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timinbc's review
4.0
Three stars, really, but I rounded up because I enjoyed the ride.
The plot explanations are very weak indeed, but this isn't really a plot-based story. It's about the people, and they are interesting people. There's frequent snarky humour, as we'd expect, based on how people deal with the realities of life. I expecially liked Champo and Grandpa.
The plot explanations are very weak indeed, but this isn't really a plot-based story. It's about the people, and they are interesting people. There's frequent snarky humour, as we'd expect, based on how people deal with the realities of life. I expecially liked Champo and Grandpa.
elysahenegar's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This has all the wonderful humor and eclectic characters that place Colin Cotterill's mysteries among my favorites! In this book, you get two perplexing murders for the price of one, as well an unlikely yet delightful alliance including a police officer, a journalist (Jimm Juree), and her grandpa!
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
The newest series by Colin Cotterill is off to an excellent start. It has the sly wit I've come to love in the Dr. Siri series and a great cast of characters. Set in southern Thailand, the main character (Jimm Jurree) is a crime writer whose family has recently moved from the north...and Jimm is none too pleased about the new life her mother has chosen. The characters, setting, and crimes Jimm investigates are equally enjoyable. I laughed out loud repeatedly as I was reading along (and already doing that as I've started the second book in the series :)) and look forward to reading more in this new series.
patchworkbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Jimm Juree is a crime reporter, working her way to the top with national Thai newspapers until the day her mother sells up the family shop and buys a holiday resort on the Gulf of Siam. There's not a lot of news in the small fishing village she now calls home and she's soon fed up of eating fish. When two skeletons are discovered buried underground, Jimm can smell a story and begins an investigation posing as a big city reporter helping the police. Then when a monk is found dead, all the connects the two cases is the presence of a hat.
It's a real entertaining read with a cast of unusual and interesting characters there are never taken too far into farce. It's a great slice of modern Thailand, a country where tradition meets technology in every day life. There's Jimm's brother who is now her sister,embroiled in a number of internet scams and dubious websites and her body builder brother who is eternally single. Her mother who lovse the stray dogs of the neighbourhood and trying to matchmake Jimm with the less than inspiring locals.
The title is taken from a George Bush quote where he got his metaphors mixed up. Each chapter starts with a quote from the ex-president which seems odd at first but it is explained.
The author, Colin Cotterill, is an Englishman who now lives in Thailand. I think his outsider perspective is the ideal way to observe some of the idiosyncrasies of the country's way of life. I will definitely be reading more of his books).
It's a real entertaining read with a cast of unusual and interesting characters there are never taken too far into farce. It's a great slice of modern Thailand, a country where tradition meets technology in every day life. There's Jimm's brother who is now her sister,embroiled in a number of internet scams and dubious websites and her body builder brother who is eternally single. Her mother who lovse the stray dogs of the neighbourhood and trying to matchmake Jimm with the less than inspiring locals.
The title is taken from a George Bush quote where he got his metaphors mixed up. Each chapter starts with a quote from the ex-president which seems odd at first but it is explained.
The author, Colin Cotterill, is an Englishman who now lives in Thailand. I think his outsider perspective is the ideal way to observe some of the idiosyncrasies of the country's way of life. I will definitely be reading more of his books).
constantreader471's review
4.0
4 stars for book 1 in the engaging Jimm Juree series. I already read book 2 in this series [b:Grandad, There's A Head On The Beach|12992430|Grandad, There's A Head On The Beach (Jimm Juree, #2)|Colin Cotterill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1327590505l/12992430._SY75_.jpg|18152585] and enjoyed it. My library does not have this book 1 in the series and I had to get it on inter library loan.
There are eccentric characters in this book:
Jimm, an aspiring free lance journalist who wants to report on murders.
Arny, Jimm's brother, who is a huge man into weight lifting and looks intimidating, but is actually a gentle giant.
Mair, Jimm's mother. One quote by Mair: "It was Monday the seventeenth of June, 1978," Mair began. "The second time I lost my virginity."
Sissi, Jimm's transgender brother, now a woman and a computer expert.
Mair's father, a retired policeman.
Mair has upset the family by selling their house to a developer who is going top tear it down and build a condo. She has used the money to buy a resort hotel in Southern Thailand, far from their home in Chang Mai. It turns out to be a shabby, run down hotel that very few people stay at.
Jimm hears about a strange case. Two people have been found buried in a VW van by a farmer who was having a well dug on his farm.
Jimm decides that this is her chance to break into the big time. What follows is an engaging story that held my interest as another death takes place and Jimm investigates both cases.
I read this book in 3 days.
There are eccentric characters in this book:
Jimm, an aspiring free lance journalist who wants to report on murders.
Arny, Jimm's brother, who is a huge man into weight lifting and looks intimidating, but is actually a gentle giant.
Mair, Jimm's mother. One quote by Mair: "It was Monday the seventeenth of June, 1978," Mair began. "The second time I lost my virginity."
Sissi, Jimm's transgender brother, now a woman and a computer expert.
Mair's father, a retired policeman.
Mair has upset the family by selling their house to a developer who is going top tear it down and build a condo. She has used the money to buy a resort hotel in Southern Thailand, far from their home in Chang Mai. It turns out to be a shabby, run down hotel that very few people stay at.
Jimm hears about a strange case. Two people have been found buried in a VW van by a farmer who was having a well dug on his farm.
