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Publication
Quercus Publishing Plc (2007), Epub, 288 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill "A wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery." �??The New York Times Book Review Dr. Siri Paiboun, one of the last doctors left in Laos after the Communist takeover, has been drafted to be national coroner. He is untrained for the job, but this independent 72-year-old has an outstanding qualification for it: curiosity. And he doesn't mind incurring the wrath of the Party hierarchy as he unravels mysterious murders, because the spirits of the dead are on his side. With the help of his newly-appointed secretary, the ambitious and shrewd Dtui, and Mr. Geung, the Down-Syndrome-afflicted morgue assistant, Dr. Paiboun performs autopsies and begins asking questions to solve the mysteries relating to the death of the wife of a government official and of the unidentified body fished out of the river who didn't drown but was tortured with electricity. As it turns out, all is not peaceful and calm in the new Communist paradise of Laos. "The sights, smells and colors of Laos practically jump off the pages of this inspired, often wryly witty first novel." �??Denver Post "If Cotterill...had done nothing more than treat us to Siri's views on the dramatic, even comic crises that mark periods of government upheaval, his debut mystery would still be fascinating. But the multiple cases spread out on Siri's examining table...are not cozy entrtainments, but substantial crimes that take us into the thick of political intrigue," �??The New York Times Book Review… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member richardderus
Rating: 3.875* of five
The Book Report: In the Vientiane, Laos, of November 1976, green-eyed Dr. Siri Paiboun is the seventy-two-year-old coroner...the only one in the newly liberated by communism country...charged with discovering why Mrs. Nitnoy, powerful leader of the Laos Women's Union and wife
Dr. Siri knows otherwise. Not because he's that good a coroner, since he's only had the job for ten reluctant months...he knows because Mrs. Nitnoy told him so.
After she was dead.
So begins a fascinating look into the chaotic world of Southeast Asia in the wake of the Vietnam War, told from the out-of-the-Anglophone-ordinary viewpoint of the Southeast Asians left to pick up the pieces. The story follows Dr. Siri as he is manipulated from behind the scenes in someone's quest to hide truths from the doctor, someone who clearly doesn't know...heck, even the good doctor doesn't know!...that Dr. Siri is the latest incarnation of legendary thousand-plus-year-old shaman Yeh Ming, and so has the ability to see spirits and call on ancient energies intrinsic to Laos's beautiful forested mountains.
Dr. Siri is called upon to use his increasing skills as a coroner to look into the deaths of three Vietnamese nationals, in Laos for purposes both secret and unknown to anyone Siri knows; then is sent to the ethnically Hmong south to deal with the sudden and unexpected deaths of Army officers in charge of an economic revitalization program that doesn't seem to be revitalizing anything so much as devitalizing the men in charge; and while among the Hmong, who worryingly seem to know him better than he knows himself, Siri finally gets to know Yeh Ming, his fellow traveler in this green-eyed body in a country of brown-eyed people.
With a combination of mundane detective skills, spirit guidance, and help from a formidable nurse, an eidetic Down's syndrome laborer, an old friend in high places, and a new friend in clandestine ones, Siri ties all the malefactors in knots and delivers them to the proper authorities (whether spiritual or mundane) with ribbons on.
My Review: This book is such a welcome addition to my series-mystery-loving world. Dr. Siri is a delight. He's too old, and too weary, and too smart to be scared by petty bureaucratic thuggery. He values his comfort...oh yeah baby, the older we get, the more we do!...but his idea of comfort includes doing the real right thing, not the easy right thing.
Cotterill gives Dr. Siri a deep and rich backstory reaching into Laos's colonial French past, extending into the jungles of Pathet Lao communist resistance, and through to the time of victory and the inevitable Animal Farm-esque disillusion that accompanies regime change. "Throw the crooks out!" the cry goes up, but the unsaid and often unrealized second part of that cry is, "and let our crooks have a turn!" Dr. Siri sees this, knows it, and frankly doesn't care. He's got no children, so no grandchildren, and so no, or a very small, stake in this Brave New World. Except, well, you know, there IS justice in the world, imperfect and piecemeal though it may be, but justice demands a good man's best be given and a heavy price be paid both for administering and evading it.
He might only have one (metaphorical) eye, but Siri is honor bound to use it among the blind he lives with. It's this quality that makes him irresistible, and gives Cotterill's creation a semblance of life that brings him out of the pages of the book and into the imagination of the reader who lives in a world where ideals of fairness and decency and selflessness have degenerated into "don't tread on me" selfishness and mock-"liberty" that curiously resembles "don't tell me what I can do with what's mine" greed. It's these very things that Siri grimaces at.
Just like me.
The Book Report: In the Vientiane, Laos, of November 1976, green-eyed Dr. Siri Paiboun is the seventy-two-year-old coroner...the only one in the newly liberated by communism country...charged with discovering why Mrs. Nitnoy, powerful leader of the Laos Women's Union and wife
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of Member of Parliament Kham, suddenly keeled over dead. Her husband insists it was her peasant taste for raw pork. The judge Dr. Siri works for thinks that sounds reasonable, and also unnecessary to investigate.Dr. Siri knows otherwise. Not because he's that good a coroner, since he's only had the job for ten reluctant months...he knows because Mrs. Nitnoy told him so.
After she was dead.
So begins a fascinating look into the chaotic world of Southeast Asia in the wake of the Vietnam War, told from the out-of-the-Anglophone-ordinary viewpoint of the Southeast Asians left to pick up the pieces. The story follows Dr. Siri as he is manipulated from behind the scenes in someone's quest to hide truths from the doctor, someone who clearly doesn't know...heck, even the good doctor doesn't know!...that Dr. Siri is the latest incarnation of legendary thousand-plus-year-old shaman Yeh Ming, and so has the ability to see spirits and call on ancient energies intrinsic to Laos's beautiful forested mountains.
Dr. Siri is called upon to use his increasing skills as a coroner to look into the deaths of three Vietnamese nationals, in Laos for purposes both secret and unknown to anyone Siri knows; then is sent to the ethnically Hmong south to deal with the sudden and unexpected deaths of Army officers in charge of an economic revitalization program that doesn't seem to be revitalizing anything so much as devitalizing the men in charge; and while among the Hmong, who worryingly seem to know him better than he knows himself, Siri finally gets to know Yeh Ming, his fellow traveler in this green-eyed body in a country of brown-eyed people.
With a combination of mundane detective skills, spirit guidance, and help from a formidable nurse, an eidetic Down's syndrome laborer, an old friend in high places, and a new friend in clandestine ones, Siri ties all the malefactors in knots and delivers them to the proper authorities (whether spiritual or mundane) with ribbons on.
My Review: This book is such a welcome addition to my series-mystery-loving world. Dr. Siri is a delight. He's too old, and too weary, and too smart to be scared by petty bureaucratic thuggery. He values his comfort...oh yeah baby, the older we get, the more we do!...but his idea of comfort includes doing the real right thing, not the easy right thing.
Cotterill gives Dr. Siri a deep and rich backstory reaching into Laos's colonial French past, extending into the jungles of Pathet Lao communist resistance, and through to the time of victory and the inevitable Animal Farm-esque disillusion that accompanies regime change. "Throw the crooks out!" the cry goes up, but the unsaid and often unrealized second part of that cry is, "and let our crooks have a turn!" Dr. Siri sees this, knows it, and frankly doesn't care. He's got no children, so no grandchildren, and so no, or a very small, stake in this Brave New World. Except, well, you know, there IS justice in the world, imperfect and piecemeal though it may be, but justice demands a good man's best be given and a heavy price be paid both for administering and evading it.
He might only have one (metaphorical) eye, but Siri is honor bound to use it among the blind he lives with. It's this quality that makes him irresistible, and gives Cotterill's creation a semblance of life that brings him out of the pages of the book and into the imagination of the reader who lives in a world where ideals of fairness and decency and selflessness have degenerated into "don't tread on me" selfishness and mock-"liberty" that curiously resembles "don't tell me what I can do with what's mine" greed. It's these very things that Siri grimaces at.
Just like me.
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LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Set during 1976 just after the Pathet Lao seized power in Laos, The Coroner’s Lunch is an excellent beginning to a most promising series. Chock full of interesting characters, the author, Colin Cotterill delivers a top notch story and plenty of information about a country I know very little
After 46 years of loyal service to the Communist Party, 72 year old Dr. Siri Paiboun thought he was about to be retired and spend his days in gentle pursuits. Instead he finds himself appointed as chief (and only) coroner. Working in almost barbaric conditions, with little equipment or materials, he finds himself assigned a couple of highly charged, political cases. Urged to report one way, Dr Siri goes out on a limb and decides to get to the bottom of these cases. Of course, he does not work alone, Dr Siri has two most capable assistants who work alongside him in the morgue, as well as a great and well connected friend and a new aid in a police liaison. He also is assisted by the fact that he appears to be the incarnation of a centuries old Shaman, Yeh Ming and is regularly visited by the recently departed.
It’s been awhile since I have started a new series and been so totally taken with the main character. Dr Siri is a gentle soul, courteous, charming, insightful and terribly humorous. He and his friends find a way of getting things done in a country that questions the motives of everyone, and finds suspicion in every action. I am really looking forward to reading more about Dr. Siri and learning more about this intriguing country.
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about. After 46 years of loyal service to the Communist Party, 72 year old Dr. Siri Paiboun thought he was about to be retired and spend his days in gentle pursuits. Instead he finds himself appointed as chief (and only) coroner. Working in almost barbaric conditions, with little equipment or materials, he finds himself assigned a couple of highly charged, political cases. Urged to report one way, Dr Siri goes out on a limb and decides to get to the bottom of these cases. Of course, he does not work alone, Dr Siri has two most capable assistants who work alongside him in the morgue, as well as a great and well connected friend and a new aid in a police liaison. He also is assisted by the fact that he appears to be the incarnation of a centuries old Shaman, Yeh Ming and is regularly visited by the recently departed.
It’s been awhile since I have started a new series and been so totally taken with the main character. Dr Siri is a gentle soul, courteous, charming, insightful and terribly humorous. He and his friends find a way of getting things done in a country that questions the motives of everyone, and finds suspicion in every action. I am really looking forward to reading more about Dr. Siri and learning more about this intriguing country.
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LibraryThing member Smiler69
In the first book of the Dr. Siri Paiboun series which begins in 1976, we're introduced to the good doctor, seventy-two years young and newly made the official coroner of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a nation recently taken over by the communist party, which Siri himself has helped come
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into power. But the coroner seems a reluctant communist and is definitely not happy about this new position, having only worked with live patients before and never performed an autopsy. As it happens, he has two very helpful and entertaining side-kicks in nurse Dtui, who helps him takes notes and aspires to take on more responsibilities, and Geung, who has Down syndrome, a condition which apparently comes with the gift of an amazing capacity to remember details, which comes in especially handy as Geung previously worked with the former coroner and is able to steer Dr. Siri in the right direction as the latter figures out what his job entails exactly. Of course, some of the bodies that come to him bear clues of foul play, and the doctor, working in conditions that could be said to be the polar opposite of the high-tech CSI seen on tv, must make do with what tools and methods are at his disposal. Siri is a rational man of science, so he can't figure out what his strange dreams are about, in which the patients who've ended up at the morgue come to visit him, seemingly to give him clues about how they came to die. It's difficult to describe the type of dry humour found throughout, which makes this a very amusing read. Much fun is made at the expense of the complications created by the new communist regime and it's inefficient methods, overbearing bureaucracy and already widespread corruption. I jumped on this book after seeing the series recommended by innumerable LT members, and though the first chapter didn't exactly grab me, things soon picked up and by chapter 3, I was made a Siri fan too. Show Less
LibraryThing member jnwelch
"What torture is this? Leave me alone."
"I will not. You deliberately missed the community painting of the youth center last month. I'm certainly not going to let you miss out on the chance to dig the overflow canal."
"Community service in the city of Vientiane wasn't a punishment; it was a reward
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill is a mystery set in Laos during the 1970s, featuring reluctant coroner Dr. Siri. Once a successful physician, his outspokenness caused his new assignment, despite his support for the victorious Communist Party. At 72 years old, he's in no mood to rein in his strong views. As he tells the inexperienced young man installed as the judge in charge of him, "I'm twenty-two years beyond the national life expectancy. I've exceeded. I'm on overtime. In my natural life, I've already experienced any form of punishment you could come up with. Basically there's nothing you can do to me to fill me with even a smidgen of dread."
This creates a potent mix. In a system dependent on subservience and scarce on resources, he has allies and an ability to find what he needs. When a high-up military man's wife apparently is killed by his mistress who then commits suicide, Dr. Siri sees signs that all is not as it appears. As he probes with the assistance of a chemistry professor who has testing materials he needs, he learns that there's far more at stake than anyone realized. He is unusual for other reasons: he is visited by spirits of the dead, and in the eyes of the indigenous Hmong he may be an ancient shaman, more than a thousand years old. While this may sound somewhat over the top, the author makes it fit in smoothly, so that it only adds to the intrigue. Is it real or not?
Another appeal of this book is his team and his allies, including his ambitious young assistant Dtui, who likes to read her illicit Thai fan magazines when not busy, and Mr. Greung, afflicted with mild Downs Syndrome, but also possessing a formidable memory. There is a lot of good dry humor in the book, e.g. when an explosion intended to kill Dr. Siri leaves behind remnants of his illegal transistor radio that allows him to hear Thai broadcasts, Siri comments, "The bastards must have thrown it in with the mortar shells." The deadpan response: "That is what we suspected."
This book is an enjoyable read for any number of reasons - armchair travel to a part of the world I knew little about, an inside view of a Communist life, appealing characters, an interesting mystery, a thought-provoking central character, and a gestalt well beyond standard mystery fare. Kudos to Mark for recommending this. I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Dr. Siri and his team.
"I will not. You deliberately missed the community painting of the youth center last month. I'm certainly not going to let you miss out on the chance to dig the overflow canal."
"Community service in the city of Vientiane wasn't a punishment; it was a reward
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for being a good citizen. It was the authorities' gift to the people. They didn't want a single man, woman or child to miss out on the heart-swelling pride that comes from resurfacing a road or dredging a stream. The government knew the people would gladly give up their only day off for such a treat."The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill is a mystery set in Laos during the 1970s, featuring reluctant coroner Dr. Siri. Once a successful physician, his outspokenness caused his new assignment, despite his support for the victorious Communist Party. At 72 years old, he's in no mood to rein in his strong views. As he tells the inexperienced young man installed as the judge in charge of him, "I'm twenty-two years beyond the national life expectancy. I've exceeded. I'm on overtime. In my natural life, I've already experienced any form of punishment you could come up with. Basically there's nothing you can do to me to fill me with even a smidgen of dread."
This creates a potent mix. In a system dependent on subservience and scarce on resources, he has allies and an ability to find what he needs. When a high-up military man's wife apparently is killed by his mistress who then commits suicide, Dr. Siri sees signs that all is not as it appears. As he probes with the assistance of a chemistry professor who has testing materials he needs, he learns that there's far more at stake than anyone realized. He is unusual for other reasons: he is visited by spirits of the dead, and in the eyes of the indigenous Hmong he may be an ancient shaman, more than a thousand years old. While this may sound somewhat over the top, the author makes it fit in smoothly, so that it only adds to the intrigue. Is it real or not?
Another appeal of this book is his team and his allies, including his ambitious young assistant Dtui, who likes to read her illicit Thai fan magazines when not busy, and Mr. Greung, afflicted with mild Downs Syndrome, but also possessing a formidable memory. There is a lot of good dry humor in the book, e.g. when an explosion intended to kill Dr. Siri leaves behind remnants of his illegal transistor radio that allows him to hear Thai broadcasts, Siri comments, "The bastards must have thrown it in with the mortar shells." The deadpan response: "That is what we suspected."
This book is an enjoyable read for any number of reasons - armchair travel to a part of the world I knew little about, an inside view of a Communist life, appealing characters, an interesting mystery, a thought-provoking central character, and a gestalt well beyond standard mystery fare. Kudos to Mark for recommending this. I look forward to reading more of the adventures of Dr. Siri and his team.
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LibraryThing member tymfos
This is an unusual mystery novel. The main character, 72-year-old Dr. Siri Paiboun, is the head coroner in Laos in 1976 -- the only coroner in the country at that time. He had the job thrust upon him after the Communist revolution -- when he wanted to retire. Call him a disillusioned Communist, he
He'd come to believe two conflicting ideas with equal conviction: that communism was the only way man could be truly content; and that man, given his selfish ways, could never practice communism with any success.
He's dealing with the bodies of a woman who died suddenly at lunch; a dead man found in a lake; and a hairdresser who may or may not be a suicide, among others. A possible conspiracy is involved with one of the cases and, as a result, someone may be trying to kill him. And, oh, by the way, he sees dead people. Not just the bodies in the morgue, but their spirits. He apparently has a gift that's going to lead to some really strange experiences. (Not that seeing dead people in and of itself isn't strange enough.)
This book is interesting in providing a view into a very different time, place, and worldview. The mystery is pretty good, too. I like Dr. Siri, who has been shoved into a job he never wanted in what he thought would be the years of his retirement. I normally like stories with a paranormal element, but this one was challenging in that regard. Like I said, it involves a very different worldview. But Dr. Siri's bewilderment with that aspect of events in the story -- and his attempts to find scientific explanations -- rather put me at ease regarding even the strangest stuff.
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was once filled with revolutionary zeal, but now sees that the new system is probably just about as flawed as the old one -- just different flaws.He'd come to believe two conflicting ideas with equal conviction: that communism was the only way man could be truly content; and that man, given his selfish ways, could never practice communism with any success.
He's dealing with the bodies of a woman who died suddenly at lunch; a dead man found in a lake; and a hairdresser who may or may not be a suicide, among others. A possible conspiracy is involved with one of the cases and, as a result, someone may be trying to kill him. And, oh, by the way, he sees dead people. Not just the bodies in the morgue, but their spirits. He apparently has a gift that's going to lead to some really strange experiences. (Not that seeing dead people in and of itself isn't strange enough.)
This book is interesting in providing a view into a very different time, place, and worldview. The mystery is pretty good, too. I like Dr. Siri, who has been shoved into a job he never wanted in what he thought would be the years of his retirement. I normally like stories with a paranormal element, but this one was challenging in that regard. Like I said, it involves a very different worldview. But Dr. Siri's bewilderment with that aspect of events in the story -- and his attempts to find scientific explanations -- rather put me at ease regarding even the strangest stuff.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
At an age when most people would be thinking seriously about retirement, Dr. Siri Paiboun has embarked on a new career. At the age of 72 he is appointed as Laos's state coroner – a job he really doesn't want and for which he has no training. He has a lab and two assistants – a young nurse and a
Dr. Siri is old enough not to fear the consequences of speaking his mind. This results in some very funny conversations with his much younger superiors. Dr. Siri doesn't spend all of his time in the lab. Readers get a nicely detailed picture of 1970s Laos as Dr. Siri goes back and forth between work and home, visits friends, and travels to a Hmong village to find evidence that can help him determine the cause of death of one of his “customers”. I can see why this series has so many fans. Although I liked a lot of things about this book, the emphasis on spirit possession exceeded my comfort level. Since that seems to be a key feature of the series, I doubt I'll continue reading it.
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man with Down syndrome – but he has few supplies or textbooks. He does have an unusual resource that compensates for his lack of experience. He sees dead people. They visit him in his dreams and tell him things about their deaths. As Dr. Siri works on three cases, two of which appear to be related, he becomes aware that his life is in danger. He races against an unknown assailant to identify the agents responsible for the murders.Dr. Siri is old enough not to fear the consequences of speaking his mind. This results in some very funny conversations with his much younger superiors. Dr. Siri doesn't spend all of his time in the lab. Readers get a nicely detailed picture of 1970s Laos as Dr. Siri goes back and forth between work and home, visits friends, and travels to a Hmong village to find evidence that can help him determine the cause of death of one of his “customers”. I can see why this series has so many fans. Although I liked a lot of things about this book, the emphasis on spirit possession exceeded my comfort level. Since that seems to be a key feature of the series, I doubt I'll continue reading it.
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LibraryThing member Joycepa
As a septuagenerian myself, I must say I was intrigued by the idea of a 72 year old Laotian physician, Dr. Siri Paiboun, as the protagonist in a police procedural series.
