THE BUDDHA HEAD (expected publication date: early 2017)
In 1767, the Burmese army sacked the Siamese city of Ayutthaya, killing, pillaging and burning everything in their way, thus triggering a series of events that would eventually shape the destinies of a score of memorable characters from contemporary Thailand and Japan.
King Ekkathat: The 33rd and last monarch of Ayutthaya who tried to salvage as many artifacts as possible before the Burmese conquered the city.
Emilian: A Romanian PhD student who saw his dreams of academic success shattered during a ten-day field trip to Thailand.
Ajarn Channarong: A controversial Thai professor from Chulalongkorn University who believed he could find King Ekkathat’s last treasure.
Sanyawadee: The Thai professor’s assistant who was faced with the dangerous task of clearing the late professor’s name.
Aka and Shiro: Two Japanese thugs who bullied their way through life as fugitives living in Thailand.
Narit: A hungry-for-publicity Thai police officer from Ayutthaya whose life found him in a constant chase for fame.
Akharadej: A former brothel owner and corrupt Thai politician who was always interested in making even more money.
Na-ru: An unscrupulous Thai police officer from Bangkok who ended up getting more than he had bargained for.
Yukio: A Japanese yakuza assassin who came to Thailand in the hope of regaining his lost honour.
In The Buddha Head, Voicu Mihnea Simandan takes the reader through a maze of ancient ruins, crowded streets and dark tunnels, delivering a fast-paced treasure hunt thriller that will bring you closer to the secrets of Thailand and Japan than you have ever imagined.
Part of the action takes places at the Portuguese Village in Ayutthaya – Thailand:
