Laos' reluctant national coroner, confused psychic, and disheartened communist returns for a second case, employing his forensic skills and spiritual acumen to solve a series of bizarre killings.
Laos' reluctant national coroner, confused psychic, and disheartened communist returns for a second case, employing his forensic skills and spiritual acumen to solve a series of bizarre killings.
Against all his expectations, Dr Siri Paiboun has rather enjoyed his first five months in office. Now, as hot-season nights close in, Siri is spirited away from Laos' steamy capital on a Matter of National Security. Arriving in Luang Prabang, he's a busy man, examining carbonized corpses, dining with the deposed king, attending a shamans' conference and being rescued by the ghost of an elephant. Not that Siri's complaining ... Luang Prabang is in mountains and a good fifteen degrees cooler.
Meanwhile, back at Vientiane headquarters, it's hot. Bloody hot - savaged bodies are piling up in Siri's absence. Is it the missing black bear from the circus, or could it be a weretiger? Siri's trusty assistant Nurse Dtui goes snooping but, unlike her boss, the spirits aren't looking out for her... And just what creature, if any, has thirty-three teeth?Winner of Dilys Award 2006
“'The story is good, the characters interesting, the hero delightful and the setting fascinating: a find' Literary Review.”
Literary Review
'An embarrassment of riches: Holmesian sleuthing, political satire, and droll comic study of a prickly late bloomer' Kirkus (starred review). Kirkus
'A wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery' New York Times Book Review. New York Times
Colin Cotterill was born in London. He has taught in Australia, the USA and Japan and lived for many years in Laos where he worked for nongovernmental social service organizations. He now writes full-time and lives in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Colin won the 2009 CWA Dagger in the Library Award for his Dr Siri series.
Against all his expectations, Dr Siri Paiboun has rather enjoyed his first five months in office. Now, as hot-season nights close in, Siri is spirited away from Laos' steamy capital on a Matter of National Security. Arriving in Luang Prabang, he's a busy man, examining carbonized corpses, dining with the deposed king, attending a shamans' conference and being rescued by the ghost of an elephant. Not that Siri's complaining ... Luang Prabang is in mountains and a good fifteen degrees cooler. Meanwhile, back at Vientiane headquarters, it's hot. Bloody hot - savaged bodies are piling up in Siri's absence. Is it the missing black bear from the circus, or could it be a weretiger? Siri's trusty assistant Nurse Dtui goes snooping but, unlike her boss, the spirits aren't looking out for her... And just what creature, if any, has thirty-three teeth?
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