Set in Laos in 1976, less than a year after the Communist takeover of that country, Paiboun, as one of the last physicians left
Paiboun, who knows better, does his autopsies while reading out of a 30 year old French text on the subject. He has two assistants, one with Down’s Syndrome, the other a smart, ambitious young female nurse. Paiboun’s life becomes complicated, fast, when the wife of a prominent Party cadre suddenly dies and Paiboun is to do the autopsy.
That’s bad enough, but then things really heat up when two and then three bodies show up in a reservoir in another part of the country. They are Vietnamese, and from appearances, they have been tortured before being killed, presumably by the Laotians. As the national (and only) coroner, Paiboun is suddenly in charge of those cases as well.
The story is solid, intriguing--and enlivened by Paiboun’s rather unusual intuitive gifts which, it seems, come from an ancient Laotian sage. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book, lots of action and excitement--and there’s Siri himself who is one of the more delightful “detectives” in the genre. The description of Laos during those years and its relations with Thailand (just across the Mekhong River) and Vietnam (now unified) are fascinating.
This is not a heavy-weight entry into the mystery/procedural genre, but it is well-written by an author who lives in Thailand), very entertaining, and Praiboun is an engaging character. Highly recommended.
Set in Laos in 1976, less than a year after the Communist takeover of that country, Paiboun, as one of the last physicians left
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in the country, has been drafted to serves as the national (and only) coroner. Never mind that he knows absolutely nothing at all about forensic medicine--he’s done surgery, right, and what’s the difference, really, between cutting up bodies to eventually heal them and cutting them up to find out what killed them. To Paiboun’s superior (who is no physician), nothing could be easier or more self-evident.Paiboun, who knows better, does his autopsies while reading out of a 30 year old French text on the subject. He has two assistants, one with Down’s Syndrome, the other a smart, ambitious young female nurse. Paiboun’s life becomes complicated, fast, when the wife of a prominent Party cadre suddenly dies and Paiboun is to do the autopsy.
That’s bad enough, but then things really heat up when two and then three bodies show up in a reservoir in another part of the country. They are Vietnamese, and from appearances, they have been tortured before being killed, presumably by the Laotians. As the national (and only) coroner, Paiboun is suddenly in charge of those cases as well.
The story is solid, intriguing--and enlivened by Paiboun’s rather unusual intuitive gifts which, it seems, come from an ancient Laotian sage. There are plenty of twists and turns in this book, lots of action and excitement--and there’s Siri himself who is one of the more delightful “detectives” in the genre. The description of Laos during those years and its relations with Thailand (just across the Mekhong River) and Vietnam (now unified) are fascinating.
This is not a heavy-weight entry into the mystery/procedural genre, but it is well-written by an author who lives in Thailand), very entertaining, and Praiboun is an engaging character. Highly recommended.
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LibraryThing member Crazymamie
This book was great fun. The characters and the dialogue alone make it for me, but throw in a little bit of mystery, an unusual setting, and the fact that the main character, Dr. Siri Paiboun sees dead people (um, not just the ones on his exam table), and you have all the ingredients for a good
Dr. Siri Paiboun is the reluctant coroner in the 1970s communist regime of Laos. He wants to retire, after all he is 72 and has no training to be a coroner, but the government has other ideas. Although Dr. Siri has been a card-carrying member of the Communist Party for over forty years, he has become cynical and outspoken:
If the truth were to be told, he was a heathen of a communist. He'd come to believe two conflicting ideas with equal conviction: that communism was the only way a man could be truly content; and that man, given his selfish ways, could never practice communism with any success. The natural product of these two views was that man could never be content.
As bodies begin to arrive at his lab, the government will soon realize that perhaps his position is not the best place to stash someone who feels that they have nothing to lose. The first body to arrive is that of Mrs. Nitnoy - "She was a strong, loud woman with a large, menacing chest and hips that rolled at you like tank treads. She was a senior cadre at the Woman's Union and carried as much weight politically as she did structurally." Apparently she just keeled over in the middle of a luncheon and died. She is the wife of Senior Comrade Kham, a high ranking member of the Parliament, and at nine that evening Comrade Kham shows up to collect his wife's body. Which he does - even though the autopsy is not yet finished. Everyone in charge agrees that there is no reason to investigate, so of course Siri begins to investigate. Next come the bodies of two Vietnamese nationals found floating in a lake, and then the body of a hairdresser whose apparent suicide may or may not be related to the death of Mrs. Nitnoy. Curiouser and curiouser.
Suddenly, being the coroner doesn't seem so terrible. Turning to his two assistants, the good doctor surmises, "We, my children are no longer common coroners. We are investigators of death. Inspector Siri and his faithful lieutenants. All for one and one for all." He walked over to the doorway, turned back to his team, clicked the heels of his sandals together, and saluted.
If you prefer your murder mysteries served without a side of mysticism, then perhaps this isn't the book for you - but you'll be missing an incredibly fun read.
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yarn.Dr. Siri Paiboun is the reluctant coroner in the 1970s communist regime of Laos. He wants to retire, after all he is 72 and has no training to be a coroner, but the government has other ideas. Although Dr. Siri has been a card-carrying member of the Communist Party for over forty years, he has become cynical and outspoken:
If the truth were to be told, he was a heathen of a communist. He'd come to believe two conflicting ideas with equal conviction: that communism was the only way a man could be truly content; and that man, given his selfish ways, could never practice communism with any success. The natural product of these two views was that man could never be content.
As bodies begin to arrive at his lab, the government will soon realize that perhaps his position is not the best place to stash someone who feels that they have nothing to lose. The first body to arrive is that of Mrs. Nitnoy - "She was a strong, loud woman with a large, menacing chest and hips that rolled at you like tank treads. She was a senior cadre at the Woman's Union and carried as much weight politically as she did structurally." Apparently she just keeled over in the middle of a luncheon and died. She is the wife of Senior Comrade Kham, a high ranking member of the Parliament, and at nine that evening Comrade Kham shows up to collect his wife's body. Which he does - even though the autopsy is not yet finished. Everyone in charge agrees that there is no reason to investigate, so of course Siri begins to investigate. Next come the bodies of two Vietnamese nationals found floating in a lake, and then the body of a hairdresser whose apparent suicide may or may not be related to the death of Mrs. Nitnoy. Curiouser and curiouser.
Suddenly, being the coroner doesn't seem so terrible. Turning to his two assistants, the good doctor surmises, "We, my children are no longer common coroners. We are investigators of death. Inspector Siri and his faithful lieutenants. All for one and one for all." He walked over to the doorway, turned back to his team, clicked the heels of his sandals together, and saluted.
If you prefer your murder mysteries served without a side of mysticism, then perhaps this isn't the book for you - but you'll be missing an incredibly fun read.
