The Missing Guests of the Magic Grove Hotel

by David Casarett

Overview

A fascinating mystery featuring Ladarat Patalung, the first and only nurse detective in Thailand.
As a nurse ethicist, Ladarat Patalung works to save the lives of her patients, and to make sure the ones she can't save have at least the dignity of a "good death."
But when wealthy foreign travelers start to go missing all across Thailand, Detective Wiriya Mookjai fears that a killer is at large, and turns to Ladarat for help.
The travelers have nothing in common, except for brief stays at a mysterious resort, known as the Magic Grove Hotel. . .

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316270663
Publisher:	Redhook
Publication date:	09/24/2024
Series:	Ethical Chiang Mai Detective Agency , #2
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	372
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

David Casarett, M.D., is a physician, researcher, and tenured associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine. He is the author of three acclaimed works of non-fiction. His studies have resulted in more than one hundred articles and book chapters, published in leading medical journals such as JAMA and the New England Journal of Medicine. His many awards include the prestigious U.S. Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. He lives in Philadelphia.

Editorial Reviews

"Stellar sequel [with] a refreshingly admirable lead."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Casarett's second Chang Mai Detective Agency novel has oodles of old-fashioned charm, with an easy pace, colorful characters, and a lively curiosity for the interesting details of everyday life. Piquantly titled chapters add a soupcon of comic zest."—Kirkus

"Perfect for those who enjoy Colin Cotterill and Alexander McCall Smith."—Booklist (starred review)

"A charming mystery...a delight."—Vaseem Khan, author of the Baby Ganesh Detective Agency series, on Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

"A wonderful debut novel full of the sights, sounds and senses of Thailand mixed in with one hell of a great plot and a heroine — Ladarat Patalung — who stays with you long after the book is closed. Bring on the second in the series."—Ian Hamilton, author of the Ava Lee novels, on Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

"I love this book. It's not only a killer mystery, but it also introduces a uniquely appealing central character and gives us a warm and accurate look into the Thai heart."—Timothy Hallinan, author of the Junior Bender mysteries and the Poke Rafferty Bangkok thrillers, on Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

"Appealing."—Kirkus, on Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

"The characters are extremely likeable and introspective... Well-written and filled with rich tidbits of Thai culture."—Popular Culture Association Mystery & Detective Fiction Reading List, on Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness

From the Publisher

2017-09-04
An investigative odd couple unravels the mystery surrounding a series of disappearances and more in Thailand.Public acclaim and notoriety have found Ladarat Patalung, nurse ethicist at Sriphat Hospital, after she and Detective Wiriya Mookjai have solved a series of murders unsettling the citizens of Chang Mai (Murder at the House of Rooster Happiness, 2016, etc.). So it's only natural that the Department of Tourism would ask Wiriya to check out a potential series of tourist disappearances, with a name, Sharon McPhiller, and a place, the Magic Grove Hotel, as starting points. When Wiriya brings the case to Ladarat for a second opinion, she's already coping with another matter that may or may not require Wiriya's assistance. A pair of hospital employees have come to her with the suspicion that something's wrong with Dr. Taksin, who's "behaving strangely, and making mistakes." If that's not enough intrigue to pique Ladarat's blossoming detective's instinct, her assistant, Sisithorn, calls unexpectedly with the news that she's discovered a smuggling ring. (Ladarat doesn't even know what a smuggling ring is.) Ladarat's lively therapy dog, Chi, provides amusing distractions from her myriad efforts. Not surprisingly, the ensuing investigation follows a course full of detours that eventually lands the duo at the eponymous hotel, where the owner behaves very suspiciously indeed. The disappearance of a guest there prompts them to accelerate their probe. Casarett's second Chang Mai Detective Agency novel has oodles of old-fashioned charm, with an easy pace, colorful characters, and a lively curiosity for the interesting details of everyday life. Piquantly titled chapters add a soupcon of comic zest.

Kirkus Reviews