Jimm decides that this is her chance to break into the big time. What follows is an engaging story that held my interest as another death takes place and Jimm investigates both cases.
I read this book in 3 days.
liberrydude's review against another edition
2.0
It took awhile to get into this one. Two plot lines, one of which is never really resolved. Very strange story but funny and revealing. Felt like I was reading one of John Burdett's books set in Thailand. We have a 30 something woman uprooted from northern Thailand to the south managing a run down beach resort with her eccentric family. She's quite a character as well as a journalist with nothing to write about it in what she considers hicksville. Suddenly there are bodies being dug up and a murder in a monastery. She's one step ahead of the local police. We have gay Thai policmen, transgender/transvestite siblings, a mother with possibly early Alzheimers, corrupt police,and a quiet but sensei-like grandfather. There's lots of funny dialogue that will bring you a chuckle. Additionaly each chapter begins with a quote of George W. Bush murdering the English language. Not until page 150 or so do you find out why these Bush quotes are there. I found them irritating initially but once you find out the background you learn to accept them. Wondering if this is a one time book or the start of another series. I've enjoyed Cotterill's series set in 1970's Laos with Dr. Siri.
ani_raven's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
debjazzergal's review
4.0
Won this as a giveaway. I typically read mysteries that are set in England. Rarely do I go for the exotic locale. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A fun read and learned a lot about Thailand. Would read this author again. Well written with one continuity issue (but my copy was an uncorrected proof). The only thing that would have helped me would have been a glossary of local terms. Still well worth reading. Perfect for a quiet day at the beach or home in the rain.
filmtrek's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
maplessence's review
2.0
2.5★
Our local library became sick of members vandalising books to record what they thought about the read, so they now stick a sheet of paper at the front of the book & members can put their mark there. Quite often they place one line reviews - especially if they hate the book! Yes, I know they could join Goodreads & record that way instead, but they don't.
I was sick, so my husband picked up my book list for me.
If I had been on my feet this and the tepid reviews from most of my friends might have made me put this particular book back on the shelf.
I was pretty unenthusiastic about [b:The Coroner's Lunch|243353|The Coroner's Lunch (Dr. Siri Paiboun, #1)|Colin Cotterill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436464374l/243353._SY75_.jpg|235766] but I found enough to like that I thought I might like a different series by Cotterill better.
Cotterill captured the slightly off kilter feeling I have had both times I was in Thailand and there were some genuinely funny lines. Sometimes the story was really interesting and sometimes I didn't have any trouble putting this book aside for days on end.
For most of the book I was enjoying it more than [b:The Coroner's Lunch|243353|The Coroner's Lunch (Dr. Siri Paiboun, #1)|Colin Cotterill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436464374l/243353._SY75_.jpg|235766]. But a terrible ending meant that only one of the mysteries was resolved. I felt disappointed to be honest.
I have not finished reading series by [a:Vanda Symon|895593|Vanda Symon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1194514131p2/895593.jpg], [a:Rex Stout|41112|Rex Stout|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1201136975p2/41112.jpg], [a:Erle Stanley Gardner|10214|Erle Stanley Gardner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211517281p2/10214.jpg], [a:Dorothy L. Sayers|8734|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1519840173p2/8734.jpg] and [a:Keigo Higashino|117366|Keigo Higashino|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1289592746p2/117366.jpg] Other than the latter, this authors have all been a bit uneven for me (yes,even Sayers!) but even their weakest offerings have been better than the mild liking I feel for Cotterill's writing.
Our local library became sick of members vandalising books to record what they thought about the read, so they now stick a sheet of paper at the front of the book & members can put their mark there. Quite often they place one line reviews - especially if they hate the book! Yes, I know they could join Goodreads & record that way instead, but they don't.
I was sick, so my husband picked up my book list for me.
If I had been on my feet this and the tepid reviews from most of my friends might have made me put this particular book back on the shelf.
I was pretty unenthusiastic about [b:The Coroner's Lunch|243353|The Coroner's Lunch (Dr. Siri Paiboun, #1)|Colin Cotterill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436464374l/243353._SY75_.jpg|235766] but I found enough to like that I thought I might like a different series by Cotterill better.
Cotterill captured the slightly off kilter feeling I have had both times I was in Thailand and there were some genuinely funny lines. Sometimes the story was really interesting and sometimes I didn't have any trouble putting this book aside for days on end.
For most of the book I was enjoying it more than [b:The Coroner's Lunch|243353|The Coroner's Lunch (Dr. Siri Paiboun, #1)|Colin Cotterill|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1436464374l/243353._SY75_.jpg|235766]. But a terrible ending meant that only one of the mysteries was resolved. I felt disappointed to be honest.
I have not finished reading series by [a:Vanda Symon|895593|Vanda Symon|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1194514131p2/895593.jpg], [a:Rex Stout|41112|Rex Stout|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1201136975p2/41112.jpg], [a:Erle Stanley Gardner|10214|Erle Stanley Gardner|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1211517281p2/10214.jpg], [a:Dorothy L. Sayers|8734|Dorothy L. Sayers|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1519840173p2/8734.jpg] and [a:Keigo Higashino|117366|Keigo Higashino|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1289592746p2/117366.jpg] Other than the latter, this authors have all been a bit uneven for me (yes,even Sayers!) but even their weakest offerings have been better than the mild liking I feel for Cotterill's writing.
