This amusing mystery story set in communist laos is peopled with quirky characters, none more so than the reluctant coroner of the title. Siri Paiboun subverts the govern,ent's rule by outwitting his political enemies and cleverly utilising their own interminable policies against those who woudl thwart him. Siri is lots of fun and you'll be glad to know, that this is just the first in an ongoing series. ( )

This was fun to read. A Coroner in Laos has to solve several difficult cases in which his detection skills are put to the test. The coroner is humorous and compasionate, a wonderful character! ( )

The Coroner’s Lunch introduced Dr. Siri Paiboun, the one-of-a-kind detective: He’s a Communist, he’s a septuagenarian, he’s sort of possessed by the spirit of an ancient shaman, Yeh Ming and he’s the crime-solving national coroner of Laos.

The series is set in the 1970’s very soon after the Pathet Lao came to power. Siri himself was for many years an active member of the Communist resistance. His faith in the cause has waned somewhat, but he’s no capitalist roader. His best friend is a member of the ruling elite. The Americans’ role in devastating the country lurks in the background. Near the end of the book Siri learns something that is personally liberating, but that is also bound to sour him on the ruling party.

Cotterill sets the stage for the series in this book: We meet Siri’s morgue assistants Geung and Dtui, his friend and politburo member Civalai, his police partner Phosy, and his inexperienced bureaucratic boss Kaeng. We also meet his spirit co-inhabitant Yeh Ming.

Cotterill’s books are a weird concoction that is part Alexander McCall Smith, part Christopher Moore, part Agatha Christie with a dash of Carlos Castaneda thrown in! The books are fun, sweet, and filled with many decent people and the problems they face when dealing with those who are not. The Yeh Ming spirit adds a mystical element they may put off some readers; it’s not really my normal cup of tea, but it works. Cotterill makes use of the Yeh Ming character to explore the Hmong people. That minority group and their difficult lives under Laotian rule form a key piece of Cotterill’s back story.

The search for a solution or solutions to the mysteries (the suspicious death of the wife of a prominent military man and the murders of several Vietnamese) is entertaining, but the characters, setting and atmosphere make this series stand out in a crowded field of international detectives. Recommended. ( )

The novel is set completely in the country of Laos, mid 1970s. The central charater is an elderly coroner, Siri Paiboum, who you can tell is less than thrilled with the "liberation" of Laos by the communists. One part of this book I really enjoyed was Siri's take on all of the Communist reforms -- very funny at times, in a sarcastic sort of way. Siri's staff consists of a nurse, Dtui, and his assistant Geung, who has Down's syndrome but a great memory and a great tolerance for repetitive tasks. They're understaffed, underequipped and work in somewhat primitive conditions, but together they get by and do a great job.

The first case in which we get to know Siri's investigative acumen deals with the wife of a high official; she is brought in due to the suspicious nature of her death, and as Siri is doing the autopsy, the official tells him she died of eating meat tainted with parasites; Siri up to that point hadn't been able to find a cause of death. The case is taken away from him, leaving Siri intrigued and determined to get to the bottom of things. The next case involves two bodies that pop up from the middle of a reservoir; this case will end up putting Siri in life-threatening danger as he investigates.

Now, just when you think, yeah, yeah, so..., the author adds another dimension to the story. Siri can see spirits, putting a supernatural spin on the novel. This doesn't detract from the story at all...I found it very intriguing and a good twist to the storyline.

Fun book, a good mystery, and I really like the characters. If you don't mind a wee bit of the supernatural in your mysteries, this one is very good. ( )

A truly wonderful book. Full of whimsy, surprises, and characters who come to quickly seem like old friends.

Set in the newly Communist Laos in 1976, the book spends little time on polemics and theory, and more on the everyday hardships of a poor country now magnified because of the requirement of being politically correct and of following the idealogical rules. These situations present sadness, but also the way the main character deals with them is so droll and full of whimsy, that I was quite often laughing out loud.

The main character is Siri, a 72 year old doctor who only wants to retire, and is more of a relaxed Communist. He has no training as a coroner, but that doesn't stop the judicial department from deciding that putting things together means he is also qualified to take them apart. He has very little in terms of modern appliances, chemicals, or texts to help him study the remains of the dead to determine how they met their end. His job is determine if there has been a crime committed, and if so, how it was done.

Fortunately, or not, he can see spirits, and the dead visit him and perform clues and final moments for him. He puzzles at their information and tries to use everything at his disposal to do his job well. He feels he owes it to those who come to the morgue. They have become not dead things, but people who need their peace and dignity restored.

He becomes embroiled in several dangerous cases with political overtones. One within the power structure of his rulers, and the other involving Vietnam and a possible spark to war. In the middle of his dangerous case load he is also sent to a H'Mong village where the ranking Laotian military officers are dying strangely. His sojourn among the H'Mong, serves to awaken more of his supernatural ability and he learns to tap into the spiritual aspect of his ancient land. The magical realism element is done very well, and complements the tone of the story without seeming to be too silly, powerful, or the answer for all things.

Through out it all Siri, is surrounded by friends, co-workers, and neighbors who are drawn so well that they seem like old friends. I can imagine them living on after the book ends. And while the book deals with death and the cutting up of bodies, the story is redolent with tenderness, caring, and great respect for the sanctity of all life. The author manages this without seeming preachy or schmaltzy.

I can't wait to get my hands on book 2 in the series to continue reading more. ( )