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LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
The novel is set completely in the country of Laos, mid 1970s. The central charater is an elderly coroner, Siri Paiboum, who you can tell is less than thrilled with the "liberation" of Laos by the communists. One part of this book I really enjoyed was Siri's take on all of the Communist reforms --
The first case in which we get to know Siri's investigative acumen deals with the wife of a high official; she is brought in due to the suspicious nature of her death, and as Siri is doing the autopsy, the official tells him she died of eating meat tainted with parasites; Siri up to that point hadn't been able to find a cause of death. The case is taken away from him, leaving Siri intrigued and determined to get to the bottom of things. The next case involves two bodies that pop up from the middle of a reservoir; this case will end up putting Siri in life-threatening danger as he investigates.
Now, just when you think, yeah, yeah, so..., the author adds another dimension to the story. Siri can see spirits, putting a supernatural spin on the novel. This doesn't detract from the story at all...I found it very intriguing and a good twist to the storyline.
Fun book, a good mystery, and I really like the characters. If you don't mind a wee bit of the supernatural in your mysteries, this one is very good.
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very funny at times, in a sarcastic sort of way. Siri's staff consists of a nurse, Dtui, and his assistant Geung, who has Down's syndrome but a great memory and a great tolerance for repetitive tasks. They're understaffed, underequipped and work in somewhat primitive conditions, but together they get by and do a great job.The first case in which we get to know Siri's investigative acumen deals with the wife of a high official; she is brought in due to the suspicious nature of her death, and as Siri is doing the autopsy, the official tells him she died of eating meat tainted with parasites; Siri up to that point hadn't been able to find a cause of death. The case is taken away from him, leaving Siri intrigued and determined to get to the bottom of things. The next case involves two bodies that pop up from the middle of a reservoir; this case will end up putting Siri in life-threatening danger as he investigates.
Now, just when you think, yeah, yeah, so..., the author adds another dimension to the story. Siri can see spirits, putting a supernatural spin on the novel. This doesn't detract from the story at all...I found it very intriguing and a good twist to the storyline.
Fun book, a good mystery, and I really like the characters. If you don't mind a wee bit of the supernatural in your mysteries, this one is very good.
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LibraryThing member RBeffa
When I read a brief blurb about this book it caught my attention. A murder mystery set in Laos right after the communist takeover in the 1970's. Now that is something different than the mean streets of an American city or something by Tony Hillerman or Nevada Barr, or the foggy environs of an Anne
This book really put me in to a different culture of a different time. It begins in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos, October 1976. There are a couple of colorful characters in here besides Dr. Siri. In reading I also learned some history of Laos and neighbors Thailand and Vietnam. The "mystery" element of this story isn't what caught or kept my interest, but rather the quirky yet endearing cast of characters. I read this novel because of them. There may be a bit too much "mysticism" in here for traditional mystery readers, as right off the bat we are introduced to the idea of dream world visitors to Siri, but for something different this was a real treat. Just bear in mind that part of the mystery solving involves the dead communicating with Dr. Siri. Written down here it probably sounds bad, but it doesn't come across quite that way in the book. Just go with the flow and enjoy it. This is the first in what became a series and I am sure I will check in again shortly. I enjoyed this as much for the sense of place it evoked as anything.
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Perry Victorian novel. What I wasn't expecting to find was a charming protaganist in the form of an almost elderly coroner, Dr. Siri Paiboun and the unique problems he faces.This book really put me in to a different culture of a different time. It begins in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos, October 1976. There are a couple of colorful characters in here besides Dr. Siri. In reading I also learned some history of Laos and neighbors Thailand and Vietnam. The "mystery" element of this story isn't what caught or kept my interest, but rather the quirky yet endearing cast of characters. I read this novel because of them. There may be a bit too much "mysticism" in here for traditional mystery readers, as right off the bat we are introduced to the idea of dream world visitors to Siri, but for something different this was a real treat. Just bear in mind that part of the mystery solving involves the dead communicating with Dr. Siri. Written down here it probably sounds bad, but it doesn't come across quite that way in the book. Just go with the flow and enjoy it. This is the first in what became a series and I am sure I will check in again shortly. I enjoyed this as much for the sense of place it evoked as anything.
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LibraryThing member Meredy
Six-word review: Exotic setting can't save jumbled mystery.
Extended review:
Once I got past the alienness of the setting, communist Laos in 1976 (and here I was helped along by another recent read that treats a communist society), I was ready to settle down with an intriguing cast of characters and
The focal character is a 72-year-old doctor who has been pressed into service as his country's only coroner and who, with the aid of two appealing assistants, digs for the truth behind several deaths that are not what they seem. The politics of the time and place functions as a major plot element, as well as giving an air of mystery even to mundane things.
However, the story was disappointing on two counts. First, I didn't buy the supernatural element. Including communicative spirits in a setting that does not otherwise appear to be a magical world leaves me unable to know which set of rules applies. The doctor's experience of posthumous visitations from assorted victims is his only source of certain key pieces of information, and this aspect undercuts a process that otherwise appears to be rational and scientific.
Second, the unraveling of the mysteries for the reader does not take place through the agency of the character who occupies the role of detective. Rather, as we near the end, there is simply a chapter that suddenly explains everything from the point of view of the perpetrator. What's more, at least one of the crimes seems too arbitrary and far-fetched even for a highly fanciful plot.
I've used the word "conventional" in a number of my reviews, and this causes me a little bit of conflict because in general I'm not a special fan of convention. I'm more than willing to follow an author or artist outside the ordinary boundaries just to see what happens. But in my opinion a novel that invokes a particular genre by means of its structure and its use of the conventions of the genre, not to mention its audience identification and marketing, incurs certain obligations to readers of the genre. When it fails to deliver on the promises it makes, it deserves to be pronounced unsatisfactory.
Extended review:
Once I got past the alienness of the setting, communist Laos in 1976 (and here I was helped along by another recent read that treats a communist society), I was ready to settle down with an intriguing cast of characters and
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some unusual crime-solving.The focal character is a 72-year-old doctor who has been pressed into service as his country's only coroner and who, with the aid of two appealing assistants, digs for the truth behind several deaths that are not what they seem. The politics of the time and place functions as a major plot element, as well as giving an air of mystery even to mundane things.
However, the story was disappointing on two counts. First, I didn't buy the supernatural element. Including communicative spirits in a setting that does not otherwise appear to be a magical world leaves me unable to know which set of rules applies. The doctor's experience of posthumous visitations from assorted victims is his only source of certain key pieces of information, and this aspect undercuts a process that otherwise appears to be rational and scientific.
Second, the unraveling of the mysteries for the reader does not take place through the agency of the character who occupies the role of detective. Rather, as we near the end, there is simply a chapter that suddenly explains everything from the point of view of the perpetrator. What's more, at least one of the crimes seems too arbitrary and far-fetched even for a highly fanciful plot.
I've used the word "conventional" in a number of my reviews, and this causes me a little bit of conflict because in general I'm not a special fan of convention. I'm more than willing to follow an author or artist outside the ordinary boundaries just to see what happens. But in my opinion a novel that invokes a particular genre by means of its structure and its use of the conventions of the genre, not to mention its audience identification and marketing, incurs certain obligations to readers of the genre. When it fails to deliver on the promises it makes, it deserves to be pronounced unsatisfactory.
