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Spirit House
(Vincent Calvino #1)
by
In the nearly twenty years he has lived in Bangkok, Christopher G. Moore has written nine novels starring Vincent Calvino, a disbarred American lawyer working as a PI in the dark and steamy Thai capital. Internationally acclaimed, the prizewinning novels have been translated into ten languages. Now Spirit House, the first novel in the series, will finally be published in N
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(first published 1992)
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Start your review of Spirit House (Vincent Calvino #1)
Synopsis: Calvino plunges in when a farang dies and the Bangkok police have a confession that he doesn't believe. The city can be dangerous.
A great first chapter leads us into a Calvino canon that has been running for many years. Moore hardly puts a foot wrong here. The prose is economical, each event needs to occur in order for the entire book to stand on her legs and walk. Walk she does. Beautifully. While a few writers have carried the torch of Bangkok noir fiction for brief snatches of time, Moore has proved time and time again that his is the light that they are following. After many years this book and others of Moore's have f
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PROTAGONIST: PI Vincent Calvino
SETTING: Bangkok
SERIES: #1 if 14
RATING: 4.0
WHY: It's nothing out of the ordinary for a farang (Caucasian) to be killed in Bangkok. But it is unusual for the killer to confess the next day. PI Vincent Calvino doesn't believe that a young paint-thinner addict has murdered Ben Hoadly, an expat Brit. Joining forces with his best friend, Pratt, a Thai police colonel, and a friend/lover naked Kiko, Calvino plunges into the dangerous world of Bangkok. Moore does an except ...more
SETTING: Bangkok
SERIES: #1 if 14
RATING: 4.0
WHY: It's nothing out of the ordinary for a farang (Caucasian) to be killed in Bangkok. But it is unusual for the killer to confess the next day. PI Vincent Calvino doesn't believe that a young paint-thinner addict has murdered Ben Hoadly, an expat Brit. Joining forces with his best friend, Pratt, a Thai police colonel, and a friend/lover naked Kiko, Calvino plunges into the dangerous world of Bangkok. Moore does an except ...more
Ok, I couldn't actually finish this book. Tough guy PI (of course, he's *from* Brooklyn, and a disbarred lawyer to boot)in Thailand. Usually, I love this kind of macho exercise, but this novel never really came together for me. The POV changes without warning and without reason. Eh.
After reading a review of the latest book in this series, I was curious enough to want to read the first one. It is a hard-boiled PI story set in Bangkok. I've been there a few times over the years and the place rings true. Vincent's life is a little depressing but realistic. If you like noir and SE Asia crime, you'll probably love this book.
Expat disbarred lawyer works as a p.i. in Bangkok. He navigates through layers of intrigue in the labyrinth of Thai society trying to find who killed an English businessman. From bars to squash court he pursues his quest. Vinnie Calvino is a like able character with problems but a decent streak. He has respect for Thai culture even if it trips him up. Realistic characters make a good yarn.
I really enjoy mysteries that are set in Thailand for some reason. This is definitely more of a hard-boiled, noir-type mystery than an atmospheric, surreal kind of mystery. I liked meeting the characters, and enjoyed the ending.
Slow starting
The novel was slow to get started. After laying the ground work the pace picked up and kept me turning the pages to the end.
The novel was slow to get started. After laying the ground work the pace picked up and kept me turning the pages to the end.
Timothy Hallinan, author of the Poke Rafferty series, introduced me to Thai crime fiction and Hallinan's short story in Bangkok Noir (Akashic, 2011) introduced me to Christopher G. Moore's writing. I can't believe it took me that long to discover Moore.
Spirit House is excellent, featuring private investigator Vincent Calvino. Calvino knows the nighttime, the darkness of the city. He's broken in some ways - given to drink, not able to love. But Calvino's observant and smart, with a sense of just ...more
Spirit House is excellent, featuring private investigator Vincent Calvino. Calvino knows the nighttime, the darkness of the city. He's broken in some ways - given to drink, not able to love. But Calvino's observant and smart, with a sense of just ...more
To be honest I bought this book thinking it was by Christopher Moore and not Christopher G. Moore...Yes I should pay more attention to these details. In the end I was happy enough as Moore writes like Raymond Chandler crossed with Elmore Leonard. He sets his story in Thailand which makes a nice change from the mean streets of New York or Los Angeles as many cop turned private detective books are frequently based in these two familiar urban environments.
Moore's hero, Vinee Calvino is in the best ...more
Moore's hero, Vinee Calvino is in the best ...more
This was my second Vince Calvino book. I just couldn't get into it. His writing confuses me at times. I don't know if it's a lack of continuity, a failure to make clear what the antecedents are for his pronouns, or just my ignorance, but I find it difficult to follow in places. I just slogged through it, hoping the ending would make up for it (but it didn't).
Don't know if I'll make it through this one because it's set in Bangkok and the author brings in lots of stuff about the sex trade there as background and I'm getting grossed out...on the other hand, it's an interesting mystery and I want to see what happens...OK, I gave up. The grossed-out part beat out the wanting-to-see-what-happens part.
A good story, but the style of writing was a little confusing. However, knowing that the series has reached fifteen books, the writing style must have improved in the future books.
If you are a fan of John Burdett Bangkok series, do give CGM's Vincent Calvino series a try. It is a more grittier version of Burdett's Bangkok.
If you are a fan of John Burdett Bangkok series, do give CGM's Vincent Calvino series a try. It is a more grittier version of Burdett's Bangkok.
I could not finish it either -- I read far enough to figure out who did what, then quit. I felt like it suffered from really poor editing; there were jarring transitions and references to events I couldn't remember, like large sections had been cut out and the rewrite was rushed.
Great suspenseful read & definitely recommended!
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Christopher G. Moore is a Canadian author who has lived in Thailand since 1988. Formerly a law professor at the University of British Columbia and a practicing lawyer, Moore has become a public figure in Southeast Asia, known for his novels and essays that have captured the spirit and social transformation of Southeast Asia over the past three decades.
Moore has written over 30 fiction and non-fic ...more
Moore has written over 30 fiction and non-fic ...more
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