[1] Set in Hong Kong in April and May 1997, just before the British turnover of the territory to mainland China, this novel deals with a horrific murder investigation.
Three severed heads are found in a floating garbage bag on the maritime border between Hong Kong territory and China.
Sonchai has spent much of his childhood in Europe and the U.S.. A born "outsider", he is also seemingly unbribeable, which increases his alienation from his colleagues.
Sexual matters are part of the narrative, including the juxtaposition of often conflicting Thai and Western norms and mores.
Apart from the Anglo-Saxon cultural traditions with which he was brought up, Burdett has shown considerable familiarity with Confucian, Buddhist, Latin and North African societies, due to his extensive travels.
[2] Producer John Thompson scouted locations in Bangkok, and James McTeigue, the director of V for Vendetta, had been hired to direct, but production looks to have been cancelled.