Call number
MYST COT
Collection
Genres
Series
Publication
Soho Crime (2011), Edition: Advance Uncopyedited Edition, 290 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML:The eighth Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery Dr. Siri never really wanted to be Laos's national coroner. And now that he is in his mid-70s, he longs to spend some time with his wife before the untimely death that is sure to befall him, according to the local transvestite fortune-teller. But retirement will have to wait (again) until he has completed one last job for the Lao government: supervising an excavation for the remains of a US fighter pilot who went down in the remote northern Lao jungle ten years earlier. And the stakes are high. The presence of American soldiers in Laos is controversial, and the search party includes high-level politicians and scientists. So when a member of the party is found dead, Dr. Siri suspects it may not have been an accident. Can Dr. Siri get to the bottom of the MIA pilot's mysterious story before the body count rises and the fortune-teller's prediction comes true? From the Trade Paperback edition..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
This story opens in 1968 when Boyd Bowry, son of a U.S. senator, is presumed dead after the helicopter he was flying exploded over a remote village in the northern mountains of Laos. Flash forward ten years where septuagenarian, Doctor Siri Paiboun, the country's only coroner, has been tasked with
That means fans of this humorous series will travel along with Dr Siri, his wife (Madame Daeng), his nurse (Dtui) and his Down's Syndrome morgue attendant (Mr. Geung). He also brings along Dtui's husband, along with his oldest friend, his nasty boss and a transvestite fortune teller. Mountainous terrain and rainy weather are just some of their problems, but it soon becomes apparent the Americans want to control the flow of information. Naturally, someone will end up dead and Dr Siri and his eccentric team will have to solve the murder themselves.
This might not be the series for everyone but if you are a fan, you will love another trek into the jungle with this wonderfully peculiar group of characters. Everyone around Dr Siri plays their part in solving the mystery of not just the more recent murder, but the crash and disappearance of Boyd Bowry. I loved the audio, narrated by Clive Chafer and can't wait to get my hands on the next Dr. Siri adventure.
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forming a delegation to meet with some Americans who are interested in finding out what happened to Boyd and to see if they can recover any remains. Dr. Siri decides it's the perfect time to gather his close friends and family for a little “mini” vacation.That means fans of this humorous series will travel along with Dr Siri, his wife (Madame Daeng), his nurse (Dtui) and his Down's Syndrome morgue attendant (Mr. Geung). He also brings along Dtui's husband, along with his oldest friend, his nasty boss and a transvestite fortune teller. Mountainous terrain and rainy weather are just some of their problems, but it soon becomes apparent the Americans want to control the flow of information. Naturally, someone will end up dead and Dr Siri and his eccentric team will have to solve the murder themselves.
This might not be the series for everyone but if you are a fan, you will love another trek into the jungle with this wonderfully peculiar group of characters. Everyone around Dr Siri plays their part in solving the mystery of not just the more recent murder, but the crash and disappearance of Boyd Bowry. I loved the audio, narrated by Clive Chafer and can't wait to get my hands on the next Dr. Siri adventure.
Show Less
LibraryThing member cathyskye
First Line: You know? Being shut up in a cage with a live bear was a piece of cake compared to being drunk and high in charge of a half-a-million dollars' worth of flying metal.
Dr. Siri Paiboun, the National Coroner of Laos, is getting up close and personal to the age of eighty. He's announced his
There's no way Dr. Siri can weasel out of the assignment. The only thing he manages to do is to stack his team with his wife, friends and co-workers. If he's being forced to go, he may as well try to enjoy himself. (If there's any other reason why he wants his nearest and dearest to go with him, he's not sharing the information.) With the Americans bringing the food and in charge of the transportation, they journey to a remote area in northern Laos. Arriving at their destination-- a decrepit hotel in the middle of a field of unexploded ordinance-- smoke begins to fill the air.
If it were a few months later in the year, the smoke could easily be attributed to the natives' "slash and burn" farming techniques, but it's much too early for that. Dr. Siri knew before they ever started out that something was going on, and the poor visibility proves that someone is doing their best to blow smoke in his eyes. When a member of the group is found dead, Dr. Siri knows that he's got to put all the clues together before the fortune teller's predictions of his death come true.
