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jimmacsyr's review against another edition
4.0
Very enjoyable. A brief look into Lao life. Fun characters.
littletaiko's review against another edition
4.0
After seeing several people rave about the Dr. Siri series as well as hearing the author interviewed on Morning Edition, I finally bought The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill and am very glad that I did. Dr. Siri and crew were so delightful and I can't wait to read more in the series. I'm especially a sucker for books where I'm entertained while learning something. Definitely an eye opener regarding communism and Laos both of which I know almost nothing about.
ja3m3's review against another edition
4.0
Dr. Siri is 72 years old and is dreaming of retiring, but it is one year after the People’s Democratic Republic of Laos has been established (1976) and the communist party needs him to be their coroner – even though he knows nothing about the job. Through Dr. Siri’s eyes as chief coroner we witness the insanity and corruption that marks the new communist regime in Laos. This actually is a very witty mystery story with a few ghosts thrown in - CSI Laos style. An enjoyable read on a Sunday afternoon.
cmcarr's review against another edition
2.0
Plot had some potential, but I found the writing to be a bit boring.
popcorndiva's review against another edition
4.0
4 Stars
I have been waiting to read this book for over a year. I added it to my TBR list for a reading challenge in 2018, but I never got around to it. So, expectations were building for quite some time. I’m so happy to say this book did not disappoint.
The Coroner’s Lunch is a quirky mystery novel that follows the reluctant national coroner and semi-ghost whisperer Dr. Siri as he attempts to unravel the truth behind a recent autopsy. When a high ranking military official’s wife dies suddenly, things begin to get strange for Dr. Siri. Between governmental conspiracies, unruly spirits, and a series of assassination attempts, Dr. Siri has a lot to deal with.
The mystery and plot of this book alone deserve four, if not five stars. I was so engrossed in this that I pretty much ignored everything else when possible to read it. I really didn’t expect any of the twists in the book and I really loved the small dose of magical realism. I found most of the book to be fairly believable and even the parts that were a stretch didn’t bother me because I was having so much fun unraveling the mystery with Dr. Siri. Some of the book mentioned various aspects of living in a communist state. The author did a great job giving enough detail about it to set the scene, but not too much as to bore the reader.
The characters in this book were also so well done! This is definitely more of a plot driven book, but all the characters were unique and vibrant. I loved Siri’s relationships with his two staff members in the coroner’s office at the hospital. There was enough witty banter to add comical relief to those scenes, but not so much that it felt forced or unrealistic. I also really enjoyed Siri’s character in general. I think that author did a fantastic job of capturing his voice and humor without it feeling too cynical or sarcastic.
Overall, I don’t have anything negative to say about this one. It didn’t absolutely blow me away, hence only four stars, but it was still one of my favorite reads of the year so far. With an intriguing plot and a really fascinating main character, it was hard to put this down. Any fans of mystery will like this and even if mystery isn’t really your thing, this may still be worth a read for a lazy rainy day. I will 100% be reading the next book in the series.
I have been waiting to read this book for over a year. I added it to my TBR list for a reading challenge in 2018, but I never got around to it. So, expectations were building for quite some time. I’m so happy to say this book did not disappoint.
The Coroner’s Lunch is a quirky mystery novel that follows the reluctant national coroner and semi-ghost whisperer Dr. Siri as he attempts to unravel the truth behind a recent autopsy. When a high ranking military official’s wife dies suddenly, things begin to get strange for Dr. Siri. Between governmental conspiracies, unruly spirits, and a series of assassination attempts, Dr. Siri has a lot to deal with.
The mystery and plot of this book alone deserve four, if not five stars. I was so engrossed in this that I pretty much ignored everything else when possible to read it. I really didn’t expect any of the twists in the book and I really loved the small dose of magical realism. I found most of the book to be fairly believable and even the parts that were a stretch didn’t bother me because I was having so much fun unraveling the mystery with Dr. Siri. Some of the book mentioned various aspects of living in a communist state. The author did a great job giving enough detail about it to set the scene, but not too much as to bore the reader.
The characters in this book were also so well done! This is definitely more of a plot driven book, but all the characters were unique and vibrant. I loved Siri’s relationships with his two staff members in the coroner’s office at the hospital. There was enough witty banter to add comical relief to those scenes, but not so much that it felt forced or unrealistic. I also really enjoyed Siri’s character in general. I think that author did a fantastic job of capturing his voice and humor without it feeling too cynical or sarcastic.
Overall, I don’t have anything negative to say about this one. It didn’t absolutely blow me away, hence only four stars, but it was still one of my favorite reads of the year so far. With an intriguing plot and a really fascinating main character, it was hard to put this down. Any fans of mystery will like this and even if mystery isn’t really your thing, this may still be worth a read for a lazy rainy day. I will 100% be reading the next book in the series.
paperbacksandpines's review against another edition
3.0
I was drawn to this book because the setting pulled me in. I haven't read many books set in the 1970s and I've read zero books set in Laos. I had no knowledge of the country going into the book and learning about the communist political setting made it interesting.