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LibraryThing member prettysinister
First of what has turned out to be quite an intriguing series about a coroner in 1970s Laos and his associates who solve bizarre deaths (some murders, some accidents that late reveal other crimes). Personally, it is the mystical/supernatural element in these books that makes them all the more
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appealing to me. I have a personal interest in crime novels and detective fiction that incorporate the fantastic and the supernatural. In these stories the supernatural aspects are integral to the story and not merely a gimmick since the mystical is part of the fabric of the Lao and Hmong spiritual beliefs. There are ghosts that appear to Dr. Siri and they help him in a fashion solve the more bizarre aspects of the deaths he must investigate for the government. The descriptions of the spiritual rites, the demonic exorcisms, and all of the detail about Hmong and Lao spiritual beliefs make these books a standout in crime fiction. In my reading only Michael Gruber's book about his Miami cop Jimmy come close to combining successfully 21st century crime with the fantastic and the other worldly. In this first novel there are multiple stories that intersect and baffling puzzles that are solved along the way with one main plot serving as the overall framework. Later the books become less episodic than this one with more of a throughline. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carol420
The characters here were so incredibly believable. This book was so different from the other mystery books I have read before. From the first page of the book the drama begins. The mystery is presented of three men who are dropped from a helicopter into a lake with weights attached to their legs.
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Vietnam and Laos become involved with the investigation of the murders and we meet Dr. Suri, a 72-year-old medical examiner who is ready for retirement but can't resist another murder investigation. In addition, a prominent wife of a leader dies at a banquet. Her husband is very anxious to take the body away from Dr. Suri. Dr. Suri, with his investigative skills doesn't take the word of those above him for what has caused these deaths. He communications with his "customers". The story takes on a paranormal flavor as these people first come to him in dreams, and later visits in his waking life. Overall, the result is a crazy, absorbing, magical, sometimes gory, but always entertaining, ride though a fascinating land with a cast of unforgettable characters. Show Less
LibraryThing member FicusFan
A truly wonderful book. Full of whimsy, surprises, and characters who come to quickly seem like old friends.
Set in the newly Communist Laos in 1976, the book spends little time on polemics and theory, and more on the everyday hardships of a poor country now magnified because of the requirement of
The main character is Siri, a 72 year old doctor who only wants to retire, and is more of a relaxed Communist. He has no training as a coroner, but that doesn't stop the judicial department from deciding that putting things together means he is also qualified to take them apart. He has very little in terms of modern appliances, chemicals, or texts to help him study the remains of the dead to determine how they met their end. His job is determine if there has been a crime committed, and if so, how it was done.
Fortunately, or not, he can see spirits, and the dead visit him and perform clues and final moments for him. He puzzles at their information and tries to use everything at his disposal to do his job well. He feels he owes it to those who come to the morgue. They have become not dead things, but people who need their peace and dignity restored.
He becomes embroiled in several dangerous cases with political overtones. One within the power structure of his rulers, and the other involving Vietnam and a possible spark to war. In the middle of his dangerous case load he is also sent to a H'Mong village where the ranking Laotian military officers are dying strangely. His sojourn among the H'Mong, serves to awaken more of his supernatural ability and he learns to tap into the spiritual aspect of his ancient land. The magical realism element is done very well, and complements the tone of the story without seeming to be too silly, powerful, or the answer for all things.
Through out it all Siri, is surrounded by friends, co-workers, and neighbors who are drawn so well that they seem like old friends. I can imagine them living on after the book ends. And while the book deals with death and the cutting up of bodies, the story is redolent with tenderness, caring, and great respect for the sanctity of all life. The author manages this without seeming preachy or schmaltzy.
I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 in the series to continue reading more.
Set in the newly Communist Laos in 1976, the book spends little time on polemics and theory, and more on the everyday hardships of a poor country now magnified because of the requirement of
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being politically correct and of following the idealogical rules. These situations present sadness, but also the way the main character deals with them is so droll and full of whimsy, that I was quite often laughing out loud.The main character is Siri, a 72 year old doctor who only wants to retire, and is more of a relaxed Communist. He has no training as a coroner, but that doesn't stop the judicial department from deciding that putting things together means he is also qualified to take them apart. He has very little in terms of modern appliances, chemicals, or texts to help him study the remains of the dead to determine how they met their end. His job is determine if there has been a crime committed, and if so, how it was done.
Fortunately, or not, he can see spirits, and the dead visit him and perform clues and final moments for him. He puzzles at their information and tries to use everything at his disposal to do his job well. He feels he owes it to those who come to the morgue. They have become not dead things, but people who need their peace and dignity restored.
He becomes embroiled in several dangerous cases with political overtones. One within the power structure of his rulers, and the other involving Vietnam and a possible spark to war. In the middle of his dangerous case load he is also sent to a H'Mong village where the ranking Laotian military officers are dying strangely. His sojourn among the H'Mong, serves to awaken more of his supernatural ability and he learns to tap into the spiritual aspect of his ancient land. The magical realism element is done very well, and complements the tone of the story without seeming to be too silly, powerful, or the answer for all things.
Through out it all Siri, is surrounded by friends, co-workers, and neighbors who are drawn so well that they seem like old friends. I can imagine them living on after the book ends. And while the book deals with death and the cutting up of bodies, the story is redolent with tenderness, caring, and great respect for the sanctity of all life. The author manages this without seeming preachy or schmaltzy.
I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 in the series to continue reading more.
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LibraryThing member hemlokgang
Wonderful tongue-in-cheek tale of Dr. Siri, a coroner in Laos in the late 1970s. He is out of date, suffers lack of resources, but most of all faces the sometimes ludicrous machinations and beliefs of the Communist regime. Despite all, he out-maneuvers and outwits his opponents to emerge victorious
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in the search for truth. Oh....did I mention that he channels spirits of the departed? A really fun read! Show Less
LibraryThing member bell7
Dr. Siri Paiboun, a doctor in Laos, reluctantly becomes the coroner in the capital city after the communist revolution in 1975. Still, he leads a fairly quiet life until the wife of Comrade Kham dies under mysterious circumstances and Siri is determined to get to the bottom of it.
