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3.85 AVERAGE
3.85 AVERAGE
Continue to enjoy droll wit of Paiboun, and Cotterill's cast of characters. Mix of realism, spiritualism and skepticism.
Book 2 in the Dr Siri series. As other reviewers have indicated, it's not as tight as book 1. That didn't stop me from giving it a full 5 stars. There's just too much to love and appreciate.
The style is reminiscent of the British Golden Age of Mysteries. Yet the setting is a post-colonial Laos. The mid 1970s mark a time when the ghosts of French and American imperialism saturate the physical and mental structures of Vientiane, HQ and capital of the newly empowered People's Party. Rich soil to till.
But the gaze isn't Western in spite of being penned by a Brit. It's refreshingly and unapologetically Lao in perspective. An easy mix of educated rationalism, unselfconscious realism, and indigenous magic (Buddhist & animist). The charm is the easy humor, a warm yet ironic wit, of the main stable of characters orbiting the national morgue.
The style is reminiscent of the British Golden Age of Mysteries. Yet the setting is a post-colonial Laos. The mid 1970s mark a time when the ghosts of French and American imperialism saturate the physical and mental structures of Vientiane, HQ and capital of the newly empowered People's Party. Rich soil to till.
But the gaze isn't Western in spite of being penned by a Brit. It's refreshingly and unapologetically Lao in perspective. An easy mix of educated rationalism, unselfconscious realism, and indigenous magic (Buddhist & animist). The charm is the easy humor, a warm yet ironic wit, of the main stable of characters orbiting the national morgue.
I find this series so charming. It has just the right amount of humor and intrigue for me to stay engaged, and the idea of a main character who rebels against communism in a way that I can recognize as brilliant makes me smile. The droll sense of humor of most characters reminds me of people I grew up with and their self deprecating humor. Even though the setting is not one I am familiar with, I recognize these characters as people and I like them.
My dog loves this series. His walkies tends to be extended an extra 15 mimutes every time...
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I like these characters so it was an enjoyable read overall, but no need as good as the first book. The pacing seemed off and whole sections of the story did not feel tense at all as a consequence. There was also a lot of information dumping about the characters’ backstories and while I was interested to read that, it would have been much better if the author had shown us this information organically. I’m hoping the next book is better.
medium-paced
An enjoyable little mystery story with engaging characters. Interesting to read something that takes place in Laos. I am sadly so stuck in reading boobs that trajectory place in the western world, good for me to branch out.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
adventurous
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death