According to the dust jacket of this book, this is the final installment of the Dr. Siri series, and I will miss it. Cotterill has concocted a devious, multi-layered plot in which it's easy to become confused. This confusion arises because most of the people are saying one thing and doing something entirely different. They all have their own agendas.
What is needed is someone who's used to this way of running things-- someone who can see past the smoke and mirrors-- and who better than Dr. Siri? Dr. Siri who has lived in France and has an acquaintance with cultures other than his own. Dr. Siri, who is no stranger to guerilla fighting in the jungle. Dr. Siri, who knows how to look past the surface and see directly into the hearts of those around him.
Allowing Siri to hand-pick his own team is ensemble casting at its very best. For long-time fans of the series, each regular character has his or her part to play in the story. For those readers meeting these wonderful people for the first time, they're getting to see them at their very best. As things begin to go wrong and the team is forced to stay past the range of the Americans' food supplies, Siri's wife, Madame Daeng, is put in charge of the hotel cooking staff and the contents of the hotel pantry. Madame Daeng alone is worth the price of admission. That entire food sequence had me howling with laughter.
And it is all due to wise Dr. Siri, whose devious mind knows no limits in resourcefulness for surmounting the difficulties he finds in his path. Dr. Siri, his friends, and his co-workers live in a world in which they've had to fight for survival. But that fight hasn't taken the joy from their lives. If I take anything away from reading the books in this series, it's that it is possible to survive in a harsh world and still find life, laughter, love, and joy all around. It has everything to do with having the right people by your side. Dr. Siri, Madame Daeng, Nurse Dtui, Mr. Geung... over the course of eight books, I've come to love you all. You will be missed.
Dr. Siri Paiboun, the National Coroner of Laos, is getting up close and personal to the age of eighty. He's announced his
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retirement, and he's counting down the days until he no longer has to deal with his incompetent superiors. You know what happens when you begin that countdown, don't you? Sure enough, Dr. Siri is placed on a joint team of Americans and Laos charged with finding and identifying the body of an American airman who's been missing in action for ten years.There's no way Dr. Siri can weasel out of the assignment. The only thing he manages to do is to stack his team with his wife, friends and co-workers. If he's being forced to go, he may as well try to enjoy himself. (If there's any other reason why he wants his nearest and dearest to go with him, he's not sharing the information.) With the Americans bringing the food and in charge of the transportation, they journey to a remote area in northern Laos. Arriving at their destination-- a decrepit hotel in the middle of a field of unexploded ordinance-- smoke begins to fill the air.
If it were a few months later in the year, the smoke could easily be attributed to the natives' "slash and burn" farming techniques, but it's much too early for that. Dr. Siri knew before they ever started out that something was going on, and the poor visibility proves that someone is doing their best to blow smoke in his eyes. When a member of the group is found dead, Dr. Siri knows that he's got to put all the clues together before the fortune teller's predictions of his death come true.
According to the dust jacket of this book, this is the final installment of the Dr. Siri series, and I will miss it. Cotterill has concocted a devious, multi-layered plot in which it's easy to become confused. This confusion arises because most of the people are saying one thing and doing something entirely different. They all have their own agendas.
What is needed is someone who's used to this way of running things-- someone who can see past the smoke and mirrors-- and who better than Dr. Siri? Dr. Siri who has lived in France and has an acquaintance with cultures other than his own. Dr. Siri, who is no stranger to guerilla fighting in the jungle. Dr. Siri, who knows how to look past the surface and see directly into the hearts of those around him.
Allowing Siri to hand-pick his own team is ensemble casting at its very best. For long-time fans of the series, each regular character has his or her part to play in the story. For those readers meeting these wonderful people for the first time, they're getting to see them at their very best. As things begin to go wrong and the team is forced to stay past the range of the Americans' food supplies, Siri's wife, Madame Daeng, is put in charge of the hotel cooking staff and the contents of the hotel pantry. Madame Daeng alone is worth the price of admission. That entire food sequence had me howling with laughter.
