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elysahenegar's review against another edition
4.0
Another great Dr. Siri mystery, with suspense woven all through! This series does not disappoint!
eososray's review against another edition
5.0
This continues to be one of my favorite series. I love Dr Paiboun, with his irreverent sense of humour and sarcasm. Even in the most dire of situations he manages to make me laugh.
celestemarin's review against another edition
4.0
I love the Lao coroner books but this one had a bit too much torture and things I like to read the Lao coroner books to not think about.
elusivesue's review against another edition
5.0
One of the best in the series. The writing is sharp, I appreciate Cotterill's care with word choice. The dual plotlines almost drive you through the book.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
‘Somebody must have had a motive.’
Dr Siri Paiboun is being tormented by a recurring nightmare which ends in his death. But when he is awake, life goes on in its usual abnormal way in Laos. It’s 1978 and Dr Siri is still the only coroner in Laos. Three women, each of whom has studied abroad in an Eastern bloc country, have been skewered on épées. Dr Siri and his trusty band are on the case.
But before he can solve the case, Dr Siri takes a trip to Cambodia and the world of the Khmer Rouge. Will Dr Siri survive? And will the case of the three épées be solved? Granted, it’s hard to think about the case when Dr Siri is celebrating his 74th birthday in hell, but the flashbacks to Vientiane bring us up to date with Madame Daeng (Dr Siri’s wife of three months), Nurse Dtui’s motherhood and Mr Geung’s new hairstyle.
It’s difficult to say more about the novel without venturing into spoiler territory. So I’ll confine myself to observing that while the wry humour that I’ve enjoyed in the preceding six Dr Siri novels is still present in parts, it is largely overshadowed by Dr Siri’s incursion into the nightmare world of the Khmer Rouge. As Dr Siri realises, while wandering around the wasteland that was Phnom Penh, ‘If Big Brother could destroy literature and history, he could destroy lives.’ Will Dr Siri survive his own insatiable curiosity?
This is the seventh Dr Siri mystery. It’s worth reading them in order but not absolutely essential.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Dr Siri Paiboun is being tormented by a recurring nightmare which ends in his death. But when he is awake, life goes on in its usual abnormal way in Laos. It’s 1978 and Dr Siri is still the only coroner in Laos. Three women, each of whom has studied abroad in an Eastern bloc country, have been skewered on épées. Dr Siri and his trusty band are on the case.
But before he can solve the case, Dr Siri takes a trip to Cambodia and the world of the Khmer Rouge. Will Dr Siri survive? And will the case of the three épées be solved? Granted, it’s hard to think about the case when Dr Siri is celebrating his 74th birthday in hell, but the flashbacks to Vientiane bring us up to date with Madame Daeng (Dr Siri’s wife of three months), Nurse Dtui’s motherhood and Mr Geung’s new hairstyle.
It’s difficult to say more about the novel without venturing into spoiler territory. So I’ll confine myself to observing that while the wry humour that I’ve enjoyed in the preceding six Dr Siri novels is still present in parts, it is largely overshadowed by Dr Siri’s incursion into the nightmare world of the Khmer Rouge. As Dr Siri realises, while wandering around the wasteland that was Phnom Penh, ‘If Big Brother could destroy literature and history, he could destroy lives.’ Will Dr Siri survive his own insatiable curiosity?
This is the seventh Dr Siri mystery. It’s worth reading them in order but not absolutely essential.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
luciavk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
A bit darker than the previous one as it covers the horrific situation in Cambodia during the Khmer reign. Still entertaining, easier to figure out.
suzyqhf's review against another edition
Fun as usual but also an interesting commentary on historical Cambodia.
plantbirdwoman's review against another edition
2.0
I am a big fan of Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun series. Dr. Siri is really one of the most charming characters in all of the mystery genre and I always enjoy reading about his adventures and absorbing his gentle wisdom and view of the world. That being said, I was disappointed in this particular book. In trying to analyze just why, I came to the conclusion that it was because it tried to do too much.
