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timinbc's review against another edition
5.0
This was great fun. I read #2 first and this fills in nicely; indeed, the closing scene of this is recapped as the opening of #2.
It's a mystery, history, satire, and more, set in newly-communist Laos. Dr. Siri is all out of ****s to give, and this makes him a delightful character and also a darn good coroner. We get to watch him become a detective and also develop the skills of Radar O'Reilly in dealing with bureaucracy.
In more than a few cases, the humour is so sly and deft that you have to skid back and re-read it before laughing out loud.
On top of it all, he has a good puzzle to solve.
I think I'll reade all of these.
It's a mystery, history, satire, and more, set in newly-communist Laos. Dr. Siri is all out of ****s to give, and this makes him a delightful character and also a darn good coroner. We get to watch him become a detective and also develop the skills of Radar O'Reilly in dealing with bureaucracy.
In more than a few cases, the humour is so sly and deft that you have to skid back and re-read it before laughing out loud.
On top of it all, he has a good puzzle to solve.
I think I'll reade all of these.
testaroscia's review against another edition
5.0
The joy of this book was the knowledge is that I now have another 10 or so “go-to” ripe cherries to pick from whenever I want a short burst of happiness. It has a little bit of everything I love in a book: interesting characters, crisp dialogue, some gallows humour, a chance to learn about a time or place in history I was ignorant of, a clever whodunnit to go with the ride, a touch of fantasy. Who knew that Laos in the mid seventies would be my new refuge of whimsy
elizafiedler's review against another edition
challenging
dark
funny
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
There are little details of character and place that I loved, but the plot is rather messy. It doesn't help that the audiobook narrator speaks in a monotone.
pamelaw07's review against another edition
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anaya13's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
I really liked this! It was creative, with engaging characters, a great setting, and lots of twists. I wasn’t expecting it to be fantasy but I’m not mad about it. The ending! I’ll have to read the next one.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Dr Siri Paiboun was trained in France, but returned to his native Laos as a loyal member of the Communist Party. Now one of the country’s few remaining physicians, at age 72 he’s been appointed as the country’s chief coroner. It’s a lofty title but the reality is different: the morgue is barely equipped, and his only assistants are a nurse and a morgue technician with Down’s syndrome. That’s not much of a problem as they rarely have a case, but suddenly there are multiple cases. The Party wants certain answers, but Dr Siri is intent on arriving at, and presenting the truth.
What an interesting and engaging mystery. I really liked Dr Siri, Mr Geung and nurse Dtui; they make a great team. Siri’s acerbic wit gets a nice workout against the bureaucrats who seem intent on thwarting his efforts. After all, he’s 72 years old, what can they do to him? He is a widower, without any children; he’d be happy to be retired, even in a “re-education” camp.
The paranormal element of the story, however, threw me for a loop. I didn’t so much mind the ghosts visiting Siri in his dreams, nor even his being able to occasionally see those spirits while awake. But the trip to the Hmong village and the “exorcism” seemed an unnecessary side trip; I found it detracted from the central story.
On the whole, however, this was an entertaining mystery with great characters. I’ll definitely read more of the series.
What an interesting and engaging mystery. I really liked Dr Siri, Mr Geung and nurse Dtui; they make a great team. Siri’s acerbic wit gets a nice workout against the bureaucrats who seem intent on thwarting his efforts. After all, he’s 72 years old, what can they do to him? He is a widower, without any children; he’d be happy to be retired, even in a “re-education” camp.
The paranormal element of the story, however, threw me for a loop. I didn’t so much mind the ghosts visiting Siri in his dreams, nor even his being able to occasionally see those spirits while awake. But the trip to the Hmong village and the “exorcism” seemed an unnecessary side trip; I found it detracted from the central story.
On the whole, however, this was an entertaining mystery with great characters. I’ll definitely read more of the series.
meghan_w's review against another edition
3.0
I had a really hard time reading this book. It just didn't hold my attention very well.
tophat8855's review against another edition
4.0
Aug 2014 RS book group
Finally got around to it, almost a decade later. Nice fun mystery book. It's good to have palate cleansers so I'll be adding the rest of the series eventually. :)
I liked the setting, both place and time. The Hmong relationship with the Laotian people is pretty fascinating. And they are much more in a magical worldview, so that was a great addition to the story.
Finally got around to it, almost a decade later. Nice fun mystery book. It's good to have palate cleansers so I'll be adding the rest of the series eventually. :)
I liked the setting, both place and time. The Hmong relationship with the Laotian people is pretty fascinating. And they are much more in a magical worldview, so that was a great addition to the story.
omegabeth's review against another edition
4.0
I really hate the ‘exotic setting’ phrases in many of these reviews— it’s very colonial/othering language and totally misses the heart of this book- its humanity. The characters are well drawn, and do not seem forced, the humor is often dark, but not morbid, the relationships feel genuine, and oh, hey, I am getting a small education about a place I know almost nothing about in a time in the not- too distant past. The spirit world is treated realistically, which is a bizarre thing to say, but I don’t really have a better word!
In any case, solid writing and plotting, semi-procedural cozy, deserves a slower read than I gave it- is not fluffy, but can be read that way. Will definitely be continuing the series!
In any case, solid writing and plotting, semi-procedural cozy, deserves a slower read than I gave it- is not fluffy, but can be read that way. Will definitely be continuing the series!