Set in the People's Democratic Republic of Laos in 1977, Cotterill's engrossing third mystery (after 2005's Thirty-three Teeth
) takes series hero Dr. Siri Paiboun, the 73-year-old national coroner who has recently discovered his shaman ancestry, and Nurse Dtui, his no-nonsense associate, from the capital, Vientiane, to remote Vieng Xai, where a cement-entombed corpse has turned up at the Laotian president's compound. At Kilometer 8 Hospital, Paiboun and Dtui meet Dr. Santiago, a charismatic surgeon on loan from Cuba, who uncovers crucial information about the victim's identity. As they close in on the killer, Paiboun and company must deal with soul-transfer, a marriage proposal, ancient rituals, frenetic dancing, racism and more murders. Horrific sacrificial rituals coexist seamlessly with the endless, banal red tape that hampers the investigation. Paiboun's gift for conversing with the dead comes in handy as he endures such strange happenings as nightly disco music only he can hear. This witty and unusual series just keeps getting better. (Aug.)
Details
Reviewed on: 05/29/2006
Genre: Fiction
Analog Audio Cassette - 978-1-4551-1890-8
Compact Disc - 978-1-4551-1892-2
Hardcover - 260 pages - 978-1-84724-414-7
Hardcover - 247 pages - 978-0-676-97833-9
MP3 CD - 978-1-4551-1893-9
Open Ebook - 126 pages - 978-1-61695-118-4
Paperback - 258 pages - 978-1-56947-464-8
Paperback - 256 pages - 978-0-676-97834-6
Paperback - 260 pages - 978-1-84724-585-4
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-4551-1896-0
