The godfather of kathmandu

"Detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep has been summoned to the scene of a murder so unsavory it makes most other murders in Bangkok look tame. The victim is a Hollywood director and solving the case could mean a promotion. But Sonchai, reeling from a recent personal tragedy, doesn t want much of anything except spiritual guidance from a Tibetan lama who may be able to lead Sonchai finally into the life dedicated to Buddha that he has always yearned for. But there are obstacles in Sonchai s path to Nirvana. There s his boss, Police Colonel Vikorn, who has just appointed Sonchai to be his consigliere (he s been studying The Godfather on DVD) in his ongoing battle with Army General Zinna. There's the Tibetan lama, Tietsin, who may be enlightened and eerily charismatic, but he s also determined to broker a deal with Vikorn and Zinna that would put 40 million dollars heroin on the streets of Bangkok with Sonchai as his go-between. Throw in the involvement of a woman whose intimate knowledge of pharmaceuticals gives her sorceress-like powers - and what you have is Sonchai put to the extreme test as a cop, as a Buddhist, and as an impossibly earth-bound man."