And it is all due to wise Dr. Siri, whose devious mind knows no limits in resourcefulness for surmounting the difficulties he finds in his path. Dr. Siri, his friends, and his co-workers live in a world in which they've had to fight for survival. But that fight hasn't taken the joy from their lives. If I take anything away from reading the books in this series, it's that it is possible to survive in a harsh world and still find life, laughter, love, and joy all around. It has everything to do with having the right people by your side. Dr. Siri, Madame Daeng, Nurse Dtui, Mr. Geung... over the course of eight books, I've come to love you all. You will be missed.
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LibraryThing member ebyrne41
Cotterill is always a pleasure to read, even if this wasn't quite up there with the best in the Dr. Siri series. The series has humour aplenty, plenty of interesting characters, invariably an intriguing mystery and well thought out storyline, plus Laos is always centre stage. And you can't but warm
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to Siri. A good mystery and a light, fun read, even if this particular story was not among the best in the series Show Less
LibraryThing member RBeffa
When I saw this book on the new releases shelf at the library I couldn't pass it by, even though it meant jumping ahead in the Dr. Siri series to the eighth book. Overall I enjoyed the novel almost as much as the first two in the series I have read. The setting remains exotic and the characters are
Judge Haeng and Dr. Siri cross swords as before. We have a reasonably good mystery for Dr. Siri and the readers to uncover, intermixed with other mysteries. I enjoyed the adventure. It was a good read. Different kind of ending. The dustjacket blurb threw me off at first - it said Dr. Siri was pushing 80. I thought perhaps the series of stories had jumped far ahead in time. It has not. Dr. Siri is 74 and about to retire as the book opens. Hardly "pushing 80".
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as quirky, eccentric and interestng as ever. Judge Haeng and Dr. Siri cross swords as before. We have a reasonably good mystery for Dr. Siri and the readers to uncover, intermixed with other mysteries. I enjoyed the adventure. It was a good read. Different kind of ending. The dustjacket blurb threw me off at first - it said Dr. Siri was pushing 80. I thought perhaps the series of stories had jumped far ahead in time. It has not. Dr. Siri is 74 and about to retire as the book opens. Hardly "pushing 80".
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
This is the most recent Cotterill book in the Dr. Siri series. He is the only pathologist in Laos and wants to retire - he's also 74. By the way it's 1978. The government won't let him retire - how would they replace him.
I find that I must have very specific expectations when reading a new CC book.
I find that I must have very specific expectations when reading a new CC book.
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I know he can be very tongue-in-cheek funny with excellent repartee, and a lot of barbs tossed the USA way for its management of the war(s) there in the 60's and 70's. There will be a very clever, unusual plot, somewhat difficult to follow because much will not be revealed until the 80% point is passed. And keep a notecard of all the players. This one is about a MIA who went down in a chopper 10 years ago, a US senator's son. A joint commission is charged with trying to find him given that there is new evidence he might be alive. Somehow, Dr. Siri manages to get his family and friends appointed to the Laotian team. There is a murder or two and justice is finally dispensed in a rather ironic way. I find CC's books somewhat frustrating because it is not easy to keep track of his large casts and their agendas, many of which are constantly changing. And funny dialog can get boring when overdone. Show Less
LibraryThing member mamzel
Dr. Siri is 'invited' to accompany a group to search for the wreckage of a helicopter and the remains of the pilot who happened to be the son of an American senator. The prospect of attending this with party cronies with little to offer but a desire to suck up to the senator is not a happy one so
In this book we get a glimpse into the workings of the CIA operations under the guise of Air America (and, yes, I did have the movie with Mel Gibson in mind). Air America was made up of action junkies who flew a motley assortment of vehicles over the jungles of Laos dropping food and weapons to the Hmong who fought against the communists.
Unfortunately, I found the presence of Americans rather a drag in this book even though they had such an impact on Laotian history. The expression of 'ugly American' was never far from the front of my mind. In any case, our friends were able to pinpoint the location of the helicopter's crash and eventually discover a deeper secret as to why the senator was so interested in finding it.
I read this out of sequence due to a wrong lead in an Amazon review. That'll teach me. I will, however, return to read the one I missed since this is the most recently published episode. I will watch for future adventures of Dr. Siri with great anticipation.
