(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
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!
