cover image Bangkok Vanishing

Bangkok Vanishing

Eric Rogers. Exotic (www.bangkokvanishing.com), $15.99 trade paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-61542-421-7

Former Marine Blake Lawrence is on a trip to Thailand with his friends when he meets a young Thai bargirl, Geng. Against his better judgment (he's married), they have a night of passion together, which makes him fall for her in ways he'd never expected, especially when she offers him new hope about his terminal cancer going into remission. However, what Blake doesn't know is that Geng's viciously abusive boyfriend Mac has videotaped them together and plans on blackmailing him with the tape. Blake learns this when he is already back in California with his family. He decides to rally his two Marine friends, Biggus and Pete and return to Thailand intent on freeing Geng from Mac's tyranny, retrieving the tape and destroying Mac. All bets are off when Mac gets his hands on Blake's children. Blake must try to save everyone or risk seeing his entire life destroyed. Rogers's debut demonstrates a fantastic grip of setting and immersing readers in a foreign culture, but that isn't enough to save it from its terse over-expository language and stereotypical characters. While readers may be very curious about his rich painting of Thailand, they will not be as drawn in by the story. (July)