Thai Horse

by William Diehl

Book Overview

It's enough to make Ludlum seem humdrum. ATLANTA JOURNAL & CONSTITUTIONChristian Hatcher, the licensed killer they call the Shadow Warrior, is out of jail and looking for the betrayer that got him there. With his body wasted and his spirit nearly crushed, Hatcher returns to Hong Kong and Bangkok--deadly stops on the heroine pipeline--and comes closer to a solution that he fears to discover . . . . Diehl knows how to tell a story, and his novel moves...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394546288
• ISBN13: 9780394546285
• Release Date: December 1987
• Publisher: Villard Books
• Length: 451 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Great book to read!

This was the first Diehl's book I bought at college bookstore when I was a college student in late 80's (since the book was written in 1987, I probably bought it during that year or after). After I finished the book, I just loved it! That lead me to buy and read all of Diehl's books afterwards. All of his books or most were good. I bought a used Thai Horse book at used bookstore today because I wanted to read it again. I guess I just love Hatcher's character and perservence and that he never gave up hope.

First among equals.

With the whispering assassin, Diehl has created a verysatisfying hero. Christian Hatcher is the strong, silent type who is also a gentle, caring lover. He's a fairly simple - even gullible - character, driven for most of his life by other people's ambitions and machinations, but finally starting to realise his own value to himself.Nonetheless, he is set on an adventure by the one person he really wants to see either dead, or in jail: the self-same man who framed nhim and sent him to Lops Boxes.But who is manipulating whom? The plot thickens. There's a man-eating tiger, there are scenes of insane barbarity and passages of tender intimacy. One note: you'll have to put yourself firmly into the '80s, when the action happens. The plot, as I said, is convoluted, although based on a simple premise: Hatcher, a man wronged, is asked by his betrayer to find an old friend, the son of a respected, dying General. Great stuff. Another book I've stopped lending out...First among equals? Yes. I've enjoyed all William Diehl's books - but this is his best, by a short whisker. Buy it. It's a great read.

On my list of the best

I have a handful of books I can't keep around, because when I loan them out, they are so enjoyed, nobody returns them. "Thai Horse" is such a book. I have a diverse group of friends, and no matter their reading interests, all were riveted by this book. Diehl created a realistic protagonist, with virtues and flaws, questions and answers. There is action, suspense, depth, love, and fear. The settings make for engaging reading, as do the dialogues and complex relationships between characters. Unquestionably Diehl's best book.

Outstanding writing

As you read this story you will find that Christian hatcher is a man that was pulled from his prision cell to complete his role in the middle of a large and complex puzzle of spies thieves and drug lords. This story moves like a well written movie, all the splendor of the orient are displayed here. William Diehl one of the best modern writers outdoes himself, he creates a world that captures the imagination and takes the reader beyond excitement. The book is a must read for lovers of action hero types. Christian hatcher can match wits with Sherlok Holmes, has the finesse of James Bond and the destructive indifferent side of the terminator, three traits that are very difficult to mesh together in a single story or character. To william Diehl, thank you for writing such a captivating book, Outstanding writing, keep up the good work.

Excellent

This is my 1st William Diehl book. I didn't think I would like it at all as it revolved around the Vietnam war in the beginning (I thought it was a war story) but I got so wrapped up with the character Hatch, that I had to know why he was where he was and how on earth he would get out of Los Boxes! Hatch became our hero and if Cody was alive we knew Hatch would find him and do the right thing no matter what Sloan had planned for maybe both? I can see an excellent action/thriller movie out of this story the plot is twisting and turning and you wonder why the author is introducing new characters (or old)and how is all comes together (brilliantly) at the end. We could fell Hatch's pain with Daphne but I won't give the story away. All I can say is read the book. I am looking forward to reading more of William Diehl.