The Second Poison

Hate, revenge and redemption on the streets of Bangkok

Pieter Wilhelm

Paperback 9781912049561
Ebook 9781912049578
Extent 208pp
Category Crime fiction
Pub date November 2019

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In Buddhism greed, hatred and delusion are known as The Three Poisons. The most destructive of these three is hatred: The Second Poison.

When Tony, a former US Army interrogator, travels to Thailand to track down those responsible for ripping off his father in a boiler room telesales scam, he soon finds himself embroiled in the murky underworld of illegal muay thai kickboxing gambling, money laundering, sex work and digital crime. The Second Poison explores hatred, revenge and redemption in present-day Thailand from a number of perspectives: the hardened farang (Caucasian) army veteran; the compassionate Thai girl born a boy, who once murdered her sister’s rapists; the godfather of a Hong Kong gambling syndicate and the Thai cop who turns a blind eye to crimes of passion … their stories intertwining throughout the book.

About the Author

Dutch national Pieter Wilhelm was born in the eastern part of the Netherlands to a very religious family who attempted, unsuccessfully, to indoctrinate him with their brand of religion. A runaway teen who dropped out of technical college, Pieter worked the funfairs before cleaning and coating oil tanks on ships and in factories. After entering compulsory national service at 19, Pieter was convicted of insubordination for which he served time in a military jail. Once discharged from the army, he worked as a delivery courier and sold insurance. In 2005, Pieter emigrated to Thailand and became a language teacher in Bangkok. Pieter likes to travel, not only in Thailand but also throughout Southeast Asia, frequently off the beaten track. The Second Poison is his debut novel. Learn more about the author at pieterwilhelm.com.