S
et in 1970s Communist Laos, Cotterill's delightful fourth novel to feature Dr. Siri Paiboun, the Laotian national coroner and one of the more eccentric characters in crime fiction, and Paiboun's clever assistant, Nurse Dtui (after 2006's Disco for the Departed
), nicely blends the supernatural, humor and intrigue. This time, their trials and tribulations begin with the death of Dr. Buagaew, a blind dentist hit by a truck. When blank papers are found on the dentist's body, Paiboun quickly discovers encoded writing in invisible ink. Aided by his friends, police officer Phosy and politburo member Civilai, Paiboun follows up on a number of clues and discovers that the code describes a series of chess moves. A trip to the southern Laotian city of Pakse draws him deeper into a complex political intrigue. Adding local color is Auntie Bpoo, a fortune-teller transvestite who predicts Paiboun will soon betray his country. This sometimes slapstick, sometimes serious, but always lively mystery is sure to bring the author many new readers. (Aug.)
Details
Reviewed on: 05/07/2007
Genre: Fiction
Analog Audio Cassette - 978-1-4551-1897-7
Compact Disc - 978-1-4551-1899-1
Compact Disc - 978-1-4551-1898-4
Hardcover - 272 pages - 978-0-676-97951-0
MP3 CD - 978-1-4551-1900-4
Other - 134 pages - 978-1-61695-119-1
Paperback - 272 pages - 978-1-84724-577-9
Paperback - 258 pages - 978-1-84724-784-1
Paperback - 288 pages - 978-0-676-97952-7
Paperback - 304 pages - 978-1-56947-501-0
Pre-Recorded Audio Player - 978-1-4551-1903-5