These stories take place in 1970s Laos, just after their revolution, as the new socialist government was trying to find its footing. Across the border in Cambodia, a much darker tale of transition was taking place. The Killing Fields were in full production. The population and the culture of the country were being systematically destroyed. In this book, Cotterill attempts to address that tragedy along with the more mundane events of Vientiane, if serial murders can ever be described as mundane. The contrast between Cambodia - Kampuchea - and the more benign society of Laos is stark. But the contrast is really too stark, too dissonant and disruptive and too difficult to take in.
Cotterill's device for bringing in the Khmer Rouge story is that Dr. Siri is lured to Cambodia, along with his friend Civilai, on an all-expense-paid diplomatic mission. There, Siri's natural curiosity and abrasiveness lead him to stick his nose in where his hosts don't want it to be and he winds up afoul of the Khmer Rouge and chained and locked in a horrible prison where he is tortured and starved and where he expects to be killed.
Before he went to Cambodia though, Siri had been involved in the investigation of a serial murder case in Vientiane. Three young women have been killed, skewered by epees and with a Z carved into their thighs. There seems to be no logical connection between the three murders, and Siri and his usual posse struggle to find the solution to the puzzle. Before he is able to reach a conclusion, the trip to Cambodia interferes. The story proceeds on two tracks, in Vientiane and in Cambodia.
We know that Dr. Siri will survive his horrible experience, because the series continues, but how he does so is more than a little incredible. After all, the 74-year-old national coroner of Laos is hardly James Bond, but his escape from Cambodia seems all too Bond-like.
Moreover, we know that he will solve the serial murder case. In this instance, the list of questions that he leaves for policeman Phosy before going to Cambodia lead to the surprising solution. But it's all just a bit too much, a bit too convenient.
My disappointment with this book is certainly not enough to put me off the series and I'll be looking forward to reading the next entry. I just hope it is a bit more narrowly focused.
These stories take place in 1970s Laos, just after their revolution, as the new socialist government was trying to find its footing. Across the border in Cambodia, a much darker tale of transition was taking place. The Killing Fields were in full production. The population and the culture of the country were being systematically destroyed. In this book, Cotterill attempts to address that tragedy along with the more mundane events of Vientiane, if serial murders can ever be described as mundane. The contrast between Cambodia - Kampuchea - and the more benign society of Laos is stark. But the contrast is really too stark, too dissonant and disruptive and too difficult to take in.
Cotterill's device for bringing in the Khmer Rouge story is that Dr. Siri is lured to Cambodia, along with his friend Civilai, on an all-expense-paid diplomatic mission. There, Siri's natural curiosity and abrasiveness lead him to stick his nose in where his hosts don't want it to be and he winds up afoul of the Khmer Rouge and chained and locked in a horrible prison where he is tortured and starved and where he expects to be killed.
Before he went to Cambodia though, Siri had been involved in the investigation of a serial murder case in Vientiane. Three young women have been killed, skewered by epees and with a Z carved into their thighs. There seems to be no logical connection between the three murders, and Siri and his usual posse struggle to find the solution to the puzzle. Before he is able to reach a conclusion, the trip to Cambodia interferes. The story proceeds on two tracks, in Vientiane and in Cambodia.
We know that Dr. Siri will survive his horrible experience, because the series continues, but how he does so is more than a little incredible. After all, the 74-year-old national coroner of Laos is hardly James Bond, but his escape from Cambodia seems all too Bond-like.
Moreover, we know that he will solve the serial murder case. In this instance, the list of questions that he leaves for policeman Phosy before going to Cambodia lead to the surprising solution. But it's all just a bit too much, a bit too convenient.
My disappointment with this book is certainly not enough to put me off the series and I'll be looking forward to reading the next entry. I just hope it is a bit more narrowly focused.
fallchicken's review against another edition
4.0
A really good read. Interesting construction, with two converging timelines (with a helpful font change ... how does that work on Kindle, I wonder?). Less interaction with Siri's spirit world. I'd have been more worried about Siri's fate if I didn't know there are more books in this series.