Kingdom of Make-Believe by Dean Barrett

Kingdom of Make-Believe

A Novel by Dean Barrett

A New York publisher who once served in Thailand during the Vietnam War receives a plea for help from his late brother’s Thai widow. When he returns to Thailand after 20 years he finds that the nostalgic portrait he carried of Thailand Past bears little resemblance to reality, and he begins to uncover deception, danger and death.

Scenes in the novel range from Manhattan’s Greenwich Village to a typhoon-ravaged Hong Kong to Thailand’s notorious nightlife and warlord betrayals in the inside the Golden Triangle. A gripping mystery and exotic thriller, it is also the story of a man coming to terms with reality and himself.

“A funny and wise and well written book. It is full of startling offbeat scenes that burn into your consciousness. In subtle and unexpected ways, Kingdom of Make-Believe describes the exotic and the grotesque, the beauty and the mystery, the danger and the flamboyance when life in Thailand had a steamy and darker edge.” Tom Chapman, Editor, Sawasdee Magazine

“A poignant and perceptive novel describing the passions unleashed when West meets East, Kingdom of Make-Believe is written with sensitivity and style by a writer who has a clear understanding of both worlds.” John Hoskin, author, The Mekong

“Kingdom of Make-Believe could only have been written by one who has experienced the Kingdom – and felt the pangs of seeing its magic mirrors crack and shatter.” Denis Gray, Chief of Bureau, AP, Bangkok

Paperback
Village East Books
Florida 1999
272 Pages
ISBN 9780966189902