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A review by carolsnotebook
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
5.0
This is one of those rare mysteries I adore where the setting and characters overshadow the plot. Laos itself is fascinating and the tensions between communism, traditions, poverty and expectations are shown but not in a heavy-handed way. The regular, everyday people are trying their best to live in this new country. Siri is at center stage. He’s 72, a widower with a good sense of humor who’s beyond political infighting and petty bickering. He’s a scientist, but also recognizes that the metaphysical world does exist and can affect circumstances. He can’t entirely deny what he’s experienced and seen with his own eyes. He knows that the spirits can contact the living.
I was engrossed in this read, as often happens when the setting becomes so integral to the story. I haven’t thought about it much, but I guess setting, for me, is what can make a good book outstanding. It doesn’t have to be somewhere exotic, but I need to feel like the story could not take place anywhere else. I’m captivated by the land and culture, fall in love with the place, faults and all.
I was engrossed in this read, as often happens when the setting becomes so integral to the story. I haven’t thought about it much, but I guess setting, for me, is what can make a good book outstanding. It doesn’t have to be somewhere exotic, but I need to feel like the story could not take place anywhere else. I’m captivated by the land and culture, fall in love with the place, faults and all.