Behind the Night Bazaar

Taught, edgy and vividly realised…delivers the ironies and moral complexities of the best crime thrillers.
Garry Disher

Thirty-something Australian Jayne Keeney works as a PI in Bangkok. Shaken by a serious incident, she heads north to visit her close friend Didier in Chiang Mai, though there’s no relief for her there. Murder is in the air and the police, led by Lieutenant Colonel Ratratarn, have no interest in justice. But Jayne does. With some help from Arthur Conan Doyle she digs deep—past the tacky glamour of the city’s clubs and bars, arrogant expats, corrupt officials, and a steamy affair—to find out just what happened behind the Night Bazaar.

Winner, 2004 Victorian Premiers’ Literary Award Unpublished Manuscript by an Emerging Victorian Writer

Shortlisted, 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Book

Download Teaching notes_Behind the Night Bazaar.

Praise for Behind the Night Bazaar

‘Thought-provoking it is but [Savage] does so in the context of a thoroughly readable and, yes, entertaining story…Keeney emerges as an appealing character, emotional and yet capable of cold-eyed action. She smokes too much, speaks Thai fluently and likes a drink and a shag. She has a well-developed moral compass…Better still, Keeney is built to last and this debut has all the makings of a long-running serial….I’m looking forward to the next instalment.’ — Jeff Glorfeld, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald

‘Coolly elegant with a lovely sense of place, Savage directs her authorial tuk-tuk into the literary precinct without sacrificing the requisite violence, corrupt police, edgy social commentary and the need for her heroine to become a lonely social crusader in the best hard-boiled tradition.’ — Graeme Blundell, The Weekend Australian

‘A resounding debut…Behind the Night Bazaar is an exotic detective novel tinged with darkness that fearlessly plunges into the dangerous Thai backstreets, with a plot that unfolds with defiant assurance’ — Australian Crime Fiction Database

‘The narrative pacing, characters, and setting were all well tailored and clever. Jayne, in particular, was presented as engagingly human, complete with the damaging emotional choices she has made in her past and present… I would definitely recommend this book to those who like clever crime, strong female leads and immersion in a context fraught with politics and race tensions.’ — Tseen Khoo, The Banana Lounge

‘Well-written; solidly political re AIDS, sex work, ex-pats in the “Third” World; culturally sensitive and observant… a decent unravelling of nasty crime. And even better, straight author and detective engaging with gay culture, AIDS and homophobia in meaningful ways. Fab.’ — Writereaderly

‘[A]n excellent debut that vividly evokes its Thai setting’ — Mrs Peabody Investigates

‘Keeney is a well-rounded, smart but not perfect, ass-kicking heroine, and she owes a lot to Sara Paretsky’s V.I. Warshawski… [O]ne of my favorite discoveries…’ — Ms Wordopolis

‘It’s a good read – strong characterisation, well-realised local setting, and some real humour.’ — PJ Coggan

‘Both an engrossing crime thriller and an exploration of skewed notions of love, social responsibility and cultural superiority’ — Judges report, Victorian Premiers’ Literary Awards

★★★★★ Good Reading Magazine — recommended for book clubs.

Recommended Reading – Criminally Good Reads, Reading Room, Yarra-Melbourne Regional Library.

Buy Kindle version on Amazon. See here for other ebook options.

Translated into German as Nachtmarkt.

Available as an audio book.

Reviews

The Age, 1 July 2006
Australian Crime Fiction Database
Writereaderly, 22 Sept 2013
The Banana Lounge, 17 Oct 2013
Mrs Peabody Investigates, 7 Dec 2013
Ms Wordopolis, 10 Dec 2013
PJ Coggan, 19 Dec 2013
The View from the Blue House, 4 June 2014