9 Gold Bullets is the 12th Novel in the Vincent Calvino (private investigator) series by Christopher G. Moore.
An historical complete set of 9 Gold Bullets (a set has different denominations) is auctioned off in Bangkok. An old friend of Vincent Calvino is at the scene, supposedly to act as a carrier of the bullets to the U.S.A. , once they have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. A Russian businessman, alias mafia figure, takes center stage at the bidding, but loses out to a Thai coin collector.
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9 Gold Bullets by Christopher G. Moore |
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The Thai coin collector disappears as do the 9 gold bullets. Vincent Calvino, present at the auction, and having talked with the Russian mafia figure, is seen as somehow implicated by the Thai investigators.
How an historical set of gold bullets (supposedly once given as a present by the Thai King Rama V to Nicholas II, tsar of Russia, more than a century ago), can be auctioned off in the first place (it appears later they have been 'taken' from a Ministry of Finance coin exhibition room) is never answered. In any case, the Thais want the coins back. It is as if the Crown Jewels have been stolen.
In their quest, Vincent Calvino and his long time side-kick, colonel Pratt, also end up in New York, Calvino's old home city.
We lost track somewhere in the middle of the novel, as to where the damned bullets may be (and what the fuss is all about). To make it more complicated, some bullets in the historical set have been interchanged with bullets from another ordinary set.
The Russians are the bad guys in 9 Gold Bullets. The chief bad guy operates as a respected businessman, his side-kick is a more obvious criminal character.
While in the U.S.A., Vincent has an arms cache to his disposal and with his friend Pratt is able to reenact some Billy the Kid scenes.
The story develops both in the United States and Thailand. We much preferred the Thai scene. Christopher G. Moore takes us a few times on a stroll through Soi Cowboy and gives his insight into the bar girl psyche. These are the best parts of the book.
The 9 Gold Bullets eventually end up back in Thailand (though not the complete set, but that seems not to be problem somehow). Vincent Calvino succeeds in revenging his dead friend.
This book has way too many twists and turns. I happily lost track of the 'big story' and read further chapter by chapter, always enjoying when someone writes about the city that I call home. We would suggest to keep Vincent Calvino at home also in his next endeavours.
By the way, Gold Bullets do exist. They are coins that look like used bullets, with some artistic engravings on the side. They may be a collector's item, but certainly do not have a major role as a Thai art form or as historical artefacts.
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