Snowing in Bali

The Incredible Inside Account of Bali's Hidden Drug World

By: Kathryn Bonella

Narrated by: Nicholas Bell

Among Bali's drug dealers it's the code for a huge cocaine shipment having just landed. For the men who run the country's drug empires, it's time to get rich and party hard. It's snowing in Bali.

Snowing in Bali is the story of the drug trafficking and dealing scene that's made Bali one of the world's most important destinations in the global distribution of narcotics. With its central location to the Asia Pacific market, its thriving tourist industry to act as cover for importation, and a culture of corruption that can easily help law enforcement turn a blind eye, Bali has long been a paradise for traffickers as well as for holiday-makers. Kathryn Bonella, best-selling author of Hotel Kerobokan, has been given extraordinary access into the lives of some of the biggest players in Bali's drug world, both past and present. She charts their rise to incredible wealth and power, and their drug-fuelled lifestyles, filled with orgies, outrageous extravagance and surfing. But running international drug empires in Bali can also be a highly risky business, with terrible consequences for those caught and convicted.

From the highs of multi-million dollar deals to the desperate lows of death row in an Indonesian high security jail, Snowing in Bali is a unique, uncensored insight into a hidden world.

©2012 Kathryn Bonella (P)2012 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd

WOW MAN Great accent

If you could sum up Snowing in Bali in three words, what would they be?

Raw – Crazy – Captivating

Which character – as performed by Nicholas Bell – was your favorite?

Rafael – Funny accent that the narrator was excellent at portraying.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

laugh

Any additional comments?

Would make a great movie!

Captivating

Great book! Really captivating! I couldn’t put it down, finished it in a couple days

Page-turner ... so to speak

I hated to press pause. This book is fantastic. You become so interested in the lives of the subjects, not necessarily hoping that they'll succeed in their illegal activities but hoping that they will get out the game before they die.

Oversensationalized

Great narration. Enjoyed the book. Neat to get the scoop, but not sure about the way the guys were portrayed. Seems the author was humanizing them a bit too much. Feel like there has to be more to the story. The excitement of the "game" was glamorized a bit too much for my taste. Would recommend it! ...just proceed with some cognitive distance and healthy skepticism.

Interesting Look at the Drug Trade in Bali

An interesting look at the drug trade in the 1990s/early 2000s in Bali, Indonesia. The stories are primarily from the perspective of the bosses or the near-bosses. The system is corrupt, people are desperate for money or new things to do and many tourists come with significant cash to spend. It is amazing what people are willing to risk for a live hard lifestyle.

It does get rather repetitive and the book could have been reduced by at least 20%. Some of the clever ways of smuggling drugs in are no longer clever 20 mentioned later (despite the author suggesting otherwise). I also wished there were more perspectives from the desperate drug mules, since that's a whole different motive for acting.

#Bali #Crime #DrugTrade #CrimeInParadise #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

Very good

decided to download this after seeing it in the airport in Singapore, fascinating book! Ended up arriving in Thailand and not even leaving my hotel room for the first day and a half just to listen to it all the way through. Worth a quick listen for sure

Thrilling!

After reading Hotel K (by the same author) I just need I had to read this as well. I downloaded the audio version to listen to during my commute and, right from the first chapter, just couldn't stop listening! Numerous times I found myself sitting in the carpark at work out home and couldn't get out of the car.
Kathryn writes in such an engaging way and tells the story so well I found myself feeling sorry for the dealers!
Just when you think you've heard it all you'll be gobsmacked by the next idea, event, thought. It's just thrilling.

Awesome Book

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

For Sure!
Great look into the dark side of Bali that many suspect yet never see up close--thanks god!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Rafael- He lived the life in every way!

Teenage Boys Dream of Drug King's Life ;-(

Would you try another book from Kathryn Bonella and/or Nicholas Bell?

Not likely

What could Kathryn Bonella have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

More about the Police, government policy, busting them etc less hero worship of the druggies.

What does Nicholas Bell bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Intonation

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

BOREDOM ;-(

Any additional comments?

Don't read or listen to it.