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Serpentine: Charles Sobhraj's Reign of Terror from Europe to South Asia Kindle Edition

by Thomas Thompson (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.4 1,025 ratings

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New York Times Bestseller: This in-depth account of Charles Sobhraj, the serial killer portrayed in Netflix miniseries The Serpent, is “compulsive reading” (The Plain Dealer).

There was no pattern to the murders, no common thread other than the fact that the victims were all vacationers, robbed of their possessions and slain in seemingly random crimes. Authorities across three continents and a dozen nations had no idea they were all looking for same man: Charles Sobhraj, aka “The Serpent.”

A handsome Frenchman of Vietnamese and Indian origin, Sobhraj targeted backpackers on the “hippie trail” between Europe and South Asia. A master of deception, he used his powerful intellect and considerable sex appeal to lure naïve travelers into a life of crime. When they threatened to turn on him, Sobhraj murdered his acolytes in cold blood. Between late 1975 and early 1976, a dozen corpses were found everywhere from the boulevards of Paris to the slopes of the Himalayas to the back alleys of Bangkok and Hong Kong. Some police experts believe the true number of Sobhraj’s victims may be more than twice that amount.

Serpentine is the “grotesque, baffling, and hypnotic” true story of one of the most bizarre killing sprees in modern history (San Francisco Chronicle). Edgar Award–winning author Thomas Thompson’s mesmerizing portrait of a notorious sociopath and his helpless prey “unravels like fiction, but afterwards haunts the reader like the document it is” (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland).

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

"A book of remarkable sweep with a plausible underlying theme: coincidence, if traced back far enough, becomes something like destiny" is how LJ's reviewer adroitly summed up this book. The story follows Charles Sobhraj, a charismatic criminal who lured many unsuspecting victims to their deaths throughout Asia. This minutely detailed work remains "a true crime tale of epic proportions" (LJ 10/15/79).
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“The most bizarre true-crime narrative since the Manson story Helter Skelter.” —San Francisco Chronicle

“Riveting.” —Chicago Sun-Times

“This pounding [true] story of larceny and murder from Hong Kong to Paris . . . should hold readers . . . in coils of intrigue, twists of coincidence.” —Time

“Shocking impact . . . [Serpentine] marks Thompson as one of the finest non-fiction writers of the decade.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

“A prodigious feat . . . A parade of loves and furies, cultures and countercultures . . . Its shocking message will have a resounding effect for years to come.” —Los Angeles Times

“A massive unraveling of one of modern history’s most nefarious drug and rob men . . . Thompson is a dogged reporter and a tireless detective and, most of all, a keen observer of human nature.” —Houston Chronicle

“Overwhelming . . . Monumental . . . The best yet by a master journalist.” —Los Angeles Herald Examiner

“Compulsive reading . . . Alive . . . [Serpentine] unravels like fiction, but afterward haunts the reader like the document it is.” —The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)

“Riveting . . . A writer of tremendous power and achievement . . . [Serpentine] is first-rate storytelling.” —Detroit Free Press

“A stunning successor to Blood and Money . . . undeniably impressive.” —St. Louis Globe-Democrat

“Polished, intricate, fast-moving, superb . . . Sobhraj has the cobralike appeal, the mesmerizing attraction . . . of the truly evil. His magnetism is almost impossible to resist.” —The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Tempestuous and bizarre with enough sex and betrayal and intrigue to fill the darkest scenario . . . proof-positive that truth is stranger than fiction.” —Nashville Banner

“[Thompson’s] evocation of the exotic locales . . . and his descriptions of the operations of criminal justice systems on the other side of the world are among the virtues of Serpentine.” —The New York Times Book Review

“Sensational . . . Astonishing . . . Fascinating.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A] true crime tale of epic proportions.” —Library Journal

“Breathtaking . . . Sizzling . . . Thompson moves from bloody murder in Texas to a one-man tidal wave of blood sweeping across Asia, telling his story with the same focus and intensity—and even more horrific detail.” —Kirkus Reviews

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01N5EQU2D
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media (December 13, 2016)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ December 13, 2016
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 5358 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 580 pages

Best Sellers Rank: #320,949 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #219 in Criminology (Kindle Store)
- #238 in Southeast Asia History
- #405 in Biographies of Serial Killers

Customer Reviews:
4.4 1,025 ratings

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tax diva

intriguing to say the least

Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2024

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i'm still not finished with this book - just one more chapter to go - but i highly recommend this book - it's not a current book but probably published in the eighties not sure - but it has held my attention through every chapter - author is excellent in tons of detail

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Elton W. Spaulding

As good as any movie you will ever see.

Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2015

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I had read Thomas Thompson 30 years ago but never this book & picked up a natty copy at a flea market & read it. Amazing story, do not know how one would get all of the research for this book. Cannot believe all that this villain did & that people would still fall into his web & stay there. Ordered a better copy from amazon to give to a friend. Hope he enjoys it. Only reason I did not give it 5 stars is because I looked him up online & there was more to the story after the book was published which, of course, is not the book's fault for being published when it was.

One person found this helpful

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Eddie Wannabee

Powerful and Sad!

Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2011

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Powerful because the killer is like a snake that extends its reach to several parts of the world. For crime books occupies the upper levels of crime writing. This Mr. Thomas Thompson was the best of the best. I also have read Blood and Money for which he won a prestigious award and that book was definitely a masterpiece of the genre. The trail this killer walked, the victims found along the way, his entourage, the exotic locations, his gradual deterioration into the monster he became or perhaps always was make for a fine crime book. First of all it worth to note this is a large book, with many pages that does not disappoint. I think that Mr. Thompson was one of the greatest of his time.
The tale is scary in that once again people does not suspect evil is in their midst, specially with a salesman of that caliber. An anguished, tortured personality that in the end blossom into this really scary human being. Serpentine is one of the best books on crime I have ever read and I am willing to say is on the top 5 of all times. This guy could write, his style and methods a true example of what a journalist is supposed to achieve while telling a very dramatic story. A great book and now I think that 5 Stars is the result of this reading experience. Perhaps attributed to the sad part of my title:
The author apparently died as a result of writing this book, some kind of lethal virus contracted while spending time in India researching the story. That is why, if anyone deserves a 5 Star rating, Mr. Thompson definitely does. Upon finishing the book I was curious as to what else he had written, ready to buy whatever else he had and I found out about his passing. Incredible ending to an incredible story. Powerful and Sad. One of the very great writers of true crime, what a sad loss that was. Serpentine, then, becomes the last of his works. This guy knew how to write and after reading chapters of the places Charles, the killer, had lived in, like India, Vietnam, France, etc, etc, I could almost understand how easy it would be to eat or drink something in those unsanitary locations (surely not France for they do cook and have a fine reputation as a civilized place) and unsuspectingly loose his life. What a book and what a writer, truly an above average writer. Powerful and Sad, Serpentine has it all. Crime reporting at its best and that is no lie. 5 Glowing Stars for a promising writer that succumbed while researching what turned out to be his last work.

9 people found this helpful

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Michelle F

Couldn’t put it down

Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2021

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I read this in almost 1 sitting - it’s well written and compelling.

Things I didn’t love: Moslem when Muslim is more common. Katmandu instead of Kathmandu. Heading “East to Pakistan or West to Burma” when the directions are opposite. Shaking one’s head to agree, when shaking is normally negative and nodding is to agree. These things made me think the author’s first language isn’t English, which makes the book even more remarkable. The prologue was very long, which nearly lost me, but after that, the book rockets along and the prologue is drawn back into the text.

I also don’t understand the time frame. The book ends prematurely if it was written in 2016 as advertised. There are at least another 5 chapters to be written following the end of the book. I suspect it was written in the late 70’s or 80’s, or is the author planning a sequel? It would be welcomed.

Some details, such as diary notes or letters, needed a footnote to indicate if they were based on reality or fictionalized.

What I loved: The detail, the fast pace, the vocabulary of the author, the colour he brought to the countries and people.

It’s a fantastic piece of work, well recommended.

One person found this helpful

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DAC

Way too long

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2019

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This book would have been more interesting if it had been significantly shorter. There was much more detail about the people and events than necessary, making the book seem to drag on and on. I kept looking back at the title to be sure it said it was about a serial killer, because there were zero murders for the first 60% of the book. I gave it three stars because it was about a frighteningly charming psychopath who was exceedingly effective at his game, and I learned a lot from it. I say frightening because I've been in situations during foreign travel that could easily have turned lethal if the people involved had been murderers rather than just hustlers. Bottom line, don't eat or drink in the presence of a charming person you just met, and be very suspicious of anyone who asks your travel plans and then says 'I'm going there too! Let's go together!' (Better yet, don't tell them your plans.) The book is old enough that it ends without the reader knowing what happened to the killer; you have to go on the internet to find out. (Hint; he's not at large.)

8 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Spellbinding

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 23, 2021

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Outstanding account of the Life and times of this genius criminal, I remember having heard about him first about 20 years ago as a teenager and being fascinated no end, finally having read his complete history and exploits and having watched the recent telling of his story on TV- this is a man of infamy alright but a rare remarkable man nonetheless. Does he still have it in him for an encore post Nepal - time alone will tell

anna patricia lee

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on July 30, 2018

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Interesting story, read it years ago when travelling in thailand.

Anil Pradhan

The Slime and the Serpent

Reviewed in India on November 12, 2018

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Loved the vivid story. What a waste of a God-given brain power. Rotting in jail in Nepal till this day. 'Ayo Gorkhali' got him this time. No escape!

One person found this helpful

Robyn Cannon

Loved his other books

Reviewed in Australia on April 19, 2017

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Total respect & admiration for the author. Loved his other books. Serpentine grabbed me from the start but halfway through it became too confusing, I started skipping pages and eventually lost interest.

Client d'Amazon

A terrific read

Reviewed in France on April 21, 2021

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I bought this book after watching the recent mini-series on BBC/Netflix, where the actor doing the main part underplays it so much that the viewer is left wondering how such a flat character could have tricked so many victims. Surely the real man must have been a fast sweet-talker, a con-man extraordinaire. But I did not see that on screen at all.
So I wanted to understand – and I did, thanks to this book.

A masterpiece of crime reporting in the vein of Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, Serpentine retraces the story of Charles Sobhraj, a Saigon street urchin turned murderer, who made headlines as Le Serpent and The Bikini Killer after killing at least twelve travellers in Asia in 1975-76.

Stylishly written and thoroughly researched when the bloody trail was still warm, this long investigation immerses us into the kaleidoscopic whirlwind that was Sobhraj’s career of evil, retracing how a stateless wayward child became a thief, a crook, a forger, a trafficker, a robber and, eventually, an international killer wanted in several countries.

Serpentine was published in 1979 so the narration ends upon Sobhraj’s first sentencing in India in 1978, after a long trial.

The author passed away long ago and an afterword by the publisher would have been a useful update to this recent edition, since there have been new twists to Sobhraj’s fate since the initial Indian sentencing, 43 years ago.

But still a terrific read.

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