Philippine Fever

You know you're reading a good book when you can taste, smell, and sense the locale. The Manila heat was palpable, and not just from the weather. The people were real, intriguing, and sometimes a kick in the pants. The story revealed itself slowly like a taunting striptease. Read the book with a cool drink beside you. When the story gets hot and heavy, you'll need it. Great read.

When I picked up this book, I wondered if it would turn out to be as dark and exotic as the cover suggested it would be. And it did! I have never been to Manila, but now I feel like I have. You can feel the heat radiating from every page of this intense book, which manages to combine setting, plot, and character into a heady witches' brew. I thought the Sam Haines character was extremely well done - interesting, and just perverse enough to be realistic. I do have to warn any potential reader that this is a tough book, so if you have a weak stomach or like your mysteries very cozy, this isn't going to be the right book for you. But if you like a well plotted story, exceedingly well told, and you can handle a lot of gritty details about cockfighting, the sex trade, and assault weapons - then you won't be able to put it down (just as I couldn't).

Bruce R. Cook's debut novel, Philippine Fever, is an engrossing and entertaining quick read, although at times a trifle gory. Mystery novels are usually corpse-driven, and this one is no exception with its sleuth of suspects. Set in Manila in the Philippines, where the author had worked and where he researched the material for the book, the story centers on an American from Texas, Harvey Tucker, who is found dead in a dumpster behind a sex club. Apparently, he had been brutally beaten and taser prongs had been hooked to his testicles. Not a pleasant sight! As a result, Sam Haine from the Los Angeles division of Homeland Security (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) is assigned to the case to find why and who killed Tucker. Haine is not overjoyed about traveling to Manila, however, as he states, "it was better to be busy in the field, rather than be stuck behind an analyst's desk." Our protagonist soon finds out that his time in Manila will be more than he bargained for, as he synchronizes his investigation with the local authorities, Detectives Lorenzano and Garcia. Haine discovers that Tucker had been mixed up in a world of unsavory characters involving questionable and sometimes horrendous business activities as the selling of Chinese immigrants. Apparently, Tucker was selling roosters for cockfights- a legitimate sporting event in the Philippines. With the profits, however, Tucker would purchase arms, such as automatic rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and perhaps satchel mines, selling them to various para-military groups. One such group of terrorists was from Texas that were in the process of purchasing from him a cargo of Chinese AK-47's. It was now up to Haine and his colleagues to sniff out and track down Tucker's killer and prevent the shipment. Thrown into the investigation are a series of events and clues that are difficult to connect and don't seem to go anywhere, although all are in one way or another connected to Tucker and his murder. Further complicating matters is that the stunning Jennifer Santos from the office of the fiscal, whom Haine falls for, is asked to drop the case by a prominent congressman. Philippine Fever is well paced storytelling with convincing characters, geographical setting and story plot at its best. Cook has made the most of his working years in Manila, as he succeeds in offering his readers a glimpse of a corner of the world with a unique culture and social context which effectively enhances the novel's many thrilling scenes. Moreover, Cook provides his readers with clues without surprising coincidences that very often mar mystery and detective novels. This one should prove to be a winner and I look forward to more from Bruce Cook- perhaps a series of Sam Haine mysteries? Norm Goldman, Editor Bookpleasures

I don't think I've ever read a book that was so evocative of a place. I felt as though I'd actually visited Manila and seen all the sights, the good, the bad and the...well, you know. Bruce Cook is a master of description, and he has created a set of finely drawn characters that I actually cared about. The story is complex, topical, and scarily believable. I'm already looking forward to the next Sam Haine book.