Yes, I have
Yes, I have
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finally succumbed to the book warbling of many fellow LibraryThing members and begun reading the Dr. Siri series. I really enjoyed the setting of 1976 in Laos, and learned a lot about the country and time period through information that was intertwined flawlessly with the story; Dr. Siri is a sort-of communist who is a bit cynical about the regime, but he can get away with saying a lot because of his position and age. He communicates with the spirits of the departed, mostly in his dreams, which means that he's often working backwards - Siri knows the solution, but just has to put together the facts to support it. As a result, this reminded me more of a classic Agatha Christie story in which some of the key parts of the puzzle aren't revealed until the very end. His friends and co-workers are well-drawn characters in their own right. I'm definitely keeping the series on my list to continue when I'm in need of a dependably good story. Show Less
LibraryThing member Narshkite
What a fun read! The mystery was all fine, but for me not terribly important. The characters were wonderful, and the mystery gave everyone something to do. Also, the look inside Laos was the true highlight. I like books where the setting is a character, and Vientiane was definitely a major player
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in this story. This might have been a 5 star (or perhaps a 4 1/2) but for the last few pages in which the author decided to get rid of an in issue which guided the main character in his actions and did so in a very contrived way. It really bugged me, the removal of this compelling regret from his past weakened Siri as a character. Still highly recommended Show Less
LibraryThing member dougwood57
The Coroner’s Lunch introduced Dr. Siri Paiboun, the one-of-a-kind detective: He’s a Communist, he’s a septuagenarian, he’s sort of possessed by the spirit of an ancient shaman, Yeh Ming and he’s the crime-solving national coroner of Laos.
The series is set in the 1970’s very soon after
Cotterill sets the stage for the series in this book: We meet Siri’s morgue assistants Geung and Dtui, his friend and politburo member Civalai, his police partner Phosy, and his inexperienced bureaucratic boss Kaeng. We also meet his spirit co-inhabitant Yeh Ming.
Cotterill’s books are a weird concoction that is part Alexander McCall Smith, part Christopher Moore, part Agatha Christie with a dash of Carlos Castaneda thrown in! The books are fun, sweet, and filled with many decent people and the problems they face when dealing with those who are not. The Yeh Ming spirit adds a mystical element they may put off some readers; it’s not really my normal cup of tea, but it works. Cotterill makes use of the Yeh Ming character to explore the Hmong people. That minority group and their difficult lives under Laotian rule form a key piece of Cotterill’s back story.
The search for a solution or solutions to the mysteries (the suspicious death of the wife of a prominent military man and the murders of several Vietnamese) is entertaining, but the characters, setting and atmosphere make this series stand out in a crowded field of international detectives. Recommended.
The series is set in the 1970’s very soon after
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the Pathet Lao came to power. Siri himself was for many years an active member of the Communist resistance. His faith in the cause has waned somewhat, but he’s no capitalist roader. His best friend is a member of the ruling elite. The Americans’ role in devastating the country lurks in the background. Near the end of the book Siri learns something that is personally liberating, but that is also bound to sour him on the ruling party.Cotterill sets the stage for the series in this book: We meet Siri’s morgue assistants Geung and Dtui, his friend and politburo member Civalai, his police partner Phosy, and his inexperienced bureaucratic boss Kaeng. We also meet his spirit co-inhabitant Yeh Ming.
Cotterill’s books are a weird concoction that is part Alexander McCall Smith, part Christopher Moore, part Agatha Christie with a dash of Carlos Castaneda thrown in! The books are fun, sweet, and filled with many decent people and the problems they face when dealing with those who are not. The Yeh Ming spirit adds a mystical element they may put off some readers; it’s not really my normal cup of tea, but it works. Cotterill makes use of the Yeh Ming character to explore the Hmong people. That minority group and their difficult lives under Laotian rule form a key piece of Cotterill’s back story.
The search for a solution or solutions to the mysteries (the suspicious death of the wife of a prominent military man and the murders of several Vietnamese) is entertaining, but the characters, setting and atmosphere make this series stand out in a crowded field of international detectives. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member wildbill
Coroner's Lunch
The combination of an exotic setting, Laos in 1976, and the antics of the lead character Dr. Siri Panboun produce a book with a wry sense of humor. At one point in the book Dr. Siri is threatened by someone and he replies something to the effect of, " why should I be afraid of you,
Laos is a pre-industrial country trying to be a modern one. Dr. Siri has very little equipment but he does have some nasty murders. The murder of three men from North Vietnam has strong political repercussions. Unsolved deaths in the high forest of Laos lead Dr. Siri into the middle of a Hmong exorcism, my favorite part of the book.
The last segment is told from the point of view of a cold blooded assassin. His identity is a well hidden secret until the end of the book.
I must tip my hat in thanks to Joycepa an LT member who introduced me to this series. The book was interesting and entertaining. It is well written and I find that I already like the main characters. I look forward to the next title "Thirty-Three Teeth".
The combination of an exotic setting, Laos in 1976, and the antics of the lead character Dr. Siri Panboun produce a book with a wry sense of humor. At one point in the book Dr. Siri is threatened by someone and he replies something to the effect of, " why should I be afraid of you,
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I am twenty years older than the average life expectancy in this country. I am living on borrowed time. You would be doing me a favor if you killed me." The title of the book is the punch line to a long running story in the book that I didn't "get" until I had finished the book. Mr. Geung and Nurse Dtui, Dr. Siri's helpers in the morgue contribute to the sense of fun in the book. Mr. Geung has a touch of Down's syndrome but his memory makes him indispensable. Nurse Dtui is strong moral support for the Doctor and she is the one who has to tell the him the big joke.Laos is a pre-industrial country trying to be a modern one. Dr. Siri has very little equipment but he does have some nasty murders. The murder of three men from North Vietnam has strong political repercussions. Unsolved deaths in the high forest of Laos lead Dr. Siri into the middle of a Hmong exorcism, my favorite part of the book.
The last segment is told from the point of view of a cold blooded assassin. His identity is a well hidden secret until the end of the book.
I must tip my hat in thanks to Joycepa an LT member who introduced me to this series. The book was interesting and entertaining. It is well written and I find that I already like the main characters. I look forward to the next title "Thirty-Three Teeth".
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LibraryThing member ChelleBearss
Dr. Siri is an elderly Doctor that wants to retire but is forced into taking the position of the only Coroner in communist Laos. His normally slightly boring job becomes quite a bit more interesting when a series of suspicious deaths come to his table. With his interesting cast of morgue staff he
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sets off to solve the suspicious deaths, but someone else plans on stopping Dr Siri in his tracks. Show Less
LibraryThing member bsquaredinoz
The book opens Laos in 1976. A fledgling Communist regime is in power for the first time and Dr Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old doctor and former warrior, has been appointed the country’s sole Coroner. He has no training for the role, most of the available books on the subject are in a language he
The highlight of the book for me was the humour which has the same witty, haphazardly surreal quality as Douglas Adams’ writing. In the past I have lamented the lack of books with this kind of sensibility but I now realise it’s a terribly difficult thing to achieve and am simply grateful whenever I stumble across an example. I don’t re-read books very often but books like this, that offer something wonderful quite independent of their narrative, tend to make it to the shelf of books I re-acquaint myself with from time to time.
The characters are delightful too. Dr Siri is reluctant in his roles as communist and coroner though he performs the latter with increasing diligence. He treats the people he meets with the amount of respect and compassion each deserves and his struggle to cope with the supernatural aspect to his life is handled well (it's a theme normally guaranteed to turn me off). There are a myriad of other players, major and minor, alive and not, good and evil, who are all equally well depicted and credible.