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the good doctor uses an ace up his sleeve to replace the cronies with his own gang. His wife, his nurse assistant and her police husband, the learning disabled morgue attendant, and Vietnamese adviser would not only be better help and better company, but would also be very happy to enjoy a break from the heat of Vientiane and escape to the cooler mountains. In this book we get a glimpse into the workings of the CIA operations under the guise of Air America (and, yes, I did have the movie with Mel Gibson in mind). Air America was made up of action junkies who flew a motley assortment of vehicles over the jungles of Laos dropping food and weapons to the Hmong who fought against the communists.
Unfortunately, I found the presence of Americans rather a drag in this book even though they had such an impact on Laotian history. The expression of 'ugly American' was never far from the front of my mind. In any case, our friends were able to pinpoint the location of the helicopter's crash and eventually discover a deeper secret as to why the senator was so interested in finding it.
I read this out of sequence due to a wrong lead in an Amazon review. That'll teach me. I will, however, return to read the one I missed since this is the most recently published episode. I will watch for future adventures of Dr. Siri with great anticipation.
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LibraryThing member cameling
Dr Siri and his intrepid team,Nurse Dtui, Inspector Phosy, Mr Geung, Daeng and Civilai become part of a team heading into the hinterlands of Laos to search for evidence of an American helicopter pilot believed to have gone missing in the late 60s. Accompanied by an American team, Judge Haeng and
When one of the American members of the expedition is found dead in his room, his death is logged as a suicide, but Dr Siri finds evidence that he was murdered, but who should be told? After all, the man was found in his own room so the murderer could only be among them.
As with others in the series, the author provides interesting historical information about CIA operations in the region during the 60s.
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stowaway Aunti Bpoo, the 5-day expedition appears to be a search for a needle in the haystack and Dr Siri and his team take this more as a fun field trip. However, Auntie Bpoo has a premonition for Dr Siri. She's unsure of the details but seems certain that at a point during the expedition, he needs to stick his fingers in his ears to cheat death.When one of the American members of the expedition is found dead in his room, his death is logged as a suicide, but Dr Siri finds evidence that he was murdered, but who should be told? After all, the man was found in his own room so the murderer could only be among them.
As with others in the series, the author provides interesting historical information about CIA operations in the region during the 60s.
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LibraryThing member libgirl69
Always love one of these stories. Let's hope Dr Siri hasn't actually retired retired! Good story, great characters and atmosphere. Sardonic wit and genuine humour mixed with a little fantasy called Yeh Ming. Or is that bit real? Could be...
LibraryThing member wildbill
Another adventure in Laos with Dr. Siri Paiboun and the usual suspects. Auntie Boopoo seems to have become a regular. Cotterill seems to have fun describing the clothing and makeup of a middle age transexual . Her occult powers have told her that Dr. Siri is in serious danger and she has become a
At a local market just over the border in Thailand someone recently bought a photograph of an American helicopter pilot. He had flown at a base in the area in the 1970's. He and his helicopter went down one night and nothing was ever found. He is the son of a politician so the Americans and Laotians have set up a joint mission to look for him or his remains.
Since Dr. Siri is a coroner, the only coroner, and you might need one, he and the mortuary staff and friends are all on the ride. There is also an American Senator, Laotian security people and lots of food and beer. They all fly up into a corner of Laos where there used to be a big Air America base, back in the day, and move into an old hotel. The first day they get in their trucks and go to a remote base they have set up to talk to the local Hmong people who were living there when the chopper went down. The group set up their tables and people lined up, each one with their original guaranteed souvenir from the chopper crash. They go through this for a day and a half and find nothing valuable. Then in come a group of about eight men carrying a bundle on their shoulders. They put it on the ground and it is a genuine piece of a helicopter with the id number of the chopper they are looking for.
The only problem is that they can't take it back to the air base to take it apart. While they have been looking for the helicopter the sky has filled with smoke. They are grounded up in mountains full of tall trees where are not any decent roads. They take their trophy back to the hotel and the next morning they find a corpse.
