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www.groovekorea.com / March 2014 64 T he private investigator archetype has a few widely expected tendencies, at least since Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett outlined the form: He should be a man of few words, keep his emotions to himself (at least until a climactic moment when all is revealed) and be extraordinarily, almost preter- naturally gifted at both finding incriminating information and the art of self-defense. Mason, the protagonist of Ron McMillan’s “Bangkok Cowboy” — don’t hold your breath waiting for his full name — will not challenge any of these conceptions of the PI. Read the book anyway. For one thing, the familiar tendencies have been updated, as this PI accomplishes much of the standard detective work with a smart- phone. He’s quiet due to traumatic memories of his service in Af- ghanistan, where pilots stationed continents away either gloss over the harm done by the advanced weapons systems they operate, or simply don’t notice. For another, much as a straight man in a com- edy routine sets up laughter to come from elsewhere, the familiar backdrop provided by Mason’s English-ness helps anchor the story as it sails into a sea of unfamiliar settings and characters — espe- cially for anyone who hasn’t spent a great deal of time in Thailand. Such characters include a feisty, transgendered Thai partnered with Mason. Then there’s a pair of foreign-born, ethnic Thais using a strip club as a front for much less legal, much more deplorable pastimes; a flamboyantly gay bar owner with a no-BS retired cop who serves as his partner, both personally and professionally; a Ko- rean pastor whose giving heart could benefit from a b it more cyni- cism; and an unflappable Chinese mafioso with a Scottish brogue. McMillan tells their stories with panache, bringing to life the dank, humid environment of Bangkok’s seedy underbelly. Whether involv- ing fists, knives or guns, the book’s violence is described with a grace reminiscent of a ballet performance. It makes for brisk reading, though this is not always to its ad- vantage. Mason’s hard edges and the emotional “walls” separating him from close relationships are, for much of the book, explained away with references to “Gina.” His experiences with this Gina are ultimately revealed in an explanatory passage midway through the book that is so short that the profundity of Gina’s effect on Mason stretches believability; his PTSD from Afghanistan and loss of faith in military authorities who are quick to cover up innocent deaths — which the book describes in graphic detail — would have sufficed. And though Mason’s transgender partner Dixie (Mason and Dixie — get it?) adds a bit of local flavor, it’s hard not to feel as though Thais are in the background of this story, as the hard-boiled PI from the British Isles fights to save his Seattle-based friend from a pair of Canadians involved in the most vile of flesh trades while backed by Vancouver-based Chinese mobsters. Still, McMillan’s gifts as a storyteller are clear; the setting is a unique and refreshing one, and at least they’ve steered clear of any oversimplified local villains. Fans of the noir genre and of fiction involving expats in Asia should check out “Bangkok Cowboy.” Ron McMillan’s spy noir a smooth ride into expat fction Review by rob york McMIllan Tells The characTers’ sTorIes wITh panache, brIngIng To lIfe The dank, hUMId envIronMenT of bangkok’s seedy Underbelly. BANgKOK COWBOY By Ron McMillan 221 pages Available for purchase online at Amazon.com Kindle price: $5.49 ‘Bangkok CowBoy’ Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com) MuSIC & ARTS