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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
Anarchy and Old Dogs by Colin Cotterill
5.0
In this novel, Dr Siri Paiboun, the reluctant national coroner of Laos, is initially asked to discover the identity of a corpse delivered to the morgue in Vientiane. This is simply the beginning of a series of events involving the problem solving skills of our hero Dr Siri, his friend Civilai (currently a senior member of the Laos politburo), Nurse Dtui, Phosy (the police officer), and Auntie Bpoo, a transvestite fortune teller.
Set in the Laos of the 1970s, filled with action, unpredictable events, fascinating characters with wry observations on life, death and politics – this is truly a delightful series. The writing is superb, and frequently had me laughing out loud. Who can resist:
‘It is hard to hold a serious debriefing with a man who’s ripping off his pants in the middle of a town’s main street.’
Naturally, by this stage there were other crimes to be solved. After all: ‘A good socialist is not a dustbin, with a closed lid. He is a letter box, always open to receive news.’
Fortunately for Dr Siri, in relation to one of the crimes : ‘But the god of unnecessary paperwork intervened. Even before they had the powder, the crime solved itself.’
I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of books two and three, and keenly anticipating the publication of the fifth book. After all, Dr Siri isn’t getting any younger.
Set in the Laos of the 1970s, filled with action, unpredictable events, fascinating characters with wry observations on life, death and politics – this is truly a delightful series. The writing is superb, and frequently had me laughing out loud. Who can resist:
‘It is hard to hold a serious debriefing with a man who’s ripping off his pants in the middle of a town’s main street.’
Naturally, by this stage there were other crimes to be solved. After all: ‘A good socialist is not a dustbin, with a closed lid. He is a letter box, always open to receive news.’
Fortunately for Dr Siri, in relation to one of the crimes : ‘But the god of unnecessary paperwork intervened. Even before they had the powder, the crime solved itself.’
I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of books two and three, and keenly anticipating the publication of the fifth book. After all, Dr Siri isn’t getting any younger.