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Series Review
Expat PI Brings American-style Justice to Thailand
Somehow, trouble always finds American expat Poke Rafferty, the hero of five Poke Rafferty Thrillers, who has a real genius for violence.

Poke came to Thailand to write a travel guide and stayed to build a family with Rose, a former bar girl, and adopted daughter Miaow, a former street kid.  Poke's good with his fists and has a special way of poking the bad guys with a stick. He also has a talented sidekick,  Arthit, a Thai cop walking a perilous line between serving justice and serving the rich and powerful.

Action-packed page-turners that avoid the major cliches of the genre

A  thriller is a wonderful thing, especially when it is well-written and inventive. Non-stop action, crisp dialog, and an insider's take on Bangkok put this crime series near the top of my "favorites" list.

Series Guide
Jump in anywhere but don't miss any of them!

Book Summaries
Below, the Poke Rafferty thrillers in chronological order:

A Nail Through the Heart
(2007, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #1)
An over-generous retainer pulls Poke beneath the surface of the smiling Thai culture.
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The Fourth Watcher
(2008, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #2)
Poke's estranged father turns up in Bangkok for a family visit--with a gang of Chinese thugs in hot pursuit.
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Breathing Water 
(2009, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #3)
A feud amongst power-brokers puts Poke's family in jeopardy.
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The Queen of Patpong 
(2010, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #4)
A ghost from Rose's past returns to threaten Poke and Miaow.
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The Fear Artist 
(2011, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #5)
A stranger dies in Poke's arms--mayhem follows.
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For the Dead
(2014, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #6)
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Things fall apart when Miaow helps her boyfriend buy a stolen iPhone, which contains photographs of two dead policemen.
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Poke Rafferty Thrillers
by Timothy Hallinan
Noir aka Hardboiled Series Set in Thailand
Book Reviews
Poke Rafferty Series
(From newest to oldest; Dates refer to publication in the US in English;
# refers to series order)
Above, from top to bottom:  
Thai Ink; Storefronts in Bangkok, Thailand; Street eating in Bangkok; Motorcycle messengers in Bangkok

Bangkok Ink
Bangkok Storefronts
Street eating Bangkok style
Motorcycle riders in Bangkok
Breathing Water  (2009, Poke Rafferty #3) by Timothy Hallinan
 A Nail Through the Heart  (2007, Poke Rafferty #1) by Timothy Hallinan
 The Fourth Watcher  (2008, Poke Rafferty #2) by Timothy Hallinan
A Nail Through the Heart
(2007, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #1)
by Timothy Hallinan
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Great action. Great characters--especially the kids. And Poke's Bangkok is mesmerizing. A city of contrasts: great joy, great cruelty. Fascinating.

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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
The Fourth Watcher 
(2008, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #2)
by Timothy Hallinan
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Really enjoyed this one.

Poke learns more than he ever wanted to know about his deadbeat dad in this gripping crime novel.

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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
Breathing Water 
(2009, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #3)
by Timothy Hallinan
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Nice one--maybe my favorite so far. The tough and ingenious Poke keeps the good guys alive--barely--and brings a richly deserved bad end to some of the baddest bad guys in Bangkok. 

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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
Cliffhanger's 4 Heart Rating
Cliffhanger's 4 Heart Rating
Cliffhanger's 5 Heart Rating
The Queen of Patpong  (2010, Poke Rafferty #4) by Timothy Hallinan
The Queen of Patpong
(2010, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #4)
by Timothy Hallinan
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2010 EDGAR NOMINEE

Not my favorite because a large part of the book is a flashback to Rose's past--which is interesting but doesn't include Poke. And Poke is where the action is in this crime series.

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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
Cliffhanger's 3 Heart Rating
The Fear Artist  (2011, Poke Rafferty #5) by Timothy Hallinan
The Fear Artist 
(2011, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #5)
by Timothy Hallinan
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NOT YET REVIEWED

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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
Other mystery series set in Thailand:

Noir aka Hardboiled
Indexes
For the Dead(2014, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #6) by Timothy Hallinan
For the Dead
(2014, Poke Rafferty Thrillers #6)
by Timothy Hallinan
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COMING IN NOV 2014
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(Noir aka Hardboiled. Private Investigators. Set in Thailand.)
Private Investigators
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