Jayne followed Didier into the Night Bazaar, a concrete building that could pass for an underground carpark. As they zigzagged along aisles laden with clothing and souvenirs she wondered who created the demand for stuffed cobras wrestling with mongooses, scorpions in glass boxes and metre-long wooden penises. She paused briefly to feel the fabric of a crimson and black sarong: one hundred per cent polyester.

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.

Angela Savage has brought the streets of Thailand vividly to life. In Jayne Keeney she has created a gutsy heroine. This is an unforgettable debut novel and the start of an exciting new series.