Salty by Mark Haskell Smith

by Stefan Halley

Like a cold beer on a summer day, Salty is just what you need.

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Salty is a delicious blend of humor, intrigue and sexiness.  Part humor and part adventure, Salty is a fun romp set in Thailand.  Guys, don’t let the feminine cover keep you away from this book, Smith has created a wonderful balance that will appeal to both men and women.  Once you pick Salty up, you won’t be able to put it down.

While on vacation in Thailand, rock star Turk Henry, recovering sex addict, drunk and all around bemoaner, wants nothing more than to sit on the beach and drink beer while watching half nude women running up and down the beach.  When his beautiful ex-model wife, Sheila, goes on a group elephant tour, she’s kidnapped by Captain Somporn and his band of pirates.  Turk is informed that he must come up with a million dollars or his wife will killed.  After contacting the U.S. embassy in Thailand, Turk is told he can’t pay the money because he would be supporting terrorism.  As the story spins further out of control in to wild sex scenes, violent acts and drunken moments, Turk must figure out how to get past a greedy government agent and save his wife while maintaining his newfound monogamy.

Smith’s sharp writing and quick dialogue make a cast full of unlikable characters very charismatic.  Turk spends most of the book drunk and whiney while his wife rediscovers herself by being exploited by the pirate captain.  Smith takes the stereotypes and to a large extent plays against them.  Turk is a rock star but instead of a viral god, we get a bloat man past his prime trying to come to terms with his own shortcomings.  The federal agent isn’t super cool or uber-governmental but a weaselly morally-righteous cretin that is his own worst enemy.

Salty is a fun read that thoroughly entertains.  It’s rare to find such an intelligent thriller that balances action with humor.  This is Smith’s third book and if they are anything close to this, you’ll want to run out and pick them up.