The Fourth Watcher

Timothy Hallinan

6/29/2008

Poke Rafferty has found his home in Bangkok. It consists of Rose, who he wants to marry, and Miaow, his adopted daughter. Both are more important to him than he ever would have guessed any person could be. They live in a small apartment that he originally rented for himself when he came there to write his life-on-the-edge books.

Now Rafferty is trying to redefine what he writes. He needs to change his focus to something he can write to support his family. He has decided to learn about espionage and crime. He hires an ex-CIA agent living in Bangkok to help him learn skills like spotting and evading a tail.

Unfortunately, he's going to need the skills he's learning. First, someone is trying to set up Rose and her business partner as counterfeiters. Second, there is another person tailing him that is not connected with his work. Third, an unwanted connection from his past is trying to contact him.

Rafferty is working all the angles with his friend Arthrit, one of the honest policemen in Bangkok. Together they are working on the counterfeit money problem. They have learned from a U.S. Secret Service agent that the fake money is coming from North Korea and is close to impossible to tell from the real thing. The money is in many countries' denominations, including U.S. and Thailand's.

The connection from his past brings more baggage than expected. That group wants Rafferty warned that he is inadvertently in trouble because of the connection. There is an evil man trying to find the first group and will use Rafferty to lead him to them even though Rafferty hasn't seen them in many years. And no one connected with Rafferty is safe because of that connection.

Timothy Hallinan uses the city of Bangkok as a character in The Fourth Watcher as much as the people themselves. Rafferty knows the underside of the city and its evils. He's about to learn much more about the dark side of Southeast Asia and its dealings with the world economy.

The Fourth Watcher is a dark, fast-paced novel. Poke Rafferty is a smart alec, which relieves some of the tension. For the most part this is a rough novel that pulls the reader through. As the all-knowing reader you know that everything will probably work out all right. Yet...

If you're squeamish about the dark side of the sex industry and/or humanity, this novel isn't for you - and that's just in the background. If you like edge-of-your seat intrigue, you'll like this novel.

You can find more about this book at .

Notice: Violence situations

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The Fourth Watcher

Provided for review