The protagonist, Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72 year old doctor who didn't campaign for or want the position was a likable main character. An ambivalent communist for the past 50 years, he had to walk a fragile path in order not to further alienate himself and his position in society. Siri was put into his current position of coroner with the expectation that he sign off on death certificates according to party preferences. With no coroner experience but an overabundance of integrity, he has the unenviable position of outsmarting party officials.
I had expected the mystery to be more gripping but I found that the only reason I was powering through was to learn more about the culture. I thought there was a lot of unnecessary exposition and I had to force myself to power through to finish the book. I would consider this to be more historical fiction than mystery.
The protagonist, Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72 year old doctor who didn't campaign for or want the position was a likable main character. An ambivalent communist for the past 50 years, he had to walk a fragile path in order not to further alienate himself and his position in society. Siri was put into his current position of coroner with the expectation that he sign off on death certificates according to party preferences. With no coroner experience but an overabundance of integrity, he has the unenviable position of outsmarting party officials.
I had expected the mystery to be more gripping but I found that the only reason I was powering through was to learn more about the culture. I thought there was a lot of unnecessary exposition and I had to force myself to power through to finish the book. I would consider this to be more historical fiction than mystery.
leslielu67's review against another edition
4.0
An excellent mystery set in Laos, and gives background to Dr. Siri as I had first read #4 in the series. Will continue the series.
kbogdano80's review against another edition
4.0
Dr. Siri Paiboun is a 72-year old doctor and coroner in Laos. All Siri wants at this stage is to retire with a cup of coffee and his own garden. But the year is 1976 and Laos has fallen under the new communist regime whose motto states that every "comrade" be put to work until he or she can't contribute anymore. So Siri reports to the morgue each morning, halfheartedy working on bodies with limited supplies and the aid of his two assistants, Dtui and Mr. Geung. The job is dull until a consecutive string of bodies (including the wife of a prominent Party member)shows up. They're all very much dead but no one can determine how they came to be so. Quite suddenly Siri finds himself going from reluctant coroner to unexpected investigator.
I really liked this book. It reminded me of a mixture of Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe series and Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, but brought its own unique flavor. I love books set in exotic locales that I'm not familiar with. I felt like I learned a lot about the politics and culture of Laos. I also really enjoyed the mystery, which was interesting and engaging throughout and had me guessing until the very end.
And most of all the book is seriously funny. Dr. Siri has a wonderful, wry, wicked sense of humor. He's easy to like and root for. I also really liked the style and humor of his two morgue assistants.
The only thing that struck me as a bit jarring is all the focus on local lore and spirits. Our protagonist sees dead people. It's mostly while he's sleeping so it's never really clear whether he actually can or if it's his mind working out problems and details while his body rests. Kind of weird but it did help him solve pertinent issues of the mystery, so I could let it go. I had a bit more trouble with the theory that he's a thousand year old shaman capable of exorcising evil spirits, which was the focus of two chapters in the book.
Despite these minor issues, this is definitely a series that I will be continuing.
I really liked this book. It reminded me of a mixture of Alexander McCall Smith's Precious Ramotswe series and Helen Simonson's Major Pettigrew's Last Stand, but brought its own unique flavor. I love books set in exotic locales that I'm not familiar with. I felt like I learned a lot about the politics and culture of Laos. I also really enjoyed the mystery, which was interesting and engaging throughout and had me guessing until the very end.
And most of all the book is seriously funny. Dr. Siri has a wonderful, wry, wicked sense of humor. He's easy to like and root for. I also really liked the style and humor of his two morgue assistants.
The only thing that struck me as a bit jarring is all the focus on local lore and spirits. Our protagonist sees dead people. It's mostly while he's sleeping so it's never really clear whether he actually can or if it's his mind working out problems and details while his body rests. Kind of weird but it did help him solve pertinent issues of the mystery, so I could let it go. I had a bit more trouble with the theory that he's a thousand year old shaman capable of exorcising evil spirits, which was the focus of two chapters in the book.
Despite these minor issues, this is definitely a series that I will be continuing.
tessisreading2's review against another edition
5.0
The setting was incredibly interesting and well drawn, ditto the characters.
bkdrgn303's review against another edition
4.0
What a delightful book! Filled with quirky characters, political intrigue, and lots of humor, this book is pure fun. Who knew that an elderly, Communist Laotian doctor turned state coroner, who may or may not be visited by the spirits of the dead, could be so entertaining? Definitely looking forward to the further adventures of Dr. Siri and his staff.