House of Fat Man

An eccentric British scientist's quixotic attempt to curtail teak deforestation in the infamous Golden Triangle turns deadly when his agricultural research project near the remote village of Ban Su disrupts the decades-long practice of opium growing.

As the conflict ensues, Greg Robber, a young American "researcher," finds himself entangled in the secretive affairs of his new British friend and an escalating battle to save both of their lives from the clutches of the nefarious, Chinese drug lord known as the Fat Man.

When Lord Saint Clair suddenly disappears in the dangerous hill tribe world of heroin production and drug smuggling, Greg descends into the sordid and sketchy shadows of Chiang Mai, Bangkok, and Pattaya, searching for allies among morally deficient and damaged expats, beautiful (if sullied) women, crooked gamblers, and terrible men-a brood of vipers-all of whom live by lies and lust while hiding their dark pasts.

Violence, romance, mutual betrayal, exile, and finally revenge will come to define Greg's fate on his ultimate trip into the Golden Triangle.

About the Author

Every spy has an origin story, and the literary thriller House of Fat Man, written with a nod to John LeCarré and Olen Steinhauer, while filled with questions about codes of decency, our choices in moments of crisis, and the cost of irreversible acts, is above all about secrets, the secrets we never forget, the secrets which are like ceaseless drops of water drilling through rock-incessant and unremitting-until there is space for dynamite.

M. Gerard-Alesco lived in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and traveled throughout Southeast Asia. He later spent four years in Barcelona, Spain and now lives in South Carolina.