The nominal head of the mission was an old Vietnam hand who had worked for the CIA at the embassy. He is found hanging from a door knob in his room. It looks like a suicide but Dr. Siri quickly discovers that the ligature marks show he was murdered and then placed there. The story proceeds from there as the author fashions a well written, entertaining tale full of suspense, good times and surprises.
Coterill in each one of the series volumes I have read so far does a very good job of mixing the old and the new. The stories are a combination of a visit with some old friends and new ideas about the evil that men do. The corpses start turning up at the hotel, isolated in smoke, just like bodies at an old English country house in an Agatha Christie novel. Vietnam as the public face of all of the money and corruption that drives the story is pulled aside at the end to reveal something much older and more elementary as the motive for all of the killing and destruction.
The unique touch to the whole series is the Laotian circus. All of the crazy characters and truly alien landscapes. Shamans with green eyes and thirty-three teeth. A place where you have to put your fingers in your ears when Mr. Geung bangs the gong. A gentle people in an old part of the world run by fanatic communists.
I am glad to know that the author has just written another volume in the series. I hope he writes many more.
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stowaway on a hunt for an MIA.At a local market just over the border in Thailand someone recently bought a photograph of an American helicopter pilot. He had flown at a base in the area in the 1970's. He and his helicopter went down one night and nothing was ever found. He is the son of a politician so the Americans and Laotians have set up a joint mission to look for him or his remains.
Since Dr. Siri is a coroner, the only coroner, and you might need one, he and the mortuary staff and friends are all on the ride. There is also an American Senator, Laotian security people and lots of food and beer. They all fly up into a corner of Laos where there used to be a big Air America base, back in the day, and move into an old hotel. The first day they get in their trucks and go to a remote base they have set up to talk to the local Hmong people who were living there when the chopper went down. The group set up their tables and people lined up, each one with their original guaranteed souvenir from the chopper crash. They go through this for a day and a half and find nothing valuable. Then in come a group of about eight men carrying a bundle on their shoulders. They put it on the ground and it is a genuine piece of a helicopter with the id number of the chopper they are looking for.
The only problem is that they can't take it back to the air base to take it apart. While they have been looking for the helicopter the sky has filled with smoke. They are grounded up in mountains full of tall trees where are not any decent roads. They take their trophy back to the hotel and the next morning they find a corpse.
The nominal head of the mission was an old Vietnam hand who had worked for the CIA at the embassy. He is found hanging from a door knob in his room. It looks like a suicide but Dr. Siri quickly discovers that the ligature marks show he was murdered and then placed there. The story proceeds from there as the author fashions a well written, entertaining tale full of suspense, good times and surprises.
Coterill in each one of the series volumes I have read so far does a very good job of mixing the old and the new. The stories are a combination of a visit with some old friends and new ideas about the evil that men do. The corpses start turning up at the hotel, isolated in smoke, just like bodies at an old English country house in an Agatha Christie novel. Vietnam as the public face of all of the money and corruption that drives the story is pulled aside at the end to reveal something much older and more elementary as the motive for all of the killing and destruction.
The unique touch to the whole series is the Laotian circus. All of the crazy characters and truly alien landscapes. Shamans with green eyes and thirty-three teeth. A place where you have to put your fingers in your ears when Mr. Geung bangs the gong. A gentle people in an old part of the world run by fanatic communists.
I am glad to know that the author has just written another volume in the series. I hope he writes many more.
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LibraryThing member Pmaurer
Quixotic story of a Laotian mortician, called in to support the investigation of a report of the discovery of an American pilot from the Vietnam war. Cast of characters is unpredictable,events unexpected,and the reader is just along for the ride. Fun read.
LibraryThing member DavidO1103
Yet another wonderful, and wonderfully read, Dr Siri book. In this one, Siri and his friends are part of a mission to find a downed helicopter and its pilot, presumed dead ten years...
LibraryThing member ffortsa
Siri is ordered north to look for an MIA, and he manages to take his whole crew as well as his wife on what he presumes will be a little holiday. Of course, complications ensue.
