Kathryn Bonella

Actually 3 1/2 stars. This was nowhere near as good as the author's other two books particularly Hotel K.
Snowing in Bali tells the story of a number of drug dealing surfers in Bali in the 1990's and early 2000's.
As we all know Bali is an anomaly, a tiny speck in the otherwise largest Muslim country in the world, and these people do not take drug use and drug smugglers and smuggling lightly. But they are also horribly corrupt so one person may get 5 years in prison for getting caught with 5 kilos of cocaine, while some dumb tourist with no money and no connections gets 15 years for 5 grams of cocaine.
It is full of the usual excesses that you expect from hedonistic drug dealers, but outside of that it lacked any real storyline, or path, and really had no one worth caring about except Andre, who really was an amazing escape artist.
It is surprises me, that even today, people will run the risk of imprisonment in a 3rd world hell hole country/prison for money. Bali is definitely not the country to try this in, as the penalties are severe, and the government, court system, and many of the people are horribly corrupt.
So in closing the book had a few interesting insights, a lots of details of excess, and some interesting smuggling devices, but Hotel K about the prison you will first visit if caught with drugs in Bali is a far better book.… (mehr)

I thought this would be a good time to read this book as 2 of the Australian smugglers known as The Bali 9 face execution before the end of the month. This is a fascinating look inside a truly horrific place, that has been their home since being convicted, as well as home to a number of other foreigners, dubbed Hotel K , Hotel K is actually a prison in the center of Bali, surrounded by sun seeking hedonists and vacationers. You do not want to stay at Hotel K, and no one could read this book and not be repulsed by the conditions. Rock stars don't party like this, the prison is nothing but drugs sex and bribes, and while almost all of the prisoners the author profiles are guilty, you have to wonder what is the point of having a prison like this? You also learn just how purely corrupt the Indonesian legal system is. The is a very depressing book, and while you can't help but empathize with many of the characters they did elect to use, sell or import drugs into a country that does not hide the fact that they have the death penalty for doing so.
Both the Bali 9 as well as Schapelle Corby are also profiled in this book, and while the verdict is still out on whether Miss Corby was innocent, a pawn, or guilty, her case highlights the corruption and ineptitude of Indonesia. Regarding the Bali 9, they are guilty and it is a sad terrible waste for these 9 inmates and their families, but they did try and smuggle heroin. What is amazing about the Bali 9 case is how deplorable the Australian government behaved, knowing this group planned to smuggle heroin INTO Australia, why they chose to let the Indonesians handle it knowing 9 of their own citizens would be facing the death penalty, rather than letting them get back to Australia and arresting them, is baffling. The excuse at the time that they wanted the kingpins in Bali rings hollow, and anyway never happened.
If this type of book appeals to you go out and get Marching Powder by Rusty Young a book about a similar prison in Bolivia.… (mehr)

After a bit of fiction I felt like dipping into a bit of non-fiction and decided on Snowing in Bali by Kathryn Bonella. I have read one of her earlier books, Hotel K. It would appear that her work on Hotel K and No More Tomorrows has gained her a certain degree of trust within the drug dealers in Bali. This book has detailed accounts of how the major drug dealers did their business, lived their lives and how their inevitable downfall came about.

The book is a great mix of an account written by the author and quotes by the actually people involved. The people involved are not just the drug dealers but also the chief of police, the drug runners and bar owners. The tales of excess are simply mindblowing and it would seem it was allowed to continue as everyone was getting a cut of the action. Although it is not blatantly stated the suggestion is that the crackdown only came about once the police realised they could get richer by clamping down.

Due to the character behind some of the drug importers they came across as likeable despite their trade. This meant that when they were ripped off by the police I couldn't help but feel an odd sense of injustice. Pretty much all of the people who smuggle the drugs into Bali are busted by customs at various airports.

Its not all sunshine and roses though. There are many ruined lives directly because of the drug trade and many families broken up. This is before the horrid conditions of the jail (Hotel K) are revealed. This is covered in much less detail than in Hotel K but the issue of bribing to get better rooms is still mentioned.

This is a fantastic book for fans of true crime and in particular the drug sub-culture… (mehr)