A review by liberrydude
The Fear Artist by Timothy Hallinan

4.0

Poke just wanted to paint his apartment and ends up having a man die in his arms on the way back from the hardware store. He's soon in the hands of the Homeland Security types of Thailand along with a few American spooks. Poke is now playing in the big leagues and this story takes on a spy thriller motif as the amateur goes against the professionals. We have whispers of the Phoenix Program from the Vietnam War along with Muslims in the south of Thailand. Meanwhile his family is safely away on vacation when all this erupts. But Poke needs some help from family and his half sister flies out to assist. They make a formidable duo. Some interesting and surprising twists in this cat and mouse pursuit of truth and you wonder as you are reading how Hallinan is going to wrap this up. I see some exciting plots in the future for Poke now too.