Murder at the Horny Toad Bar: & Other Outrageous Tales of Thailand

I very much enjoyed this book. It is sexy, funny and informative about Thailand and about how an oversexed Western male is overwhelmed by the beauty of Thai women. And the non-fiction section has some very fine writing. The cover story is a satirical look at a sleazy Western detective in Bangkok and is a hilarious sendup of detective novels. The writer obviously has a gift for humor and he is not afraid to honestly show his own weaknesses and shortcomings. A great read.

Murder at the Horny Toad Bar has various sections, some fiction, some non-fiction, but each section is loaded with "outrageous" stories or recollections of life in Thailand. Barrett engages us with his directness and he never spares himself in his criticism. He is almost always outwitted or bewitched by some gorgeous Thai woman (in one case Cambodian) but his writing keeps the reader from ever being bored. The main story, Murder at the Horny Toad Bar, is as sassy as it is humorous. Yet it is in fact a well plotted detective story. The writing is sexy, funny, and at times hilarious.

I love Bangkok and I like this book because the author talks about his experiences in fiction and non-fiction with an honesty that grabs the reader. And he knows how to write. His narration of his trip to a Cambodia refugee camp is worth the price of the book alone but of course his Memoirs of an Oversexed Farang (foreigner) section reveals how much he loves the women of Thailand. Lots of Fun and great information for open-minded readers.

This book is part fiction and also some non-fiction and is a lot of fun to read. The author obviously has been around the block a bit and is now most likely more contemplative than when he first arrived in Thailand. The non-fiction is good reading especially the article on Cambodia, Just One Beer. The fiction is fun and the sexy detective story is a scream! The last part about the author's relations with Thai women over the years is the real winner here though. I often laughed out loud. Been there, done that, myself. A great book for lovers of Asia.

I leave the Kingdom tomorrow loaded down with books to read when I get back but this book intrigued me enough to dip into it while I'm here and then I had to keep reading. It is fiction and fact and a satirical takeoff on detective fiction written by someone who obviously knows Thailand. His encounters with Thai women shows he knows a few things about them too - not enough to come out ahead - but still more than most. Writing was good, usually witty. Great looking woman on the cover sure attracts a reader at least a male reader to the book. Some of the encounters with Thai women are really funny. Highly recommended. Not a book for the whole family though.