This is the third book in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series and now there are 15 books total. This was my tenth book read for the 20 Books of Summer Challenge.
This series is especially interesting because of the setting: Laos, in 1977, when the Communists are in power. Siri, in his seventies, has been named the national coroner of Laos. He has a small staff to help him in his work, Nurse Dtui and Mr. Geong.
In Disco for the Departed, the Pathet Lao are signing a treaty with the Vietnamese. Siri and Dtui travel to a city far from their hospital in Vientiane to investigate a corpse, which was found embedded in concrete, with one arm sticking out of the concrete. On this trip, Dtui has the opportunity to do some real nursing in a very overcrowded, understaffed hospital and gets an offer of marriage.
Geung is left behind at the hospital in Ventiane. The official in charge, Judge Haeng, decides that Geung should be transported 200 miles away for other work. Geung doesn't understand why he has been relocated, he just knows he promised to take care of the morgue while the others are away. He manages to get separated from the soldiers who are transporting him and starts walking home, a seemingly impossible task.
My thoughts:
Colin Cotterill writes with skill and humor. The subjects are serious but never dark and depressing. The characters are very well written. In this book I found the investigaton of the death less interesting, too complex, but in the end it had a very satisfying and surprising resolution. The plot includes many historical and cultural details about Laos and the surrounding areas.
I especially enjoyed the portion of the story where Geung attempts to return to the hospital in Ventiane. I was rooting for him to have a successful journey. Even though his mental abilities were limited, he found ways to use his talents to proceed in the right direction towards home.
There are supernatural aspects to the story. From the beginning of the series, Siri has been able to communicate with the dead. In the previous story, he found out that he was a host to an ancient Hmong shaman. Normally I would find this offputting, but those elements do not take over the story.
It had been 6 or 7 years since I read the 2nd book in the series but the author made it easy to pick up on where the characters were in their lives. I think this book would work as a standalone, but starting at the beginning would be even better. I hope I can read the books in this series more consistently in the future.
Colin Cotterill has a very amusing website.
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Publisher: Soho Crime, 2007 (orig. publ. 2006)
Length: 248 pages
Format: Trade paperback
Series: Dr. Siri Paiboun
Setting: Laos
Genre: Historical Mystery
Source: On my TBR since 2014.
14 comments:
I really do like this series, Tracy, although I admit I've not read every entry in it. I like Cotterill's wit, and I agree with you that the setting is so interesting. Cotterill's done the research, too, I think, because it feels authentic. And although I'm not one for the supernatural, somehow that aspect works here.
Margot, I assume that you were the person that introduced me to this series by Colin Cotterill. And I agree with you on the supernatural elements. They are not usually my favorite thing in mysteries, but I think they are handled well here.
I must look into this series as I quite enjoy the supernatural in a crime series (John Connolly's 'Charlie Parker' series for instance) and this particular aspect strikes me as intriguing.
I have always meant to try one but long series make me freeze. I can't read them all so which one can stand in for the rest.
Cath, the setting is very good, and the supernatural elements fit into it well.
Patti, I sympathize, and I often avoid starting a series that has so many books. And I probably won't be able to finish the series even though I think most of the books are shorter in length. This one does a good job of introducing the characters and the relationships. It would be nice to know how many of the books work well as standalones. I believe Jeff Meyerson has read all the books in the series, he might have an opinion on that.
Tracy, I admire the breadth of your reading outside the traditional British or American settings. I am not a supernatural fan much myself but (as I often say to anyone who will listen) a talented author can capture us when we least expect it - but only if we are willing to try something new once in a while.
Weirdly, I find hospital scenes quite interesting, although I suppose it is not a common setting because it requires specialized knowledge or superficial treatment.
Constance, I agree, a good author and good writing can make almost any subject or genre a good read. The setting and the characters keep me reading this series. At least the next four in the series that I own already. All of the covers are nice.
I always find hospital settings and the work of doctors and nurses interesting, but haven't run into a lot of fiction with that element.
Medical folk do tend to flock to certain novels in that sphere, particularly medical students to THE HOUSE OF GOD by "Samuel Shem"/Stephen Bergman (1978). Notable how many novels by MDs and the like are published under pseudonyms, perhaps for obvious reasons.
This writer is news to me, and I suspect I'd like this a fair amount, at very least.
I think you would like it, Todd. Let me know if you try one of the books.
I don't think I've ever read a book set in Laos. I bet it's a very interesting setting.
Lark, it is a very interesting setting, and I would like to learn more about the country and the culture.
I'm fairly new to your blog, and this series is not one I've read, I've seen it mentioned in passing but never taken the plunge. I picked up the first in the series The Coroner's Lunch based on your review here. I must say thank you, I really enjoyed it, the setting is splendid but for me the strong point are the characters. Wayne.
Wayne, thanks very much for commenting. I am glad that you enjoyed The Coroner's Lunch, it has been so many years since I read that one that I don't remember much about it. I agree, the characters are the best part of these books. I plan to read more books in this series soon.
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