dubious circumstances. A former law partner Shepherd thought was dead admits he was behind the disgraced bank and coerces Shepherd into helping him track the hundreds of millions of dollars that disappeared in the collapse. A twisting trail of deceit leads Shepherd from Bangkok to Hong Kong and eventually to an isolated villa on the fabled island of Phuket where he confronts the evil at the heart of a monstrous game of international treachery.

A lawyer among people who laugh at the law, a friend in a land where today’s allies are tomorrow’s fugitives, Jack Shepherd battles a global tide of corruption, extortion and murder that is fast engulfing the new life he has made for himself in Thailand

 

REVIEW

Superb Complex Thriller – BUY IT

Jack Shepherd is living the life in Bangkok. Teaching at Chulalongkorn University, his lawyering days are behind him – or so he thought. A two o’clock in the morning call awakens him from a sound sleep, but that’s not the problem. The problem is the other guy on the line. He insists he’s Barry Gale, but as everyone knows, Gale is dead.

Oh, this book is a winner!

LAUNDRY MAN by Jake Needham is the kind of book you hope to find, but rarely do. From the first page, it sinks its hook into a reader’s soft palate, and doesn’t let go. Good on so many levels, it’s sort of frightening that someone can tell a story this well, but that’s what happens in this non-stop plunge into a conspiratorial abyss.

Needham is masterful in his delivery. The atmosphere and descriptions are first-rate, and as for the story, it’s cogent and impressive in scope. No doubt that you’ll want to be puttin’ on those thinking caps for this one! The plot hinges on dirty business deals and global finance, but don’t worry if you’re not up on international law. The ins and outs are told in a remarkable understandable style. The complex information is comprehensible and quickly processed. The skillful handling helps prevent the pacing from getting bogged down, while its inclusion helps form a fuller, more intricate picture of the spidery doings going on.

Jack Shepherd is a bona fide hit. His character is illustrated to the nth degree. We see his strengths and many flaws, but don’t lose sympathy because of the shortcomings. Instead, we fight alongside him as the web tightens round him. In fact, all the very many seamy, seamier, seamiest characters he meets along the way are enjoyable. They’re of the scum-sucking variety and really add depth of flavor to this soup.

Everybody has an angle, and I wasted no time in trying like crazy to figure out what they were and where the story was headed. Luckily, it was impossible, and so I gave up trying and went along for the ride. Let me tell you it was sensational, and it’s books like these that make me want to give up backseat driving for good!

Kudos to Mr. Needham, and to those savvy enough to pick this baby up and find how good reading can be. While I usually include both up and downsides in my reviews, there are no downsides here. It’s why I can give it FIVE BIG BOLD THRILLING STARS for a job well done! If you’re into intelligent action, LAUNDRY MAN is a must! 

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