I didn't love this Dr. Siri mystery as much as some of the previous ones - a bit too much preparation for me, until the
I didn't love this Dr. Siri mystery as much as some of the previous ones - a bit too much preparation for me, until the
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real story began, and not nearly enough Ya Ming and other mysterious happenings. In fact, one of the biggest red herrings looked completely contrived. However, a satisfactory ending, of course, and some funny stuff in between. Show Less
LibraryThing member jetangen4571
historical-places-events, history-and-culture, historical-novel, Laos, verbal-humor, spooks
Dr Siri gets railroaded into a fools errand along with his nemesis and a collection of Laotians and Americans, but he tosses in a monkey wrench by insisting upon bringing his own team of professionals. There
Thanks again to Clive Chafer for his excellent narrative ability.
Dr Siri gets railroaded into a fools errand along with his nemesis and a collection of Laotians and Americans, but he tosses in a monkey wrench by insisting upon bringing his own team of professionals. There
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are more red herrings and misdirection than usual, along with a non American perspective on the real reasons for interference in the wars in Indochina. The fortune teller manages to appear and proves to be more useful than expected. Be ready for more twists than a bag full of pretzels and some really snarky humor. Thanks again to Clive Chafer for his excellent narrative ability.
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LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
I am mean with the stars - actually I really liked it. He tosses loads of characters in the air and mixes them around and I didn't get confused at all. I read that an Australian company was closing down a Laos gold mine in 2014 and it sounds like it was spite because the Lao government had realised
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it was making virtually nothing from the mining concession and wanted a decent cut! So 30 years after the book is set the 'Western Powers' are still extracting wealth from the country..... no surprises there. Show Less
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
This story opens in 1968 when Boyd Bowry, son of a U.S. senator, is presumed dead after the helicopter he was flying exploded over a remote village in the northern mountains of Laos. Flash forward ten years where septuagenarian, Doctor Siri Paiboun, the country's only coroner, has been tasked with
That means fans of this humorous series will travel along with Dr Siri, his wife (Madame Daeng), his nurse (Dtui) and his Down's Syndrome morgue attendant (Mr. Geung). He also brings along Dtui's husband, along with his oldest friend, his nasty boss and a transvestite fortune teller. Mountainous terrain and rainy weather are just some of their problems, but it soon becomes apparent the Americans want to control the flow of information. Naturally, someone will end up dead and Dr Siri and his eccentric team will have to solve the murder themselves.
This might not be the series for everyone but if you are a fan, you will love another trek into the jungle with this wonderfully peculiar group of characters. Everyone around Dr Siri plays their part in solving the mystery of not just the more recent murder, but the crash and disappearance of Boyd Bowry. I loved the audio, narrated by Clive Chafer and can't wait to get my hands on the next Dr. Siri adventure.
Show More
forming a delegation to meet with some Americans who are interested in finding out what happened to Boyd and to see if they can recover any remains. Dr. Siri decides it's the perfect time to gather his close friends and family for a little “mini” vacation.That means fans of this humorous series will travel along with Dr Siri, his wife (Madame Daeng), his nurse (Dtui) and his Down's Syndrome morgue attendant (Mr. Geung). He also brings along Dtui's husband, along with his oldest friend, his nasty boss and a transvestite fortune teller. Mountainous terrain and rainy weather are just some of their problems, but it soon becomes apparent the Americans want to control the flow of information. Naturally, someone will end up dead and Dr Siri and his eccentric team will have to solve the murder themselves.
This might not be the series for everyone but if you are a fan, you will love another trek into the jungle with this wonderfully peculiar group of characters. Everyone around Dr Siri plays their part in solving the mystery of not just the more recent murder, but the crash and disappearance of Boyd Bowry. I loved the audio, narrated by Clive Chafer and can't wait to get my hands on the next Dr. Siri adventure.
Show Less
LibraryThing member Ma_Washigeri
I am mean with the stars - actually I really liked it. He tosses loads of characters in the air and mixes them around and I didn't get confused at all. I read that an Australian company was closing down a Laos gold mine in 2014 and it sounds like it was spite because the Lao government had realised
Show More
it was making virtually nothing from the mining concession and wanted a decent cut! So 30 years after the book is set the 'Western Powers' are still extracting wealth from the country..... no surprises there. Show Less
Pages
290
ISBN
9781616951160