Dragonfish: A Novel

Product Description A thrilling work of sophisticated suspense set amid the Vietnamese underworld in Las Vegas. Taut, cinematic storytelling, vivid dialogue, and mesmerizing atmosphere combine here with beautiful, original prose to create an unforgettable novel and a rich listening experience. Robert, a rugged Oakland cop, still can't let go of Suzy, the mysterious Vietnamese wife who left him. Now she's disappeared from her new husband, Sonny, a violent Vietnamese smuggler and gambler who blackmails Robert into finding her for him. Pursuing Suzy through the glitzy, sleazy gambling dens of Las Vegas, Robert finds himself chasing the past that haunts Suzy -- one that extends back to a refugee camp in Malaysia after the fall of Saigon. Her daughter, abandoned long ago, is now a steely professional poker player. The dangerous legacy of Suzy's guilt threatens to immolate them all, including Happy, her best friend. Review ''Thoughtfully contemplates cultural identity in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.'' --Jarry Lee - Buzzfeed ''Vu Tran's spellbinding debut novel had me turning pages late into the night. I was drawn in partly by the book's utterly engrossing plot, partly by its vivid portrayal of a pitiless and dangerous Las Vegas, but mostly by its lovingly interwoven themes of loss, longing, renewal, and cultural memory.'' --Tim O'Brien, winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize for Lifetime Achievement ''Is this an immigrant saga disguised as a crime novel? Or a smart thriller that just happens to be set in the Vietnamese immigrant community in Las Vegas? It's both but what matters is that Vu Tran has written a debut novel of uncommon artistry, about a group of Vietnamese Americans and the history of love, violence, and sacrifice that binds them together and tears them apart.'' --Tom Perrotta, New York Times best-selling author of Nine Inches and Little Children ''A haunting, beautifully written novel, almost more ghost story than thriller, as Tran explores the world of refugees, immigrants, and the long hold the past and its dead hold on the present.'' --Sara Paretsky, New York Times best-selling author of the V. I. Warshawski novels ''The suspense kept me turning the pages, but the beautiful writing and aching sense of loss remained with me long after I reached the end.'' --Lisa Brackmann, New York Times best-selling author of Rock Paper Tiger and Dragon Day ''Sometimes it's creepy, like a really fine noir novel. Other times it's heartbreaking...absolutely gripping. Vu Tran has written a terrific novel.'' --Tom Bissell, author of The Father of All Things: A Marine, His Son, and the Legacy of Vietnam ''On the pure joyous level of great storytelling, Dragonfish is a top notch mystery...Note-perfect. Heartbreaking. Profound. Dragonfish is a polished dagger of a novel that will cut out your heart.'' --Charles Bock, New York Times best-selling author of Beautiful Children About the Author Vu Tran, winner of a Whiting Award recognizing ''exceptional talent and promise,'' teaches creative writing at the University of Chicago.