In poverty-stricken 1978 Laos, a man with a truck from the city was “somebody,” a catch for even the prettiest village virgin. The corpse of one of these bucolic beauties turns up in Dr. Siri’s morgue and his curiosity is piqued. The victim was tied to a tree and strangled but she had not, as the doctor had expected, been raped, although her flesh had been torn. And though the victim had clear, pale skin over most of her body, her hands and feet were gnarled, callused, and blistered.
On a trip to the hinterlands, Siri discovers that the beautiful female corpse bound to a tree has already risen to the status of a rural myth. This has happened many times before. He sets out to investigate this unprecedented phenomenon—a serial killer in peaceful Buddhist Laos—only to discover when he has identified the murderer that not only pretty maidens are at risk. Seventy-three-year-old coroners can be victims, too.
Praise for Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun Series:
"[A] series of terrifically beguiling detective novels steeped in local color and history."—The New York Times Book Review
"A delightfully fresh and eccentric hero."—John Burdett
"Unpredictable.... Tragically funny and magically sublime."—Entertainment Weekly
"A crack storyteller and an impressive guide to a little-known culture."—Washington Post Book World
"Crisp, intelligent ... a hero unlike any other."—Philadelphia Enquirer
"[A] wryly entertaining mystery that makes tracking a psychopathic killer more enjoyable than you would expect.... Long live Dr. Siri."—Washington Times
"This wonderful series has consistently managed to convey the beauty and sadness of this damaged country through the wisdom and humor of its protagonist."—Boston Globe
"Delightful. A wry, eccentric addition to the genre."—Booklist, Starred Review
Colin Cotterill is the author of twelve other books in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series, including The Coroner's Lunch, Thirty-Three Teeth, Six and a Half Deadly Sins, I Shot the Buddha, and The Rat Catchers' Olympics. His fiction has won a Dilys Award and a CWA Dagger in the Library. He lives in Chumphon, Thailand, with his wife and their many deranged dogs.
View titles by Colin Cotterill
In poverty-stricken 1978 Laos, a man with a truck from the city was “somebody,” a catch for even the prettiest village virgin. The corpse of one of these bucolic beauties turns up in Dr. Siri’s morgue and his curiosity is piqued. The victim was tied to a tree and strangled but she had not, as the doctor had expected, been raped, although her flesh had been torn. And though the victim had clear, pale skin over most of her body, her hands and feet were gnarled, callused, and blistered.
On a trip to the hinterlands, Siri discovers that the beautiful female corpse bound to a tree has already risen to the status of a rural myth. This has happened many times before. He sets out to investigate this unprecedented phenomenon—a serial killer in peaceful Buddhist Laos—only to discover when he has identified the murderer that not only pretty maidens are at risk. Seventy-three-year-old coroners can be victims, too.
Reviews
Praise for Colin Cotterill's Dr. Siri Paiboun Series:
"[A] series of terrifically beguiling detective novels steeped in local color and history."—The New York Times Book Review
"A delightfully fresh and eccentric hero."—John Burdett
"Unpredictable.... Tragically funny and magically sublime."—Entertainment Weekly
"A crack storyteller and an impressive guide to a little-known culture."—Washington Post Book World
"Crisp, intelligent ... a hero unlike any other."—Philadelphia Enquirer
"[A] wryly entertaining mystery that makes tracking a psychopathic killer more enjoyable than you would expect.... Long live Dr. Siri."—Washington Times
"This wonderful series has consistently managed to convey the beauty and sadness of this damaged country through the wisdom and humor of its protagonist."—Boston Globe
"Delightful. A wry, eccentric addition to the genre."—Booklist, Starred Review
Author
Colin Cotterill is the author of twelve other books in the Dr. Siri Paiboun series, including The Coroner's Lunch, Thirty-Three Teeth, Six and a Half Deadly Sins, I Shot the Buddha, and The Rat Catchers' Olympics. His fiction has won a Dilys Award and a CWA Dagger in the Library. He lives in Chumphon, Thailand, with his wife and their many deranged dogs.
View titles by Colin Cotterill
