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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.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in 4 days. It was an easy read and a solid 4 stars. Dr. Siri Paiboun is a doctor who has been appointed the chief (and only) coroner of Laos. He is 72 and had planned to retire, but was not given a choice. He has 2 assistants, 1 of whom has Down's Syndrome. He has almost no equipment--an ancient microscope, a few books and no way to test for poison. Despite all these handicaps, he manages to solve several murders and make some nasty enemies at the same time. He has to deal with Laotian communist politics and corruption while finding ingenious ways to solve his cases.
beth_diiorio's review against another edition
4.0
Well-written, engaging mystery. I was pleasantly surprised.
lavoiture's review against another edition
5.0
I started to read this whole series again, and my love for Dr. Siri and all the other characters has just grown over the years (read this for the first time in 2008!).
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
5.0
4 1/2 stars. This was a lucky find that I couldn't turn off (audiobook) until I was done. I enjoyed the dry wit and understated sarcasm the writer uses to good effect. The main character, Dr. Siri Paiboun, is a reluctant 72 year old coroner in 1976 Laos, and the book includes investigations of several suspicious deaths. The way the cases overlap and run concurrently plays nicely into the plot. The book is full of atmosphere, and even some connections from the paranormal side, but while there is a thread of humor in the book, it never strays into the silly. The otherworldly touch really adds to the story, as does the Laotian setting during a transitional period of communism. Because there are several cases in exotic settings, the large cast of characters with unfamiliar names was sometimes a bit confusing, but in general this book was very well put together.
_rusalka's review against another edition
4.0
Dr Siri is ready to retire. He is 72, a doctor, who and also been a jungle fighter trying to bring about Communist change for years. Now the Communists are in power, and his loyalty will be rewarded with retirement, right? Hmmmm. Not so surprisingly he is "rewarded" by the Party by being appointed Chief Coroner (which he has no training for), and expected to work until he no longer can do so. And on top of that, working for a large amount of young men who don't have any understanding of their positions and are only appointed due to their Soviet university degrees.
Easily enough to drive you mental I would say. But not Dr Siri. He takes it all in his stride with a large amount of humour and sarcasm, and makes it a pleasure to read. We get pulled along with him through some of his investigations, that take him all over Laos and introduce us rather comprehensively to the situation of the 1976 newly Communist country.
The mysteries are good and not too obvious. There is an element of the fantastical/supernatural to the story which I was worried would be heavy handed and out of place, but works rather well. And there are just some great characters that I want to go back and visit again. Luckily there are another nine books for me to do exactly that.
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
Easily enough to drive you mental I would say. But not Dr Siri. He takes it all in his stride with a large amount of humour and sarcasm, and makes it a pleasure to read. We get pulled along with him through some of his investigations, that take him all over Laos and introduce us rather comprehensively to the situation of the 1976 newly Communist country.
The mysteries are good and not too obvious. There is an element of the fantastical/supernatural to the story which I was worried would be heavy handed and out of place, but works rather well. And there are just some great characters that I want to go back and visit again. Luckily there are another nine books for me to do exactly that.
For more reviews visit http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/
nedhayes's review against another edition
5.0
Well written mystery set in Laos of the 1970s. The country, the history, the politics and the culture really come to life. A vibrant 70 year old main character is a fascinating protagonist. Well done!