From the author of Moist and Delicious comes a raucous comic thriller where anything goes. Turk Henry, an overweight, unemployed rock star married to a supermodel, has discovered that Thailand is probably the last place a recovering sex addict should go on vacation, yet here he is, surrounded by topless groupies and haunted by the stares of hundreds of luscious bar girls. Turk’s struggles with monogamy, however, pale beside a greater challenge when his wife is abducted by a group of renegade, shipless Thai pirates.
As Turk, his life skills limited to playing bass and partying, navigates the back alleys of Bangkok and the deadly jungles of Southeast Asia to save his wife, Salty heats up and sweats bullets. Featuring skinflint American tourists, topless beaches, a hypochondriac U.S. government agent, suitcases loaded with cash, an overeager full-service personal assistant, a horny Australian commando, inventive prostitutes, and an urbane pirate with a fetish for alabaster skin, this is a hilariously entertaining, thoroughly debauched caper novel — with a happy finish.
Testimonials
Salty was chosen as one of the “100 Best Beach Books Ever” by NPR and was a Book Sense Notable Book. Entertainment Weekly said “Smith gets the details of mid-level rock stardom just right—his bumbling hero is a pot-bellied bassist for Metal Assassin—mixing laughs and satire like a cross between Carl Hiaasen and Ross Thomas. A-”
“Smith gets the details of midlevel rock stardom just right—his bumbling hero is a pot-bellied bassist for Metal Assassin—mixing laughs and satire like a cross between Carl Hiaasen and Ross Thomas. A-”
—Ken Tucker, Entertainment Weekly“For Turk, saving the day is almost as impossible as staying monogamous. Luckily, being funny comes easily to screenwriter Smith, who writes like Carl Hiaasen, cheerfully skewering Homeland Security, heavy metal, compromised Hollywood morals, American arrogance, fetishes and anything else worth taking a shot at, i.e. . . . everything. Through it all, Turk rocks on. Smith just plain rocks.”
—Connie Ogle, Miami Herald“Salty is a loud,drunk, sexy party which, like its main character, reveals a golden heart.”
—Chris Simnett, The Calgary Herald“Salty is a delicious blend of humor, intrigue and sexiness…. It’s rare to find such an intelligent thriller that balances action with humor.”
—PopSyndicate“Shady dealings, wry political commentary and a steady dose of humor make the romp a heady treat. Now giddily into its second printing, Salty is a bromide with a beat.”
—Susan Compo, Pasadena Weekly“A romp to relish.”
—Kirkus Reviews“Humor and suspense rub up against each other uneasily throughout, but Smith’s writing is sharp, and Turk makes a blundering, contradictory and very compelling lead.”
—Publishers Weekly“Powered by a sort of all-purpose hedonism… Absurd, grotesque, and plain fun reading.”
—Booklist“Graham Greene meets the Marx Brothers and the result is Salty, Mark Haskell Smith’s riveting new novel of unquiet Americans on the loose in Thailand. Profane, endearing, and just absurd enough to be totally convincing, Salty is both a comic thriller and a thoughtful meditation on love, lust, and the American way.”
—Tom Drury, THE DRIFTLESS AREA