A Nail Through The Heart

A Poke Rafferty Thriller

By: Timothy Hallinan

Narrated by: Victor Bevine

Length: 10 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Poke Rafferty was writing offbeat travel guides for the young and terminally bored when Bangkok stole his heart. Now the American expat is assembling a new family with Rose, the former go-go dancer he wants to marry, and Miaow, the tiny, streetwise urchin he wants to adopt.

But trouble in the guise of good intentions comes calling just when everything is beginning to work out. Poke agrees to take in Superman, Miaow's troubled and terrifying friend from the gutter. Then he agrees to help locate a distraught Aussie woman's missing uncle and accepts a generous payment to find a blackmailing thief. No longer gliding carelessly across the surface of a culture he doesn't really understand, suddenly Poke is plodding through dark and unfamiliar terrain - and everything and everyone he loves is in terrible danger.

©2007 Timothy Hallinan (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Don't miss your chance to read [ A Nail Through the Heart ] before it starts winning all its awards.... every page shimmers with life and light. Hallinan's is a writer's writer, and this is great stuff!" (John Lescroart)

Best narrator

Best narrator I can ever remember listening too. His voices of the characters makes them come alive and you believe they really exist and have real lives. The subject matter may be hard for some. It is gritty novel of perversion in Thailand. For those of us who have spent some time in Asia, we can relate to third world societies, corruption and poverty all condoned by the ruling elite. I will definitely be reading the sequels.

Poke Raffery is a blast.

Would you listen to A Nail Through The Heart again? Why?

Yes. I love the action. I love the way Poke tries to correct the terrible things done to the people he loves.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. And I liked it so much I went out & bought all the other books in the series.

A High Price

I am so glad that the ending was such as it was..how much it sobered the reader very quickly, and realize the high stakes game so many countries (and each one's citizens) are playing with entire generations. Just look at Mme Wing.

Wonderful Blend Between Thriller & Cultural Study

Having lived in Southeast Asia for over 12 years, I have to admit to having some trepidation about reading a book about a white guy named 'Poke'.

I shouldn't have worried. Hallinan offers up a marvelous blend of noir thriller, ethnographic study and a complex romance. I can honestly say I was engaged every minute of the 10 hours.

His portrait of Bangkok's seamy underbelly is spot on. And yet he takes the reader through it with enough of a detached eye to focus us on the central mystery. His main character is an brilliantly flawed, engaging and open man who draws the reader in and doesn't let go.

The story takes a serious journey into the world of child prostitution, abuse and pornography and the devastation it leaves behind in the lives it's touched. It also takes a haunting trip into the horrors of the Cambodia of the Khmer Rouge. Hallinan wraps it up in a web of police corruption, Buddhist mysticism and the jaded expat's view of Bangkok.

This book is not for the faint of heart. Some of it is extremely gritty. But it is not sensational in its approach and well worth the listening time and the credit.

The narrator is perfect for the story. You couldn't ask for better.

Beautiful Writing...Harsh Reality

Halinan's word craft is remarkable. Beautiful even. The story itself is engaging though harsh. The narration is stellar. The characters are compelling and multi faceted.

SEX TRAVELERS OR FRIENDS—READ THIS!

This story is heartbreaking. It is a story of what it’s really like for the boys, girls and women who work in or are kidnapped into the sex trade in Southeast Asia (including the porn you watch). About what happened to the Cambodians with the Khmer Rouge. About the American and Western men who come as sex tourists. If you know someone who has done this or is even thinking of doing this, you MUST listen to this book. It is . . . I don’t know a strong enough word. Not Despicable, Contemptible, Loathsome, Abhorrent, Heinous. No. Like the protagonist says, “Some people deserve to die.” This is a story that begins as a mystery or two, makes you love the people in it, breaks your heart, and resolves as gently and satisfactorily as is realistically possible. Many hard-to-fathom realities in it. Highly recommended.

dark subject matter is handled well

fast-paced and entertaining, this is a worthwhile read. narrator does a good job of creating multiple characters.

Excellent but harrowing story

Great narration & a gripping story - thriller-style mystery. The main character, Poke, is very believable & I would like to see what happens next in the series. I was revolted, horrified and physically sickened by the various tortures described in the book, but although these are present they are not described gratuitously.

Touching story

Very interesting story, well written and performed. Sad that it is, I'm glad I listened and would highly recommend this book.

Your heart breaks for the characters

The author and the narrator do an excellent job of bringing these unique and intriguing characters to life. The story is scary and revolting as it brings to light the torture of children and adults alike in Thailand. The children can break your heart, as their stories are told, but most importantly you can understand the victims becoming the murderers, in an effort to deal with the horrors that they have had to suffer. Poke is an ordinary guy that finds himself loving two victims of this culture, trying to understand their way of coping with the past, while protecting them from the evil that has shown it's face at their door.
The book gets pretty gritty toward the end, with the suspense keeping you on the edge of your seat. Well worth the listen.