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A review by paperbacksandpines
The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
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.