The Coroner's Lunch - Softcover

Cotterill, Colin

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1569474184 ISBN 13: 9781569474181

Publisher: Soho Crime, 2005

Synopsis

“This series kickoff is an embarrassment of riches: Holmesian sleuthing, political satire, and [a] droll comic study of a prickly late bloomer.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“The sights, smells, and colors of Laos practically jump of the pages of this inspired, often wryly witty first novel.”—Denver Post

“A wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery. . . . If Cotterill . . . had done nothing more than treat us to Siri’s views on the dramatic, even comic crises that mark periods of government upheaval, his debut mystery would still be fascinating. But the multiple cases spread out on Siri’s examining table . . . are not cozy entertainments, but substantial crimes that take us into the thick of political intrigue.”—The New York Times Book Review

“In Siri, Cotterill has created a detective as distinctive as Maigret or Poirot.”—Orlando Sentinel

“The Soho Press crime series . . . has done mystery connoisseurs everywhere a favor by adding Colin Cotterill to its publishing list. The author gives us exotic locations; a world that few of us know well; crisp, intelligent, and often-witty writing; and, most of all, a hero unlike any other.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer

Laos, 1975. The Communist Pathet Lao has taken over this former French colony. Dr. Siri Paiboun, a 72-year-old Paris-trained doctor, is appointed national coroner. Although he has no training for the job, there is no one else; the rest of the educated class has fled.

He is expected to come up with the answers the party wants. But crafty and charming Dr.Siri is immune to bureaucratic pressure. At his age, he reasons, what can they do to him? And he knows he cannot fail the dead who come into his care without risk of incurring their boundless displeasure. Eternity could be a long time to have the spirits mad at you.

For more information, visit www.colincotterill.com

About this title

About the Author

Colin Cotterill was born in London in 1952. He trained as a teacher and worked in Israel, Australia, the US, and Japan before training teachers in Thailand and on the Burmese border. He wrote and produced a language teaching series for Thai national television and spent several years in Laos. Colin is involved in a number of social projects, many to benefit children. With his wife he set up a book and scholarship program in Laos and runs a small school for the children of Burmese migrants near his home.

All the while Colin continues with his two other passions: cartooning and writing. Since 2000 he has written over fifteen books, including the Dr. Siri crime series set in Laos. Colin lives in Chumphon in the south of Thailand with his wife where he rides his bicycle along the coast, decapitates coconuts, eats a lot of squid, plays with his dogs, and occasionally sits down to write.

Review

Praise for The Coroner's Lunch

A Booklist Book of the Year
An Independent Mystery Booksellers Association Killer Book of the Year
A Book Sense Selection

“A wonderfully fresh and exotic mystery . . . If Cotterill . . . had done nothing more than treat us to Siri’s views on the dramatic, even comic crises that mark periods of government upheaval, his debut mystery would still be fascinating. But the multiple cases spread out on Siri’s examining table . . . are not cozy entertainments, but substantial crimes that take us into the thick of political intrigue.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“The sights, smells, and colors of Laos practically jump of the pages of this inspired, often wryly witty first novel.”
—The Denver Post

“The Soho Press crime series . . . has done mystery connoisseurs everywhere a favor by adding Colin Cotterill to its publishing list. The author gives us exotic locations; a world that few of us know well; crisp, intelligent, and often-witty writing; and, most of all, a hero unlike any other.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“This series kickoff is an embarrassment of riches: Holmesian sleuthing, political satire, and [a] droll comic study of a prickly late bloomer.”
—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

“In Siri, Cotterill has created a detective as distinctive as Maigret or Poirot.”
—Orlando Sentinel

“This debut mystery, with its convincing and highly interesting portrayal of an exotic locale, marks the author as someone to watch.”
—Publishers Weekly

About this edition

• Publisher: Soho Crime
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 1569474184
• ISBN 13: 9781569474181
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 257