The book also offers a marvellous sense of time and place although I’m so woefully ignorant of this particular part of the world and its history that I’ve no clue if it’s a realistic depiction. For all I know it could be as much a production of Cotterill’s imagination as his protagonist’s corpse-inhabited dreams but, realistic or not, it’s a glimpse into a fascinating world.
For once the prominent blurb on my copy of The Coroner’s Lunch, which likens it to Alexander McCall Smith’s African series, isn't wildly inaccurate. Dr Siri certainly shares characteristics with Mme Ramotswe of Smith’s series although I think the plot of this book is far more intricate and it tackles weightier social issues, albeit with a delicate touch and wry humour. I found myself wanting more of this writing and these people almost before I'd even finished and, happily for me, there are already five more books in the series. What joy I have to look forward to.
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doesn’t speak and he has little of the necessary equipment. Despite all this he’s required to investigate an assortment of peculiar deaths, including the wife of a Party Leader and what appear to be tortured Vietnamese soldiers. Helping Dr Siri are nurse (and wannabe trainee Coroner) Dtui, morgue assistant Mr Geung and the spirits of dead people who inhabit Dr Siri's dreams.The highlight of the book for me was the humour which has the same witty, haphazardly surreal quality as Douglas Adams’ writing. In the past I have lamented the lack of books with this kind of sensibility but I now realise it’s a terribly difficult thing to achieve and am simply grateful whenever I stumble across an example. I don’t re-read books very often but books like this, that offer something wonderful quite independent of their narrative, tend to make it to the shelf of books I re-acquaint myself with from time to time.
The characters are delightful too. Dr Siri is reluctant in his roles as communist and coroner though he performs the latter with increasing diligence. He treats the people he meets with the amount of respect and compassion each deserves and his struggle to cope with the supernatural aspect to his life is handled well (it's a theme normally guaranteed to turn me off). There are a myriad of other players, major and minor, alive and not, good and evil, who are all equally well depicted and credible.
The book also offers a marvellous sense of time and place although I’m so woefully ignorant of this particular part of the world and its history that I’ve no clue if it’s a realistic depiction. For all I know it could be as much a production of Cotterill’s imagination as his protagonist’s corpse-inhabited dreams but, realistic or not, it’s a glimpse into a fascinating world.
For once the prominent blurb on my copy of The Coroner’s Lunch, which likens it to Alexander McCall Smith’s African series, isn't wildly inaccurate. Dr Siri certainly shares characteristics with Mme Ramotswe of Smith’s series although I think the plot of this book is far more intricate and it tackles weightier social issues, albeit with a delicate touch and wry humour. I found myself wanting more of this writing and these people almost before I'd even finished and, happily for me, there are already five more books in the series. What joy I have to look forward to.
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LibraryThing member maneekuhi
The Coroner's Lunch, rated 4.5 stars, is the first in a series of 8 books written about an elderly coroner, the only coroner, in the new Laos. The story in the first book takes place in the mid 70's when Dr. Siri is 72. He is widowed and not adjusting well to the new communist regime. There is not
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much to do, and what is there is fairly routine. But suddenly Siri has four cases, and all the cases are suspicious. He begins his investigations, nobly assisted by a young man with Downs and a nurse with a sharp tongue. Siri is not into technology. Cells are not invented yet which is just as well - Siri does not know how to use a telephone, a landline phone; he has difficulty riding a bicycle. The cases are diverse, very interesting, and some are solved through Siri's ability to speak with the dead. And he finally learns of the real circumstances surrounding his wife's passing a few years ago. All of the cases are solved simultaneously so there is explanation on top of explanation in the closing chapter, a bit too much at once, but that is my only criticism of this well received and critically acclaimed novel. Quick moving story, good tension, good humor throughout, liked the characters, learned a bit about that part of the world - will read more in this series. And by the closing paragraph, Siri seems to have a new girl friend.....or does he??? Show Less
LibraryThing member cameling
Set in Laos after the Communist regime took over in the late 1970s, this is a great kick off to the series of an investigative elderly coroner who sees ghosts. Dr Siri and his trusty team, Geung, a lab assistant with Downs Syndrome, and Dtui, his nurse, has to piece together the cause of unnatural
Keeping one step ahead of the politburo and their spies, he tries to uncover the mysteries behind some unnatural deaths that cross into his morgue and some in the jungle of Kamuan.
Witty and filled with twists, this whodunhit is a definitely hit.
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deaths through dismally old equipment and tools. Dogs don't like him, ladies find him charming and sexy, and someone's trying to kill him.Keeping one step ahead of the politburo and their spies, he tries to uncover the mysteries behind some unnatural deaths that cross into his morgue and some in the jungle of Kamuan.
Witty and filled with twists, this whodunhit is a definitely hit.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
Pressed into service as a coroner, despite lack of experience, Dr. Siri Paiboun refuses to merely go through the motions. He begins to actually investigate possible crimes, and as a result is soon in danger. Although a man of science, Siri finds himself the recipient of dreams in which the dead
The setting is vivid as the new communist government struggles against endless shortages to rebuild society while trying to stop the flow of refugees to nearby Thailand.
Other memorable characters include Siri's bossy neighbor, Miss Vong, his nurse, Dtui and Mr. Geung, the janitor who suffers from Down's syndrome. The three learn together to conduct autopsies and counter interference from Party functionaries.
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give him clues. He is later accepted as a reincarnated shaman by a Hmong village and inexplicably finds himself able to speak Hmong while investigating the deaths of a series of army officers. The setting is vivid as the new communist government struggles against endless shortages to rebuild society while trying to stop the flow of refugees to nearby Thailand.
Other memorable characters include Siri's bossy neighbor, Miss Vong, his nurse, Dtui and Mr. Geung, the janitor who suffers from Down's syndrome. The three learn together to conduct autopsies and counter interference from Party functionaries.
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LibraryThing member chrystal
Delightful book, loved every minute, the characters the plot, just the right amount of everything.
Subjects
Awards
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2008)
Barry Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2005)
Language
Original publication date
2004-12-15
Local notes
This first Dr. Siri Paiboun mystery introduces readers to a delightful old man conscripted in 1975 to become the chief medical examiner of Laos after the nation's "only doctor with a background in performing autopsies had crossed the river" into Thailand, "allegedly in a rubber tube." Siri thought he'd settle down with a state pension after helping the Communists force the Laotian royal family from power, but the party won't let him retire until he is a drooling shell. So the spry seventysomething settles into a routine of studying outdated medical texts and scrounging scarce supplies to perform the occasional cursory examination while making witty observations about the bumbling new regime to his oddball assistants. But when the wife of a party leader turns up dead and the bodies of tortured Vietnamese soldiers start bobbing to the surface of a Laotian lake, all eyes turn to Siri. Faced with dueling cover-ups and an emerging international crisis, the doctor enlists old friends, Hmong shamans, forest spirits, dream visits from the dead--and even the occasional bit of medical deduction--to solve the crimes.