Philippine Fever

by: Bruce Cook

Published by: Capital Crime Press (July 2006 Release)

Reviewed by Kim Reis

ATF agent Sam Haine arrives in Manila on the trail of a gun trafficker buying guns for freemen militia in the United States. When he gets there he finds his quarry in the morgue.

Paired with the local federal police, Sam attempts to piece together Harvey Tucker's last days to locate the missing weapons, and more importantly, the man behind the deal.

The first half of the book was light on clues but heavy on local culture. It is obvious Cook spent a lot of time in Manila. I felt like I had been there. When the clues started to roll in and the action heated up, I couldn't put it down.

Haine stumbled a bit since he is unfamiliar with the culture or local politics. He innocently managed to offend more than a few locals. Sex clubs, legal cock fighting, CIA involvement, and international suspects are just a few of the elements that make this an excellent debut novel.

Armchair Interview says: We eagerly look forward to more in this series.